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The Ups And Downs Of The Low Carb Kick

The pros and cons of the ongoing low carb phenomenon

Bottom line? There are lots of good and bad things to say about this subject. Which is why it is so compelling, by and large. The biggest con of being on a low carb diet is that it's hard to stick to for a long period of time, so your results may not last. No one can live off low carb candy alone, so until then we may have to consider alternate routes.

In a nutshell, the biggest pro of a low carb diet is that you can lose weight quickly.

On the other hand, a lot of the fast weight loss is from water. When you gradually reintroduce carbs into your diet, your likely to gain some of that weight back. Another pro is that people on a low carb diet feel less hungry.

Here are more diet pros and cons:

Pros:

Initially, your weight loss happens more quickly and is more noticeable on low carb diets than it is on most other diets
Proteins and fat take more time to digest. This keeps you feeling full longer.
You don't have that "bloated" feeling after you eat foods of this nature.
When you limit your intake, your body goes into a fat-burning mode called ketosis. Ketosis can give you a mild feeling of nausea, which sounds like a con, but it suppresses your appetite
Your insulin levels stay level.
Diets that include low carb bread can stabilize your glucose levels and lower your triglycerides

Cons:

A low carb diet can cause constipation.
You get bad breath from ketosis.
Limiting fruits and vegetables in your diet can rob your body of antioxidants and phytochemicals that help prevent cancer
If you consume only low carb food, you may be denying yourself calcium and other vital nutrients. You need to take calcium because you have to limit your intake of milk, and high-protein diets pull calcium from your bones.
During ketosis, you can lose potassium and sodium, making you more likely to become dehydrated and have abnormal heart rhythms. Ketosis can also cause you to become dizzy, lightheaded and tired.
Your brain needs carbohydrates to function.
Once you've burned all the fat you can, your body will start to burn muscle tissue.
You could develop kidney stones.

So, what's the best solution? Don't limit your carb intake quite so much. Definitely choose foods that have low carbs, and stick to the rules of common sense when it comes to eating:

Don't limit your intake of fruits and vegetables.
Definitely eat protein, but choose lean cuts. Make sure all your low carb guides call for this, not something more extreme.
Instead of having white breads, pasta and rice, choose whole grain breads, whole wheat pastas and long grain or brown rice. (And don't overdo it on these!)