lindasdd – Page 19 – Linda's Diet Delites Blog

Colon Cleansing Products: A Good Start To A Low Carb Or Low Calorie Diet

low carb colon cleanse — A reliable colon cleanse product can be a great way to start a low carb or low calorie diet.

From time to time, our digestive system can start to slow down and we begin to suffer from symptoms such as bloating, trapped or excessive wind, indigestion, constipation and erratic bowel movements. The large intestine becomes over-loaded and the colon (the largest part of the intestine) becomes sluggish and fails to do its job properly. This sluggishness can also lead to other health issues such as loss of energy and skin problems.

Taking a herbal cleansing supplement regularly (please see individual products for recommended timescales) can help to keep your colon in good working order, ensuring that it’s free of trapped waste products, excess toxins and unprocessed food. It can also kill any parasites that might be living in the colon that are feeding on the trapped waste. Other benefits of a regular colon cleansing routine include a flattened stomach and weight loss, constipation relief, decreased flatulence, reduced indigestion symptoms and help with regular bowel movement. It has also been shown to help increase overall energy levels and improve skin tone and appearance.

Herbal Cleansing Supplements V Laxatives

Herbal cleansing supplements are made up of only natural products such as cascara sagrada, senna, turkey rhubarb and aloe ferox, they are much gentler on the colon and do not strip your body of essential minerals. Other added ingredients like psyllium husk help to bulk out the stools making them easier to pass (rather than inducing diarrhea).

A lot of laxatives available in drug stores contain the active ingredient sodium phosphate which can be particularly dangerous for older people or people with kidney complaints. The sodium phosphate strips away the body’s store of potassium. As a person gets older their kidneys are less able to store potassium as well as younger people’s. Potassium regulates heartbeat so any loss can prove extremely dangerous to the elderly or anyone with heart problems.

Other Tips to Follow When Colon Cleansing

Drink plenty of water—at least 8 glasses a day as this will help to flush the toxins out of your body and replace any lost minerals.

Take plenty of gentle exercise—sweating also helps the body to eliminate toxins. However do not exercise if you’re feeling weak as this will be counter-productive.

Have detoxing baths—Epson Salts (magnesium sulphate) or baking powder in the bath can soften the water and help the body to absorb the magnesium. Essential oils such as Tea Tree and Eucalyptus can help the body detoxify. Apple Cider Vinegar helps to restore the skin’s natural PH balance.

Linda’s Diet Delite Stocks Colon Cleansing Products

We at Linda’s Diet Delites have a range of Colon Cleansing supplements for you to try, all made from 100% natural products available in vegetable capsules or powder form. We even have a detox patch which uses the ancient Chinese tradition of reflexology to eliminate toxic waste from your system.

Walden Farms Calorie Free Salad Dressings

The Walden Farms Calorie Free Salad Dressings are now available in all flavors! Zero calories, zero carbs, zero fat, gluten free, and an abundance of flavors.

Walden Farms Pasta Sauce Changes

Walden Farms has made some exciting new changes to their calorie free Pasta Sauces.

1. New Packaging! The old tall skinny jars are out and short wide jars are in(just like their mayo and pb.)

2. New recipes! The Marinara and the Scampi recipes have been reformulated for even better taste.

3. New names! The Marinara is now called Tomato & Basil. The scampi is now called Garlic & Herb.

The Lowdown on Celiac Disease and Gluten Free Diets

Take a stroll through your local supermarket, and you’ll notice a ton of new gluten free foods. Find out what a gluten free diet is all about, and whether eating gluten free might be a good dietary decision for you and your family.

What is Gluten?

Gluten is a type of protein that is commonly found in most types of grain, in particular wheat, rye and barley. Because gluten is found in most cereal grains then foods such as breads, cakes, breakfast cereals and many types of processed food where gluten is as a thickener need to be avoided by those who are sensitive to gluten. Gluten can also pop up in other unexpected places such as medicines, cosmetics, lip-balm, and vitamin tablets where it’s used as a binding or bulking agent.

Why go Gluten-free?

Sufferers of the digestive disorder Celiac disease need to undertake a gluten free diet as gluten can cause severe damage to the small intestine. This damage prevents the body from absorbing the vital nutrients, vitamins and minerals needed from food, without these nutrients the body becomes prone to illness and fatigue.

