Benefits of losing weight

October 28, 2014

Benefits of losing weight – How much weight to lose

Losing weight has so many health benefits and anyone suffering from obesity or overweight needs to work on losing their weight.

The benefits of losing weight are profoundly many and interesting and they are all surrounding the most important thing for all of us which primarily is to improve and better our health. However it is difficult to quantity how much quality of life is injected or improved when one loses some weight. In many cases people feel better, and have more energy while some people will experience an improvement in their self-esteem. As stated in our previous articles, many diseases are more common in obese and overweight people and when in this condition you are less likely to develop them if you lose some weight. Therefore if for example your BMI is 30 and on average you reduce your weight by say 5-10% the benefits are likely to include:

You are much less likely to develop the health problems listed associated with weight like diabetes.
In the event that you already have problems such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, osteoarthritis, or diabetes, they are likely to improve and so if you are taking medication for these problems, you may need a reduced dose.
Your chance of dying at any given age is reduced primarily because you are less likely to die from heart disease, stroke, diabetes, or obesity- related cancers.

However if your BMI is more than 35, it may be possible that you are already suffering from health conditions related to being overweight. In this state you will most likely need to lose between 15-20% of your original weight to have a sustained improvement in these health problems and other health benefits. I understand that this may be an uphill task for you and so you will need help. The sensitivity of health complications involved is not something we can take lightly and because of the magnitude of the problem doctor Dalal Akoury made a personal and worthy commitment to create a medical center whose main objective is to transform each individual’s life through increasing awareness about health and wellness and by empowering individuals to find their own inner healing power. Doctor Akoury’s practice focuses on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that deal with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms. Therefore calling her or visiting her health facility (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) will be the beginning of your journey to full recovery and healthy life.

Just to help you have the clear understanding of what being overweight can mean in your life, we are going to help you answer certain common questions which are associated with weight gain and obesity. Therefore:

How to know if your weight is affecting your health?

The information about weight may bring worries to you and so if you are getting concerned that you are overweight or obese, it will be necessary that you discuss this with doctor Akoury who will be able to help you determine if your weight is already affecting your health.

For example, she will evaluate your condition by checking whether you have any symptoms of coronary heart disease like chest pains and in particular on exertion. While in her office she is likely to ask about any symptoms of osteoarthritis like back pain, joint pains, or any symptoms of sleep apnoea this normally happen when your breathing systems are disturbed when you are sleeping. This is always due to excess weight around your chest, neck and airways. Upon these evaluations and depending on the findings she may suggest some further tests to screen for any underlying health problems that may be caused by your weight like for instance:

A blood test for type 2 diabetes.
A blood test to look at your cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
A blood pressure check.

Besides these as was indicated in our previous articles, it is quite often that individuals suffering from overweight or obese are likely to experience psychological problems and this is another area where the doctor will look into for the purpose of wholesome recovery. AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center is the place to be because it is the home of solutions to all weight related complications. At this facility under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury, you will be taken care of by qualified, trained and experience experts who are licensed and are committed to nothing less but to get your value for life back on truck, so don’t wait any longer call today and experience the joy of having life free from obesity. Nevertheless another great concern is:

How can one lose weight?

Like I have said before losing weight is such an uphill task for many and if this is your concern then you’re not alone. Not everyone is willing to cope with the necessities required to loose. Some will lose weight by strict adherence to dieting for a short period. However, as soon as their diet is over, they often go back to their old eating habits and their weight goes straight back on. Losing weight and then keeping it off not only needs a total change in your lifestyle for life but also commitment to the change. When opting for change of lifestyle, the following are some of the things you will need to observe:

The type of food and drink you buy for your daily consumption.
The type of meals that you eat either outside or at home.
Your pattern and frequency of eating.
The amount of physical activity that you do.

