Atkins Diet Basics
The Atkins diet is based on a theory of why we get fat. According to Dr. Atkins, the over-consumption of carbohydrates and simple sugars leads to weight gain. The way your body processes the carbohydrates you eat have more to do with your waistline than the amount of fat or calories that you consume. In his book, Atkins outlines a phenomenon called “insulin resistance.” He theorizes that many overweight people have cells that do not work correctly.
When you eat excess carbohydrates and sugar, your body notices that sugar levels are elevated. Insulin is released from the pancreas in order to store sugar as glycogen in the liver and muscle cells for extra energy later on. However, your body can only store so much glycogen at once. As soon as your body reaches its limit for glycogen storage, the excess carbohydrates are stored as fat. This happens to everyone who eats too many carbohydrates.
However, insulin resistant individuals have an even harder time of using and storing excess carbohydrates. The more insulin that your body is exposed to, the more resistant it becomes. Overtime, the pancreas releases more insulin and cells become insulin resistant. The cells are trying to protect themselves from the toxic effects of high insulin. They create less glycogen and more fat.
As a result, insulin resistant individuals gain extra weight. The carbohydrates get converted into fat instead of energy. Other side effects include fatigue, brain “fog” (the inability to focus, poor memory, loss of creativity), low blood sugar (which can leads to hypoglycemia), intestinal bloating, sleepiness, depression and increased blood sugar. There is much more than weight at stake when you are insulin resistant.
The remedy for people who are insulin resistant is a diet restricted in carbohydrates. The crux of the Atkins diet is a limitation of carbohydrates in all of its forms. The foods restricted on the Atkins plan include simple sugars (like cookies, sodas and sweets) and complex carbohydrates (like bread, rice and grains). Even carbohydrates that are considered healthy, such as oatmeal, brown rice and whole wheat bread, are restricted on the program.
The diet has you restrict your carbohydrate intake to less than 40 grams a day. This will put your body in a state of ketosis. While in ketosis, your body will burn fat as fuel. According to Dr. Atkins’ research, the ketosis state will also affect insulin production and it will prevent more fat from being formed. Your body will begin using your stored fat as an efficient form of fuel, and you’ll lose weight.
Another benefit of the Atkins plan is that ketosis will end your cravings for carbohydrates. If you’ve been living on a carb-heavy diet, you may have found that you simply cannot get enough carbohydrates. With carbohydrate restriction and ketosis comes a reduction in carbohydrate cravings. People who have been on the Atkins diet for some time report that they do not crave carbohydrates as they once did.
Some Tips To Sleep Better
It is surprising the level of awareness we have about the importance of having enough sleep. You may still remember that normally human will spend about a third of their lives sleeping. That is actually fairly a lot. Simillar to why we need to consume enough food regularly in order to feed our bodies, we also need to sleep routinely. This is very important since we must have energy perform various activities. Unexpected things might occur to anyone who does not get the sleep that she needs. Lack of sleep may cause problems like loss of awareness, become easily irritated, headaches, tremor, nausea as well as impaired memory. Sometimes, people who suffer from sleep depriviation experience hallucination. A number of studies conducted proved that getting enough sleep is something that cannot be ignored. Keep in mind that lab animals die when they are made not to sleep. Sleeping better helps prevent these unpleasant consequences along with keeps your body in good health.
Poor sleep is something suffered by so many people today. You may have ever read that insomnia is one of the main problems for millions people around the world. A number of men and women who have trouble sleeping turn to sleeping pills. It may not be a problem if used cautiously. However, it is not the right long term solution. Unwanted things like addiction might happen. Some people make use of Tempur-Pedic mattresses or pillows to feel asleep or to get better sleeping. Nothing wrong with it. However, perhaps the best solution is by taking certain measures and developing good habits.
Go along with these guidelines and then you are on your way to improve your sleep. The end result is you will be able to get the most out of your life. First, create a sleeping schedule and adhere to it. Ensure you go to bed and wake up at the same time day after day. In addition, before going to bed, avoid too much eating and drinking. Stay away from stimulating things like caffeine or watching movies. This will assist you to stabilize the circadian rhythm.
Furthermore, in case you cannot fall asleep and keep rolling and turning in bed, just get up and do an activity. Doing this, you will prevent yourself from associating your bed with the difficulty in obtaining adequate sleep. Another advantage of performing an activity is it can make yourself tired. Doing regular exercise can also help you sleep better. However, do not do it prior to going to bed. Instead, perform frequent and regular physical exercise in the morning. It can assist you to overcome sleep issues and improve the quality of your sleep.
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