Symptoms of Celiac disease include diarrhea, abdominal pains, weight loss, general weakness and even malnutrition. Those with Celiac disease are also more likely to suffer malabsorption problems with internal organs such as the liver and gall bladder, as well as osteoporosis, infertility, anemia, tooth enamel loss and internal bleeding. Untreated Celiac disease can be life threatening.

Who is Affected by Celiac Disease?

It’s thought that almost 1 in 133 Americans suffer from Celiac disease, although 97% of sufferers are unaware they have the disease. Celiac is a hereditary disease that usually presents itself in early infancy. However more and more adults are being diagnosed with Celiac disease, in particular people between the ages of 30 and 45.

It is prudent to get yourself checked out by your doctor if you think you have a wheat intolerance, as many people have been found to have undetected Celiac disease this way. A simple blood test can detect whether a patient is likely to have Celiac disease with a follow up biopsy of the small intestine taken. Celiac Disease affects both men and women equally and you are more likely to have it if a close member of your family is affected by it.

Studies show that those of Northern European descent are more likely to have Celiac disease, along with those from parts of India, Pakistan, North Africa and the Middle East.

How to Treat Celiac Disease

As yet there is no known cure for Celiac disease. The only way to manage it is to eat a gluten free diet.

Other Reasons to be Gluten Free

Many people now believe that gluten free diets for children can be beneficial for those on the Autism spectrum. While no clinical trials have taken place to confirm or deny this there is a definite growing trend for a gluten free diet to treat a number of ailments. From Parkinson’s disease to diabetes, multiple sclerosis to arthritis, research is showing that an improved digestive system leads to better overall health and sufferers of these, and many other diseases, are showing less symptoms and faster recovery times.

Gluten-free for Weight Loss

A gluten free diet will be low in net carbs and low GI. It will also, by default, be high in protein which in turn makes it a very good diet plan for losing weight, providing that you’re not trading in your gluten for high sugar content food instead.

Gluten-free Alternatives

Thankfully there are lots of gluten free alternatives on the market, including chips, bagels, cookies, brownies, breads, cereals and pizza crusts. We at Linda’s Diet Delights are online leaders in the Gluten-free market and stock a large range of gluten-free foods.

Thanks for reading our article! Did you know that there are many great-tasting gluten free food products on the market today that can make sticking to your gluten free diet a breeze? Linda’s Diet Delites is a leading online supplier of low carb food products, offering a wide selection at affordable prices. Take a look!

Michael Nace is a low carb blogger for Linda’s Diet Delites. He is not a Doctor, and his article does not represent the view and opinions of Linda’s Diet Delites, nor are his articles meant to be construed as medical advice.

Low Carb Diet 101: What You Need To Know About Atkins, Net Carbs & GI

Both Low Carb and Low GI (glycemic index) diets have taken the world by storm. Both have been proven to be highly efficient at reducing weight and improving health, and both concentrate of how much glucose the body produces. Whilst both diets centre around restricting carbohydrate intake there are some significant differences between the two.

Low Carb Diet

The Low Carb diet was pioneered by US Cardiologist Dr. Robert C. Atkins in 1972 and uses a process called ketosis to burn fat as fuel instead of glucose. To achieve this, the overall intake of carbohydrate, which the body turns into glucose, needs to be severely restricted. The initial stage of the New Atkins diet only allows for 20g of net carbs per day (an average slice of white bread contains 15g of net carbs). Along with all grain based carbohydrates, many vegetables are also banned for the initial stages of the diet as they contain high levels of starch. The bulk of the diet is made up from protein in the form of meat, fish and eggs, low carbohydrate vegetables such as salad vegetables, fruit, and dairy.

A low carb diet is very good for rapid weight reduction and is ideal for people who are very overweight. Because of its quick results, it’s considered a good diet plan for motivation as people can see the effects of the Low Carb plan rapidly while not struggling with hunger. The Low Carb diet is often used to treat ailments such as diabetes, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, and even extreme epilepsy.

Some of the proven positive effects of a low carb diet are:

Weight loss
Reduced blood glucose for diabetics
Increased HDL (good) cholesterol
Improved insulin sensitivity
Lowered blood pressure
Lower blood insulin level
Increased energy
Sugar cravings reduced
Improved concentration
Less mood swings

Low GI Diet

Low GI diets such as the South Beach diet and Zone diet concentrate on the Glycemic Index, which rates all foods on its index with a number between 1 and 100 with foods numbered 55 or less as low GI, 56-69 as medium GI, and above 70 as high GI. Food are categorized as low, medium or high GI by looking at a number of elements.

