Some anthropologists believe early males were hunters while females were classed as gatherers because it was their job to collect seeds etc for food, consuming mostly low nutritive carbs (although their diets would have been high in fibre). The advancement of agriculture in the western world has brought with it the gradual rise of carb levels in human diets.
In 1863 William Banting, published a “Letter On Corpulence Addressed To The Public” describing his weight control diet leaving out sugar, milk, butter, potatoes, bread and beer. His booklet was so widely read that they called dieting “Banting”.
In 1967 Dr. Irwin Stillman published his low-fat, low-carbohydrate and high protein diet called “The Stillman Diet”.
Other low-carb diets of the 1960’s included The drinking Mans Diet, US Air Force Diet and Dr. Wollgang Lutz published his book called Life Without Bread in 1967. Dr. Robert Atkins printed the Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution which met with some success but was widely criticized by the middle of the road medical population as being dangerous and ambiguous.
Stone age diet (by Walter Voegin) and Scarsdale diet (Dr. Herman Tarnower) both meet with reasonable success. During the 1990’s Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution saw the “low-carb craze” become the number one diet in America with increased clinical studies regarding the helpfulness and safety of low carb diets. Low carb diet supporters urge you to reduce your nutritive carbs (net carbs) like pasta, bread, rice, potatoes and any other sweet starchy food. “Net carbs” per day is suggested as low as 20 grams in the initial stages of your diet ( a single slice of white bread contains 15 grams of carbohydrate). The American Academy of Family Physicians restrict carbohydrate to 20grams to 60 grams per day. Weight loss approach is the most common, but some “cognoscenti” have proposed low-carbohydrate diets to alleviate or check diseases ranging from diabetes to epilepsy.
Your body is modified for the most part to function on Ketosis. One theory is fat in your diet with high insulin levels contributes to heart disease, except if the diet is modified to initiate Ketosis, then fat and cholesterol are not the main worry. Essential Amino Acids (EAA) and Essential Fatty Acids (EFA) if your diet was barren of these (EAA and EFA) it would result in your eventual death, but if your diet completely lacked carbs it could be maintained for the foreseeable future because the fatty acids include a carb backbone called Glycerol. Your low carb diet (less than 20 grams per day) in some people may negatively affect certain biomarkers and produce detrimental effects (kidney problems), clinical experience suggest very low carb diets for metabolic syndrome patients.
Your low carb diet weight loss in the first week few weeks is the direct result of eliminating water contained within your body (high levels of insulin in your blood cause water retention within your body). After starting your low carb diet you may feel fatigue and weakness when you first start exercising until your body adapts. Olympic biathlon gold medallist, Borg Ferry won his gold medal after about six months on a low carb high fat diet.
Remember, your calories still count. A fat calorie still contains twice the energy of carbs or protein calories. So carefully watch your serving. To help minimize your saturated fat intake, choose only lean meat or low fat dairy options. You can vary your diet using permitted vegetable protein. You still need regular exercise (in addition to burning calories), this will boost health, improve blood-glucose management and help reduce your hunger.
Examples of different parts of plants used for vegetable consumption:
Seeds: sweetcorn (maize), corn
Roots: carrots, radishes, beets, parsnips, turnips, rutabagas and burdocks
Bulbs: onion, garlic and shallots
Stem: kohlrabi
Stem/Shoots: asparagus, galangal, ginger and bamboo shoots
Stem/ Leaves: lemon grass, rhubarb, celery, cardoon and Chinese celery
Leaves: Kale, collard green, boki choi, mustard greens, spinach, beet greens, choi sum, endive, turnip greens, arugula, watercress, gai lan, lettuce and chives
Leaf/Sheaths: leeks
Buds: capers and Brussels sprouts
Flower bud: broccoli, cauliflower, globe and artichokes
Whole Plants: mung beans, alfalfa, soya bean and urad
Tubers: potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, Jerusalem artichokes and taro
Fruits: squash, cucumbers, pumpkins, avocado, christophene, egg plant, peppers, Zucchinis, okra, tomatoes, and bread fruit
Legumes: green beans, snow peas, lentils and soybean
Within a few days of starting this low carb diet I was presently surprised at the way I felt mentally, physically and how my cravings had changed. I am now many pounds lighter, full of energy and enthusiasm towards the future.
I am not saying you should rush out and start a low-carb eating plan. I am saying a low-carb eating plan radically changed my life for the better. I am so much fitter and healthier for it.
To find out more about dieting and exercise, go to Fitness and Health Ideas. Don’t put off taking action if you believe you are overweight or if you wish to start exercising. You should visit your doctor immediately and especially before embarking on any physical exercise or dramatic change of diet. DON’T DELAY, START RIGHT NOW.
