The True Role of Ketosis in a Low-Carb Diet

The True Role of Ketosis in a Low-Carb Diet

Low Carb Diet

Most Fatty Acids Burned
Come From Your Diet

Do you have the purpose for a low-carb diet fixed firmly in your mind?

Maybe.

Maybe not.

If you are thinking that you have to be in ketosis to lose weight, then you still don't understand.

Getting into the state of ketosis is not about unlocking your fat stores. That is an old low-carb theory known as the insulin hypothesis. It didn't hold up when recent scientific studies put it to the test.

The purpose of a low carb diet is:

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What is the Purpose of a Low-Carb Diet?

What is the Purpose of a Low-Carb Diet?

Low Carb Diet Questions??

Okay. You're decided to give the Atkins Diet a try. You've heard good things about dietary ketosis and you want to give it a whirl. Or, maybe you think that a lower fat, more protein-controlled Protein Power low-carb diet might be more suitable to your taste. Perhaps you are thinking about trying some other low-carb diet plan. No matter which low-carb diet program you're considering, it's a good idea to take a moment and ask yourself:

• What is the purpose of going on a low-carb diet?
• Why am I doing this?
• And what do I hope to gain?

What is the Purpose of a Low-Carb Diet?

Don't Confuse Purpose with Goal

A lot of people confuse purpose with a goal. A goal is the ultimate outcome you hope to achieve once you have completed a diet program. That goal could be to achieve a certain clothing size, reach a particular number on the scale, or enjoy improved overall health. A goal could be to get rid of the uncontrollable cravings that unstable blood sugar or a high basal insulin level can cause, to get rid of heartburn or digestive issues, to be able to fit into your favorite pair of jeans again, or maybe be able to participate in physical activities you couldn't do before, such as hiking or biking.

But those things are not purpose.

Purpose is the driving force, belief, or motivation that powers your actions. It's not the ultimate result. It's more like the beginning of a long journey of discovery. It's the frame of reference your subconscious mind turns to when evaluating what's currently going on, and the foundational belief your mind uses to assign a value to things. What we value or find important is what we react to. It's what we act on. So, the importance of what's happening at any given moment comes from purpose. It doesn't come from a goal.

What is the Purpose of a Low-Carb Diet?

A low-carb diet has many advantages over a standard low-fat, low-calorie diet, but it isn't magical. It works because of certain biological principles that can help improve your body's ability to access stored body fat. For that reason, it doesn't work well for everyone. If you don't have insulinemia or unstable blood sugars or metabolic syndrome -- and not all overweight or obese individuals do -- then a low-carb diet won't work any better than any other diet because the purpose of a low-carb diet isn't weight loss. It isn't even about getting into the state of Ketosis.

The purpose of a low-carb diet is to lower your basal insulin levels.

A low-carb diet can reduce your hunger and cravings. It can increase your energy, and make it easy to stick to a diet, but all of those things are a by-product of what happens when you restrict carbohydrates -- and, as such, it can be a dramatic help when it comes to shedding excess body fat -- but those "extras" are not the diet's purpose. The purpose of a low-carb diet is to correct any metabolic issues you might have. Period. When you fix what's biologically wrong with the body, the body can then begin to function appropriately.

Why Choose a Low-Carb Diet Then?

Why Choose a Low-Carb Diet?

Many people come to the low-carb table because they've heard about the dramatic results that many dieters receive from restricting their carbohydrates. They want to get a little bit of that ketosis magic for themselves and believe it will always be that way. What could be better? Low-carb success stories tell you that you can eat bacon and eggs for breakfast, cheeseburgers (without the bun) and salad for lunch, and pork chops, ribs, steak, or roast beef for dinner. You can have heavy cream in your coffee, nuts and cheese for snacks, and you can even use full-fat dressings on your salad.

That can appear heavenly to those who have been trying to shed the pounds by limiting fat and calories. However, you always have to keep the purpose of a low-carb diet in mind. In fact, it's essential.

The reason why carbohydrate restriction works so well isn't because you are in a state of ketosis. Ketosis is a by-product of cutting way down on carbs. Ketones are a by-product of fat metabolism. It's about the body moving to an alternative fuel source for the brain, heart, red blood cells, and some kidney cells. Low carb works because restricting carbohydrates lowers your body's basal insulin levels. That helps the body access its fat stores for energy, something it might not have been able to do very well before. If you are in a state of ketosis and your insulin levels are still high, the diet won't work very well.

Insulin levels HAVE to come down first.

To shed those unwanted pounds and lumps, you have to eat less food than your body needs to function. That is true for any diet. But on a low-carb diet, initially, that can be quite a lot of food -- a lot of fatty foods and a lot of calories that you don't have to count. At 256-1/2 pounds, I was able to eat quite a bit of food and fat on a daily basis and still lose weight consistently each and every single week.

But as time went on and my body reduced in size, I wasn't able to eat like that any more. As my low-carb journey continued, my dietary choices had to move toward a lower-fat, lower-calorie diet because that is what it took for me to continue shedding the fat. In fact, many people who have yo-yo dieted for years -- any diet, not just low-carb diets -- have a metabolic rate that is so low and/or functioning so poorly, that they can't eat high fat and high calorie even from the very beginning.

