Why Low- Carb Diets May Be Ideal for Most People. By Dr. Mercola. Jeff Volek, Ph. D., and registered dietitian and professor in the Human Science Department at Ohio State University, has done enormous work in the field of high- fat, low- carbohydrate diets, investigating how it affects human health and athletic performance. Stephen Phinney, a physician and true pioneer in this field, who has studied low- carb diets even longer than Volek. Starting out as a dietician, Volek was taught that low- fat diets were healthy and that saturated fats and cholesterol should be avoided. But in working with diabetics, he kept feeling that something was . ![]() ![]() ![]() Low- non-fiber carb diets work because they help you escape this carb-based metabolism that. No Carbs Diet: The Flaw in Fat Loss. Thinking about going on a no carbs diet? Learn the truth about low carbs and why it's not the right nutrition plan for all people. What is a low carb diet, really? When can a low carb diet be beneficial? Should everyone follow a low carb diet? Or, can a low carb diet ruin your health? ![]() ![]()
I was at the time into very low- fat diets, thinking that was how I would optimize my own health. But I decided to experiment with a very low- carb diet. This fueled his passion for understanding how humans respond to diets that are very low in carbohydrates, and led him to continue his education. We're still sorting out a lot of the details, but clearly we need to change the way we feed Americans and the way we think about nutrition in order to reverse .. The Westernized diet constantly biases you toward using more nonfiber carbs for fuel. Healthy fat, meanwhile, is a far preferable sort of fuel, as it burns far more efficiently than carbs. As noted by Volek, humans evolved to primarily burn fat as fuel — not carbs — and yet that's not how we're feeding our bodies. Without generating ATP you cannot survive at all. The question is how to do that efficiently, without generating harmful reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can destroy your mitochondria and contribute to disease? Regardless of the fuel your body burns, you're going to generate carbon dioxide and water. But when you burn fat, you generate 3. ![]() ![]() That contributes to the metabolic problems we're seeing in this country. According to Volek, that's true for everyone, whether you're an elite athlete or a sedentary diabetic. In essence, the reason why low- carb diets work so well is because it helps you escape this non- fiber, carb- based metabolism that depends on insulin levels to drive blood sugar into cells and use carbs for fuel. Volek also introduces another term: . So when we're talking about dietary fats, we're referring to natural, unprocessed fat, found in real foods such as seeds, nuts, butter, olives, avocado, or coconut oil. Fats are critical for a number of health reasons. They contribute to the formation of cellular membranes, for example, and it's really difficult to have good biological function with impaired cell membranes. ![]() So, dietary fat serves two purposes: it serves as fuel; but it's also a foundational structural component of your biology. So if you're overweight, you want to teach your body to burn excess fat, and then, once you've reached your maintenance weight, the majority of fat your body will be burning is that from dietary sources. But how do you make this conversion — to allow your body to become adapted to burn fat as your primary fuel — starting with any excess body fat you already have? How to Make the Conversion from Burning Sugar to Burning Fat. In short, the key is to restrict non- fiber carbohydrates. It's important to make the distinction about which carbs we're talking about here, as vegetables are . As long as you're eating carbs, your body will try to burn those first. They're like the bully cutting in line. You may just think of them as kind of a throw- away nutrient too, because your body cannot store high levels of carb. You have to try to oxidize them and burn them first. But if you're carb intolerant, which is highly prevalent in this country, you can't burn carbs, by definition, very well. Your body then only has one alternative, and that's to convert the carbs you eat into fat. That happens to a greater extent to folks who are insulin resistant or carb intolerant. That really sets the stage for a lot of metabolic problems. Again coming back to how do you train the body to burn more fat; it all starts with removing the availability of carbohydrate because, as long as it's there, it's going to take precedence, and will simultaneously inhibit burning of fat. These are very sensitive and exquisite mechanisms in place for this to work. You eat just a single meal of carbs and your fat- burning shuts down right away. This is why a low- nonfiber carb diet works so well to shift fuel use over to fat. You restrict the amount of glucose and starches that you're consuming, and your body naturally shifts over to preferring fat for fuel. It does take some time to adapt to that. Your cells have to shift over their machinery to handle the increased levels of fat and lipid- based fuels. It takes a matter of weeks to get that adaptation. But once it's there, they're fairly robust