Low Carb or No Carb?

The premise behind low carb diets is centered on how the body reacts to insulin. Carbs raise blood sugar levels, which initiates the release of insulin into the system. Insulin drives blood sugar into the cells, and stops the body from burning excess fat. The end result - it also stops you from losing weight.

If you are serious and ready to start a 'no-carb' diet, here's what you should do:

(Disclaimer: While this worked for me, it may not work for everyone and it is recommended that you seek medical advice before making major changes in your diet)

- Your weekly food intake should not consist of ANY carbs. Please refer to the list of SIMPLE carbohydrate foods to avoid.
- You are allowed to have 3 happy meals (basically, eat anything you want) per week. It is recommended that you do not indulge in 3 happy meals all in one day. Spread out your happy meals within the week.
- Eat quaker oats oatmeal every morning for breakfast. Oatmeal may help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. You may mix it up everyday by having it with sliced banana, frozen berries, raisins, chopped walnuts and/or almonds.
- Make sure you drink plenty of water.
- Eat fruits and salads. My personal favorite fruits are apples, pears, honeydew and green grapes. My choices for salad are grilled chicken, smoked salmon, seabass and shrimps.
- Do cardio workouts + light weight training. Without this, you may end up with excess body flab.
- No eating after 9pm. Brush your teeth to keep yourself in check.
- Stop drinking water at least 1 hour before bedtime to avoid water retention.
- Make sure you are in bed by midnight.

If at any point you start to feel that this is too extreme, take a step back and and take your time to proceed. Do not overexert yourself or you might end up binge eating and all the effort will go to waste. Portion control is key.

Remember - Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.

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Alternatively, you may start with cutting down your carb intake rather than limiting it.

If you are interested in learning the benefits of a 'low-carb' diet yourself, here's what you could start with:

- Avoid simple carbohydrate foods by reading the food labels. If the label lists sugar, sucrose, fructose, corn syrup, white or "wheat" flour, they contain simple carbohydrates. If these ingredients are at the top of the list, they may contain mostly simple carbohydrates, and little else.
- Look for foods that have not been highly processed or refined. Choose a piece of fruit instead of fruit juice, which is very high in naturally occurring simple sugars.
- Choose whole grain breads instead of white bread.
- Choose whole grain oatmeal instead of packaged cereal.

Remember this quote: The closer you get to nature, the closer you get to health.

ALSO READ ABOUT A LOW G.I. DIET PLAN HERE