Low-Carb Lifestyle Slowing You Down?
Carbohydrate restriction is a proven way to stimulate weight loss; removing foods like bread, pasta, cereals, rice, muffins and other grain products from your diet for a period of time assists with “retraining” and improving your body’s response to insulin, the ultimate key to any effective weight loss plan.
Keeping insulin levels low is the rationale behind low-carb diets and the reason I recommend the Glyci-Med way of eating in my book, The Hormone Diet. But the low-carb lifestyle can have drawbacks. Some people feel a slight decrease in energy or in mood when they limit carbs, and because these foods are a source of fiber, removing them often causes a nasty case of constipation!
Why is constipation so bad?
If things are not “moving along” properly at least once (optimally, 2-3 times) per day it is tough to feel healthy, let alone slim. Obvious negative issues associated with constipation include feeling bloated, pain in the abdomen, occasional cramping and abdominal distention.
Not only is constipation unpleasant, it is not without repercussions on other aspects of your health. Simply stated, the longer waste remains in your large intestine, the longer undesirable byproducts of digestion and elimination will be permitted to reabsorb into your system. This can result in headaches, fatigue, increased menstrual pain and cramping, acne and other signs of toxicity. Chronic constipation can increase the risk of certain types of cancers; breast and colon cancer rates have been found to be higher in women with a history of chronic constipation. I encourage you to do something today if this is a pattern of constipation in your past or if you experience an acute response to reducing grains in your diet. To find out what you can do, click here.
