| The low carb diet movement has taken the world by | | | | Want to make some brownies? No problem, just use |
| storm. Nearly everyone has heard of it - who could | | | | low carb chocolate. Breaded pork chops or chicken |
| avoid doing so? Variations of this reducing diet have | | | | can be enjoyed guilt-free if you use bread crumbs |
| been endorsed by celebrities and other popular | | | | derived from low carb bread. Are you a pasta lover |
| figures. Advertisements for low carb food products | | | | who cringes at the thought of having to give up |
| and low carb recipes have been portrayed | | | | lasagna and spaghetti? Then you will appreciate the |
| prominently in magazines and television, with the | | | | fact that there are low carb pastas out on the |
| promise that you WILL lose weight even if you eat | | | | market, enabling you to continue enjoying your |
| large food portions; you just have to make sure that | | | | favorite dishes - just make sure that the sauces and |
| the food you are eating has little or no carbohydrate | | | | other ingredients you use are not laden with |
| content. | | | | carbohydrates. |
| Perhaps one of the most surprising things is that low | | | | Low carb reducing diets, such as Atkins and South |
| carb recipes are doable and once your system has | | | | Beach, do not ask the dieter to totally give up food |
| gotten used to them, they are easy to follow. People | | | | items that have carbohydrate content. The key is to |
| are of the apprehension that it will be hard to make | | | | control one's carb intake in order to promote faster |
| dishes because of the scarcity of ingredients. After | | | | metabolism: burn more calories faster to lose weight |
| all, we have become accustomed to using things like | | | | faster. Fruits and vegetables are still an essential part |
| sugar, flour, bread, potatoes, etc. - all of which are a | | | | of the diet, but it is important to know which types |
| no-no for low carb dieters - in the dishes we eat. | | | | of fruits to avoid and to enjoy, especially if you are |
| But as the low carb diet movement started to | | | | just starting your diet. For instance, you can enjoy |
| become more popular and as the clamor for | | | | grapefruit, peach or strawberry shakes, smoothies or |
| appropriate ingredients increased, the food industry | | | | juices without compunction; the same cannot be said |
| rose up to the occasion and started introducing | | | | for dishes that contain bananas, pears, or grapes. |
| products to meet demand. Take for instance, sugar. | | | | If you find yourself running out of recipe ideas and |
| Normal sugar is known to trigger certain mechanisms | | | | you are determined to stick with a low carb diet plan, |
| in the body that would make a person feel hungrier | | | | there are numerous books, web sites, and other |
| more often. Add this to the fact that sugar is full of | | | | resources that you can avail of in order to plan a |
| empty calories that will only add to the ones that | | | | daily or weekly menu. This is assuming that you like |
| your body already is trying to burn. Now, however, | | | | to cook for yourself or someone else on a low carb |
| dieters can take comfort in the fact that they can | | | | menu. On the other hand, if you are not the type |
| use artificial sweeteners - such as Splenda - that do | | | | who is fastidious about home cooking, then you will |
| not have the same effect on the body as sugar, but | | | | be glad to know that many restaurants serve food |
| still impart the sweetness that so many of us want | | | | especially for the low carb consumer. There is also a |
| and crave. | | | | variety of microwaveable and ready-to-eat meals |
| Entrees or main dishes pose no problem since low | | | | that are suited for such reducing diets. |
| carb diets usually promote the consumption of | | | | Before a person goes all out on a |
| high-protein food products, such as meat. It is those | | | | carbohydrate-controlled diet and starts hoarding and |
| appetizers, desserts, snack foods - and even | | | | following low carb recipes, it is always a wise thing to |
| beverages - that pose a problem. But with the | | | | get a professional medical opinion on whether such a |
| introduction of substitute products, a dieter need not | | | | diet is safe for him or her. Persons with certain health |
| look at dishes like breaded chicken or chocolate cake | | | | issues, such as kidney disease, should not embark on |
| with vain longing. Just look at the variety of low carb | | | | a low carb reducing diet. Barring that, almost any |
| recipes online and offline, and you will see that there | | | | person can enjoy great-tasting - even gourmet - |
| is a plethora of ingredients with the label "low carb" | | | | foods and drinks and still lose weight in the process. |
| attached to them. | | | | |