Calories play an important role especially when you are suffering from a life threatening disease like diabetes. One has to control the intake of calories in order to balance the blood sugar levels. Calorie menus for diabetic diets help you gain the exact amount of calories that are essential for your body. Diabetes is a disease that cannot be cured but can certainly be controlled. In order to fight diabetes, you need to follow the diabetic diet religiously along with a strict exercise regime. The various calorie diets are so designed that they help you get only the required calories per day to stay in good health.

Controlling diabetes is all about being able to control the blood sugar levels. Only good and balanced diet will help you maintain the sugar levels. Depending upon your body type, you would need to take in calories that can help you stay healthy. A good understanding about your body along with knowledge of various food groups will help you plan your own meals. There are several calorie menus for diabetic diets that can satisfy your taste buds as well as the body requirements. One must choose food that is low on carbohydrates, sodium, and fats. The average diabetic diet consists of 20 percent proteins, 20 to 30 percent fats and 50 percent carbohydrates. However, this combination changes and depends on the stage and severity of diabetes

Following calorie menus for diabetic diets does not mean you deprive yourself of tasty food. Any food is good and indulging them in right quantity will help you control your blood sugar levels. Your dietitian or doctor will help you plan your meals which should be followed without fail. Diabetics are expected to eat in small quantity in short intervals. None of the meals should be skipped as it can prove harmful. The best way is to follow the same schedule every day.

Calorie menus for diabetic diets should be planned after considering the calorific needs of the individual. Here is what you can include in your diabetic diet and gain the required amount of calories. Over years we have been hearing that green vegetables and fruits are best to stay healthy. It is true and thus one needs to include fruits and vegetables in their diabetic diet. Have fruits for breakfast or snacks, but do include them in your main menu also. All types of berries, apple, peach, banana, and other fruits are best when fresh. Make salads with cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce, broccoli, onions, and potatoes.

Fish, eggs, lean meat should also be included in right proportion in calorie menus for diabetic diets. Skimmed milk, nuts, sour cream, and yoghurt also help in controlling diabetes when taken in the right quantity. Nuts, peanut butter, margarine, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, and bread should also be adjusted in your daily meals.

Following calorie diabetic diets is not difficult. Controlling your temptations will certainly help you fight diabetes. Make a healthy choice between foods and see your blood sugar levels come back to normal.

Drink lots of water because it is calorie free and helps to flush away the toxins. Did you know that flavored carbonated water has no calories, sugar, body, sweetener, color or preservatives?
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The general idea of the diabetic diet is ‘sugar-free’; however there really is no strict diet that diabetics must stick to so long as they make sure to manage their condition properly. Sugars must be eaten in moderation but can be enjoyed as much as any other food. There is no one diet prescribed to all diabetics, though there is general advice worth following. Above all you should try to develop meal plans that work for you as an individual.So what general advice is given to those diagnosed with diabetes? Firstly you can try to eat more fruit and vegetables, which means at least five portions per day. This advice is recommended for anyone, but especially so for diabetics. You can try replacing your usual snack with a piece of fruit, or having fruit as a dessert after your main meal and adding more vegetables to soups, stews and so on.Eating less saturated fat is also an oft-cited tip for diabetics. Foods that contain a high proportion of saturated fat include butter and other dairy products, meat and chocolate to name a few examples. To cut down on your intake of saturated fat try choosing lean meat and skinless poultry as well as making sure that any dairy products you do eat are of the low fat variety. It is also a good idea to cut down on fat in general which means choosing fat-free or low-fat sauces and dressings as well as using less margarine and oil in your cooking.

Today we will review the South Beach Diet. With all low carb diets claiming success, it can be hard to pick the best diet for you. Are all low carbohydrate diets equal? What is the differences among the various diets? It can be confusing with all the products and plans you see out there. Doctors have been following most low carbohydrate diets for years. So what’s known about

the South Beach Diet?

