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Although it is more than 30 years old, the low carbohydrate or “low carb” diet has become the latest craze in dieting. In the early 70’s a medical doctor name Robert Atkins designed a diet that would help him control his weight. He based the diet around his knowledge of human physiology and the way your body can convert from burning sugars to burning stored fats in times of starvation. He proposed a diet that set the body into a state known as ketosis, which is one of the body's natural processes for the metabolism of body fat. The diet consists of very little carbohydrate intake (as few as 20 grams per day), some roughage to help with digestion, and plenty of protien and fat. While it is hard to believe that such a diet could produce weight loss, the fact remain that a low carb diet is very effective if you stay with it and do not deviate from it once you start. Unlike most diets that try to change behaviour and caloric intake to induce weight loss, the low carb diet actually changes your metabolism to aid in weight loss.
In many ways, the low carb diet has replaced the low fat diet of the 80’s and 90’s. Just as many food compaines jumped on the low fat bandwagon, we are seeing more and more food companies including fast food restrauts offering low carb alternatives to to their standard faire.
The low carb diet is not for everyone. If you suffer from high blood pressure and you are taking medication to control it you should not try it. Also, anyone who exercises vigerously for more than hour at a time could risk hypoglycemic shock because the body is not able to convert sugar qucikly enough to keep up with demand