To help you lose it will be very important that make the following observations before you can start:

Motivation is crucial: it is important to note that no weight loss plan will work unless you have a serious desire to lose weight. You need to be ready and motivated.
Monitor your current food intake: it will help you a greatly to know exactly how much you are consuming currently. Therefore keeping detailed records of everything that you eat and drink over an average week is more helpful.
Aim to lose weight gradually: it is best not to lose weight too fast. Aim to lose an average of 0.5 to 1 kg per week (about 1-2 lb per week).
Set clear goals with a realistic timescale: it is important to set a clear and genuine weight loss goal. As mentioned above, in most cases, health benefits can be gained from losing the first 5-10% of your weight.

Finally, these are just but a few of the benefits and we will continue discussing more in our subsequent articles and therefore I want to beseech you to stay on the link and get more informative health information. And for professional and medication on any weight and obesity issues call doctor Akoury for an appointment and live a healthy life.

Benefits of losing weight – How much weight to lose

Fighting Obesity and weight gain through Dieting

October 28, 2014

Fighting Obesity and weight gain through Dieting – Aim to eat a healthy balanced diet

Fighting Obesity and weight gain through Dieting is a significant remedy and the results are very realistic.

Special diets which are often advertised are not usually helpful. This is because after losing weight, if your old eating habits remain, the weight often goes straight back on. It is usually not a special diet that is needed but changing to a healthy balanced diet, for good.

What is a healthy diet?

Understanding the meaning of what a healthy diet is very important if you are to use it as a means of eradicating obesity in your life. Therefore consider the following points as the possible meaning of a healthy diet:

Making up a third of most meals with starch-based foods (such as cereals, bread, potatoes, rice, pasta etc.). Wholegrain starch-based foods are preferable.
Eating plenty of fiber in your diet. Foods rich in fiber include wholegrain bread, brown rice and pasta, oats, peas, lentils, grain, beans, fruit, vegetables and seeds.
Having at least five portions, or ideally 7-9 portions, of a variety of fruit and vegetables per day. These should be in place of foods higher in fat and calories. For example, fruit makes a good, healthy snack if you feel hungry.
Limiting fatty food such as fatty meats, cheeses, full-cream milk, fried foods, butter, etc. Use low-fat options where possible. Examples are:

Skimmed or semi-skimmed instead of full-cream milk.
Using low-fat, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated spreads instead of butter.
When feeding on meat it is necessary that you consume lean meat or poultry like chicken.
Try to grill, bake or steam rather than fry food. When using fry food, select vegetable oil like rapeseed, olive or sunflower.

Discourage use of sugary drinks and sugary foods like biscuits, chocolate, cakes, sweets etc.
Reduce use of other foods likely to be high in fat or sugar like some takeaway or fast foods.
Eating three meals a day and not skipping meals. Always have breakfast. Eat each meal slowly. Skipping meals will just make you feel more hungry, make you think more about food and make you more likely to overeat in the evening or snack between meals.
Trying not to add salt to food and avoiding foods that are salty.
Including 2-3 portions of fish per week, at least two of which should be ‘oily’ (such as herring, mackerel, sardines, kippers, pilchards, salmon, or fresh tuna).

Make an assessment of your eating habits

For example:

Eat slowly.
Be careful that your food portion sizes are not too big but proportional.
Avoid second helpings when you are already full.
Switch unhealthy snacks and desserts to healthy ones.
Don’t skip meals.
Plan your meals ahead of time so that you can acquaint yourself with what you will be eating next.

Be selective on what you drink

Many people use drinks full of calories to quench their thirst. However what they may not know is that sugary drinks like cola, tea and coffee with milk and sugar, milk and alcoholic drinks, all contain calories. One of the best and easiest ways to cut back on calories is simply to drink water as your main drink.

Increase your physical activity levels

It is recommended that all adults should aim for 150 minutes of exercise a week.

One way to do this is to do 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise in bouts of 10 minutes for five days of the week.
Another method is to do 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity spread throughout the week or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity.