First enjoy this delicious recipe that is ok for most low-carb diets:

Chicago Deep Dish Quiche Pizza Delight

4 ounces cream cheese

3 eggs

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1/3 cup plain yoghurt

1/2 teaspoon oregano, black pepper and/or basil

2 cups shredded yellow cheese of your choice

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 cup tomato sauce

1 cup shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In mixing bowl, beat together the eggs and cream cheese until smooth. Stir in yoghurt, parmesan and spices. Pour 2 cups cheese into a nonstick, 13×9 inch baking pan or equivalent.

Add egg mixture on top of cheese and blend together so that cheese is suspended in the mixture and not concentrated at the bottom of the pan. Bake in oven approximately 30 minutes and then briefly remove pan

to add on more mozzarella. Return to oven for 10 more minutes or until dish is bubbly and brown.

Yields 4 servings

Total Net carbs: 6 grams per serving

Here is a review of the South Beach Diet, one of the most well known of all diets:

Of all low carb diets, the South Beach Diet is a huge hit. Developed by Dr. Arthur Agatston, The South Beach Diet teaches dieters to eat the right carbs and the right fats. The diet has three phases. In the first dieter’s banish their bad carb cravings and induce rapid weight loss. In the second phase, some types of carbs are reintroduced and weight loss is slower.

The final phase is the Diet for Life. Most report a good initial weight loss, and a pretty lasting weight reduction. Of all low carb diets, many feel that it is easy to follow. Probably the reason for this feeling about South Beach Diet is that there is no counting involved, just a list of foods you can and cannot eat.

As with all low carb diets, there are also negatives. Some say that if you don’t stick with the lists of foods your weight can come right back. Others did not like the use of aspartame, as perhaps dangerous in the long term.

Many people bought the book, and tried the South Beach Diet plan. Big companies are pushing South Beach Diet more than all low carb diets.

I’ll leave you with a great tip for success in all low carb diets:

Drink six to eight glasses of water a day. Water itself helps cut down on water retention because it acts as a natural diuretic. Taken before meals, it dulls the appetite by giving you a “full feeling.”

There is a huge difference between no carb diets and low carb diets. The no carb diet is where there is total elimination of all carbohydrates in everyday meals. This means that the person has to rely on fats from animal source foods as the main source of energy. This diet is particularly well suited for people who need to go on ketogenic diets, particularly a small number of epileptic children with difficult-to-cure conditions. People often mistake this kind of diet with the low carb diets. It should be noted here that the unsupervised or uncontrolled use of the no carb diet can lead to a lot of unfavorable and permanent medical conditions.

On the other hand, the Atkins diet is one of the more popular examples of low carb diets. The Atkins diet, in particular, also advocates the substitution of fats and proteins to supplement the loss from carbohydrates in the diet. Some of the basic principles of low carb diets include limiting most processed grain-based and starchy products like breads, breakfast cereals (specifically the sugar frosted ones,) pasta, potatoes and heavy rice meals. Most meat and diary products are allowable in limited portions. But the key to achieving the so-called balance in this kind of diet is to eat more foods like green leafy vegetables and raw fruits because these are high in nutrition but low in carbohydrates.

Again, there are several limitations to low carb diets. For one thing, most people who undergo such diets usually experience constipation due to the lack of fiber inherent in most carbohydrate based products like corn bran, wheat and whole wheat. Some people would need either need to eat more fiber rich foods that are not carbohydrate based like celery, green beans and prunes. In most cases though, there is already a need to add fiber supplements and laxatives to the diet in order to solve the constipation problem.

Another limitation to this kind of diet is the fact that there is an increase in proteins via the consumption of animal based products. High levels of protein in everyday meals have been linked to permanent kidney failures. For people who have had one or more forms of renal diseases (whether past or present) are especially susceptible to kidney failures while undergoing long term low carb diets. This is due to the fact that the increase of proteins means additional work for the organ in question, and since the kidneys are working more than normal “comfortable levels,” a breakdown in inevitable.

