The low carb diet movement has taken the world by storm. Nearly everyone has heard of it – who could avoid doing so? Variations of this reducing diet have been endorsed by celebrities and other popular figures. Advertisements for low carb food products and low carb recipes have been portrayed prominently in magazines and television, with the promise that you WILL lose weight even if you eat large food portions; you just have to make sure that the food you are eating has little or no carbohydrate content.

Perhaps one of the most surprising things is that low carb recipes are doable and once your system has gotten used to them, they are easy to follow. People are of the apprehension that it will be hard to make dishes because of the scarcity of ingredients. After all, we have become accustomed to using things like sugar, flour, bread, potatoes, etc. – all of which are a no-no for low carb dieters – in the dishes we eat.

But as the low carb diet movement started to become more popular and as the clamor for appropriate ingredients increased, the food industry rose up to the occasion and started introducing products to meet demand. Take for instance, sugar. Normal sugar is known to trigger certain mechanisms in the body that would make a person feel hungrier more often. Add this to the fact that sugar is full of empty calories that will only add to the ones that your body already is trying to burn. Now, however, dieters can take comfort in the fact that they can use artificial sweeteners – such as Splenda – that do not have the same effect on the body as sugar, but still impart the sweetness that so many of us want and crave.

Entrees or main dishes pose no problem since low carb diets usually promote the consumption of high-protein food products, such as meat. It is those appetizers, desserts, snack foods – and even beverages – that pose a problem. But with the introduction of substitute products, a dieter need not look at dishes like breaded chicken or chocolate cake with vain longing. Just look at the variety of low carb recipes online and offline, and you will see that there is a plethora of ingredients with the label “low carb” attached to them.

Want to make some brownies? No problem, just use low carb chocolate. Breaded pork chops or chicken can be enjoyed guilt-free if you use bread crumbs derived from low carb bread. Are you a pasta lover who cringes at the thought of having to give up lasagna and spaghetti? Then you will appreciate the fact that there are low carb pastas out on the market, enabling you to continue enjoying your favorite dishes – just make sure that the sauces and other ingredients you use are not laden with carbohydrates.

Low carb reducing diets, such as Atkins and South Beach, do not ask the dieter to totally give up food items that have carbohydrate content. The key is to control one’s carb intake in order to promote faster metabolism: burn more calories faster to lose weight faster. Fruits and vegetables are still an essential part of the diet, but it is important to know which types of fruits to avoid and to enjoy, especially if you are just starting your diet. For instance, you can enjoy grapefruit, peach or strawberry shakes, smoothies or juices without compunction; the same cannot be said for dishes that contain bananas, pears, or grapes.

If you find yourself running out of recipe ideas and you are determined to stick with a low carb diet plan, there are numerous books, web sites, and other resources that you can avail of in order to plan a daily or weekly menu. This is assuming that you like to cook for yourself or someone else on a low carb menu. On the other hand, if you are not the type who is fastidious about home cooking, then you will be glad to know that many restaurants serve food especially for the low carb consumer. There is also a variety of microwaveable and ready-to-eat meals that are suited for such reducing diets.

Before a person goes all out on a carbohydrate-controlled diet and starts hoarding and following low carb recipes, it is always a wise thing to get a professional medical opinion on whether such a diet is safe for him or her. Persons with certain health issues, such as kidney disease, should not embark on a low carb reducing diet. Barring that, almost any person can enjoy great-tasting – even gourmet – foods and drinks and still lose weight in the process.

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for example, if i where to keep up the low carb diet for about one month and then i start eating regular, will i gain more weight? or what are the “side effects” if i where to do this?

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I need some low fat/low carb/low calorie recipes that I can make a lot of, then freeze in an air tight container and then reheat when I want to eat it?

