How will switching to a low-carb diet affect your health?
Eating low carb is not just about the weight loss.
There are many health benefits that you can get from curtailing your carbohydrate intake.
While everyone will respond to carbohydrate deprivation differently, scientists have been studying low-carb diets for decades now, and there are many health benefits associated with carbohydrate restriction:
Many dieters have been able to reduce their medications or had symptoms like joint pain, digestive issues, migraine headaches, and other aches and pains magically disappear after restricting their carbohydrate intake.
On this page, you will find posts that reveal the truth about low-carb diets regarding health conditions, benefits other than fat loss, the latest scientific research, and individual health issues that might arise from following a carb-restricted program.
However, I am not a doctor.
I cannot give out medical advice. I can only share my own experience with weight-loss diets, personal health conditions, and the experiences of my family. The health posts on this site are for information and educational purposes only.
If you have a serious health problem, are a type 1 diabetic, or need medical advice for a specific issue, you need to speak with a medical professional.
- reduced risk for certain types of cancers
- lower triglyceride levels
- higher HDL levels
- improved LDL particle size
- better blood glucose control
- reduced hunger and cravings
- improvement in fatty liver disease
- increased energy and endurance
- improved blood pressure
- inflammation markers go down
Many dieters have been able to reduce their medications or had symptoms like joint pain, digestive issues, migraine headaches, and other aches and pains magically disappear after restricting their carbohydrate intake.
On this page, you will find posts that reveal the truth about low-carb diets regarding health conditions, benefits other than fat loss, the latest scientific research, and individual health issues that might arise from following a carb-restricted program.
However, I am not a doctor.
I cannot give out medical advice. I can only share my own experience with weight-loss diets, personal health conditions, and the experiences of my family. The health posts on this site are for information and educational purposes only.
If you have a serious health problem, are a type 1 diabetic, or need medical advice for a specific issue, you need to speak with a medical professional.
Cholesterol Issues
HDL Cholesterol Levels Improve on Atkins Diet - Is the Atkins Diet dangerous? Despite the fact that scientific research has always shown the benefit of low-carb diets to raise "good" cholesterol, many people continue to proclaim that restricting carbohydrates will give you a heart attack. This articles explains why that isn't true.
LDL Cholesterol, Blood Clots, and the Atkins Diet - When a reader asked me about blood clots and low-carb diets, so this article delves into the truth about heart disease, how LDL particles get damaged, what speeds up plaque build up, and whether heart disease can be reversed. Along with sharing my own experience, you'll learn the 2 causes of blood clots and why reversing your metabolic issues is essential for health.
What to Do if You Have High Cholesterol Levels - Despite all of the health benefits associated with low-carb diets, there are a subgroup of individuals who continue to have cholesterol issues on a low-carb diet. This article shares Dr. Atkins view on high cholesterol levels and what you can do to help get those numbers down.
Blood Glucose and Insulin Issues
Type 2 Diabetes and a Low-Carb Diet: Essential or Dogma? - This was a rebuttal to an article in Diabetes Health Magazine. It explains why I believe a low-carb diet is essential for those with diabetes and shares my personal experience with low-carb diets and blood glucose control.
How Insulin Affects Weight Loss - Many low carb dieters are afraid of insulin, even though insulin is an essential hormone to life. This article explains what insulin does and how it really affects your weight loss.
Testing Blood Glucose Levels on a Low-Carb Diet: Facts and Myths - The article jumps into the debate surrounding some of the low-carb products on the market today and attempts to sort out the facts from the myths.
How Much Do Protein Food Raise Insulin? - In this post, I delve into the Insulin Hypothesis as put forth by Gary Taubes and site scientific research that contradicted some of his views about insulin and fat storage.
Insulin Insufficiency and a Low-Carb Diet - Much of the biological discussions about low-carb diets center on insulin resistance, but only 1 in 3 overweight individuals actually have IR. If you don't, eating too low in carbs can cause your insulin levels to fall too low. This article explains the dance between insulin and glucagon and why staying very low carb can cause glucose to rise too high.
Endocrine Disruptors: Should You Be Concerned? - If you don't know what endocrine disruptors are, then you really need to read this article. It explains what they are, where they can be found, and how their presence in your life affects your insulin resistance or sensitivity.
