Low carb diet plans are popping up like flowers in the spring.
First on the low carb diet plan binge was Atkins, then the Beach Diet, and even the ex-Three's Company TV star Suzanne Sommers has her battles with carbohydrates in her personal diet plan.
Why The Link Between Low-Carb Diet Plans and Losing Weight?
Why are carbohydrates the new "evil" enemy of the diet plan? To understand, it's important to learn the link between carbohydrates and losing wight or gaining weight.
Carbohydrates are found in breads, pasta, cereals, rice, grains, vegetables and dairy products as well as refined sugars, flours, etc...
Two things we should know here...
First, not all carbohydrates are created equal - some sit much higher on the glycemic index (defining the amount of glucose produced from a particular food's carbohydrates versus others) and second, some sit much higher on the good versus bad fats - the bad fats otherwise known as trans-fats.
Some diet plans focus mainly on weight loss, others focus on the glycemic index, still others take a more balanced approach taking into account all of these factors
When you eat these foods containing carbohydrates, they get broken down into glucose by your body. When your body gets an abundance of carbohydrates, your pancrease reacts by producing insulin - which further assists in the breakdown of carbs and assists in transfering glucose to your cells for energy.
Too much carbohydrate, and excess glucose gets stored as glycogen in your liver and muscles as reservers. When your liver and muscles get overwhelmed, then the reserves become fat stores.
This rather complex process has been identified by many diet plans as an important focus for losing weight quickly.
4 Low-Carb Diet Plans Revealed!
There are literally hundreds of variations on the low-carb, no-carb diet plan revolution. What's most important to you are the following six major variants.
Atkins
Perhaps best known in the last few years is the strict, low-carb Atkins diet. First written by Dr. Robert C. Atkins M.D. over 10 years ago, this diet plan has sold untold tens of millions of books, influenced millions of readers and has given the low-carb diet plan industry an incredible boost.
The emphasis is on high protein and low carbohydrates.
Beach Diet
A more recent version of the high protein, low carb diet plan with less emphasis on low-carb, more emphasis on controlling carbs in order to control the glycemic impact on your body.
This diet plan argues that lots of carbohydrates cause significant spikes in glucose resulting in a reaction that creates cravings for more food leading to weight problems.
With no specific caloric or carbohydrate limits, this diet plan is arguably a revised version of Atkins with more emphasis on overall health and fitting low-carb diets with everday lifestyle.
Carbohydrate Addict's Diet
Developed by Drs. Richard and Rachael Heller, the concept of a carbohydrate addict is something that takes the body's dependency on the carb, glucose, weight gain formula to it's extreme.
The focus of this plan is "rescue" rather than reduce. The idea is that an addiction requires intervention and this diet plan aims to be that intervention.
If your cravings for carbohydrates seem out of control, the Atkins and South Beach Diet's have not worked for you, then this diet plan may be just what the doctor ordered.
The Zone Diet Plan
The zone diet plan takes a balanced approach to eating as a method of attaining your ideal weight. Focus is on lean proteins and natural carbohydrates.
There is great emphasis on avoiding man-made carbohydrates such as grains, pastas, etc...
This diet plan calls for a balanced diet of simple carbohydrates, dietary fat and proteins, pointing out the misconception that avoiding fats in your diet will make us thinner. Issue is not so much fat as it is the complex, man-made carbs that are high on the glycemic index.
Somersizing - Suzanne Sommers
Suzanne Sommers backed by endocrinologist Dr. Diane Schwarbein, have created an diet plan that shuns sugars as the main culprit on the road to losing weight.
Since sugar is the real enemy, the her diet plan allows foods containing fats that are not a part of other diet plans leading to a more appealing program for many who are sitting on the fence about starting their low-carb diet plan.
You'll find some variations on these main diets available to you as well. It's best to learn what you can from each diet, including the role that complex carbohydrates and pure sugars play in your weight gain.
Consider the diet plan below as a moderate approach to quickly and effectively losing weight. Building on these main diet plans - you have a better chance than ever of losing weight - for good.
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