Why Ultra-Low-Carb Diets Don't Work...
George Black
In recent years, ultra low carb diets have gained a lot of
popularity. But, are they really all they are cracked up to be?
First of all, let's see some of the philosophy behind these
diets:
Carbs make your body secrete a lot of insulin. Insulin is a
hormone that carries nutrients from the blood to the different
parts of the body. Some insulin is good (we would die without
it - diabetics need to take insulin shots for example). But too
much insulin is not good because it tends to make us gain more
fat (no need to analyze the biological process - just trust me,
this happens).
Fat on the other hand tends to be absorbed much slower. This
means that if you add fat to a food, the food will be absorbed
more slowly and not that much insulin will be secreted.
So, eating more fat and less carbs helps keep your insulin
levels steady throughout the day (eating 6 small meals instead
of 3 big ones does the same thing). This means that you will
not have so many "crashes" (like those afternoon urges for
food). By the way, when you exercise (and especially when you
weight train) your body becomes that much more efficient at
dealing with insulin and tries to "push" the nutrients to your
muscles - and not your fat reserves.
Now, in practical terms, does the "high-fat, low-carb" type of
nutrition work? It depends on what we mean by "high" and "low".
If you ask me, the name of the game is moderation. Do that and
you should be fine. As I mentioned earlier, a typical diet, may
look like this:
Carbohydrates: 60%
Protein: 10%
Fat: 30%
And I recommend something like:
Carbohydrates: 45%
Protein: 35%
Fat: 20%
So, should we take it to the extreme and do something like:
Carbohydrates: 10%
Protein: 35%
Fat: 55%
In my opinion, no. Although some people can respond well to
this type of nutrition, most people won't. The main reason is
that very low carb diets will tend to cannibalize your muscle
tissue - because carb molecules and water molecules are stored
in the muscle (again, no need to get technical - just show some
blind faith here).
You lose the carbs, you lose the water - and you lose the
muscle. And then you can't lose fat because your metabolism
drops. Stick to the ratios I recommend (don't obsess over them
- just try to approximate them) and you should be fine (more
than fine actually).
Finally, let me say that an ultra low-carb diet is BRUTAL and
no "normal person" will be able to stick with it and see
results from. Unless they are a masochist of course. In order
to succeed, you need to enjoy your program so you stick with
it. This is crucial...
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