adaptations that don't just go away. This is why there is an adaptation period to a low- carb diet. It can be disrupted though if you reintroduce carbs. But a lot of the adaptations do remain. However, we all vary how we respond to the same food, so this is not an exact recommendation. Some people can be in a full fat- burning state with full ketosis at a level of non- fiber carbs that's higher than 5. Others, especially if you're insulin resistant or have type 2 diabetes, may require less than 4. If you look at the nutrition facts on a processed food package, it will list total carbs, and that's not what we're talking about. Don't get confused about this or you'll get really nervous. You do need carbs, but you need most all of them from vegetables. You could have an 8. This will give you an objective measure of whether or not you're truly in ketosis, rather than just counting the grams of carbohydrates you consume. The appropriate level of carb for an individual is bit of a moving target, but it is a very important element to personalizing a diet, which I think is fundamental to this idea of personalized nutrition. It's finding the appropriate level of carb for you at any given point in your lifespan that allows you to maintain health. But there are people who are naturally very insulin sensitive and carb tolerant that don't need to be in ketosis to thrive. So there's certainly room for flexibility, depending on your individual situation. Ketogenic Diet Can Benefit Many Chronic Health Problems. Beyond insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, there are a number of applications for a well- formulated ketogenic diet, including epileptic seizures, especially in kids who are unresponsive to drugs, and neurological conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Cancer is another area where ketogenic diets show great promise. There are multiple potential mechanisms by which a ketogenic diet would benefit, including epigenetic effects. We now know that the principal ketone body, beta hydroxybutyrate, is more than a metabolite. It's more than just an alternative fuel for the brain. It acts like a hormone or a potent signaling molecule that affects gene expression, including upregulating genes that are protective against oxidative stress and enhance the antioxidant status. Our knowledge and perspective on ketosis is expanding almost daily. It's all pointing toward positive health effects, which is quite interesting considering that for the last three or four decades, we've been demonizing ketones because we only associate it with ketoacidosis. Mental clarity is another great boon. According to Volek, the U. S. Being an efficient fat burner may also predispose you to a longer life. Ron Rosedale told me many years ago that the single most important variable for controlling the aging process is the ratio of fat versus carbohydrate you burn. The more fat you burn, the slower you're going to age in general. More recent research supports this notion. How Ketogenic Diet May Promote Longevity and Increased Muscle Mass. Recent research has found about a dozen genes associated with longevity. The primary function of one of these genes is to cripple the degradation of branched- chain amino acids, such as leucine, which can be useful for building muscle mass. Interestingly, in one of his books, Volek mentions that ketones share a close structural similarity to these branched- chain amino acids, and seem to be preferentially metabolized. In other words, ketones spare those branched- chain amino acids, leaving higher levels of them around, which promotes longevity and increased muscle mass. One of the reasons why we can survive so long without food is we enter into ketosis, and ketosis spares protein breakdown. One of a more consistent effect we see in people on a ketogenic diet is that leucine levels go up in the blood, because they're not being oxidized to the same level. Ketones are sparing oxidation and breakdown of important structural proteins, and therefore their levels or concentrations in the blood increase and allow them to do other important signaling- type functions. I do see a very positive interaction here with nutritional ketosis and protein metabolism in general in sparing of the branched- chain amino acids in particular, which are unique in that they are a preferential fuel, unlike other amino acids, which don't really serve as a fuel substrate. You don't want more protein than your body actually needs. As noted by Volek, this is an important point because there's a common misconception that low non- fiber carb diets are high- protein diets. In reality, a ketogenic diet must actually be moderate in protein because excessive protein is anti- ketogenic. On the other hand, you don't want to consume too little protein, as this may push you into a negative nitrogen balance. As a general rule, I recommend eating one- half gram of protein per pound of lean body mass per day, which for most sedentary folks is 4. The best approach is to measure ketosis to know you are not over- consuming protein. Most animal sources of protein maintain these essential amino acids . How To Lose Weight Without Slowing Your Metabolism. Boost your metabolism during weight loss by including