But that doesn't mean that a low-carb diet is a bad choice. Low carb has benefits that other weight-loss diets doesn't have.

What Do You Hope to Gain By Switching to a Low Carb Lifestyle?

Change always requires us to give up some parts of ourselves that we might find painful to let go of. In the world of diets, that usually means certain foods or lifestyles that have been near and dear to us. So once you have a low-carb diet's purpose rooted firmly in your mind -- it's about lowering insulin levels not Ketosis or weight loss -- it's time to take a look at what you hope to GAIN by switching to a low-carb lifestyle.

Eating lots of carbohydrates can be a mindless activity for some, but more often than not, it's driven by biology or suggestion. We eat high-carb foods because of the comfort they provide, because we've been brainwashed to believe that whole grains are good for everyone, or simply out of habit -- from the suggestion that bread and pasta and rice are necessary for a healthy diet.

What Do You Hope to Gain From Switching to a Low-Carb Lifestyle?

The truth is: society is saturated with carbohydrate foods at breakfast, lunch, and dinner because that's what makes manufacturers the most money. Not because they are essential for a healthy diet.

So for a lot of people, a low-carb diet offers a way to relearn the truth about biology, weight loss, health, and balanced diets. It offers biological helps, such as reduced hunger and cravings for sugars and starches, stable blood sugars, increased stamina, an increased feeling of well-being, food choices that are easier to live with, and a host of other benefits. And yes, a low-carb diet offers a way to lose those undesirable pounds.

However, losing body fat is only a very small part of a low-carb diet. It is only one small factor or by-product of moving to a healthy low-carb lifestyle.

If you can wrap your brain around the idea that the purpose of a low-carb diet is about lowering insulin, not getting into ketosis and not about weight loss, you'll have a much easier time making the switch. Because low-carb is a way of life. A new way of life. It is NOT a diet!

Are You Addicted to Carbs?

Are You Addicted to Carbs?

Questions??

Am I Addicted to Carbohydrates?

One of the accusations I hear running around the low-carb world is that people can become addicted to carbohydrates, and that is why they are fat. That is why they cheat now and then, have trouble maintaining their loses, or got heavy in the first place. It's all because of the carbs. They simply cannot stop eating them. They crave them too much, or they lose control at a party or social gathering because they can't stand the thought of being deprived.

Now, whatever the exact reason is, carbohydrates always get the blame.

What is Addiction?

When low carbers talk about cravings, they usually are referring to a very strong urge to eat something that contains carbohydrates. Their mind says they want to eat that particular food because it will taste good, provide loads of enjoyment, and will satisfy them more than a leftover BBQ chicken leg or hard-boiled egg would. Being unable to make up one's mind and craving the sensation of taste is often called addiction, but for true addiction to be present, there has to be a continual pattern of activity.

In other words, the addicted person will find themselves cheating every single week.

However, even those who have a difficult time sticking to a low-carb diet might be falling prey to something totally different than carbohydrate addiction. Carbohydrates are a macronutrient. They are found is most foods, except for meats, so to be truly addicted to them, one would find a baked potato or cup of plain steamed rice just as tempting and uncontrollable to avoid as a piece of chocolate cake. If that's true for you, then you "might" be addicted to carbs. If it's not true for you, then you might be addicted to something else.

What Addictions Might Drive You to Eat Carbs?

The following are a few psychological addictions that might mask themselves as a physical addiction to carbs. Some of these addictions are very common, especially among those of us who don't have a lot of self esteem or those who struggle with insecurity issues:

Being a Victim:

For those who are overweight, this is a biggie. We believe that we have been victimized by carbs. If carbohydrates didn't exist in the world, we wouldn't be fat, so the idea is that carbs have somehow attacked us. They have mistreated us and made us fat. When a person is functioning from a victim mindset, the Life force will go out of its way to prove you right. Situations will pop up that will give you ample opportunity to cheat. If you cave in and go face down into the pumpkin pie, that reaction to food will support what you already believe. Yep. Carbs are out to get you.

Addiction to Dieting:

You can actually be addicted to dieting itself. Yo-yo dieters do this all the time. They get a high out of initially going on a diet, and fall in love that surge of energy and well-being that you receive when you first enter the state of ketosis. Once the newness loses it's hormonal potency and the body adapts to ketosis, you begin to feel a bit flat. 

Maybe the scale doesn't return the correct number that week, or you get bored with the food, or someone in your family is eating one of your favorite foods in front of you. You end up cheating for that sugar rush or you give up for a while. When you return to a low-carb diet, after a lengthy diet break, you'll once again experience that high that comes from thinking this time I'm really going to do this.