Lastly, such diets like the Atkins diet has a structured program that the person subscribing to it must rigidly adhere to – and that task alone is quite difficult to do. Most, if not all low carb dieters deviate from the program more than once, and this can wreak havoc in the use of low carb diets. The makers of these diets do not make contingency measures for people who deviate. And for the people who do deviate, they are usually left to their own devices. They often swap portions, alter frequency of intake or even substitute different foods altogether in order to keep up with the program after they “cheated” a little.

The best way to lose unwanted pounds (and fast) is to find a healthy and sensible eating program that is not too rigidly structured, and at the same time affords you a more balanced food list. The Fat Loss For Idiots diet plan gives its subscribers such services without the need to drastically lower carb count or spike up protein consumption.

Celebrity diets and weight loss – Are you look for information on celebrity diets and weight loss? In this article I will look at how they do it. What we all need to remember is that their next 7-figure payment is dependent on them regaining their pre-pregnancy shape or fitness for a film, in the shortest possible time.

Many Hollywood celebrities resort to som extreme weight loss methods so that they can lose their excess fat as in the shortest possible time.

Here’s a very light-hearted look at a celebrity diet after having a baby:

1. Confer with PR person
2. Hire nutritionist, chef, therapist
3. Hire personal fitness trainer
4. Eat next to nothing for 28 days, while doing non-stop treadmill routines
5. Miraculously lose weight
6. Do a photo-shoot revealing miraculous new lean body (with baby in arms)
7. Do a magazine interview and reveal “personal weight loss diet secrets”
8. Secure new $10 million film role
9. Pay around $100,000 to the nutritionist, personal fitness trainer, chef, therapist, publicist, PR person, and personal agent
10. Eat three tubs of ice cream, walk to the bank and back those cheques!

So what weight loss lessons an we learn from celebrity weight loss plans and diets?
There are some important lessons to take from celebrity diets and weight loss……

1. Celebrities need to lose weight of their carers.
Ordinary people like us just don’t have access to 7-figure payouts to motivate us to losing our extra pounds. We can find our own personal incentive to keep us motivated. The thing to remember is that a strong incentive definitely helps with weight loss. Act like a celebrity dieter and get incentivized!

2. Celebrities have access to lots of weight loss support and help.
Celebrites dont always utilize all the experts they use, but at least they don’t make the mistake of trying to lose weight on their own. Support boosts weight reduction. So act like a celebrity dieter and find as much help and support as you can.

Following a well structured weight loss program or investing in a dieting product is the only proven way to drop your overall body fat percentage.

For more weight loss information and reviews of proven Weight Loss Programs and Products visit my Weight Loss Programs website. Find detailed product reviews and dieting links:-

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If you are overweight and in a hurry to slim down to the slim figure you picture in your mind you are likely to resort to dangerous tactics that can do more damage than good to your body. Worse you may spend money on fad diets that promise you instant solutions. You might hate me for telling you that there are none. Yes; you can lose weight relatively quickly but when you define quickly, it may be a period of months and longer if you wish to lose weight the healthy way.

Starting with sensible Goals

If you expect to be 10 pounds lighter in a month because that is the goal you set you are in for a huge let down. If you said 2 or three months that is possible depending on the method and steps you used, and the keen desire you have to make it happen. The wrong goals will result in you feeling angry at yourself, frustrated and disillusioned at the diet methods you are following. If you woke up one morning and told your self that this was the day you would start losing weight then a lot of planning would have to be done and realistic goals set for the desired weight loss pattern.

There are No Quick Fixes or Fast Weight Loss Plans that work

Any doctor will scoff at you, if you tell them that you have found a way to lose weight to the tune of 10 or 20 pounds in a month. Losing weight fast is not impossible but certain methods can do irrevocable harm to your body and make you very ill. These types of fad diets include crash dieting schemes, fat burners coupled with appetite suppressants, liquid weight loss, starvation and others. Healthy weight loss is the sensible way to go about shedding the extra weight and the method you choose needs to be done with a little research.

