Low-Carbohydrate Diets

The definition of Low-carbohydrate diet from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia is as follow:

Low-carbohydrate diets or low-carb diets are dietary programs that restrict carbohydrate consumption usually for weight control or for the treatment of obesity. Foods high in digestible carbohydrates (e.g. breads, pasta) are limited or replaced with foods containing a higher percentage of proteins and fats (e.g. meats, soy products) and often other foods low in carbohydrates (e.g. green leafy vegetables).

Low-carbohydrate diet is also called low glycemic diet. The recommendation for carbohydrate consumption is varied from less then 20 percent to 40 percent of the daily caloric intake, while the common carbohydrate consumption is 50-65% of the daily caloric intake. The restriction is also varied. Some diets limit the amount of overall carbohydrate, while others focus on foods high in starch and sugars. Still others focus on how glycemic the diet is. Some diets implement “No White Foods” regimens, that simply eliminating sugars, white flour, white rice, and potatoes. Some diets considered as low-carbohydrate diets are, among others:

The Ketogenic Diet
It is a diet to treat some medical conditions, such as epilepsy in children. Aside from low in carbohydrate, this diet is high in fat and contains adequate protein. It is stricter than most low-carbohydrate diets, and must be followed under close medical supervision.

Atkins Diet
Atkins Diet is a well-known low-carbohydrate diet created by Dr. Robert Atkins. The diet is based on the theory that overweight people eat too many carbohydrates. Our bodies burn both fat and carbohydrates for energy, but carbs are used first. By drastically reducing carbs and eating more protein and fat, our bodies naturally lose weight by burning stored body fat more efficiently. The induction phase of this diet is a rigid low-carbohydrate one, although some sources consider it is less restrictive than Ketogenic Diet.

South Beach Diet
As Atkins Diet, South Beach Diet restricts carbohydrates. Although good carbohydrates are allowed, South Beach dieters must say goodbye to potatoes, fruit, bread, cereal, rice, pasta, beets, carrots, and corn for the first two weeks. After that, most of these foods remain strongly discouraged. It also has a more severe induction phase, followed by a long-term eating plan.

There are two main differences, between South Beach Diet and Atkins Diet, i.e.:

• Fats: The South Beach Diet bans unhealthy fats but strongly promotes healthy ones.
• Carbs: The South Beach Diet doesn't count grams of carbs, instead it looks at how much sugar is in a carb. Low-sugar carbs - those with a low glycemic index (they don't cause the blood sugar levels to rise and fall as quickly) - are good. The Atkins diet seeks to change a person from a sugar-burning machine into a fat-burning machine.

However, despite the differences, both trade marked diets are low-carbohydrate diets.

Carbohydrate Addict’s Diet
This is a low-carbohydrate diet which based on the theory that many overweight people are "carbohydrate addicts." It consists of daily consumption of two meals of meat/fish/cheese and vegetable combo and a reward meal, which can be anything in any quantity that is nourishing and well balanced and must be consumed within an hour. However, many nutritionists or specialists with a medical background question the theory.