Discrimination Syndrome:

This syndrome is very popular among those who are overweight as well. We feel like we have been discriminated against because we are fat, and that it isn't fair that we can't eat the same foods that others can. Since energy follows the path where we place our attention, thinking about what we can't have and the unfairness of life will cause the mind to suddenly produce cravings for that very thing. The mind thinks that's what we NEED to be happy, must have to not feel inferior, so that's what it encourages us to do at the very next opportunity. Yes, it's enticing us to eat foods with carbohydrates, but only because we feel like it's unfair that we can't.

Addicted to Taste:

Taste is one of our 5 basic senses, and as such sets off a chemical reaction within the bloodstream whenever we experience it. Those who are addicted to the sense of taste don't feel good about themselves unless every single thing they eat gives them the ultimate sense of pleasure they are seeking. These people generally won't eat anything that doesn't taste really good to them because they are dead set on avoiding anything that causes displeasure. You won't find them eating foods that are just okay. Foods must produce a chemical high, or they'll push them away.

Being Sick:

Believe it or not, there are people who are actually addicted to being sick. This reaction to food restriction comes from a strong need for more attention, as well the need to play the victim. Instead of being responsible for one's food choices and avoiding foods that will make one feel sick, the person addicted to feeling bad will eat something they shouldn't whenever they are feeling neglected, ignored, unappreciated, or unloved.

I see this quite a bit on low-carb forums. Some people get literally sick when they eat foods that contain a high amount of carbohydrates. That's because the enzymes needed to digest those foods down regulates when we don't need it. But even though they know they are going to get sick, they do it anyway. Then they post about what they did on a forum or blog, so people can console them and tell them to pick themselves up and keep going. It's a strong plea for attention.

Consequences for Giving in to Addictions

When we go about our daily life unaware of what we are really addicted to, and sitting around blaming the carbs instead, we sacrifice our energy reserves, health, peace of mind, and sometimes, even our very lives in order to gratify our addictions and cravings. It's easier to blame the carbs than it is to turn around and take a good look at ourselves. Unexamined, our motivations for what we are eating, and the methods we are using in an attempt to have our way right now will cause us to do things we wouldn't ordinarily do if we were conscious of our thoughts and actions.

Smoked Chicken Leg Quarter and Healthy Lettuce Salad

Making our true motivations conscious, owning what we are doing, and taking responsibility for our choices will go a long way toward helping us reach our daily aims and ultimate goals. But we have to willing to take the risk of looking into our mind and not running away from what we find there. It's not going to be pretty. The false picture we have created of ourselves isn't real. Plus, most of us have never really faced who and what we really are. Most of us have hidden behind a variety of masks, personality bits, and false beliefs that are actually in control and have enslaved us.

Breaking free of our addictions is possible, but one has to have reached a point where every method of achieving pleasure and escaping all forms of pain has failed to work for us. Until then, we will keep on searching for rainbows that don't really exist.

How to Do a Vegetarian Low-Carb Diet Correctly

How to Do a Vegetarian Low-Carb Diet Correctly

Low Carb Diet

If you've been curious about a low-carb diet, but don't eat meat, the Atkins Diet is not off limits. People have been doing a variety of low-carb vegetarian programs for as long as I've been on the Internet.

The driving principle behind a low-carb diet is to correct insulin resistance and fix any problems with the body's ability to mobilize its fat stores for energy. Being in ketosis will help control your appetite, improve cardiac markers, and balance blood glucose levels, but you don't need a high-meat diet to do that.

In fact, you don't have to eat any meat at all.

When it comes to following a low-carb diet, what's essential is to get an adequate amount of protein foods.

If you're trying to do a vegetarian low-carb diet, you need to make sure that you are getting all of the essential amino acids necessary to repair any daily tissue damage. You'll also need a few extra protein grams that the liver can use for glyconeogenesis, if needed. Popping a few fish oil capsules or flaxseed oil is also a good idea. 

Typically, a low-carb diet contains about 72 to 120 grams of protein, depending on how much lean muscle mass you have. A good rule of thumb is to eat .8 to 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass, especially if you're using non-meat sources, but your protein needs will go down as you carve off the pounds.

While at first glance, a vegetarian low-carb meal might appear to be tricky, a little creativity and some ingenuity can make the program quite doable. The key is to adequately prepare ahead of time, before you dive into the program, so here's everything that you need to know to make the Atkins Diet successful when you don't eat meat.

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Do You Have Nightshade Sensitivity or Allergy?

Do You Have Nightshade Sensitivity or Allergy?

Questions??

Have Problems with
Nightshades?

Do you have nightshade sensitivity or allergy?

How about an autoimmune disease?

Arthritis?

Fibromyalgia?

If so, you might not be able to eat certain vegetables, fruits, and spices without suffering pain, inflammation, and other health complaints. You can also stall your low-carb diet because inflammation can interfere with weight loss.

I didn't realize that nightshades were so common among low-carb recipes and menus until I actually looked at which vegetables and spices are nightshades, and then at what most people eat on a low-carb diet.

When I did that, I was literally shocked!

Low-carb recipes and menus are chock full of nightshades. For that reason, even if you are not allergic to nightshades, you might want to pay attention to just how many you're eating and cut back on them a little bit -- especially if you're having problems losing weight.

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