Low carb but....

Everybody knows by now that lowering your carb intake can help you lose weight and burn fat faster.

Several published studies show restricting carb intake can:

• Reduce body fat more than calorie-restricted low-fat diets
• Lower blood pressure dramatically
• Lower blood sugar and improve symptoms of diabetes much more than low-fat diets
• Increase your good cholesterol (HDL)
• Lower triglycerides significantly more than low-fat diets

However, there can be a DARK side to low carb dieting.

Whenever you lower carbs in your diet for more than 5 to 7 days at a time, it can lead to a downward spiral of metabolic problems including:

• Suppressed thyroid output (inefficient conversion of T4 to T3)
• Decreased testosterone production (women need this to burn fat too!)
• Compromised immune system function
• Slower metabolism and adrenal fatigue
• Muscle loss
• Slower fat burning and weight loss plateaus
• Leptin resistance (50% LESS fat burning hormone production)  

Ya, pretty much everything you want to AVOID.

And every one of these negatives side effects can be even more damaging if you exercise intensely 4 or 5 days of the week.

So even though lowering carbs can be a lethal weapon in your fight against fat, you have to be careful and use low carb diets in “smartest” way possible.

This is when using a HIGH carb day comes in handy.

By increasing carb intake after an aggressive burst of lowering carbs for a few days (something I’ve coined “pre-cheat” depletion), you can literally REVERSE every negative side effect from above.

For example, increasing your carbs strategically can give you:

• More efficient thyroid output (increased conversion of T4 to T3)
• Increased testosterone production
• Improved immune system function
• Elevated metabolism and healthier adrenal glands
• Gains in lean muscle
• Faster fat burning
• Better leptin sensitivity (increased levels of fat burning hormones)  

Source: Rick Kaselj, MS