Remember that moderate physical activity includes:

Brisk walking
Jogging
Dancing
Swimming
Badminton
Tennis etc.
It is equally important that besides the list above try to do more in your daily routines. For example, use stairs instead of lifts, walk or cycle to work or school, etc.
Avoid sitting for too long in front of the television or a computer screen. Take regular breaks whilst working.
The good news is that you don’t have to do this physical activity all in one chunk.
You can break it up into blocks of 10-15 minutes. See separate leaflet called Physical Activity for Health, which gives more details.
Build your exercise levels up gradually. If you are not used to physical activity, try starting with a 30-minute brisk walk every day and then building up from there.

Evaluate your behavior and progress

Just as keeping a food diary can be helpful at the beginning of a weight loss programme it can be useful as a way to monitor your eating during your weight loss. You can use the same diary to keep a track of your physical activity levels as well. It is also important to weigh yourself regularly to monitor your progress. Once weekly is recommended. However, don’t be discouraged by minor weight increases or leveling off for a few days. Focus on the overall trend over several months.

Keeping the weight off

Many people lose weight but at the end of their diet, the weight goes back on. The main reason this happens is because their weight-reducing diet was only a temporary change to their unhealthy diet and lifestyle. To keep your weight off, it is important that you make permanent changes. This usually means:

Keeping to a healthy diet.
Exercising regularly.
A change for the whole household. It is difficult for one member of a household to shop and eat differently to the rest. It is best that the whole household should eat a healthy diet.

It does not mean less enjoyment of food. However, it may take a while to learn to enjoy different foods, meals and recipes. Some people need more support to keep to their new weight than when they were actually dieting and losing weight. A local support group may be able to help.

Prevention of overweight and obesity

You can help to prevent becoming overweight or obese by:

Following the healthy eating guidelines prescribed above.
Doing 150 minutes of physical activity according to the above prescription.
Spending less time being sedentary (for example, less time in front of your computer or watching TV).
Weighing yourself from time to time so that you become more aware of your weight and you can do something about your weight if you start to put some on.
Encouraging a healthy lifestyle for your whole family.

Finally for you to remain focus on all this, you will need the professional guidance to keep you on truck from time to time and this you can get at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care where focus is on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE, calling doctor Akoury is all you need to keep on truck for a quicker and speedy weight loss.

Fighting Obesity and weight gain through Dieting – Aim to eat a healthy balanced diet

Obesity and Overweight in Adults

October 25, 2014

Obesity and Overweight in Adults – Possible Solution with Doctor Akoury

Obesity and Overweight in Adults is becoming an epidemic in most societies and early treatment is necessary to avoid any future disaster.

In the resent past we have discussed this topic of obesity and overweight and because of the prevalence of this problem the world over, we are going to make certain emphasis on the same to create further awareness for the society to take better remedies and protect lives. By now it is obvious that if you are obese or overweight, you have a bigger risk of developing various health problems. Because of this it will be very important for you to know that even a modest amount of weight loss which in most cases would be ignored can help to reduce health risks associated with obesity and overweight. Therefore, the best way of losing weight and containing it is to be committed to a change in lifestyle which may include eating a healthy diet and doing some regular physical activity. Therefore can you answer the question below?

Are you obese or overweight?

I dearly being obese or overweight is a disaster in waiting, meaning that if you are obese or overweight, you are carrying excess body fat. It is also very important to be clear that being overweight or obese is not just about your shape or look it means that you have a bigger risk of developing various health problems. As an adult, you can find out whether you are overweight or obese and whether your health may be at risk, by calculating your body mass index (BMI) and measuring your waist circumference. You can get this by going through our previous articles where the details were elaborately covered. However I will be taking you through the weight circumference briefly for a better understanding of where we are heading to.

Waist circumference

If you are overweight, measuring your waist circumference can also give some information about your risk of developing health problems (particularly coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes). For instance in the event that two overweight or obese people have the same BMI, then the person with a bigger waist circumference will be at a greater risk of developing health problems due to their weight. This is because it is not just whether you are carrying excess fat but where you are carrying it. The risks to your health are greater if you mainly carry a lot of extra fat around your waist rather than mainly on your hips and thighs. In doing this, taking the easiest way to measure your waist circumference is to place the tape measure around your waist at belly button level and the result for both genders will be:

As a rule for men:

If you have a waist measurement of 94 cm to 101cm, the risk to your health is increased.
If you have a waist measurement of 102 cm and above, the risk is even higher.