1. Does a food contain carbohydrates?

Any foods that don’t contain carbohydrates such as meat, fish, eggs, dairy and fats have zero effect on the body’s ability to product glucose so are considered low GI.

2. How much starch does a food contain?

Raw foods that contain starch are usually in a compact form that the body will be unable to break down easily, so they are therefore low GI. However, starchy foods such as grains that have been processed have had this compact form altered so that the body can more easily digest them and turn into glucose.

3. How much fiber does a food contain?

The more fiber a food contains, the slower the body can break it down and turn it into glucose. Therefore most grains and beans are either low or medium GI.

4. What kind of sugar does a food contain?

Along with glucose, there are another 3 types of sugar. Fructose found in fruit, and lactose found in dairy are both slow to break down and convert into glucose so are low GI. Sucrose has a medium GI.

5. Does the food contain fat?

Fat does not effect glucose, but it does slow down the speed of food in your system so therefore has an overall slowing effect in the production of glucose in your body.

6. How acidic is a food?

Acidity also slows a food down through the digestive tract, thus helping to slow the rate at which it is converted to glucose.

The basis of a low GI diet is to ensure that you eat only foods that have low or medium GI ratings and that you avoid high GI foods. Although, if you do eat high GI foods they should be small portions and be eaten alongside low GI foods that will decrease the overall GI rating of the meal.

Benefits of a low GI diet include:

Appetite control
Lowered risk of diabetes type 2
Better physical endurance
Lowered risk of heart disease
Increase of body’s sensitivity to insulin
Weight loss & maintenance of healthy body weight
Doesn’t ban any foods
High in fiber
Lowers blood lipids
Lessen fatigues and enhances moods

As you can see, both diet plans have many similarities, and both have been proven to be exceptional aids for weight loss. Both plans are to be treated as lifestyle changes rather than short fix diets and the long term effects of reducing your overall processed, starchy carbohydrates has proven healthy benefits that more and more people are realizing.

The Old Atkins Versus the New Atkins: A Guide To Low Carb Induction

The Atkins Diet Revolution has undergone a radical change over the post 40 years. Read about whether the “new Atkins” approach to induction is as effective as the original induction phase developed by the good Doctor himself back in the ’60s.

The Atkins Diet is immediately thought of as the original low carb diet that all other low carb diet variants are based on. And more recently, the Atkins company has been making a comeback, offering a wide range of low carb bars, low carb shakes, and now even low carb pasta to help people add some sweets and starches back into their low carb lifestyle without breaking their diet. But the fact is, the new Atkins Diet is quite different from Dr. Atkins’ original Diet Revolution — especially in the “induction” phase.

Years ago, when I first decided to investigate low carb diets, I picked up Atkins’ original Diet Revolution book in paperback. Not knowing that he had in fact published a new addition of his diet, I digested his book carefully, committing to memory the science, rationale, and philosophy behind Dr. Atkins’ proven methods for helping people lose weight without being hungry.

Recently, however, I happened across some of the new literature that Atkins’ brand and company has published about “The New Atkins” Diet. I was incredibly surprised to see how the diet has changed from Dr. Atkin’s original low carb diet plan from the late 1960s! The following article acts as a guide for low carb dieters to understand the difference between the new Atkins versus the old Atkins Diet Revolution in the induction phase.

The Atkins Induction Phase: What You Cannot Eat

Continue reading The Old Atkins Versus the New Atkins: A Guide To Low Carb Induction

Low Carb Alternatives to Staple Side Dishes

For those of us on low carb diets; the humble potato is one of the biggest enemies out there, along with regular pasta and rice. Their many forms often tease and tempt us into submission, and trying to find new and tasty ideas for dinner that don’t involve these staples can be difficult. Luckily, help is at hand and we’ve come up with a list of low carb side dish ideas that will help you in substituting these starchy high carb foods for low carb alternatives that taste great.

Mashed & Roasted Vegetables

A much under-used vegetable and often hidden under cheese sauce; cauliflower makes for a great alternative to potatoes. Instead of serving mashed potatoes, try boiling or steaming some cauliflower until soft and then pureeing with butter, milk and some grated nutmeg. Baked cauliflower lightly spiced with ground cumin and cilantro seeds makes a delicious side dish for curries and other spicy foods in place of rice or potatoes. Cauliflower can also be used to thicken low carb soups by adding tender steamed florets to your soup before blending.

