Question: What is the best low carb diet ????
Answer: My bias favors low carbohydrate, high fat Paleo for the first month, graduating to low carbohydrate, high fat Primal if high fat milk products are tolerated after a month off milk based dairy. Both systems help most people lose weight and feel good at the same time, features my patients tell me they do not experience with Weight Watchers. Both Primal and Paleo eliminate additives/preservatives/food colorings and include foods like pancakes (made with coconut flour or almond flour), not seen in other low carbohydrate diets.
After the initial period of grain withdrawal and adjustment to fat burning, which may involve fatigue, flu-like symptoms and headaches, energy and sleep generally improve. Just last week one of my morbidly obese patients described less acid reflux, lower joint pain, looser clothing, improved sleep and increased energy after only 2 weeks of a low carbohydrate/high fat Paleo plan. Her skin cleared, she no longer experiences the urge to eat every 2 hours, and after a high fat breakfast, can wait until 4 PM for her next meal, features not typically seen with low fat diets. Add to this that studies show improvement in cardiovascular risk factors with low carbohydrate, high fat diets, with increases in HDLs, decreases in Triglycerides and an LDL trend toward Pattern A (low heart risk). And it's delicious to boot.
In October of 2013 the American Diabetes Association position statement approved low carbohydrate diets for weight loss with safety shown for at least 2 years, and the British Medical Journal exonerated saturated fat. The Swedish government approved low carbohydrate/high fat diets for weight loss and nearly 1/4 of Swedes surveyed endorse a trend toward low carbohydrate, high fat diets with positive changes in weight, diabetes and cardiovascular risk factors.
For more information, visit: www.marksdailyapple.com and www.dietdoctor.com
Illustrated recipes can be viewed at www.nomnompaleo.com