Low Carbohydrate Diets
What is a carbohydrate?
A carbohydrate is a member of a large class of natural organic substances. Carbohydrates are in almost everything we eat, sometimes in very small amounts but often times in substantial quantities. Some examples of common carbohydrates are sugars, starch and cellulose. Carbohydrates are important because they provide a storage of energy in our bodies that is quickly accessible. In fact, carbohydrates make up the major source of dietary energy for people all over the world (Stephen 1995). In addition, carbohydrate intake increases levels of a substance called tryptophan in the body, which releases serotonin in the brain. Whether this phenomenon affects our hunger and eating habits is still unclear (Fairburn 1993).
Carbohydrates are in almost everything we eat, like sugars, starches and cellulose.
What you will find on the web about low-carb diets...
Almost all of the information that you'll find on the world wide web about the subject of low-carb diets is basically the same. There are thousands of documents, so rather than reading each one of them just look at this brief summary of the information that is out there. Following the web summary is a literature summary of the information contained in published professional and scientific journals about the topic of low-carb diets.
What is a low-carb diet?
What is the purpose of a low-carb diet?
Low-carbohydrate diets are essentially very simple. The idea is that by restricting daily carbohydrate intake, cravings for carbohydrates will eventually subside, resulting in a lower amount of food consumption and weight loss. Low-carb diets are meant to be used as general weight loss plans, especially for people who a...
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Peterson, C.M., and L. Jovanic-Peterson. "Randomized crossover study of 40% vs. 55% carbohydrate weight loss strategies in women" Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 14(4):369-75, Aug, 1995.
Racette, S., et all. "Effects of aerobic exercise and dietary carbohydrate on energy expenditure and body composition during weight reduction in obese women". American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 61(3):486-94, March 1995.
Stephen, A.M., G.Seiber, Y.Gerster, and D.Morgan. "Intake of carbohydrate and its components-- international comparisons, trends over time, and effects of changing to low-fat diets". American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 62(4):851S-867S, Oct. 1995.
Wing, R.R., J.Vazquez and C.Ryan. "Cognitive effects of ketogenic weight reducing diets" International Journal of Obesity & Related Metabolic Disorders. 19(11):811-6, Nov 1995.
Kay’s compromise is setting her up for troubles. She is doing the acceptable thing by researching the issue however she has missed some finer points. While fats at 9 calories per gram do in fact yield more calories per gram than carbohydrates which are 4 calories per gram and as such do indeed have a greater potential for energy use she is misguided in her thinking and taking an approach where she drops her carbohydrates low and takes in high fat in her diet is perverting the facts. A diet of the energy-dense fats will not be better for her in this event. She needs to trust and listen to her coach and their recommendation for her to see a sports nutrition professional. It will take following a properly guided meal plan for her to be competitive in this event and remain healthy.
The Structure and Function of Carbohydrates Large biological molecules are called macromolecules, there are giant molecules (polymers) made up of repeating units (monomers). Carbohydrates are one of the main classes of biological molecules. Macromolecule units (monomers) are joined together by condensation reactions and hydrolysis reactions split macromolecules down into their individual units. Carbohydrates are molecules that contain elements of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Carbohydrates have a 2:1 hydrogen to oxygen ratio, there are twice as many hydrogen atoms as oxygen atoms (the same proportion as in water).
Obesity is a very complex condition as there are many physiological and psychological dimensions to it. The complications accompanying the disease are multiple and are associated with the increased risk of many other medical conditions. It is thought that we live in an obesogenic environment due to an interaction of environmental, developmental and cultural influences. With the main cause of the disorder thought to be due to a combination of a sedentary lifestyle accompanied by an increased consumption of poor quality food with a high calorie and sugar content. The lack of energy expenditure could be explained by many individuals working a large number of hours, most days of the week in jobs that require minimal physical activity and it is often difficult to accomplish the recommended ...
The Atkins Diet: Low-Carb Mania Dr. Robert Atkins ignited the dieting world when he introduced the word “low carb mania,” which is now known as the Atkins diet. The diet claims that you can lose weight on a high fat, high protein diet. The program works on four main principles which are to limit the amount of consumption of simple carbohydrates, increase the intake of protein, to exercise on a daily basis, and to maintain proper food consumption.
Each morning I get on the scales and hope that I can celebrate losing a pound or two. The numbers I see on the scale represent a gauge that keeps me moving forward in a weight loss program. When I look at the numbers on the scale I realize I am making progress in losing weight, however, am I putting my body at more risk just by limiting certain foods? Comparing and contrasting my typical diet to the amounts of daily nutrients recommended in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Guide Pyramid has proven that I am not a healthy eater. I may have to make some dramatic changes or face significant health issues in the future. After reviewing several plans, I have chosen the South Beach Diet to follow to take advantage of the healthy benefits of following a low-carbohydrate diet.
