Low Cal And Low Carb Diet – An Overview Of How Effective These Are
Two great ways to lose weight is to start a low cal or a low carb diet. Let’s have an overview of low cal and low carb diet. All of us know that eating too much, having too many calories, eating unhealthy food increases our weight as well as creates many health problems. Thus, it’s advisable to keep a check on the weight and eat healthy balanced diet which helps in reducing weight
What Are Low Cal Diets?
As the name suggest, taking low calorie food makes the low cal diet. For this you should avoid all fats, control carbohydrates and avoid processed food. High calorie food includes cookies, chips, carbonated drinks, all fried food, sugary items, butter, oil etc. In the low cal diet, all these things are avoided and substitute are used. Like in place of sugar, you can use splenda. In place of butter, margarine can be used, in baked food like cookies, muffins etc, low cal bake mix can be used.
What Are Low Carb Diets?
When you restrict carbohydrate intake, you are said to be on low carb diet. Low carb diet has become very popular in the last 10 years. The Atkins diet and the South beach diet are very popular low carb diet plans. In this, you don’t take carbohydrates more than 5% or 10% of your meal; you take more of proteins and fats. Meals consist of meat, vegetables with some low carb sauces and no fruits or cereals.
The reasoning behind the low carb diets is that when you eat very less carbs, blood contains less glucose. Thus body requires energy from some other source, which it now gets from fat cells. This results in reduction of fat.
How Good Are These Diet Plans?
Before jumping on any conclusion and choosing a diet plan, research the validity and effectiveness of these plans. Low cal diet is good if you are getting at least minimum calories to go about your daily routine. However, if you are eating too less, you will feel tired, irritated and feel hungry all the time, this will invite other diseases.
While, in low carb diet, you take too much of saturated fat to get energy, but this is harmful for your blood vessels and heart. Your cholesterol might take a leap and obese people should be careful about these things.
It’s always good to choose fresh, pure, unadulterated food in its most natural form. Avoiding something totally and binging on particular things is not good. Try to have a balanced diet, avoid excess of anything, maintain a good lifestyle and incorporate exercise in your daily routine. Only then the low cal and low carb diets are going to work for you.
