Thursday, December 1, 2011

Eating Low Carbs - A Healthy Choice

South Beach Diet Recipe

There are many benefits to eating low carbohydrate diet, the most obvious is weight loss, but did you know that eating low carbs also helps with high blood pressure, heart conditions, depression, and diabetes.

South Beach Diet Recipe

A Low carb diet use to be the last resort when looking at dieting options due to the lack of variety in choices. The options tended to be boring and very limited, especially if we are trying to sustain a low carb diet for life.  The great news is there are many recipes and food products today that offer wonderful dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

South Beach Diet Recipe

Acceptable Carbohydrate Amounts

South Beach Diet Recipe

There is no way you can eat 100% carb free and stay healthy at the same time, so what is the acceptable amount to be considered a carb free diet. Dr Atkins who is a leader in the carb free movement and instrumental in promoting a carb free lifestyle suggests eating 15 to 20 grams when starting out for 3 weeks, then gradually introducing carbs while working up to a level of 25 to 90 grams and trying to maintain that level going forward. A more moderate intake would be 90 to 100 grams, and for the most liberal diet the maximum should not exceed 250 grams.

Going Overboard

Like with anything else, moderation is key. You need carbs to stay healthy, you cannot exclude carbs entirely, so please stay away from diets that promote zero carbs. Americans eat carbs in excess amounts; almost every processed food will contain an excess amount of carbs, Items like pizza, bagels, hamburgers, fries, pasta, and cereals, as well as most every snack food. But remember, you body needs good carbs like the ones found fruit and vegetables, but these also need to be consumed in moderation, the suggested servings are between 5 and 10 daily.

Tips for a successful carb free diet

Find foods low saturated fat but high in protein Use healthy oils such as olive, canola, and fish oils Snack on nuts, but in minimum amounts Cut out the white starches such as breads, pasta, and potatoes Choose nonfat dairy products Use whole grains Pay attention to labels to minimize carb intake Try to stay with suggested serving sizes especially when calculating carbs from labels

 Please check with your Dr. first before going on any diet

Eating Low Carbs - A Healthy Choice

South Beach Diet Recipe

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