Fad Diets will not work for losing weight

Today, there are plenty of weight loss programs on the market that are guaranteed to backfire and are a total waste of money. This is because these fast tracks to losing weight and certain diet plans are, in reality, useless because they do not employ the right principles to losing weight. They are in most cases not good for your health either. Fad Diets come and go when they are introduced and there is a lot of hype in the media. Later this all dies down and people are left disappointed and disillusioned and worse still out of pocket.

Here are some pointers that can be linked to fad diet plans

1. Skipping out on daily meals

When your diet tells you to skip meals and take replacement oils or shakes alone consider it a fad diet. Abstaining from food completely is not a healthy habit because your body needs proper fuel to function properly. This is dangerous because it causes low blood sugar, headaches, weakness and dizziness, and when you do eat

2. Dieting without doing any sorts of exercise, or exercise without dieting

Healthy exercise is crucial to the human body whether you are overweight or not no matter what form it comes in. Exercise is important for proper blood circulation and other activities of the human body system. In normal circumstances you need to be active to stay healthy not sedentary which will not burn up calories at all anyway.

Diet and moderate exercise go hand in hand and every sensible diet will mention this.

Start your weight loss plan with proper goals and Knowledge

If you have your heart set on losing weight there is never a time like the now. Putting it off by making weak excuses you do not really want to lose weight or are hoping for a fast solution to being overweight. There are no quick fixes like we mentioned above! Sensible weight loss should be done step by step at your own pace while at the same time not making it too unpleasant for you to bear, is the healthy solution. If you are punishing your self in a weight loss program, then it is not for you and you are likely to give up before you lose the desired pounds. Understanding why you have picked up weight and where is also a good place to investigate to help you change you’re eating habits into healthy ones.

More Weight Loss News

Anti-obesity drugs and diet pills help individuals lose weight faster and more effectively than other methods of weight loss. Some of the more popular diet pills nowadays include Orlistat, Sibutramine, Metformin, Byette and Symlin.

Anti-obesity drugs or anti-obesity diet pills are defined as pharmacological treatments that are used to help a person lose weight. Normally, these types of pills are only recommended for people with life-threatening weight problems and can only be bought by someone who has a doctor’s prescription. These weight loss agents work by suppressing a person’s appetite, by boosting his or her metabolism, and/or by interfering with his or her body’s natural ability to absorb specific nutrients that can be found in food.

A lot of people turn to anti-obesity drugs and diet pills when diet and exercise seem to be ineffective in yielding any visible or noticeable result. Other people resort to using them if they are up against time and would want to see fast and immediate results. Still others use them in accordance with the advice and recommendation of their doctors and trusted health professionals. Examples of well-known anti-obesity drugs and diet pills available in the market these days include Orlistat, Sibutramine, Metformin, Byetta, and Symlin.

Orlistat, more popularly known as the brand name Xenical, interferes with the body’s natural fat-absorption process, thereby reducing and decreasing the amount of fat that is absorbed by the body. Originally, this type of anti-obesity drug could only be acquired by those who have a doctor’s prescription. However as of February 2007, its sale over the counter was already approved.

Sibutramine works as an appetite suppressant, eliminating or reducing the sensation of hunger and the desire to eat.

Metformin is a particular medicine used by people who are inflicted with diabetes. It was discovered that people with Type 2 diabetes who used this medication experienced its side effect of weight loss.

Byetta is a by-product of the hormone GLP-1, which is secreted by the intestines when there is a presence of food. This is currently available as a treatment for type 2 diabetes and comes in intravenous form. It works by delaying gastric emptying and makes a person feel full.

Symlin is a by-product of the hormone Amylin which is secreted by the pancreas as a response to eating. Similar to Byetta, it works by delaying the emptying of the stomach and promotes the feeling of fullness.

