Articles & News About Health

Farewell To The Atkins Low Carb Diet

Atkins Nutritionals recently announced that they are filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. It seems that the "low carb craze" was nothing more than just a passing fad. Well my friends I have come to both praise and bury the Atkins Diet.

I first discovered low carb diets about 15 years ago -- well before their recent popularity. My first introduction was by way of a book entitled "The Endocrine Control Diet." Like the Atkins Diet and other low carb diets for that matter, it was based on a severely restricted carbohydrate intake –- less than 50 grams of carbs per day. You put your body into a state of ketosis and force it to burn fat instead of glucose.

I was amazed at how quickly I was able to drop weight on the diet. If memory serves correctly, I dropped 15 lbs in little over a week. Sure, a portion of it was water and muscle weight, but I also dropped quite a bit of body fat. I could tell it was fat because my waistline shrunk substantially.

The "Endocrine Control Diet" was strict about keeping carbs low and remaining in a state of ketosis until you reached your weight loss goal. This was tracked on a daily basis by peeing on Keto Strips to make sure you were still in ketosis. I stayed on the diet for about 2 months before reverting back to my former diet. The interesting thing was that I was able to keep my weight down for another 3 months before getting back up to where I was before the diet.

I should mention that during the diet that I was lifting weights and doing cardio exercise on a regular basis. I sincerely believe that this factor was vital in retaining lean muscle mass while dropping as much body fat as possible while on a calorie restricted, low carb diet.

In the intervening years I tried other low carb diets that were all variations on the same theme. The one constant for me was keeping up with my weight training and cardio exercise. Each and every time I was able to drop 15 – 20 lbs in as little as 3 weeks and keep it off for at least 3 months after stopping the diet.

The biggest problem I have with low carb diets is that I'm personally unable to stay on them for more that 3 months at a time. It's just too damn hard! Let's face it I like my carbs. Being of Italian extraction I was raised on pasta and bread. I also love Chinese cuisine with extra rice and have a fondness for potatoes. All of these foods are taboo on a low carb diet!

In the end, a low carb diet is not very realistic or very sociable for that matter. I've never been too worried about the health effects though. I've had my cholesterol checked both on and off the low carb diets and there have been no variation in the readings even when I've consumed extra fat during some of the diets. My total cholesterol has always hovered around 200, which could be lower, but is the cutoff for a normal level.

Now that I know the power of a low carb diet to quickly take off weight, it will always be part of my fitness arsenal. The real secret is to combine the diet, and any diet for that matter, with a program of regular exercise that includes both weight training and cardiovascular exercise.

I think the best approach is to cycle your diet plan like professional bodybuilders do. Target a period for when you want to be at your leanest like the summer months at the beach or a high school reunion or wedding and start a low carb diet about 2-3 months out. You'll hit your peak right when you're ready to go back to your normal eating habits and you can count on staying lean for several weeks afterward.

The real secret is to always stay within 10-15 lbs of your "fighting weight" and know that you can get there in a hurry with a low carb diet.

Rich Rojas

Elliptical Trainer Reviews and Fitness Ideas

http://www.ellipticalhome.com

Other Article Sites

findabook.com  moneycd.info  a-mortgage.info   about-lemon-laws.info  aboutstudentloans.info
all-about-publishing.info  auctions-articles.info  bestcollege-university.com  bestispconnection.com
biblefolder.com  blogger-website.com  books-used.info  brokers-guide.info  buywindows.info  cable-dsl.info
career-miner.com  carpel-tunnel.info  cashinaflash.info  cashloanreviews.info  casinobell.com  chat-house.info
clearmycredit.info  collegeloantips.info  crones.info  depression-articles.info   dirnic.net  dishguides.info
divers-below.com  expodog.info   financewizz.com  fire-insurance.info  getgood.info  handleit.net   it-idea.info
health-supplies.info  hosting-right.com  insidealert.com  insurance-facts.info  jobs-employment.info
justgood.info  lookgold.net   lowcost-travel.info  money-source.info  myhostzone.info  numisblog.com
peoplesearchfinder.info  pr-articles.info  realeas.com   refinancing-guides.info  spyware-remove.info
telelot.info  the-law.info   toppaid.info  travel-deals.info  travelcorrect.com  wedding-guide-site.com
your-blog.info  your-credit.info

Florida's Family Health Insurance Rates Usually Unaffordable, Says Health Insurance Consultant
The average family insurance policy in Florida comes with a $6000 per year deductible, and a premium that amounts to more than $7000 per year; the total coming to more than $13,000 for a family of four. Many Floridians have no choice but to go without health insurance. This "do-without" attitude actually costs Florida taxpayers in the long run more than if coverage was offered free to all.

