Carbohydrates (or carbs as the cool kids call them) are an important part of a healthy diet.  Without carbs, normal metabolism is sacrificed, and the body starts to find new ways of creating and using energy.  Your body breaks down carbs and fat in a process called the TCA cycle to create a form of energy which can be used by the body for, literally, all of its metabolism.

If you cut carbs out of your diet, your body can no longer run the TCA cycle, and in order for normal metabolism to occur, your body will find new ways of creating energy.  This “new” method of creating energy involves breaking down fats to create molecules similar to glucose (sugar), called “ketone bodies”.  The good part about this is that it means your body can survive and carry out normal functions without carbs.  The bad part is that ketone bodies are toxic if too many collect in your bloodstream.

Ketosis – The Result of Not Enough Carbs

When too many ketone bodies are made, and they start to collect in tissues and the blood, it can lead to a condition called “ketosis”.  This simply means that carbohydrates are no longer being used to create energy, and ketone bodies are being produced.  Since ketone bodies are not usually created, and can be toxic, the body will get rid of them as quickly as possible.  The body will get rid of these ketone bodies through the lungs or the urine; ketone bodies are either “breathed out” or eliminated when you use the restroom.  If more ketone bodies are being made than can be disposed of, they may continue to collect in the blood and cause the blood to become acidic.  At this point, it is called “ketoacidosis”, and it has become a very serious condition.  Not to worry, though, ketoacidosis is not very common in low-carb dieting.  Both ketosis and ketoacidosis are actually steps involved in starvation – a starving person will develop ketosis very early on, and may later develop ketoacidosis.  Although low-carb diets do not actually starve you, they do deprive your body of a very important nutrient: carbohydrates.  For this reason, Fat Loss 4 Idiots is not a low carb diet.  It just separates “good” carbs from the “bad” ones.

But Don’t Low-Carb Diets Work?

They sure do!  This is one of those confusing parts about fat loss.  Low carb diets actually do work.  In fact, it’s possible that you might lose more weight on a low-carb diet than with Fat Loss 4 Idiots… at first.  The problem is, your body will eventually adapt to the lack of carbs.  At this point, your fat loss will slow down and possibly even stop.  All thw while, you are building and collecting ketone bodies, moving closer and closer to unhealthy disease states.  Fat Loss 4 Idiots has overcome this obstacle by including carbs, part of a natural and healthy diet.

Eating Enough Carbs – But Making Sure They’re the Right Carbs

So, obviously, we don’t want to develop toxic conditions and make our blood acidic.  But we also want to eat the “right” carbs.  Some sources of carbohydrates have a greater effect on blood glucose than other carb sources – we call this the Glycemic Index (GI).  Low GI foods have less effect on blood glucose than high GI foods.  Further, studies have shown high GI foods to result in fat gain and muscle loss, as well as causing damage to the pancreas (a very important organ in normal metabolism).  So, to get enough carbohydrates – which we know we need to – it is clear that we should look for carbs from low GI foods.  Foods like vegetables, dairy products, fruits, and even nuts and seeds are sources of carbohydrates.  Be careful, though.  Fruits and dairy can be very rich in carbs, and can often have high GI values.  Conveniently, Fat Loss 4 Idiots has taken the guesswork out, and has outlined exactly which of these foods are the best carb sources, and which ones to avoid. Learn More About Fat Loss 4 Idiots.