It may not be the prettiest of vegetables, but celeriac is high in potassium, vitamin C and phosphorus. Tasting faintly of celery, celeriac is a fabulous low carb alternative to mashed or roasted potatoes, although it does require a longer cooking time. Make sure you add your peeled celeriac to boiling water though as starting to cook it in cold water can make it very bitter.

Vegetables: Alternatives to Pasta

A fantastic way to almost eliminate all carbs from a meal is to use vegetables as a pasta alternative. Spaghetti squash has a quarter of the calories and carbs of regular spaghetti so makes an excellent choice. Vegetable strips such as eggplant can be used as layers in mousaka, and zucchini can be used in the same way for lasagna dishes. Long, thin zucchini strips can be also be used as a substitute for spaghetti or other pasta served with your favorite sauces.

Shirataki Noodles & Rice . . . on a Low Carb Diet?

Shirataki noodles are traditional Japanese noodle made from tofu that have a very low net carbohydrate count, and are extremely low in calories. They can be used in any recipe that you would use Chinese noodles or even pasta. They simply need to be rinsed under cold water and then heated up and added to your dish. Alternatively you can dry roast the noodles in a hot skillet pan for a couple of minutes until you start to hear them squeak, dry roasting the noodles gives them a more pasta-like consistency and able to absorb sauces better.

Shirataki rice is also available for low carb dieters. This amazing rice is a water-soluble dietary fiber and has zero carbs, zero GI, zero gluten and zero calories!

Low Carb Pasta

Unlike the starch-laden, carb-heavy potato, pasta can be made into a low carb staple. By using low carb flour to make the pasta, the manufacturers can reduce the overall carbohydrate content while still keeping the fiber content. There are now lots of varieties of low carb pasta available for us to choose from that are high in fiber but low in carbs, and with a lower glycemic index than regular pasta it’s a perfect choice for those on a low GI or low carb Aitkins-style diet.

You don’t even have to go without comfort foods such as Mac & Cheese as Dixie Diner offer a low carb version of this all-American classic that has just 3 net carbs.

Thanks for reading our article! Did you know that there are many great-tasting low carb food products on the market today that can make sticking to your low carb diet a breeze? Linda’s Diet Delites is a leading online supplier of low carb food products, offering a wide selection at affordable prices. Take a look!

*Michael Nace is a low carb blogger for Linda’s Diet Delites.

Breakfast Solutions for a Low-Carb Diet

One of the biggest issues for people starting out on a low carb diet is trying to find replacements for their usual carb loaded mealtimes. Finding substitutes that won’t leave them feeling hungry later, and fighting cravings for a double chocolate chip muffin or slice of toast and jelly is not as difficult as you would imagine — it just takes a little guidance in the right direction.

Starch-laden, high GI (glycemic index) foods have been populating the world’s breakfast tables for a long time. While it’s true that complex carbohydrates do slowly release energy throughout the day and are a valuable source of fiber, most breakfast cereals available in the supermarket aisles are far-removed from these so-called “good carbs,” and in most cases, add huge amounts of sugar and corn syrup, turning what should be the healthiest meal of the day into one of the least.

Luckily for those wanting to swap to a health-conscientious low carb diet, breakfast is probably one of the easiest meals to make low carb or carb free. Here are a few suggestions for you:

Eggs Make a Perfect Low Carb Breakfast

Eggs are a brilliant and versatile breakfast fare. Bacon & eggs or sausage and eggs are great low carb breakfasts for the weekend when you’re lazing around reading the newspapers and chilling out. A mid-week omelet can be whipped up in a few minutes with ham, cheese or mushrooms for a tasty, hot breakfast. Scrambled with some smoked trout or salmon, boiled or poached, fried over-easy or sunny side up, or hard boiled to eat on the run— eggs are a high protein, low carbohydrate food that offer endless breakfast possibilities.

(And even though we’re concentrating on breakfast in this article, the wonderful thing abut eggs is that they are the most inexpensive protein out there, and can easily substitute for a more expensive, elaborate lunch or dinner any time.)

Low Carb Waffles & Pancakes

Big Train Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix

Usually pancakes, waffles, and muffins are sugar-loaded and made with over-processed white flour, but there are low carb mixes available that allow you to have your (pan)cake and eat it, too! These are low or sugar free and use wheat gluten and low glycemic corn starch in place of regular wheat flour to provide a low carb but higher protein option to their traditional counterparts.

