Low Carb Stupidity: Thinking that very low carb (ketogenic) dieting
is a maintainable "lifestyle."
Low Carb Intelligence:
Understanding that reasonable
(moderate) restriction of carbs can be a helpful short term strategy for fat loss, a
legitimate method to control appetite, and an effective way for some people to
control insulin.
Understanding that there are no bad
foods only inappropriate amounts
Understanding that the fact that most
Americans eat when they are not hunger and don’t stop when they are full NOT carbs
are the reason that 66% of Americans are overweight.
Understanding that a balanced diet of
natural foods is probably the most suitable of all the diets for health, lifelong
maintenance and weight control.
Low Carb Stupidity: Believing
that if you cut your carbs you do not need to exercise to lose weight and maintain that
loss long term
Low Carb
Intelligence: Knowing that dieting is the worst way to lose
fat and that exercise in combination with a healthy, balanced diet is the best way
to lose fat permanently
Low Carb Stupidity: Using
the argument; "There’s no such thing as an essential carbohydrate" as
justification for low carb dieting.
Low Carb Intelligence: Realizing
that textbook definitions of "essential" can be taken out of context to promote
a fad diet and that just because there’s technically no "essential"
carbohydrates (as there are essential amino acids and fatty acids) doesn’t mean
carbohydrates aren’t "essential" in other respects.
Low Carb Stupidity: Using
the argument, "You have to eat fat to lose fat" as justification for a high fat,
low carb diet, without explaining it or putting it in context (exactly how much fat and
what kind of fat?)
Low Carb Intelligence: Understanding
the importance of essential and omega three fats (the good fats), but not taking any
single nutritional principle to an extreme (such as, "If a little fat is good for you
then a lot is even better").
Low Carb Stupidity: Not
clarifying your definition of low carbs.
Low Carb Intelligence:
- Realizing that there are "very low" carb diets, "low" carb diets,
and "moderate" carb diets and that you cannot classify them all together. (Some
people consider The Zone Diet, at 40% of calories from carbs, a low carb diet, others
consider 40% carbs quite high).
- Understanding the importance of "carbs" as a portion of your total caloric
intake
Low Carb Stupidity: Thinking
that all carbs are bad
Low Carb Intelligence: Understanding
that there is quite a difference between an over processed, refined donut and a wholesome,
nutrient laden potato.
Low Carb Stupidity: Going
on the Atkins diet (or any other very low carb/ketogenic diet) with absolutely no idea why
you’re doing it or how it works (going on it because "everybody" is doing
it and because you see it advertised everywhere.)
Low Carb Intelligence:
Understanding that most of the weight
loss is due to fluid loss
Realizing that Americans eat an average
of 200 calories a day more than they did 10 years ago and move far less>
Understanding that if you eat 10
calories a day more than your body needs you will gain 10 pounds a year and blaming
"Carbs" for the weight gain
Understanding that unless you make
changes towards an overall healthful lifestyle most people will gain all their weight back
the minute they "go off" the diet
Low Carb Stupidity: Believing
that if you eat zero net-carbs, you will lose weight won't gain weight . Buying into the
carb-counting craze, food manufacturers have come out with a new term to sell their
products. "Net carbs" is a deceptive way to count only the negligible
carbohydrates that come from artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols, and ignore the
others from starch and regular sugars.
Low Carb Intelligence:
- Realizing that sugar alcohol and fiber are not "nothing", they still
have calories
- Understanding that "Low-carb" labels are meaningless. In manufacturing
low-carb products, sugars are replaced with "unnaturally high concentrations" of
sugar alcohols, refined grains, and starches -- all of which are carbohydrates and
contribute to caloric intake.
- Understanding that because these "replacement carbs" move through the small
intestine without getting absorbed, manufacturers subtract them from the carb content.
That's the "net carbs" number listed on the product label
- Realizing that the recent focus on low carbs will continue to draw people away from
healthy eating and just provide them with another excuse to live off junk food
- Remember
, any "low net-carb" claim is diverting your attention away
from the fat and calorie content of a food.
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