As a rule for women:

If you have a waist measurement of 80 cm to 87cm, the risk to your health is increased.
If you have a waist measurement of 88 cm and above, the risk is even higher.

It is very important to consult with your doctor about your weight and how it affects your general health. For example at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care, priority is given to clients of this nature and an evaluation is done professionally to commence the recovery process which is based on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE. Calling doctor Akoury for in death information and care will be the starting point for an assurance of better and healthier, comfortable life thereafter. Besides the findings of your weight circumference, if you attest to the following feelings, then you need to call doctor Akoury for a medical evaluation on your general health.

Feel tired and lacking in energy.
Experience breathing problems (for example, shortness of breath when moving around, or not being able to cope with sudden bursts of physical activity like running across the road).
Feel that you sweat a lot compared with other people.
Develop skin irritation.
Have difficulty sleeping.
Get complaints from your partner that you snore.
Experience back and joint pains which can affect your mobility.

Finally being obese or overweight may also lead to an increased risk of developing the following health condition besides the ones already mention:

Complications in pregnancy (including an increased risk of high blood pressure during pregnancy, diabetes during pregnancy, preterm labour, caesarean section).
Stress incontinence (leaking urine when you are, for example, laughing, coughing, etc).
Stroke.
Sleep apnoea (this is when your breathing patterns are disturbed while you are sleeping, due to excess weight around your chest, neck and airways).
Gallstones.
Cancers (including colon, breast and endometrial (womb) cancer).
Gout.
Fatty liver.
Impaired glucose tolerance (pre-diabetes).
Type 2 diabetes.
High cholesterol or triglyceride levels.
Fertility problems.
High blood pressure.
Coronary heart disease.

Besides the notable health conditions discussed, individual obese or overweight people can also develop psychological problems because of being overweight or obese. For instance, low self-esteem, poor self-image (not liking how you look) low confidence and feelings of isolation, these feelings may further affect your relationships with family members and friends and, if they are not addressed timely and allowed to become severe, they may lead to depression.

Besides depression, being obese (having a BMI >30) can also negatively affect your overall life expectancy by lessening your life spun thereby causing untimely or premature death to the victims. Like I do, I know that you love life and would not want to have your life terminated prematurely. If you are reading this article right now and you or any one you know is struggling with weight related health condition, then you need to call doctor Akoury or visit the home of obesity and weight gain solution (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) for proper and professional administration of weight loss treatment exercises offered by the real expert who have been in this practice for well over two decades. Under the able leadership of doctor Akoury, who is also a trained and qualified medical doctor of over twenty years, you will regain your life back in record time for a much healthier living thereafter.

Obesity and Overweight in Adults – Possible Solution with Doctor Akoury

Obesity Epidemic

June 18, 2014

Obesity Epidemic-Modern Sitting Furniture

We are using seats everywhere we are without knowing that some of these seat are the source of our health problems like obesity and weight gain

Did you know that the comfort of your living room, office, eateries and the like could be the reason why you can’t have proper control of your weight? Thanks to modernity we can today afford to live a life full of comforts around us. Take for example the kind of seats you use in your house, office, hotels, in your car, buses, planes and locomotives if the pocket allows you would go for the very best that would offer you the maximum comfort. This is the problem begins and for the purpose of this article we will be discussing the possible effects of our desired seat comfort and the endless problem of weight gain and obesity so stay tuned and let us learn together. If you were to carry out a simple research today beginning with your own family you would probably if not definitely find that the seats in our homes and offices are very comfortable, soft and nice looking to sit on, it may be very difficult if not impossible to find firm wooden seats being used in our families today. What we may not know is that these comfortable seats as we call them are a great threat to good health, they are associated with the problem of weight gain and obesity and we all know the problems those suffering from obesity or weight gain goes through. Tracing the kind of life our ancestors lived in relation to today’s life style weight gain was never a problem as matter of facts there was under weight. They were using firm wooden furniture without the arm’s length and back rest which the day’s generation considers uncomfortable, what amazes me is that there was no weight related problem and less incidences of certain types of diseases that to an epidemical proportion affects the industrialized world today.

