Unless you have been hiding in your basement for the past few years, you’ve definitely heard of all these low-carb diets that are very popular these days. The most widely known being the infamous Atkins diet.

Whether it’s the Mr. Atkins diet plan, or some other low carb diet, they’re all quite similar if you take a closer peek. The basic principle of these diets is to cut carbs almost completely out, all the way down to roughly 25 grams per day…then slightly raising your carb intake as you progress, although, not by much. The science behind this is that the body burns carbs before it burns fat, and if you eliminate (for the most part) all carbohydrates from your diet, then your body won’t have to burn carbs before it starts on the fat–thus, you will burn more fat , and A LOT sooner!

So, these diets allow you to eat high amounts of foods such as bacon, eggs, fish, chicken, butter, and other red meats. But they don’t allow you to eat things such as vegetables, fruits, whole wheat and wholegrain foods. This plan works and most people do lose weight, generally speaking. However, what kind of healthy state does that put you in for the long, or even better, the short term? The answer is probably worse than you think!

It all starts with carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are broken down into two groups, simple and complex. Simple carbs are made up of one or two sugar molecules linked together and they include foods containing glucose, fructose, sucrose and galactose. Simple sugars are used as ingredients in many sweets such as ice cream and candy, and also, occur naturally in fruit.

Complex carbs are chains of three or more single sugar molecules that are linked together. These long chains of sugar molecules are called starches. You can find them in foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains. These type of carbs are very important to your diet and should be consumed daily. In fact, it is recommended that about half of your daily calories should come from complex carbs! These are just the basics, my friends…so read on for more schooling.

Carbs are one of the three macro nutrients that provide your body with energy and are responsible for growth (the other macro nutrients are fats and proteins). The human body needs all three macro nutrients, fats are essential for long term energy storage and they carry some vitamins and nutrients, protein is responsible for building of the organs, muscles and tissues, and carbohydrates are the fuel that your body uses for energy. Your body can get energy from fat and protein, but it prefers to get it from carbs and burns them faster than anything!

So…when you deprive your body of carbs, specifically, complex carbs , you’re depriving it of one of the three macro nutrients it needs, and the main one it prefers for long-term energy. When you supply the body with simple carbs they give you a quick boost in energy because of high sugar levels, but they aren’t all that good for you and can lead to many health issues, such as obesity and diabetes since they are usually high in fat.

So, you might say to yourself…what’s the big deal if I drastically cut my carbs since my body can get energy from other things such as fats and protein? Well, the problem with cutting carbs almost completely out of your diet and going with more high-fat and high-protein food is that you aren’t providing your body with what it wants (and needs) to run properly. When you burn fat for energy instead of carbs, it produces a substances called ketones–this then in turn, sends your body into a state of ketosis, which can lead to nausea, dizziness, insomnia, weakness and tiredness.

You might also get constipated since your low carb diet won’t have you eating a lot of high fiber foods and that can cause all sorts of problems for your digestive system. Now those are the problems that you will encounter when cutting carbs almost completely out of your diet, but it’s only half the battle. When you cut carbs from your diet and substitute them with more higher fat foods, you are exposing yourself to many other potential health risks. A diet high in saturated fats (which are found in most red meats) can lead to heart disease.

Another problem you can encounter is a nutrient deficiency in your diet, if you aren’t eating or drinking foods high in calcium like milk it can lead to osteoporosis later in life. Further more, if you are depriving yourself of foods like fruits and vegetables, like the Atkins diet calls for, then you are depriving yourself of many key antioxidants, which has been linked to many serious health problems like heart disease, cancer, and early aging. So the question is, is it worth the risk? Should you cut one of the three macro nutrients that your body needs out of your diet to shed a few pounds? No, ’cause you really don’t have to!

A diet low in saturated fat, and high in healthy foods that the body needs, coupled with an active lifestyle/regular exercise is the best way to go. The human body needs the proper fuel to function efficiently and normal. Fats, proteins and carbs are all needed for a balanced diet! So educate yourself (further) on the proper foods to eat, make sure to consume enough proteins, fat, and carbs. Remember too, don’t over-do it with unnecessary calories (I mostly am referring to those carbs here, surprise!) and stay active on your fitness plan and you’ll eventually be in stellar shape. There’s absolutely ZERO need to risk heart disease, cancer, insomnia, tiredness, nausea and other harmful affects just to lose weight. Carbs are not the enemy, so educate, embrace, and become fit in a healthier way!