Whats hot in Todays market ?

Curvelle is a new weight loss pill that is made especially for women. It makes a women lose weight by suppressing her appetite and by burning more calories in her body. It also adds to her overall radiance.

The Curvelle weight loss pill is the latest addition to the growing list of diet pills and weight loss supplement that are available in the market today, in response to the growing demand for ways and means that will help a person lose weight. This weight loss pill is designed specifically for women and has three very simple claims: it controls a person’s hunger pangs and food cravings, it burns extra fat and calories for use as energy, and last but not the least, it contains antioxidants that have been proven to help in the fight against cancer, improves a person’s total body health, and improves radiance.

The Curvelle weight loss pill is made up of a proprietary blend of ingredients, including Cinnulin PF, Razberi-K (also known as raspberry ketones), elderberry extract, green tea extract, and natural, controlled-release caffeine. Cinnulin PF is a very good ingredient in controlling blood sugar levels, especially when administered at high doses. Razberi-K enhances and promotes weight loss by stimulating the adrenal glands to secrete more norephinephrine. Elderberry extract is rich in antioxidants and anthocyanins, which are said to help in improving a person’s health and aids in fighting off the effects of pollution, stress, aging and the like. The combination of green tea extract and caffeine is the most effective fat-burning component of the Curvelle weight loss pill and has been proven to promote fast and effective weight lost. This combination of ingredients is unique to Curvelle alone and cannot be found in any other weight loss pills available in the market today.

The recommended daily dose for the Curvelle weight loss pill is two capsules taken about two to three times a day. A bottle of Curvelle contains about fifty servings and will last for about two weeks.

The manufacturing company behind this newest weight loss innovation is Isatori. Isatori is a company that is well-known and highly recognized for producing other similar quality weight-loss products. The company has been around for quite sometime now and is considered as one of the more reputable and credible companies engaged in the weight loss industry nowadays.

Type 2 diabetics call us every day, asking about the foods and beverages they should be consuming to lower their blood sugar and weight levels.

The truth is, most doctors tell patients they have diabetes or pre-diabetes and recommend ‘diet and exercise’, but few give sufferers of this disease any direction on what to eat and what not to eat.

The primary goal of diabetic diets is to get within your target blood glucose or sugar range.

Target blood sugar levels are generally 70-130 before meals and less than 180, one to two hours after the start of a meal.

What you eat, the medicines your doctor prescribes and your exercise levels determine blood sugar.

The types of foods you choose to get the most out of your diabetes diet. Here’s a general rule of thumb to follow:

If you are a woman, you should try to stay within 1,200 to 2,000 calories a day. These calories should come from 6-8 starch foods, 2 milks, 3-4 vegetables, 2-3 fruits and 3-4 fats.

If you are a man, your caloric consumption should be in the 2,000-2,400 range, coming from 10 starches, 2 milks, 4 vegetables, 5-7 ounces of meat, 4 fruits and 4-5 fats.

A lot of people are unsure about what a starch is. Starches are potatoes, pasta, cereal, grains, pretzels, rice, crackers, beans, tortillas, yams, lentils and corn.

It’s recommended that you seek out complex carbohydrates like whole grains starches – they have more fiber, minerals and vitamins than short grain starches.

Examples of vegetables include lettuce, vegetable juice, spinach, peppers, carrots, green beans, tomatoes and cabbage. It’s best if you eat as many vegetables raw and uncooked.

Fruit provides carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and fiber to your diet, with examples such as apples, grapefruit, peaches, berries, bananas, oranges, canned fruit and mangos.

Like vegetables, fruit is best eaten raw and uncooked and in smaller portions (much fruit contains high sugar levels).

Milk adds carbohydrates, protein, calcium, vitamins and minerals to your diet.

It’s recommended that you drink fat-free or skim milk.