Breakfast Cereal Can Be Low Carb Too

For those who really want to have cereal-based products for breakfast, there are low carb alternatives available from the over-processed cereal choices found in supermarkets. There are nutritious, low carb granolas, delicious oat-based cereals, and even flax cereals to choose from—healthy low carb breakfast choices that are high in fiber, high in protein, heart-healthy, and free from sugar and wheat. A perfect example is Dixie Diner’s Low Carb Instant Cereal which is a delicious blend of oats and soy and available in five different flavors.

Quick Fix Low Carb Cereal Bars

Quite often though in the course of our busy low carb lives, we don’t have time to chop and peel produce. Nor do we have time to prepare eggs and fry bacon. On occasions we need to be up, showered, and out of the door, and we need something quick and easy that needs no preparation and can be eaten on the run.

Sadly, a drawback of any low carb diet is that preparing meals may often be a bit more elaborate and time-consuming than simply grabbing a burger or slice of pizza.

Sometimes we can be sitting at our desks and feel a bit hungry mid-morning, so need something to carry us through until lunch time. Sugar-laden cereal and candy bars are not the answer for anyone on a low carb diet — but again, healthy low carb alternatives can be found. Granola bars and low carb Atkins Advantage bars that come in a variety of flavors; you can even purge your chocolate cravings with sugar free chocolate without upsetting your low carb diet.

So, as you can see, breakfast really is one of the easiest meals to convert into a low carb meal.

*Michael Nace is a low carb blogger for Linda’s Diet Delites. He is not a Doctor, and his article does not represent the view and opinions of Linda’s Diet Delites, nor are his articles meant to be construed as medical advice.

Low Carb Versus Low Calorie Dieting – What You Need To Know

Find out the key differences between low calorie and low carb diet plans.

Turn on The Biggest Loser or any other diet-related reality TV show, and what you’re bound to see are a dozen or so morbidly obese contestants exercising like crazy and pining for the sweets, sugar, and carbs that got them to where they’re at with their weight. Watch for a few minutes and you’re bound to see some crisis over a contestant sneaking in some sweets to their otherwise low calorie diet.

Yes, this is typical of what many people experience themselves while undertaking their own low calorie diet — reality TV show or not. While the science proves that low carb diets are indeed among the safest and most viable, low calorie diets continue to dominate the mainstream thinking from doctors, nutritionalists, and even accredited health organizations such as the AMA and the Surgeon General.

Given the mainstream popularity of low calorie dieting, it’s important to know a few things about how low calorie diets compare and contrast.

The Big Similarity Between Low Calorie & Low Carb Diets: Fat Burning

Although both sides of the dieting divide will claim otherwise, low calorie and low carb dieting contribute to fat burning. The fact is, if a dieter restricts their caloric intake so that it is below what they require on a daily basis, their body will indeed tap into body fat to make up the caloric difference in order to keep the body running. So too does a low carb diet shift the body into bat burning mode through ketosis, as we have discussed in another blog article.

The difference is how and why both of these diets burn fat.

In the case of a low calorie diet, the body need only burn enough fat to meet the caloric requirements of the dieter. In this way, a calorie-restrictive diet works in the same way as starvation, putting the body on red alert and making sure to take only the bare minimum from fat stores to meet energy demands. Because of this, a low calorie diet can only be as effective as how few calories the dieter can go without in their daily intake of food.

Sure, to accelerate a low calorie diet, one can simply restrict even more calories from their diet. But there are unpleasant side-effects to this approach: namely, hunger and malnutrition. And hunger of course is the primary reason why most diets fail.

A low carb diet, on the other hand, does not mimic the body’s fail-safe starvation functions. Instead, by restricting carbohydrates, which in turn convert to sugar in the bloodstream, the body ceases to rely on the glucose from dietary carbs and instead begins to burn fat in its place. This is what is known as ketosis, and, unlike low calorie dieting, ketosis puts the body into an ongoing fat-burning process, so long as the dieter continues to restrict carbs. Fat is converted into amino acids, which power the body, and any excess is dispelled through sweat, skin, and breath.

The genius of the low carb diet is that restricting carbs does not cause hunger, since the dieter can eat as much fat and protein as they want. While it is tre that low carb dieters do feel cravings for sweets and simple carbohydrates, these are not the “hunger pangs” of a low calorie diet: instead, these are psychological cravings left over from years of “using” carbs and sweets as comfort foods. Most serious low carb dieters learn to control these cravings with great-tasting low carb foods.

