Low Carb in the UK Low Carb in the UK
If you are fairly new to a low carb diet, here are some pointers to consider.
1st - If you are too drastic when you initially start a diet (of any
sort) your body can react adversely. It gets so used to
eating "badly" over a period of time that it can shock your system
when you drastically change your food intake. It's a pretty good
machine and adapts as well as it can to working on poor fuel so if
all of a sudden it starts getting high grade four star instead of the
deisel it's been managing on, it can take a while to adjust. Try
reducing your carb intake to about half of what it was for the first
2-4 weeks.
2nd - When you start running off your own bodyfat (Ketosis) your body
basically starts using any excess stores, metabolises them and
converts them straight to energy. This is good and is how your body
should be working... Ketones are your heart, kidneys and muscles
preferred energy source, not Glucose (Sugars and Starches). The thing to consider is that
all the toxins that get taken into our bodies from the food, air and
water are neatly stored in our body fat. Now if you start to use
that bodyfat as fuel it floods back into your system, toxins and all
and makes you feel like sh*t warmed up for a few days to 2 weeks.
Cold, flus and other nasties are not uncommon. Drink plenty of water
to help pass this stuff through and consider using a gently de-
toxifier.
3rd - Because of the modern food manufacturing that goes on with
virtually every item of food we consume nowadays, certain essential
nutrients are either extracted or altered to prolong the shelf-life.
Subsequently we do not get them in our food intake any more and our
body starts working at less than peak performance. The most
important of these is the healthy essential oils, or essential fatty
acids (EFA's) which, once they are reintroduced into your diet will
not only help you body start functioning properly again, but will
dramaticaly reduce the Carbo-Cravings. Obviously it's down to the
quality of the supplement as to the impact and benefit it has.
I've been low-carbing for approx 9 months, from a health perspective,
not weight loss. I've been supplementing my diet with high quality
EFA's (Ed. Note:Fish, Flaxseed and Starflower oils), a chelated mineral supplement and an Essiac detoxifier. At
24, I have never felt better in my life, chocolate cravings (which
was my big weakness) went within 3 days, energy levels have gone up
through the roof after the first 10 days and I am now easily managing
on 5-7 hours sleep, whereas previously I needed 9-10, recovery rates
from exercise and weight training have been phenomenal with no muscle
fatigue at all, even after a very intensive workout. I have even
recommended this programme to an experienced fitness instructor who
noticed such an impact with recovery and his increased muscle
definition that he now recommends it to all his clients. (Ladies
will find that cellulite goes completely from between 90 days to 9
months and PMS is massively reduced...) (Ed. note: Yep, he got that one right!)
Copyright ©
2000 Nikola Howard. All rights reserved.