Meat portions include meat, poultry, eggs, cheese, fish and tofu. These provide protein, vitamins and minerals. Because of their high fat content, smaller portions are suggested.

Fats should be consumed in small amount because of the high fat content and high calories. Fats include butter, margarine, mayonnaise, olives, bacon cram cheese olive oil and salad dressings.

Regarding alcohol, it’s suggested that you talk with your doctor before consuming wine, beer or spirits. They have no nutrients and can cause your blood sugar levels to go too low.

In addition to watching and controlling your starches, fruit, vegetables, fat, milk and alcohol intake, it’s also suggested that you drink plenty of water (8 glasses a day) and drink clear liquids (such as ginger ale if you can’t eat your normal foods for any reason).

This basic description of diabetic diets will give you a general approach to a healthier lifestyle. For more information, you can also contact the Association of Diabetes Educators or Recognized Diabetes Education Programs.

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The latest dieting craze has no doubt been the low carb high protein diets. Those of you on Atkins, South Beach etc will no doubt have noticed a number of changes since you took up the diet. And no I’m not talking about the remarkable weight loss I am talking about your bad breath. Now it may not have been noticeable to you but I suggest you ask your friends or relatives whether there has been a detioration and you may be surprised by the answer. In fact you may even find your friends moving away from you when you speak which is always a sure sign of bad breath.

So what’s the cause of all this bad air? Well depending on which medical speak you speak with there are a number, yet similar, reasons for the problem. One of the reasons is directly related to the increase in protein which most of the low carb diets advocate.

Basically, we all have a large number of useful bacteria living mainly on our tongue and at the back of our throat. These bacteria are supposed to be there, because they assist humans in digestion by breaking down proteins found in specific foods, mucous or phlegm, blood, and in diseased or broken-down oral tissue.When these beneficial bacteria come into contact with these compounds, the odorous and lousy-tasting volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs’) are released from the back of the tongue and throat, as Hydrogen Sulphide, Methyl Mercaptan, and other odorous and bad tasting compounds.

Since the bacteria are meant to be in our mouth there is no way we can remove them permanently. So, no amount of brushing or tongue scraping will get rid of the VSCs’. The only scientifically proven way of curing your bad breath (Halitosis) is by attacking the bacteria’s ability to produce VSCs’ and by converting the VSC into non-odorous and non-tasting organic salts.

There are a number of ways in which the problem is worsened and the most common way is with dry mouth. This generally occurs while you are asleep and hence the reason you sometimes wake up with “morning breath”.

Although some cases of dry mouth are naturally occurring, most cases are caused by one of these factors: 1. Prescription Medications (usually prescribed for high blood pressure or depression)2. Antihistamines3. Adult Beverages4. Mouthwashes with alcohol in them

When your mouth is dryer, you have less Saliva. Saliva naturally contains Oxygen, which keeps your mouth healthy and fresh. These bacteria are anaerobic, which simply means that they will thrive and make more sulfur in the presence of little or no oxygen. Thus if you have less Saliva, you have less oxygen, thereby creating an anaerobic environment, perfect for the bacteria to produce more of these odorous and sour/bitter compounds.

Because of the increase in higher protein foods, on an Atkins type diet, especially dairy products, the amount of Volatile Sulfur Compounds increases dramatically and as such your breath gets worse accordingly. The only way to fight the problem is to try and supply oxygen to the bacteria causing the problem and remove as much of the VSCs’ as possible. This can be done in a number of ways:

Drink loads of water. This will help ensure your tongue and throat are kept moist and supplying oxygen to the VSC producing bacteria.
Always clean your tongue with a tongue cleaner before brushing your teeth last thing at night and first thing in morning. You should also try and do this after every meal too.
Use a mouthwash which does not contain any alcohol as alcohol can dry your mouth and make the problem worse. You can also dramatically improve matters by using an oxygenating mouthwash. You can find one by doing a Google on “oxygenating mouthwash”.
Don’t chew gum, which contains sugar, to try and mask the bad breath. This can make matters worse. Use a sugar free gum instead.

