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May 03, 2012, 3:03 pm -- /EPR NETWORK/ -- The rising popularity of Atkins-approved menus and other low-carbohydrate products shows that ‘low-carb’ has become the new ‘health’ and ‘fat-free’ label. Millions of carb-aware dieters are cutting back on carbohydrates as a way of eating a more balanced diet. A new low-carb quiz complements this theme, helping oldies and newbies to learn more about their low-carb habits. The quiz helps dieters find out if they are making the best choices with vegetables, fish, eggs, and poultry, focusing on the role of protein, fat, and carbohydrates in our diet.
Carbohydrates are important for the proper working of the immune, digestive, and nervous systems, the heart, and the brain. A form of carbohydrate, fiber keeps the intestines clean and disease-free and is essential for the elimination of toxins and other waste materials from the body. Soluble forms of fiber help the body maintain steady glucose levels in the blood and slow digestion. Moreover, the carbohydrates fructose and glucose are responsible for breaking down certain proteins like those that protect the eyes against cataract formation.
If carbohydrates are so important for good health, why exclude them from your menu while on a diet? The new quiz brings to a focus diets such as the Zone diet and Atkins diet and addresses important questions about low-carb dieting and its effects on health. Low-carb diets have been promoted as a healthy and effective approach to weight reduction. A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, for example, showed that obese and overweight people who took a protein supplement and reduced the amount of sugar in their diet experienced a significant drop in their blood pressure. Other benefits associated with low-carb diets include improved insulin sensitivity and lower insulin levels, improved triglycerides, reduced blood glucose, and others.
There have been concerns that diets like the Atkins and Zone diet are bad for the heart. Dieters who cut down on carbohydrates – starches and sugars – eat more foods that are rich in fat. This has been said to have a harmful effect on cardiovascular health. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University found that low-carb diets have the opposite effect and help improve blood vessel health.
Many low-carb dieters are also concerned about the effects of ketosis, which increases the level of ketone bodies in the human body. An important question the quiz asks deals with ketosis and the indicators of ketosis having occurred. Are the symptoms of ketosis something to worry about? In fact, scientific studies have shown that ketosis produces some health benefits. It has mood-stabilizing properties and neuroprotective properties and helps improve glucose control in diabetics. Diabetics who follow a ketogenic diet show a considerable improvement in glycemic control, resulting in medication elimination or reduction. Scientists also believe that ketone bodies are an efficient fuel for the brain, offering protection against brain damage. Moreover, studies show that ketogenic diets lower food intake and reduce hunger more than non-ketogenic diets. While prolonged and extreme ketosis is dangerous, moderate or mild ketosis has been shown to produce health benefits.
The new quiz http://www.lowcarbfoods.org/low-carb-foods-quiz.php itself is a helpful tool for dieters who want to assess their eating style, learn more about foods allowed on a diet, and try different dietary plans such as the Zone diet and Atkins diet. The quiz engages in the debate on low-carb dieting and its effects on diabetics and looks at metabolism and ways to boost metabolism. By testing dieters’ knowledge of low-carb diets and lifestyle, the quiz helps them to find a plan that is the best fit for them.
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