Can a Ketogenic Diet Cause Hypoglycemia and Insulin Resistance? - It's normal to feel a bit shaky on Atkins Induction. Falling blood glucose levels can set off a cascade of hypoglyemia-like symptoms as the body adjusts and balances itself. However, if symptoms don't pass within a few days, you might have hypoglycemia.
Can a Zero-Carb Diet Raise Your Blood Sugar? - This article explores the possibility of a zero-carb diet causing super-high blood glucose levels. What do insulin levels do when you're eating no carbs at all? This personal essay shares what happened to me when I went zero carb.
Allergies and Food Sensitivities
Do You Have Nightshade Sensitivity or Allergy? - If so, then you need to read this basic primer on nightshades. Get a list of symptoms for nightshade sensitivity, a list of foods to avoid, what to watch out for, and how to do a low-carb diet nightshade free.
Food Allergies, Neuropathy, and Blood Sugar Control on a Low-Carb Diet - Many things can interfere with your low-carb diet, so in this personal essay, I take a closer look at some of my personal health issues and how they relate to a low-carb diet.
Dairy Sensitivity, Beef, and the Atkins Induction Plan - Before I realized I had celiac disease and was diagnosed with Graves Disease, I had problems with dairy and beef. This articles shares some of the research I did during that time.
Misc Health Issues
Protein Deficiency: Are You Getting Enough Protein? - With so many people slashing their protein consumption to the bone these days, this article reveals all of the problems you can encounter when you don't eat enough protein. Get an extensive list of symptoms for protein deficiency and learn how much protein you need to eat on a standard low-carb diet.
Is a Low-Carb Diet Best for Burning Liver Fat? - This article explains the different stages of fatty liver disease and discusses some of the latest research surrounding recovery. Of note is that the research shows that while all weight-loss diets will set up conditions to burn the fat stored in the liver, a low-carb diet corrected the problem much faster.
Is a Low-Carb Diet Best for Burning Liver Fat? - This article explains the different stages of fatty liver disease and discusses some of the latest research surrounding recovery. Of note is that the research shows that while all weight-loss diets will set up conditions to burn the fat stored in the liver, a low-carb diet corrected the problem much faster.
Why Does a Low-Carb Diet Make You Feel Shaky? - If your low-carb diet is making you feel shaky and weak, most of the time, it's nothing to worry about. This article explains what the body goes through as it makes the transition from predominantly burning glucose to predominantly burning fats.
Metabolic Resistance and Atkins Induction: Clearing Up the Myths - In 1972, Dr. Atkins introduced us to a concept he called metabolic resistance to weight loss. This article describes what that resistance actually is and explains where drastic drops in weight on Atkins Induction really come from.
Doc Says Go Paleo - Discovering that I have Graves Disease threw another monkey wrench into life, but it got even more interesting when the doctor's assistance who first found the thyroid problem told me to go Paleo. It seems that health practitioners always assume that your diet is bad if you're fat.
Thyroid Disease is Finally Confirmed - This post shares the results I got from being screened for Graves Disease and the hoops I had to jump through in order to get that diagnosis.
Radioactive Iodine Uptake Test Results - After finding abnormalities in my thyroid through an ultrasound, the endocrinologist set me up for a radioactive iodine uptake test to see exactly what my thyroid was doing. Here are the results.
Thyroid Disease is Finally Confirmed - This post shares the results I got from being screened for Graves Disease and the hoops I had to jump through in order to get that diagnosis.
Radioactive Iodine Uptake Test Results - After finding abnormalities in my thyroid through an ultrasound, the endocrinologist set me up for a radioactive iodine uptake test to see exactly what my thyroid was doing. Here are the results.
Dehydration is Responsible for More Than You Think - Do you know the symptoms of dehydration? If you're waiting until you're thirsty to take a drink, you might already be dehydrated. In fact, many common health complaints are actually the body's way of crying for more water.
Dr. Atkins Advice on Exhaustion and Leg Cramps - Many people on Atkins Induction experience legs cramps and exhaustion. This simple guide explains what's going on and what to do if your electrolytes get out of whack.
Is It SAFE to Stay in Ketosis Indefinitely? - The original Atkins Diet was not designed to keep us in the state of ketosis forever. Ketosis was a tool Dr. Atkins used to carve off the pounds, but not a crutch to lean on forever. This is a reflection on some of the questions and experiences I'd had during my weight-loss journey and some of the insights I gained from what I'd gone through so far.
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