Obesity Epidemic-The traditional seats

It must be noted that sitting for a significant amount of time on modern sitting furniture result in adverse musculoskeletal changes and studies have found that adverse musculoskeletal changes cause excessive weight gain. I talked of our ancestors but bring it nearer to just a few decades ago and quite recently, even in the western industrialized world, sitting furniture consisted mainly of chairs or benches with a solid seat surface. I strong believe that we are in agreement that just a few decades ago, upholstered sitting furniture’s like the arm chair, sofa and couch were uncommon office furniture let alone household furniture’s. In most societies in the developing world the kinds of furniture used consisted of very simple seats with three leg or four legs without the back or arm rest. These industrious seats like the sofa, couch, armchair, rocking chair or even the chairs fitted with backrest were a luxury that could only be associated with a small population of the rich who could afford them. The true picture is that the majority of the world’s populations were using chairs with a wooden seat and wooden benches, and in the last few decades huge changes have happened.

Obesity Epidemic-Upholstered furniture

Not so long ago, even in the industrialized world, the upholstered furniture was affordable only to rich people. Nowadays, due to the advancement in technology, production and economic prosperity, it is available to a great percentage of the world’s population because of the drastic reduction of their cost. The economic prosperity has come with great changes and diversifications of how we live. We have replaced the traditional sitting furniture with modern ones consisting of chairs with an upholstered seat surface, like sofa, arm chair, couch, etc. if you were to interrogate technology of producing today’s upholstered sitting furniture is vastly different from the manufacturing technology that was used just a few decades ago. As a matter of fact lot long ago all upholstered sitting furniture were made using spring systems. The expensive sitting furniture was made using eight-way hand-tied springs that offer a firmer seat and a sitting position. The less expensive sitting furniture was made using sinuous springs that offers a softer seat. The current technology has tactfully eliminated the use of eight way hand tied spring and sinuous springs in a bid to cut on cost and has resorted in the cheap method of stuffing or padding with soft fuelling, mostly using polyurethane foam which are less costly. Even though a few furniture are still being made using springs these are very expensive and a preserved of the very rich leaving the majority with the upholstery of the cheap sitting furniture consists of high density polyurethane foams wrapped in fabrics that provides far softer seats compared with the sitting furniture that is made by using the spring system. The element of cost has drastically revolutionized the quality of seats in that it is less and less common for chairs to have a firm surface of the seat and most chairs have a soft upholstered seat. This revolution has not only replaced the old sitting furniture with the less costly version of modern sitting furniture’s in households, but also in public places like schools, universities, restaurants etc. chairs with a firm seat surface are replaced with the less costly version of sitting furniture that have a soft upholstered seat. This has really increased the current generation vulnerability to weight gain and obesity and all other complications associated with the two. Obesity Epidemic-Overweight and Obesity Funnily enough the changes that have taken place in the life style and food is not too much in relation to the ones that took place in the sitting furniture revolution. Let’s us get a bit of insight of this aspect even as we try to understand the implications of weight gain and obesity in the whole process. Just not long ago (a few decades) the greater population of people suffering from overweight and obesity came from the bracket of the rich and wealthy people while it is the rich who could afford the upholstered sitting furniture. Nonetheless obesity was rare and morbid obesity was inexistent the reason for this being, the seats of the upholstered sitting furniture were far less soft compared to today’s cheap version of upholstered sitting furniture. What a contrast that:

Today the expensive upholstered furniture is made by using the same technology that was used a few decades ago.
Today the prevalence of obesity among the poor population is not much different than what was the case a few decades ago.
The primary reasons for that is that they still use sitting furniture that is manufactured using the same system that was used a few decades ago.

