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The Low Carb diet (Or Atkins diet as more commonly known) features in many online diet sites and diet books. You should be aware that this diet has many health experts shaking there heads in dissaproval and its certainly not a long time diet.
With that said, lets take a look at what's involved;
Carbohydrates consist of sugar, starches and fibre and are found naturally in lots of foods such as fruit, veg, wholegrain cereals and brown rice.
This diet has you restricting the number of carbs you eat, replacing them with protein rich foods like meat and cheese.
How does it work?
Our bodies break down carbohydrates and fats into sugar which then gives us energy. Low-carb diets are based on the idea that if we don't eat carbohydrates, our body will use stored fat for energy instead. (Although not scientifially proven).
Is this for me?
You will probably be tempted to this diet by the promise of being able to eat your way through bacon and egg breakfasts, steak lunches and chicken for supper but be warned:
Many people who try to avoid carbs end up eating too protein which can put strain on your kidneys. Not eating enough fruit and vegetables can also increase your risk of bowel cancer.
Some nutritionists argue the majority of weight loss during a low-carb diet is down to water and muscle tissue, not fat. If your body starts to burn its own muscle tissue, you will need fewer calories to maintain your weight. This could lead to you putting weight on when you stop the low carb diet.
How do I do it?
After visiting your doctor you will need to drastically reduce the amount of carbohydrates in your diet by cutting down on pasta, bread, rice and alcohol. In extreme cases, even fruit and vegetables are limited or avoided as these also contain carbohydrates. Instead, people on low carb diets eat more protein-rich foods like meat, fish, cheese and eggs.
You can buy Atkins books in all online and high-street book shops.
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