Low Carb Diets: Craze or Crazy?

Low carb diets, though popular, have met with much controversy. This type of diet simply doesn't fit with what the American Heart Association recommends. But the success that so many people have had with low carb diets can really make you wonder if the food pyramid that we all learned in grade school, has been wrong all along.

Some carbohydrates give us energy while others actually make us more sluggish once we lose the sugar buzz. Those carbs also tend to make us crave more of the same thing and it becomes an unstoppable cycle. So where the food pyramid tells us that we need to eat carbs, it doesn't tell us which ones are going to be good for us.

Some low carb diets go to the extreme and cut out all carbohydrates for extended periods of time. Our bodies were not designed to tolerate this deprivation and the response is ketosis. What happens is that your body metabolizes fats for energy instead of carbohydrates, just as someone whose diabetes goes untreated. It sounds logical though, right? Cut out the carbohydrates and your body is going to dig into that fat reserve for energy. But safety and long term health come into play here. You will certainly lose weight this way, but at what cost?

Many people have tried every diet under the sun and finally found a satisfying and successful solution in low carb diets. That doesn't mean they are for everyone. You should always check with your doctor before beginning any new weight loss program. Your individual weight loss needs may warrant a low carb diet and your doctor should be able to help you find the one that's right for you.

James is a published author at Fitness Freaks, a site dedicted to bringing you up to date information on Health and Fitness related topics. For more great articles, visit our Fitness Articles page.