Things have really changed and today in the developed world the most obese and particularly morbidly obese people are mostly found among the less affluent population. The primary reason for that is because they mostly use the less costly modern sitting furniture. During the time when sitting furniture was made mainly from wood without upholstering and mostly without back support, at the same time among the poor and the middle class population, obesity was unknown. During those times, the problem among the less poor population was mostly being underweight and not overweight, and severe obesity or morbid obesity was extremely rare. In the developed world, modern less costly sitting furniture is the main factor that has caused the less poor population to be affected with overweightness and obesity to a far greater extent than the rich population. Modern upholstered sitting furniture, particularly cheap versions that includes upholstered chair, armchair, sofa and couch are the main contributing factors for the increased prevalence of overweight and obesity throughout the world.

Obesity Epidemic-Gene

It is known that overweight and obese parents are more likely to have overweight and obese children. The main reason for that is that parents and children use the same sitting furniture. The obesity epidemic is mainly caused by the widespread use of modern upholstered sitting furniture. Particularly, the less costly version of upholstered sitting furniture is the main cause for the obesity epidemic and it is one of the primary factors that are responsible for the higher rate of obesity among the less poor population and regular or increased physical activity is not enough to counteract to the adverse consequences of prolonged sitting on the modern style of upholstered sitting furniture. Dietary intervention for weight management makes the problems worse. As we conclude on this article of great revelation, I want to encourage you that technology has brought with it lots of good and bad things in our lives, weight gain and obesity is just one among many. You and your friends need to seek guidance from the experts, you need not to be obese for you to do this but it is good to be full of knowledge even before the problem knocks on your door step. Taking your time to visit or call AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care who is also the founder will help you clear the air and be equipped with all the necessary information you need to be safe from obesity and weight related problems. And if you are obese then doctor Akoury together with her team of experts will help you get better while focusing on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE.

Obesity Epidemic-Modern Sitting Furniture

Carbohydrates and body weight

May 28, 2014

Carbohydrates and body weight-How it affects weight gain and weight loss

Carbohydrates are essential for a well-balanced diet and healthy body

Carbohydrates are essential for a well-balanced diet and healthy body. They provide the only fuel source for many vital organs, including the brain, central nervous system and kidneys. The digestive system breaks down carbohydrates into glucose and the pancreas secretes a hormone called insulin to help the glucose move from the blood into the cells.

Carbohydrates and body weight-Why Do Carbohydrates Make You Gain Weight?

The popular phrase that “you are what you eat” many not be true when it comes to weight gain and fat storage. Dietary fat is not necessarily stored as body fat, while carbohydrates are easily stored as body fat. Carbohydrates are found in many of the foods typically consumed in most of our families’ diet. High-carb breakfast foods include breakfast cereals, toast, jam, milk, yogurt, granola bars and fruits, and other meals may also include large amounts of carbohydrates, such as bread, pizza crust, rice, potatoes and pasta. Looking at the ingredient content of this food stuff you will notice that they are real source of weight gain and possibly obesity.

Carbohydrates and body weight-Increased Hunger

One of the reasons why carbohydrates lead to weight gain is the fact that their consumption leaves people feeling hungry and how does this take place? The consumption of carbohydrates results in the release of insulin into the body system and insulin has the tendency of removing the nutrients from the bloodstream in the expectation or to create room for the arrival of more nutrients, this practice will always leave people feeling not quite satiated – even hungry. When the body feels hungry and unsatisfied, the habit or desire for food will be created because of the hunger being felt. This way one is likely to continue eating time and again and as a result gain more weight in the process.

Carbohydrates and body weight-Carbohydrate Addiction

The consumption of carbohydrates can actually cause an addiction for many people, because of the serotonin release they induce. Serotonin is a brain chemical that improves the mood and induces a relaxing effect by decreasing stress and anxiety as well as reducing pain. People with low serotonin levels may therefore reach for more and more carbohydrates in an attempt to feel better, which can eventually lead to weight gain.

