Samples of Low-Carb Diets Available to Choose From

The market is flooded with lots of available diet plans to choose from. Some boast of losing weight in a week, two or three weeks or even a month. Some diet plans are into low fat diets and combination of healthy dieting with fitness. In this article I will discuss diet plans which are concentrating their weight loss technique using low carb diet in their plan. Some are already available since 1960s and many more sprang out in the present time. Low carb diet became popular because of the notion that foods which are rich in carbohydrates can cause obesity if taken in an unmoderated manner. Obesity creates lots of problems physiologically and emotionally. Degenerative disease such as heart problems can cause death as well. Preventive measure is best rather than cure itself, so it is necessary for us to moderate carbohydrates intake.

What is Low-carbohydrate or low-carb diets?

Low-carbohydrate diets  are sometimes also called low-carb diets. This type of diets are used for control of obesity--weight control. Usually foods like bread, pasta, and rice are a rich source of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are in fact nice foods to give us energy, but if taken in unmoderated manner it can cause obesity.

 The American Academy Of Physicians defines low carb diet as diets that "restrict caloric intake by reducing the consumption of carbohydrates to 20 to 60 g per day (typically less than 20 percent of the daily caloric intake). The consumption of protein and fat is increased to compensate for part of the calories that formerly came from carbohydrates."

The first top come up with a low carb diet is about "The Stillman's Diet" which is is based in the published book "The Doctors Quick Weight Loss Diet" published in 1967 by Dr. Stillman -- it is characterized as low carb-low fat diet but it is very high in protein It is regarded as one of the first low-carbohydrate diets to become popular in the United States. "Other low-carbohydrate diets in the 1960s included the Air Force Diet plus the Drinking Man’s Diet. Austrian physician Dr Wolfgang Lutz published his book Leben Ohne Brot (Life Without Bread) in 1967."

1970s

• In 1970s, Dr. Atkin published a book Dr Atkins Diet revolution which advocated a low-carb diet and he had successfully used in treating patients in the 1960s, but this was widely crticized. Among other things critics pointed out that Dr. Atkins had done little real research into his theories and based them mostly on anecdotal evidence.
• In the late 1970's Walter Voegtlin and Dr. Herman Tarnower published books about low-carb diets advocating the Stone Age Diet and Scarsdale diet, respectively, each meeting with moderate success.

1980s

• The concept of the glycemic index was developed about 1981 by Dr. David Jenkins to account for variances in speed of digestion of carbohydrates (eg, the sugar in cooked carrots has more rapid effect than pure glucose).

1990s

• In the 1990s Dr. Atkins published Dr. Atkin New Diet Revolution  and other doctors began to publish books based on the same principles. This has been said to be the beginning of the "low carb craze."

Late 90s and 2000s

• During the late 1990s and early 2000s low-carbohydrate diets became some of the most popular diets in the U.S. (by some accounts as much as 18% of the population was using a low-carbohydrate diet at its peak) and spread to many countries.

1. The Protein Power lifeplan gives the dieter some leeway but its basic tenet is that it is low-carb diet. Some say it is too law carb dieting. It has tjhree phase sin which Phase 1: the dieter is allowed 30 grams or less per day. Phase 2: that number is raised to 55 grams and after exting phase 2, the diet intake is based on lean body mass. It emphasize that you also get enough protein and following the Eades standard instead of counting the carbs intake.
2. The Atkins Diet involves restriction of carbohydrates to more frequently switch the body's metabolism from burning glucose fuel to burning stored body fat. This process, called ketosis -- which begins when insulin levels are low; in normal humans, insulin is lowest when blood glucose levels are low (mostly before eating). The Atkins Diet is a departure from the previously prevailing metabolic theories. Atkins said that there are important unrecognized factors in Western eating habits leading to overweight problems. and he said that eating lots of carbohydrates is the main cause of obesity.
3. The South Beach Diet is a diet plan by a cardiologist named Arthur Agatston plus dietitian Marie Almon. it is an as an alternative to low-fat approaches.This diet spread and quickly gained popularity as a means to lose extra pounds.The South Beach Diet is relatively simple in principle. It replaces "bad carbs" and "bad fats" with "good carbs" and "good fats According to Agatston, "hunger cycles are triggered not by carbohydrates in general, but by carbohydrate-rich foods that the body digests quickly, creating a spike in blood sugar. Such foods include the heavily refined sugars and grains that make up a large part of the typical Western diet. The South Beach Diet eliminates these carbohydrate sources in favor of relatively unprocessed foods such as vegetables, beans, and whole grains."
4. The South Beach Diet Supercharged is the latest version of the above diet with the same name only that this incorporates additional food which are allowed and a twenty ( 20) daily minutes of interval walking or total-body toning exercises designed to lose weight. The South Beach Diet Supercharged is available as a book -- audio compact disk and a workout DVD-.
5. The Zone diet centers on a "40:30:30" ratio of calories obtained daily from carbohdrates, proteins and fats.. The ideal formula has been under debate, although studies over the past several years (including a non-scientific study by the PBS documentary show Scientific merican frontiers. "The Zone" is Sears' term for proper hormone balance. When insulin levels are neither too high nor too low, and glucagon levels are not too high, then specific anti-inflammatory chemicals are released, which have similar effects to aspirin, but without downsides such as gastric bleeding. Sears claims that a 30:40 ratio of protein to carbohydrates triggers this effect, and this is called 'The Zone.' Sears claims that these natural anti-inflammatories are heart- and health-friendly. There is no evidence that eating in this way affects hormone levels.
6. Go Lower diet --- This diet is a metabolic diet where ready-meals, including breakfast, lunch and dinner, are delivered to your door weekly or monthly and it is designed for those who are totally busy women who want to lose that extra pound and in a way maintain that weight so to speak. "The meals are nutritionally rich which actively trigger the body into buring the fats we eat. The good thing about this plan is that there is no weighing, measuring or calorie-counting involved. There is also a "cheat factor" by which "you also get nut and chocolate creme bars for snacks and you can go out for dinner with friends as the Go Lower team will tell you how to choose food from any restaurant or party menu."

 Conclusion

There are lots of other diet plans available in the market, all you need ot do is to check which one best suits your lifestyle and preferences. Be educated and study each options and offerings.Living a life and being conscious about carbohydrate and proper nutrients intake goes hand in hand. See if what type of diet works for you by consulting a physician if you have doubts.