| By Neil Levin, CCN, October, 2003
Peter and Debbie started on a Low-Carb Lifestyle in
mid-January 2003. In the next seven months Debbie lost
47 pounds and Peter lost 28 pounds. How did they do
this?
They avoid sugar; including soda pops, candy and
sugary desserts. They also avoid most starchy foods;
including carrots, potatoes, corn, bread and most
grains. Fried foods are also out. Peter and Debbie do
eat a lot of cheese, eggs, meat, vegetables, whole-grain
oatmeal, and low-sugar fruits. They supplement these
staples with Low-Carb products by Atkins, Biochem,
Natural Ovens and Think Thin. Please note that the bulk
of their diet consists of fresh foods, not the packaged
foods found in the interior of every grocery store.
There are some other cautions required for this diet.
In most low-carb diets there is an initial period of
very low carb intake, followed by a maintenance period
with moderate carbs. This is an important note, as the
brain operates on carbs as its main fuel source. A
prolonged, extreme reduction in carbs may result in
various side effects like irritability, insomnia, loss
of short-term memory, etc.
All calories are not created equal. Calories that
increase your blood sugar are the most important to
control. Forbidden are carbs (carbohydrates) from
refined sugars like white sugars and corn syrups. Avoid
most white flours, potatoes and starchy grains like
white rice. When you do have grains you are wise to
choose organically grown whole grains. These are rich in
fiber and oils that will help to maintain lean body mass
and help assure regularity of the bowels. Whole grains
raise blood sugar less than refined grains. Also, whole
cooked or sprouted grains raise blood sugar less than
the same grains after they are ground into flour. So
white rice flour is far less desirable than whole brown
rice. |