Carbohydrates and body weight-Fat Storage

After eating carbohydrates, the pancreas responds by producing insulin, which is mainly responsible for regulating blood sugar levels by letting the carbohydrates broken down into sugar; enter the cells of the liver and muscles to be used for energy. High levels of circulating insulin, which are associated with the consumption of carbohydrates, help with the storage of carbohydrates and excess calories not required for immediate use as fat. In other words, carbohydrates promote the release of insulin, which in turn promotes fat storage.

Carbohydrates and body weight-Low Carbohydrate Diets for Weight Loss

Many studies have proven the effectiveness of diets with a lower carbohydrate intake for weight loss, according to a study published in 2008 in the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.” Obese men were assigned to either a very low carbohydrate intake, with 4 percent of the calories as carbohydrates, or a moderate carbohydrate diet, with about 35 percent of the calories as carbohydrates. Although participants were allowed to eat to satiety in both groups, the group with the lowest carbohydrate intake lost significantly more weight in four weeks, about 14 lbs. compared to 9.6 lbs. in the moderate-carbohydrate group. The researchers conducting this study found that diets with a very low carbohydrate intake and higher fat intake resulted in significantly less hunger, which facilitates the weight loss process.

Carbohydrates and body weight-Short term effects of low carbohydrate diets

In the short term, low-carbohydrate diets may cause you to lose weight because they restrict kilojoules or energy. The body begins to use body stores of glucose and glycogen (from the liver and muscles) to replace the carbohydrates it is not getting from food. Around 3 g of water is needed to release 1g of glycogen, so the rapid initial weight loss on a low-carbohydrate diet is mostly water, not body fat.

As carbohydrate stores are used up, the body begins to rely on other sources of fuel such as fat. This can lead to the development of ketones in the body, which can make the body acidic. This can lead to metabolic changes, which may be dangerous for some people, such as those with diabetes.

Some people may also experience problems with a low-carbohydrate diet, including:

Nausea
Dizziness
Constipation
Lethargy
Dehydration
Bad breath
Loss of appetite.

Carbohydrates and body weight-Long term effects of low carbohydrate diets

A diet low in carbohydrates but high in saturated fat is a bit uncertain and the potential effect on human’s life is currently not known however some experts believe that it is a recipe for a heart attack. Because of the uncertainty more research is needed to bring clarity to the safety of very low carbohydrate diets. Nevertheless some of the possible long term effects may include the following:

Weight gain – when a normal diet is resumed, some muscle tissue is rebuilt, water is restored and weight quickly returns.

High cholesterol, abdominal obesity and obesity-related disorders – diets that are high in protein and fats are associated with a number of conditions, including heart disease, diabetes and cancer. This can occur if the diet is very high in fat, particularly from high-fat meats such as salami, sausages and bacon.
Kidney problems – can occur in people with impaired kidney function or diabetes.
Osteoporosis and related conditions – are due to loss of calcium from the bones.

Carbohydrates and body weight-Weight loss needs a healthy approach

A diet high in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and low-fat dairy products, and moderate in fat and kilojoules, is the best way to lose weight and keep it off.

Vegetarians and people who consume predominantly plant-based diets are generally slimmer and have much lower rates of obesity, heart disease and cancer, compared to people who eat meat-based diets. This supports current thinking that diets high in unrefined carbohydrates help to prevent overweight and obesity.

Ultimately, to avoid weight gain, energy intake should not be more than energy output over a period of time. Avoiding large portion sizes and limiting intake of saturated fats and added sugars will help keep energy intake in check. Regular exercise is also critical for long-term weight loss success. For more in-depth information about weight gain and weight loss doctor Dalal Akoury of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center will be very resourceful for you and your loved ones. Doctor Akoury and her team of experts will be there for you to help you in all stages of your weight condition while focusing on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE.

Carbohydrates and body weight-How it affects weight gain and weight loss

Tag Archives: Weight loss