FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Question: What is the theory behind low carb diets?

Answer: There is some variation between the diets, but the common theme is that reducing blood sugar and insulin production enables the body to utilize stored fat for energy more easily, as well as providing other health benefits and better control over eating. A low carb diet is your body's own system for getting rid of the fat it has built up, it is therefore the most natural diet you can follow.

Question: What is the connection between low-carb diets and blood sugar?

Answer: Low-carb diets are all about blood sugar (blood glucose). Basically, we eat low-carb diets to keep our blood sugar normal and stable. To fully understand the connection, it's helpful to first familiarize yourself with how the body processes blood sugar.

Question: What do carbohydrates have to do with blood glucose?

Answer: Everything. All foods with carbohydrate -- whether rice, jelly beans, or watermelon -- break down to simple sugars in our bodies. This is what causes our blood glucose to rise. The carbohydrate in most starchy foods (potatoes, bread) is simply a collection of long chains of glucose, which break down quickly and raise blood sugar.

Question: What Do Our Bodies Do When Blood Sugar is High?

Answer: When our blood sugar goes up, our body responds by secreting insulin to stabilize it. The sugar is then taken out of the blood and converted into fat; insulin's primary function is facilitating the storage of extra sugar in the blood as fat.

Question: What are the Problems with Blood Sugar Going Up?

Answer: For many people, this system works fine. Sometimes, though, people reach a point in their lives when it goes awry (or it doesn't work well from childhood). This is called insulin resistance, and one of the consequences is that there gets to be too much insulin in the blood as the body tries harder and harder to bring the sugar down.

When insulin is high, weight gain is more likely. Conversely, people with high insulin levels are more likely to lose weight on low carb diets.

Keeping blood glucose normal has other health benefits, such as the prevention of heart disease and diabetes. Even non-diabetics have an increased heart disease risk with higher blood glucose levels.

Question: Which Foods are High In Carbohydrates?

Answer: The foods highest in carbs are high in starch or sugar. This includes anything made with flour or sugar, grains, foods with added sugar, and starchy vegetables such as potatoes and corn. Most processed foods are high in carbohydrates. Examples of low carb foods are proteins such as meat and eggs, low carb vegetables, low sugar fruits (such as strawberries), soy beans, and some dairy products like cream and butter.

Question: Are High Protein Diets and Low Carb Diets the Same Thing?

Answer: Often, people use the terms "high protein diet" and "low carbohydrate diet" interchangeably. They think of the Atkins diet as a high protein diet, for example. Most low carb diets are higher in protein than typical diets. However, technically, the emphasis in low carb diets is on reducing carbohydrates. It is possible to eat a high protein diet that has a lot of carbohydrate, or a low carb diet that has a typical amount of protein.

Question: Why do people go on/stay on low carb diets?

Answer: What usually draws people to the diet is the hope of weight loss and/or blood glucose control. However, those whose bodies are suited to this type of diet often discover other benefits. People often find they have more energy, mental clarity, and feelings of control over eating behaviours. Additionally, improvements in health indicators such as blood glucose, triglycerides, and blood pressure are commonly reported. The weight loss on a low carb diet is usually much faster than any other diet.

Question: Are Low Carb Diets for Everyone?

Answer: Although the vast majority of people could benefit from reducing their intake of sugar and refined grains (e.g. white flour), individuals vary in their tolerance for carbohydrates. In a recent study reported in the journal obesity research, people with insulin resistance had better results in terms of weight loss and improvement in health factors such as triglyceride levels on a low-carb diet, while the insulin-sensitive groups' results were not as good.

Question: I felt lousy on a previous low carb diet. Does that mean they aren't for me?

Answer: Not necessarily. There are some common sources of negative reactions to low carb diets:

1.The switchover from using carbs for energy to using fat for energy. This is the condition for the fatigue and irritability that can happen in the early days of a very low carb diet - usually around days 3-5, while the body is adjusting to its new source of fuel. If you are experiencing muscle cramps you can take a calmag supplement. For headaches take some headache tablets

2. The first month can bring on a fierce desire for carbohydrate foods. It is important to understand that this will pass. The most important thing is not to go hungry. I find that eating foods with a lot of fat is helpful.

Question: How do low-carb diets affect cholesterol and triglycerides?

Answer: In general, low-carb diets tend to improve blood lipids. Specifically:

Triglycerides
Triglycerides are the form in which the body stores fat (our body fat is mainly made up of triglycerides.) When we talk about someone's triglyceride level, however, we usually mean the amount of triglycerides that show up in the blood when it is tested. A high triglyceride level is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke.
Numerous studies find that low-carbohydrate diets cause high triglyceride levels to fall; in fact, the results are quite consistent and dramatic. Many physicians now recommend reducing carbohydrate as the first line of defence against high triglyceride levels, and this is often successful.

High Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (HDL) -- "Good Cholesterol"
HDL cholesterol seems to protect against heart disease; it becomes a risk factor for heart disease if it's low. Scientists think it carries excess cholesterol back to the liver, where is it broken down. There is also evidence that some aspect of HDL is involved in the initial response after injury or acute illness, and that people with higher levels of HDL have improved recovery.
Low-carbohydrate diets tend to raise HDL cholesterol levels, so this is a good thing.

Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL) -- "Bad Cholesterol"
Although there is some controversy on this point, LDL cholesterol is considered "bad" in terms of heart disease risk. The relationship between low-carb diets and LDL cholesterol is more complex than with triglycerides and HDL cholesterol. There are some studies in which LDL is reduced on a low-carb diet, some in which it doesn't change, and some in which it goes up. But there is one thing about LDL changes which is consistent with low-carb diets, and that is that it causes a change in cholesterol particle size.
What has particle size got to do with it? Evidence is accumulating that the size of cholesterol particles has a lot to do with risk for heart disease. Basically, the smaller the particles are, the greater the risk -- it is thought that perhaps the small particles lodge in the walls of blood vessels more easily.
The good news for those of us following a low-carb way of eating is that studies of diet and cholesterol particle size have consistently shown that low-carb diets produce larger-sized cholesterol particles. However, a larger-sized particle weighs more than a smaller one. When LDL does go up on a low-carb diet, it may be due to the larger particles, since weight is what's being measured. (A total cholesterol of 200, for example, means 200 mg per dekalitre.)
On the other hand, high-carb diets seem to produce a greater percentage of smaller cholesterol particles in some people. So the total LDL goes down (particles are smaller, so the total is lighter.) While the reading may be low, it can be deceiving as risk goes up in those cases.
A good way to sort out risk? LDL particle size seems to be strongly correlated with triglyceride level (high triglycerides go with small particle size and vice versa). So if your triglycerides are low, your LDL particles are probably larger.

The Bottom Line
Reducing carbohydrate in the diet generally has a positive effect on both HDL and LDL blood cholesterol and triglycerides.

Question: Are low carb diets bad for the kidneys?

Answer: People with kidney disease who have been instructed to eat a low-protein diet are usually advised to avoid low carb diets. However, there is absolutely no evidence that lower carbohydrate or higher protein diets CAUSE kidney problems.

Question: Do low carb diets cause bone loss?

Answer: One of the frequent claims of people opposed to low carb diets is that eating this way will cause bone loss. The reason for this fear is that increasing protein in the diet beyond a certain level will tend to produce more calcium in the urine. It was assumed by many that this calcium must be coming from the bones, and that low carb diets, which are generally higher in protein, would lead to bone loss. This led to a number of studies over the last few years to investigate this point.
As of May 2006, the scientists conducting the studies continue to be "surprised" by the result that more protein in the diet at the very least causes no harm, and in most studies improves bone density rather than causes bone loss. This makes some intuitive sense, since bones are one of the most protein-dense tissues in the body. Several of the studies suggest that increased protein intake improves calcium absorption from food.
Whether adding protein improves bones may be partly a function of how much protein the person was eating to begin with. But it is interesting that in several studies comparing the bones of people eating the standard "recommended daily requirement" of protein (.8 grams of protein per kg of body weight) with those eating more protein found that those who ate more protein than the standard recommendation had less bone loss.
Recent study focused on low carb diets, rather than protein intake per se. Subjects were limited to 20 grams of daily carbohydrate for one month, and to 40 grams of carb for an additional two months. There was no problem with increased "bone turnover" (a short-term indication of potential bone loss) during this period of time. The lead scientist on the study, John L. Carter, has been quoted as saying that he was "shocked" at the results.
Of course, eating enough protein is not the only way to protect our bones. Sufficient intakes of calcium and Vitamin D, weight bearing and strengthening exercise, and avoiding smoking and excess alcohol can all help keep our bones strong throughout our lives.

Question: Can I eat a diet that is both low carb and low fat?

Answer: Definitely not. After all, you have to eat something! But most fats aren't the demons we believed for years. With wise choices, you can eat quite a lot of fat as part of a healthy diet.

Question: Can I lose weight by eating low-carb, and then switch to a low fat diet?

Answer: This is not a good idea. People who respond to low carb diets are simply less likely to do as well on high carb ones. Like any other diet, low carb eating needs to become part of a person's life for it to be effective. Happily, this can be done! Many, many people have done it and are happier and healthier as a result. The main goal of this site is to help people make low carb eating an enjoyable and healthy part of their lives.

Question: What is Ketosis?

Answer: A lot of people are confused by the term "ketosis." You may read that it is a "dangerous state" for the body, and it does sound abnormal to be "in ketosis." But ketosis merely means that our bodies are using fat for energy. Ketones (also called ketone bodies) are molecules generated during fat metabolism, whether from the fat in the meat you just ate or fat you were carrying around your middle. When our bodies are breaking down fat for energy, most of the it gets converted more or less directly to ATP. (This is the "energy molecule.") But ketones are also produced as part of the process.
When people eat less carbohydrate, their bodies turn to fat for energy, so it makes sense that more ketones are generated. Some of those ketones (acetoacetate and ß-hydroxybutyrate) are used for energy; the heart muscle and kidneys, for example, prefer ketones to glucose. Most cells, including the brain cells, are able to use ketones for at least part of their energy. But there is one type of ketone molecule, called acetone, which cannot be used and is excreted as waste, mostly in the urine and breath (sometimes causing a distinct breath odour).

Question: Why do some people think ketosis is a bad thing?

Answer: There is an assumption that if a body is burning a lot of fat for energy, it must not be getting "enough" glucose. However, there is no indication, from studying people on reduced carbohydrate diets, that this is the case (though there is usually a short period of adjustment -- less than a week, in most cases). Although it's true that our bodies can't break fat down into glucose (though, interestingly, they easily use glucose to make fat), our bodies can convert some of the protein we eat into glucose. Indeed, this works well for people who don't tolerate a lot of sugar, because this conversion happens slowly so it doesn't spike blood glucose.
A dangerous condition called ketoacidosis can develop in those with type 1 diabetes, and it is sometimes confused with normal ketosis. The body usually avoids this state by producing insulin, but people with type 1 diabetes are unable to produce insulin. Even most people with type 2 diabetes who inject insulin usually produce enough insulin of their own to prevent ketoacidosis.

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