Truth About Low Carb Diets - Myths & Facts For Lo Carb Dieting

Low carb foods are everywhere! Are you wondering if a low-carb diet is right for you? Take this quiz to find out how you score on carb smarts!

True or False?

1. Carbs turn to sugar and make you fat.

2. If I eat a Low-Carb diet I will not gain weight.

3. Carbs are bad for you and slow your metabolism.

4. Carbs foods include fruits, vegetables and milk.

5. When reading a food label, I should only look at the net carbs as a way of knowing if the food is good for me.

6. Foods I can eat on a low-carb diet include sugar free candy, hamburgers, peanut butter, bacon and eggs.

7. I want to lose 10 pounds so a low-carb diet will give me the best results.

8. Once I go off the low-carb diet I will gain back weight quickly.

9. Carbohydrate foods increase your appetite.

10. I should take a vitamin if I follow a low-carb diet.

Answers:

1 - False. What will make you fat are too many calories. All foods (proteins, fats, and carbs) need to be converted to sugar (glucose is our gasoline) so we can have energy. Low carb diets change your metabolism so you run on a byproduct called ketones. Carbs don't make you fat; in fact the leanest people (athletes) have a diet high in carbs.

2 - False. You can still gain weight on a low carb diet because you may be still eating more calories and fat than you need. Unlimited portions are not the answer. Also, if you don't stick to the diet the chemistry doesn't work and you won't lose weight.

3 - False. Carbs won't slow your metabolism but give it the energy it needs so your body can run right. Too many carbs especially at one time can make you sleepy and put you in a carb coma. Carbs should be spread out over the day and among all food groups to give you a steady supply of energy.

4 - True. These are some of the food groups that contain carbs. Other carb foods are beans and starches. Almost everything has carbs in it. The only exceptions are meat, fish, poultry and fats and oils.

5 - False. Net carbs are only a small part of the umbrella term called Total Carbohydrate. If a food has 5 or more grams of fiber in it, you can subtract it from the total carb number because that amount won't likely raise blood sugar. Do not make the mistake that low net carb foods are free foods and eat double what you need.

6 - True. Yes in theory, but be careful here. These foods are low in carbs but they are also high in fat. If you are on a low carb diet because it means you can eat these foods as much as you want, think again. While many people have followed low carb diets in the short term very few stay on it. If you never lose your taste for fatty foods, when you go off the plan you end of reaching for French fries, donuts and pizza.

7- False. Low carb diets can work well for people who have a lot weight to lose. Because body fat is the focus, if you are only slightly overweight you may risk burning body protein instead of fat. The best possible low carb diets are combined with low calories and are supervised by trained nutrition professionals so you can be guided into a plan that is good for you.

8 - False. If you have followed the diet correctly and have lost weight you know how motivated you feel. This can help you to make other lifestyle changes so you can enjoy a healthy body weight forever!

9 -True. Yes, carbohydrate foods can increase appetite especially ones that are refined and absorbed quickly. This gives you an immediate surge in hormones (insulin is one) which causes you to process these foods quickly only to leave you feeling hungry again.

10 - True. Absolutely. Whenever you try to eat less or limit foods you will increase your chances of not taking in all of the nutrients you need. Low-carb diets tend to be lower in B vitamins and Vitamin C so taking a balanced multivitamin can be a good idea.

Score

8-10 correct: Great job, you're a carb-smart guru! You have a great sense of the nutrition basics that will help you make wise choices and how your body will react.

6-8 correct: Not bad, but carb-compromised. Slow down and take some time to understand what's behind the hype and focus on how you will be affected by a change in the way you eat.

3-5 correct: Watch out, you are carb-fickle. You may be persuaded into following fad diets and get only quick fix solutions.

0-2 correct: Uh oh! Your totally carbo-phobic and you don't need to be. Remember there isn't any one food that is perfect or any one food that is bad. What you eat and do affects your body. Rethink where you've gotten diet information in the past and start over.

By Nicolette Pace