A Scientific Fact: Calories Don’t Make You Fat!

We’ve written before that dietary fat does not make you fat, but the same is true with calories. Calories will not make you fat! The fact is, unused calories are not converted into body fat — they are expelled through the body. Instead, it is carbohydrates and sugar that are stored as body fat. This common misconception — which is propagated even by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Sugeon General — is the single reason why America continues to have an overweight problem: our health officials encourage the population eat more carbs and less protein, making them fatter!

In this way, no matter how many calories you eat on a low carb diet, you’re bound to lose weight — and not be hungry in the process.

Bear in mind, however, that low calorie diets do work. If your daily recommended intake of calories each day is 3,000 calories and you restrict down to 2,000, there is no doubt that your body will burn fat to make up the difference. But why suffer with the hunger of a low calorie diet when you can eat low carb lose the same if not more weight, and not be hungry?

Ketosis, Low Carb Diets & Burning Fat Instead of Sugar

With the ever-fluctuating price of oil and gasoline, more and more we hear about alternative fuels for today’s automobiles: traditional combustion engines are being replaced with hybrids, flex-fuel, diesel, and electrical engines, all in an effort to conserve energy and lower fuel prices.

If you’re one of the millions of people who both love the idea of alternative energy and are looking to lose some weight, you’re in luck: a low carb diet is all about switching the kind of fuel your body burns for energy. And this alternative fuel for your body is something that you probably have plenty of — fat.

Overdosing on Carbohydrates and Sugar

Few people realize how the majority of food that we consume in a given day is actually nothing more than sugar. While refined sugar is omnipresent in many of the foods that we eat, most forms of carbohydrates are metabolized like sugar. In the end, the pasta, white bread, rice, potatoes, fruits, and vegetables all end up as glucose in our bloodstream. And because many of us eat considerably more carbohydrates than necessary, the excess sugar in our system is converted into fat.

In this way, body fat builds up as a result of sugar, not dietary fat, as we have explained in another article.

The fact is, most peoples’ metabolisms are not capable of handling anything over 40 net grams of carbohydrates a day. Sure, you might know one or two people who can seemingly eat whatever they’d like, but the fact is, most people consume 4 or 5 times the amount of carbs in a day that they should. And people who suffer with their weight are almost always major carb bingers.

Ketosis: Burning Fat Instead of Sugar

A low carb diet effectively switches the fuel that a dieter’s body uses, switching from glucose to fat. Everyone has a Critical Carbohydrate Level, or CCL, that maintains their ideal weight. As you may have read about low carb dieting, when people exceed their CCL on a regular basis, they gain weight. However, with a low carb diet, as people stay well under their CCL, they begin to shed pounds, because their body switches from burning sugar to burning fat.

This is known as ketosis.

Ketosis is basically a metabolic process of converting fat into energy. During ketosis, your body releases fatty acids into your bloodstream, which are then converted into ketones. These ketones become the fuel for powering your brain, muscles, and other organs. And whatever ketones are not used are expelled through urine and breath. Therefore, not only does your body burn fat for fuel, but also you’re literally urinating and breathing out fat as well!

But the only way to engage your ketone engine is to stop feeding your body carbs.

Until you begin to restrict the glucose in your bloodstream, your body will continue to run on carbs and sugar. That’s because your metabolism always takes the path of least resistance: carbohydrates make for easily-converted and stored energy. When there’s no sugar present, however, your body has to work hard to convert fat into fuel.

And that’s a good thing!

Low Carb Versus Low Calorie

Let’s be clear: the low carb diet is not the only diet that encourages your body to engage in fat burning. Reducing calorie intake will have the same effect: if you need 2000 or more calories a day to fuel your body and you restrict your caloric intake, your body will indeed tap into fat reserves to make up the difference.

But there’s a big difference between the metabolic state of a low calorie dieter and a low carb dieter.

While the low calorie dieter’s metabolism is simply making up the difference between calories needed and calories consumed, the low carb dieter experiences an entire shift in their metabolism while in ketosis. That means that, as long as ketosis in maintained, there is a constant burning of fat for energy. The low carb diet doesn’t merely supplement the body’s need for energy; it retools the entire process by which you fuel it.

So, while the vast majority of diets out there will tell you that eating less is the key to weight loss, science and experience shows that ketosis is by far the most direct means burning actual fat while continuing to eat the same amount of food that you’re used to day in and day out.