Nutrition

Diet vs. Sound and Stable Nutrition

A diet is a temporary change in a persons eating regimen usually instilled for the purpose of losing weight or other health-related reasons.  A traditional dieting approach is to lose weight rapidly during the initial phase of the diet while slowly tapering off to a point of diminishing return.  This sequence of events is particularly harmful both physically and psychologically to the dieter because of the frustration one feels when a plateau is reached.  Weight returns rapidly upon termination of the “diet”, and a roller coaster behavior usually results for those involved in the diet cycle.  Consequently, it becomes advantageous to make “diets” obsolete in ones life and turn to more sustainable methods such as moderation and healthy balanced meals.

Nutrition is a lifestyle adopted by those seeking long-term health benefits, and benefits related to but not limited to:  proper nutrient intakes, normal and elevated energy levels used to meet the demands of competition or everyday living, a sense of well-being, and optimal cognitive function.

At L.L.Fitness Inc., we strongly encourage and support healthy nutritional practices that are sustainable and enjoyable for those willing to experience the lifestyle of sound nutritional practices.

What about low-carb diets, do they work and are they safe?

• In short, yes they work for weight loss, but the question, “what type of weight is lost”, needs to be asked.

• Weight from the human body is lost in three primary ways, from fat, from muscle and from water.

• It must be remembered that in the absence of carbohydrates, the body is stripped of most of its glycogen (stored carbohydrate within the muscle), which requires a significant amount of water to store it. 

• There for the initial weight loss experienced by these diets is primarily water weight.

• Some of the consequences of a low carbohydrate diet include the following:  Glycogen (stored muscle carbohydrate) depletion in the muscles which leads to lowered strength and stamina.  Dehydration occurs because it takes three grams of water to store every gram of glycogen.  This is why dieters are lulled into these diets… because quick weight loss is good right?  Not if the weight is coming from water and muscle.  If the body cannot use glycogen or blood based carbohydrates for energy it is forced to use fat and muscle protein (the actual muscle tissue) for energy.  The consequence is not only dehydration, but also the accounting factor for strength and functional loss of the muscle.

• There is also some evidence that low carbohydrate levels are responsible for kidney and liver dysfunction.  This is due to the fact that if the body is forced to use protein as a fuel source it must cleave off the nitrogen compound (substance) that is part of the amino acids that compose protein.  The consequence of this is a waste product called urea that is converted to ammonia.  Ammonia is toxic to the body and must be detoxified by the liver.  If too much urea is in the body, it puts a strain on both the liver and the kidneys as it passes through both of them before being excreted in the urine.

• Ketosis is a condition characterized by high blood acidity and is caused by the partial digestion of fat molecules called ketone bodies.  These partially digested fat molecules are responsible for lowering blood Ph (acidity level) to dangerous levels.  The brain is then forced to use ketone bodies for fuel at the expense that it may have harmful ramifications.  This topic is surely debatable among researches, but it should be a red flag for those truly interested in their health.