... Release statistics show, 66.2 percent of 2012 high school graduates were enrolled in colleges or universities, but only 54 percent graduate from college. Continuing my education is important to me and will open many doors for me. Obtaining my degree will help me be a better person and also help others be better. A direct-service social worker helps people cope with challenges they are facing in their lives. Clinical social workers are therapists who diagnose and then treat individuals who have mental, behavioral and emotional disorders. With that being said, I will have to have full knowledge and an ample amount of education to help my clients. I will have enough education to help a child that just lost both of their parents, help guide that child, and show them there is someone to help them. Just like Anne Franks stated; “No one has ever become poor by giving.”
Compare and Contrast Low Carbohydrate Diets and Low Fat Diets The two most popular methods to lose weight are the low carbohydrate diets and the low fat diets. Both are in complete contrast when it comes to each diet’s food choices, the low carbohydrate diet which completely breaks the food pyramid limits a person to eating foods that are high in carbohydrates, such as bread, pasta and rice, while on the other hand, the low fat diet which follow the food pyramid limits a person to eat foods that are high in fat like meat, milk, and bean groups. Although each diet may sound very different from one another, they also share similarities. Both the low carbohydrate diet and the low fat diet claim that each is a good tool for weight loss.
Carbohydrates provide energy for the body to function. When these carbohydrates are not eaten the body then burns its stored fat for fuel. As the body's supply of fat diminishes one begins to lose weight. Therefore, the Atkins Diet is successful at making one lose weight in the short term because carbohydrate intake is severely restricted to less than 20 grams per day and will eventually climb to about 40 grams after a few weeks. This "translates to no more than three cups of loosely packed salad or two cups of salad with two-thirds cup of certain cooked vegetables each day" (www.webmd.com). However, the body needs a certain amount of these carbohydrates and after a while of recieving them the body does not function properly. According to Gail Frank, a PhD professor of nutrition at California State University in Long Beach, "The body needs a minimum of carbohydrates for efficient and healthy functioning -- about 150 grams daily" (www.webmd.com). She states that less than 150 grams of carbohydrates disrupts the body's normal metabolic activity. Also, "the brain needs glucose to function efficiently, and it takes a long time to break down fat and protein to get to the brain," (www.webmd.com). Glucose results from carbohydrates or sugar broken down into the bloodstream; but also occurs naturally in fruits and honey. Therefore, the body needs a certain amount of good carbohydrates like fruits and vegetables to stay healthy.
Aerobic exercise is a type of exercise that increases the heart rate and speeds up breathing for a continuous period. This sustained raise overloads the heart and lungs and causes them to work harder than at rest. Therefore, with weight loss aerobic activity is generally suggested far more than anaerobic activity. “Cardio-respiratory endurance, or aerobic, activities, such as walking, jogging, running, swimming, and bicycling, are the most useful for losing weight because they eventually burn more calories than do muscle-strengthening exercises, such as weight training or calisthenics” (Fine, & Kusinitz, 1995).
In the last couple of decades, dieting trends have astronomically increased. The average dieter has trained his or her ears and eyes to react to the word ‘fat’. Low fat, reduced fat, fat free- these are all words that until recently have set alarms off ringing in the typical dieter’s head. Recently, new vocabulary, such as ketogenic, ketosis, and low carbohydrate have stepped into the dieter’s world and questioned, or rather challenged, the ‘fat’ free method of dieting. So, after you have devoured the entire box of ‘fat’ free cookies perhaps you will ask yourself....WHAT ABOUT THE CARBOHYDRATES???
What makes actions right? For some philosophers it is their consequences, like the pleasure or happiness that they produce. However for a deontologist like Immanuel Kant, rightness is the action itself and the obligation to perform it. His ethics is a theory of how a person should act, the actual action and morality of the action. It entails that as long as a person acts in a moral way then the consequences of the actions do not matter. “For Kant, doing the right thing is not a matter of one’s character or disposition or circumstance – all of which are or might be beyond one’s control. Instead, it is the matter of duty, acting out of respect for the moral law.” (Stangroom, J. & Garvey, J. 2005, p.79) Moral Laws are a system of guidelines for controlling human behaviour; like society laws. The Ten Commandments set by Moses are moral laws with the commands of a divine being, moral laws can be a set of universal rules that everyone should abide by. Kant argues that: “The moral law cannot be hypothetical in nature, cannot be of the form, ‘if you want such and such, do so...
Complexity of compounds is the reason they must be absorbed long before the physical activity. Starch a main area of complex carbohydrates. It has several bonds. Starches are tightly bound carbon molecules and have several attaching elements. This bonding complexity is the reason starches are capable of retaining large amounts of energy. These compounds should be taken into an athlete's body prior to intense physical activity because an energy storage supply is necessary when simple compounds are completely oxidized.
Exercise is also a great way to elevate some hormones in your body that aid you in feeling happy which in turn can aid you in sticking with your diet. Exercise also offers you more energy, which also helps you keep on track.
Exercise is a major key when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle. Although there are many different types of exercise as well as different types of intensity levels, depending on age, weight, gender, disease, etc., some types of exercise are better than others. Regardless of the type of workout, exercise helps control weight and certain health conditions and diseases. It also helps people be more positive and boost their energy.