If
today's fad diets were a movie, carbohydrates would be the villain.
It's
no secret that popular low-carb, high-protein plans (like the Atkins or ketogenic diets) tout carb-slashing as the fast
track to weight loss. And to a
certain degree, they're on to something: Cutting out refined carbohydrates, such as cookies,
doughnuts, and white bread, stabilizes your blood sugar levels, curbs your
cravings, and helps you drop water weight.
But
if dropping your carb count can be good for weight loss, can cutting it down to
zero be even better? And is that even possible to do without landing yourself
in a hospital bed?
While
zero carb might sound like the mythical unicorn of diets, it's very real (well,
kind of), and it even has a fan
base (albeit a small one).
Whether or not going carb-less is a good idea, however, is a totally different
story. For one thing, if you enjoy having a variety of flavors in your food
(which is pretty much everyone), you may want to sit this one out, says Liz Blom, R.D., a Minnesota-based
nutrition and wellness coach. When you wipe out every trace of carbs from your
daily regimen, including veggies, fruit, whole grains, and most dairy,
basically all that's left on your plate is animal protein and fat.
The
focus of the diet is on eating an unlimited amount of fatty meat, without counting calories. "Anything from
the animal kingdom is fair game," says Blom. "Zero carb-ers eat beef,
pork, bacon, sausage, lamb, poultry, fish, eggs, and hard cheese," she
says. "They'll also add extra butter,
lard, ghee, or tallow to fill up
if the meat is too lean." Any fare that contains significant amounts of
carbohydrates, however, is nixed from the menu: This includes milk, yogurt, and plant-based foods (e.g.,
herbs, spices, coconut oil, vegetable oil, olive oil, fruits, and
vegetables).
But
what zero-carb fanatics might not realize is that going strictly carnivore
doesn't necessarily mean that literally no carbs are entering your body:
"There is a small amount of carbohydrates in the form of glycogen in
some animal foods, so claiming that a diet is zero carb is somewhat of a
misnomer," says Blom.
Aside
from being misleading, extremely limiting, and downright boring,
carb-eliminating diets also ignore the fact that carbohydrates are essential to
human health. "Carbs are the main source of energy for our body,"
says Keri Gans, R.D.N.,
nutritionist and author of The Small Change Diet.
"Without carbohydrates, your body cannot function," says Gans.
"Our brains particularly rely on glucose, which comes from carbs, to
function properly." That means by dramatically reducing your carb intake
to basically zero, you'll likely become tired and cranky.
Another
big part of carb-rich foods is their fiber content, which keeps you full and
helps you poop. Going on a meat and cheese-only diet is setting you up for
constipation, says Gans. Plus, carbohydrates help us build proteins, process
fats, and build bone, cartilage, and nervous system tissue, all of which are as
important as they sound.
Moreover,
drastically restricting carb intake can lead to decreased thyroid output, hormone imbalances, muscle breakdown,
and impaired function of the immune
system. "There is nothing positive about it," says Gans.
So
is it possible to follow a no-carb diet? That's a big fat nope, says Blom.
Besides the fact that even meat contains some carbs, reducing your carb intake
to zero puts your health at risk, she says.
Plus,
in reality, people aren't losing weight because of the types of carbohydrates
they're eating, not because of carbohydrate consumption alone, says Blom.
Gans agrees. She
believes that getting to know your carbohydrates and sticking to a balanced diet that you can maintain for the long
haul is the best way to lose weight. "Choose carbs that provide
nutritional benefits, and practice portion control," says Gans.
Carbohydrate sources such as fruit, veggies, whole grains, dairy, and legumes
are packed with vitamins and minerals that your body needs. "And at the
end of the day, it is a balanced meal that matters most," she says.
"No one food group is the winner or loser."Article Source
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