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This is Part 2 of 3 Why Not Fruits? As of July 2009 -50 lbs since I’ve been on eating Low Carb with very little exercise. This is about MY Life and MY experience I talk about my own personal experience with fruits, please do not call ETF(ethical treatment of fruits) I am just telling you about how I am doing living without most fruits that are high in sugars and the roller coaster ride it caused me. This is my time to share with you my experiences being on the low carb lifestyle and how I feel. I take this time to talk about my new discoveries and how fruits and my body and why my weight loss has been successful. It didn’t happen over night, after many attempts, I finally found what works for me. Check out Jimmy Moore’s site if you are interested in low carb product reviews and info. www.youtube.com

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With all low carbohydrate diets claiming success, it can be hard to start the correct low carbohydrate diet for you? Are all low carb diets alike? It can be overwhelming with all low carb diets, products and plans you see everywhere. Luckily, these diets have been analyzed extensively. We’ll get into all low carb diets – what works and what doesn’t.
First enjoy this delicious recipe that is ok for all low carb diets:
Yummy Fast Breakfast Recipe
Easy Mushroom-Zucchini Greek Omlette
2 eggs

2 Tbsp water

Dash of onion, cumin and/or garlic powders

1 tablespoon olive oil (or nonstick cooking spray)

1 cup diced, or chopped Zucchini squash

1/4 cup sliced white mushrooms

1/4 cup shredded cheese

Green Olives for garnish
Add oil to small skillet, (or spray with nonstick cooking spray) and heat over medium heat.
Saute zucchini and mushrooms for 7 minutes, or until tender. Lightly whip by hand eggs and water, add dash of onion, cumin and/or garlic powders. Pour egg/water mix into skillet.
When top is firm, sprinkle cheese onto half the omlette. Fold over other half. Serve each portion with Green Olives and sliced tomatoes.
Yields 4 servings

Total Net carbs: 3 grams per serving
Ok, Here are is the first review of the most well known of all the low carb diets: The Dr. Atkins Diet
Of all low carb diets, Atkins is probably one of the most popular there is. Most reviewers offer several reasons why Atkins is so attractive. The Atkins Diet can bring fast results. Atkins dieters notice a weight loss of eight to fourteen pounds within the early induction phase of the diet.
Also, most dieters like following the Atkins approach. Watching carb levels is all that’s required , and the foods you are allowed to eat with Atkins, like hamburgers, steaks, and rich foods are enjoyable to many people.
Negative comments, though, may include the fact that the body may respond poorly in the early days. You may feel overtired, stressed. Some may even have a headache.
Studies are still being evaluated, but many suggest that this diet lowers blood sugar, triglycerides, cholesterol and saturated fat levels, helping heart health.
Dr. Atkins believed that nearly all obesity is caused by overactive insulin production and not by overeating. He believed that overeating could be caused by carbohydrate addiction and that most overweight people actually ate less than their slim counterparts.
However, they crave and eat carbohydrate, which raises their insulin levels and suppresses fat burning. He also recommends the use of dietary supplements to help balance nutrition and the bodies systems.
The Atkins Diet has four stages: the Induction diet, the Ongoing Weight Loss diet, the Pre-Maintenance diet, and finally the Lifetime Maintenance diet. The Induction diet is very strict as far as carb elimination (20 grams or less per day), but generous in the allowance of fat and protein. Low starch vegetables are the recommended source of carbs.
This phase of the diet lasts 14 days and is followed by the Ongoing Weight Loss diet (OWL). The OWL phase allows for the reintroduction of certain good carbs but the levels are kept below 40 grams a day. Dieters stay on OWL until they reach their ideal weight.
Once the ideal weight is reached dieters transition into the Pre-Maintenance diet, where they experiment with reintroducing certain good carbs until they discover the total carb grams they can consume in a

day and still not gain weight.
Here is a tip for success with all low carb dieting:
Start your diet with a daily food diary, record everything you eat, what you were doing at the

time, and how you felt. That tells you about your temptations, the emotional states that cause you to snack and may help you lose once you see how much you eat. It is good to keep detailed records, in order to guarantee your success.
Often people go off low-carb diets, even those that help you lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks, because they lack good recipes. It’s too boring. Get good recipes!

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