Florida Health Insurance Highlights 2008 Presidential Health Care Plans
FloridaHealthInsuranceWeb.com, a health insurance consultant service, has published a non-partisan report of each of presidential candidates positions on healthcare. 'The upcoming elections will impact Florida's health care system' said consultant Morgan Moran in a phone interview, 'it's up to you as Florida residents to turn out January 29 and choose which candidate delivers the best insurance plan'.

Men's Prostate Health Vitamins - Supplements, Diet and Exercise For Good Health
This article is about prostate health vitamins or supplements used in conjunction with proper diet and regular exercise to keep a man's urinary system and sexual functions healthy.

Health Insurance, Health Care Issues Now Top Rated Topics for Radio Listeners According to Arbitron
The Health Insurance Advocate Show, With Cary Hall, Achieves One Year Ratings Increase of 119 Percent in Western Missouri, Eastern Kansas Market and 576 Percent in Wichita, Kansas, Market By Delivering Clarity and Eliminating Confusion

New Health Website Provides Health Tips About Alternative Natural Health Care
Summary: In answer to the need for helpful information on alternative natural health care a new site, http://www.youralternativehealthnetwork.org has been launched. The site provides quality information regarding alternative health issues and is the brainchild of Mike Hepburn.

Baby Health Care, Child Health Tips, Parenting Guide, Baby Strollers, Massage
Parenting Guide

Vitamin Diet Patch Now Available for Health Food Stores from NAZCO Wholesale Herbal Supplement Dropshipper
Health food supplement diet patches are a blend of herbal nutrients, offering safe and effective weight loss diet application like a nicotine diet patch. The supplements diet patch allows the herbal formula on the diet patch to enter directly into the bloodstream, suppressing appetite between meals while providing weight loss, diabetes and chronic fatigue relief support and increased energy level on the go.

World Health Care Congress Launches ReformPlans.com to Encourage and Focus Health Care Reform Discussion
The World Health Care Congress today announced the launch of ReformPlans.com (www.reformplans.com), an innovative and comprehensive web site that brings the real issues in health care reform to a broader audience.

Health Care - If You Love Health Care
All about Health Care: Intended For Individuals

Natural Health Care and Holistic Dog Health
Holistic dog health care has emerged as a natural way for pet owners to ensure that their dogs are healthy, living long, happy lives well into old age. Perhaps the most important aspect for a dog's health would be a unique blend of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients to make sure the joints, organs, and digestive systems make work in harmony as well with the skin and coat being healthy. A diet of meat, vegetables, and whole grains without any processed foods or unnecessary fillers is usually recommended when following the holistic approach to dog care.

The PIE Diet - Mental Health Food
"The PIE Diet - Mental Health Food" reveals an award-winning program for individual growth, which has previously been available only to the corporate world. It outlines necessary action-steps to make the "law of attraction" work for, and not against, individuals and corporations. Contained is a easy step-by-step process for conditioning the subconscious mind to both envision and enable control of who we are, what we do, and what we desire to achieve with our lives.

Health Care and Health Insurance Costs Can Be Controlled Through Lifestyle Choices
As you probably know all to well, the cost of healthcare and health insurance premiums continue to increase at levels substantially above the general inflation rate. The reasons given for these extraordinary cost increases are numerous and include: technological advancements in the medical field, increased demand for medical services and prescription drugs, the aging of the population, cost shifting caused by the uninsured and governmental reimbursement rates, state and federal mandates, and costs associated with medical related lawsuits.

Senior Health Care Insurance - Sourcing The Right Plan
As people reach their senior years the task of protecting assets and putting in place the appropriate legal, financial and health coverage can be quite confusing and somewhat daunting. As people reach their senior years the task of protecting assets and putting in place the appropriate legal, financial and health insurance coverage can be quite confusing and somewhat daunting. One of the most complicated matters that is required to be addressed is that of putting in place an appropriate senior health care insurance plan. As such it is vitally important to recognize that there are quite a number of options that should be considered when it comes to this specialized type of insurance. However, once the required information is obtained it make...

Hormel Health Labs Launches Health Food Website for Seniors
For the seven million elderly Americans receiving home-based medical care, staying healthy just became easier. Hormel Health Labs, one of the nation's leading providers of nutritional products geared towards seniors, has announced the launch of its new ecommerce website, www.homecarenutrition.com . The new site makes it easy for caregivers to order essential, healthy products to improve the lives of their loved ones.