WOW is the first word that comes to mind when I think about all the responses we got to last weeks newsletter on low carbohydrate diets.
Because the response was so wonderful, and because it becomes quite obvious that there is a lot of confusion surrounding this topic, I decided to do a follow up on it. I hope this will help everyone a bit.
My motto and steadfast belief has been, and always will be that balance and moderation are the best choice when it comes to a nutritional plan. The questions really, are WHAT DOES THAT MEAN EXACTLY and WHY AM I AGAINST A NO CARB OR LOW CARB DIET
My first point is that any diet that completely restricts or eliminates a complete macronutrient group from its plan is not the best choice. My reasons for feeling this way are:
It is almost inevitable that at some point after restricting carbohydrate intake, those individuals will begin eating carbs again. When this happens, caloric intake increases and most people gain all or more of the weight back that they originally lost.
No or extremely low carbohydrate diets eliminate fruits, vegetables and whole grain foods. These foods are the best sources of dietary fiber. Dietary fiber is essential to good health and its something that the vast majority of us are already deficient in. Thus, restricting foods that contain fiber is not the best choice.
Most low and no carbohydrate diets are higher in saturated fats. Diets high in these fats are not considered to be heart healthy, and therefore can be a contributing factor in things such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.
The majority of people that do the low carbohydrate diet feel very fatigued and worn down. I in fact have some personal experience where this one is concerned. Along with the experience Ive had with many of the clients Ive trained throughout the years whom I know have done the extremely low carb diet. When I train for my fitness competitions, I go through a week of carb loading and carb depleting. This is done in an attempt to trick my body into a state of confusion. The point of the depletion is to empty my muscles of glycogen completely, and then to follow up by loading on carbs. During the loading phase, my muscles hold on to extra glycogen, as a result of being completely deprived of it, and my muscles appear much fuller and leaner. This is absolutely only done in the end phase of my training cycle, and I can tell you thisDuring the depletion phase, I have to struggle to muster up the energy to even walk up the stairs. Being physically active is essential to our health, and feeling fatigued and run down is not going to help anyone be more physically active.
Lastly, anything that is considered to be a DIET rather than a lifestyle change is something that will give to you a temporary loss of weight rather than a permanent change for the better.
Now, many questions came in this past week inquiring about what individuals thought was a low carbohydrate diet. Whole grain foods, fruits and vegetables are ALL carbohydrates. They are healthy, unprocessed carbohydrates and are staple foods that should be consumed every day. If you are eating foods from these groups, you are NOT doing a no or extremely low carb diet! A nutritional plan containing whole grains, fruits, vegetables and lean meats is in fact a balanced diet and is healthy!