protein in your diet. You know how it is with regular dieting—your long- lost skinny jeans make a temporary reappearance only to be retired to the back of your closet six months later. This frustrating scenario of weight cycling is all too familiar for most people. Although decreased motivation and will- power greatly contribute to “falling off the wagon”, weight regain is also influenced by biological changes in the body in response to decreased intake of energy or calories. The main biological reason for weight regain is a slowing metabolism. A reduction in calorie intake can make the body become very efficient and work to conserve energy. Unfortunately, this means you are burning fewer calories. Loss of lean tissue (such as muscle) rather than fat mass during weight loss is also to blame for a lower metabolic rate (more on this below). In a world where yo- yo dieting has become the norm, how does one keep lost pounds off for good? New research carried out by a group of scientists from the Netherlands reveals that a diet higher than normal in protein may be the key to sustaining permanent weight loss (1). Seventy- two overweight and obese men and women took part in the study, which compared the effects of two reduced- calorie diets after weight was previously lost, the only difference between the diets being that one counted as high protein intake (1. After six months, the group eating more protein was found to retain greater muscle mass and a higher rate of metabolism, helping to better keep that lost weight from returning. Previous studies investigating the effect of energy- restricted, high protein diets on weight maintenance have reached similar conclusions (2). The fat- fighting power of protein lies in its ability to keep energy expenditure elevated as well as curb hunger despite reduced calorie intake. Rev Up Your Metabolism with Protein. Energy expenditure, or the number of calories burned by the body, is greatly influenced by basal metabolic rate (BMR), which is the amount of energy, or rate of metabolism, required to support basic body functions when your body is at rest. The greatest contributor to BMR is fat- free mass. Fat- free mass is largely made up of muscle, which is very energy demanding. Even when no work is being performed (such as when you are sleeping), muscle requires energy just to exist. Muscle cells and their components are constantly using calories to rebuild what is broken down during normal protein turnover. A higher protein diet not only increases energy- demanding protein synthesis and turnover, but has also shown to better preserve muscle during caloric restriction (1, 2). Keeping muscle mass and turnover rates high results in a higher BMR, faster metabolism, and greater energy expenditure. The thermic effect of food (TEF) is another factor that affects energy expenditure and refers to the amount of energy needed to break down, absorb, and digest food. The TEF differs between nutrients, with protein requiring more calories for digestion and metabolism than both fat and carbohydrate combined. Specifically, 0 to 3 percent of the calories obtained from fat are used for fat digestion, 5 to 1. This means that protein requires a substantial amount of calories for the body to metabolize and use it compared to the other macronutrients. Simply by eating more protein in place of carbohydrate or fat, a person will burn more calories. Feel Fuller, Longer with Protein. Successfully committing to a reduced calorie diet can be difficult when you are bombarded by cravings and hunger pangs. Ravenous hunger will only encourage overeating and weight regain. Research has shown higher protein diets to be superior to low or standard protein diets in causing a feeling of fullness, thereby leading to lower calorie intake (2). A reduced calorie diet will lead to greater use of existing fat stores, as a person quickly burns through the energy provided by the food they consume, as well as the carbohydrate stored in the body (glycogen). This increased reliance on fat for fuel has been suggested to reduce appetite. Protein may also boost satiety by sending hormonal messages to the brain signaling fullness. When protein is eaten, sensors located in the gut are activated. Hormones such as glucagon are released, sending a message to the brain saying, “I’m full!” (3). A higher protein diet offers numerous metabolic advantages that will not only help a person lose weight, but may also prevent regaining pounds, or worse, surpassing your starting weight. Isagenix offers a variety of convenient and delicious higher protein meals and snacks that can aid weight maintenance efforts. Incorporating these Isagenix snacks and meal replacements in your reduced calorie diet will not only help you get into those skinny jeans, but stay in them, too. References: 1) Soenen S, et al. Normal Protein Intake Is Required for Body Weight Loss and Weight Maintenance, and Elevated Protein Intake for Additional Preservation of Resting Energy Expenditure and Fat Free Mass. Dietary protein – its role in satiety, energetics, weight loss and health. Aug; 1. 08 Suppl 2: S1. Contribution of gastroenteropancreatic appetite hormones to protein- induced satiety.
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