The bottom line is that low carb diets will cause bad breath, although for some it will be a lot worse than others. However, help is at hand so if you want to shed the weight and not shed any friends then make sure and heed the advice given above.

Carbohydrates are major sources of energy and have some specific roles in the human body. They are the primary sources of fuel for the human brain. Although ketone bodies can supply most of the energy to the brain during a starvation state, the axons cannot use anything but glucose. This makes carbohydrates vital to the function of every single neuron in the brain and in the rest of the nervous system. In addition, carbohydrates are the only sources of fuel that are acceptable to the kidneys and the red blood cells. Now most people will find the necessity of carbohydrates to the red blood cells to be surprising because the red blood cells carry oxygen. However, their job is to transport the oxygen and not to use it up for themselves so they have to derive their energy from anaerobic glycolysis. However, the brain is by far the largest consumer of carbohydrates. The combination of the brain, kidneys, and red blood cells consume an average of about 130 to 150 grams (~500 to 600 calories) of carbohydrates per day.

If the body is deprived of adequate carbohydrates, it will use the processes of gluconeogenesis (making of new glucose) and ketogenesis (making of ketones) to provide energy for vital functions. It is important to note that fats are not good fuels for making glucose because the glycerol group is the only part of a triglyceride that can be used to manufacture glucose. The fatty acids themselves can only be oxidized or converted to ketones.

The major source of raw materials for making new glucose will come from the amino acids in muscle protein. All amino acids have an amine group, a carboxyl (acid), and a side chain which determines the type and nature of the amino acid. The different amino acids are peptide bonded in various combinations to make the different proteins in our bodies.

Whenever the body breaks down protein, the various amino acids are released. Some of these amino acids are suitable for making glucose (glucogenic), some are suitable for making ketone bodies (ketogenic), and some can be used for either purpose. In either case, the body has to remove the amine group from them before it can use them. The removed amine group will join other ions to become ammonia. However, because ammonia is toxic, the body will use the uric acid cycle to convert the ammonia into uric acid. This process takes place in the liver at the same time that the gluconeogenesis and the ketosis are taking place in the liver. Although uric acid is less toxic than ammonia, uric acid can still cause problems such as gout. The kidneys will perform extra work to flush out this uric acid via the urine. Because the kidneys need carbohydrates, they will be low on fuel while performing extra work to eliminate this waste. Loss of lean tissue to supply the amino acids and loss of water due to urine production account for much of the weight loss on low carb diets. Also, fatty acids and amino acids are being converted into ketone bodies to make up for the energy shortage. In other words, of the fat loss that actually occurs, much of it happens because by cutting out carbohydrates, the person is basically cutting calories.

It is important to know that the type of gluconeogenesis due to low carb diets occurs for a different reason and uses different raw materials from the type that occurs between sets of intense exercise. The type resulting from exercise uses lactic acid as the raw material and aerobic lipolysis as the source of energy. The type that results from low carb diets uses deaminated and decarboxylated amino acids as the raw materials, and is a starvation process. In addition, it receives the energy from ketone bodies which result from ketogenesis which is another starvation process. As a result, low carb diets are starvation diets by definition, and they cause the body to cannibalize its own living tissue (muscle) when it is starved of a vital nutrient (carbohydrates). This is consistent with the definition of a starvation diet.

Another interesting fact is that the body will inhibit glycolysis when carbohydrate (glycogen) stores are low. Because carbohydrates (due to glycolysis) produce usable energy (ATP) faster than any other nutrient, this explains the degraded athletic performance and lack of energy experienced by subjects on low carbohydrate diets. It is no surprise that triathletes, marathoners, power lifters, or other high level strength or endurance athletes would perform poorly on low carb diets. Also, the potential risks of low carb diets include overworked kidneys, gout, dehydration, mineral depletion, and hypoglycemia.