Carbohydrate Addicts Diet Review

Does that make this a low carb diet, though?

Written by husband and wife team, Drs Richard and Rachael Heller, the diet follows the familar path of limiting carb intake to regulate insulin production.

But rather than trying to banish them all together, you can have one carb-loaded meal a day.

According to the authors, many people gain weight because they're addicted to sugar because of its effect on insulin levels as well as the feelgood factor that it induces.

Break the addiction they claim and you'll lose weight and keep it off. Ok, so let's take a look...

Carbohydrate Addicts Diet Review - How Does it Work...?

A quick recap then before we start our Carbohydrate Addicts Diet review for those that answered in the negative.

The theory goes that your body digests carbs - sugars and starches - quickly and all that sugar is then dumped in your bloodstream.

Your body produces insulin to balance your blood sugar levels and then ferries the excess sugar off to be converted to fat and stored in your fat tissue.

As a result, you're supposed to severly restrict your carb intake and replace them with lots of protein and in some cases fat.

This forces your body to dip into its fat stores as there are no carbs to burn.

The protein is difficult to digest so your body has to work harder and use more calories to metabolise all that meat.

The dietary protein also helps to prevent your body from canibalising its muscle tissue for energy.

The result? Rapid and significant weight loss.

The Carb Addict Diet introduces a twist to this theme...

For two meals a day you eat very little in the way of carbs and lots of protein. For the remaining meal you can eat all the carbs you want as long as they're balanced by protein.

This is actually quite clever as protein fills you up...and quickly. Try eating a whole chicken or 16 oz steak in one sitting!

As such, most people are unlikely to eat a vast quantity of potatoes, bread, rice or pasta with your steak, chicken or fish.

By eating only one carb meal a day you're supposed to be able to control your carb cravings and break your addiction.

Your low carb meals are called "Complementary Meals", and consist of protein and veg - you choose from a list of suggestions.

The high carb meal is your "Reward Meal", but remember - balance your protein and carbs...one mouthful of carbs and one of protein!

You're also supposed to eat the whole Reward Meal in 60 minutes or less...something about the effect that taking any longer has on your insulin levels, which doesn't really make a lot of sense scientifically.

The low carb meals should be low in fat, the high carb meal can be as full of fat as you like.

There's also some advice to exercise or "be active" daily, but there are no exercise plans to follow.

Carbohydrate Addicts Diet Review - Does it Work...?

You know, stuff like there's no evidence that insulin production has much to do with getting fat or losing weight, low carbs diets are too high in protein and fat, its the total amount of calories you eat not the amount of carbs that's important, and so on...

As carbs are your primary energy supply and as we are a largely sedentary population in the decadent West, then cutting back on your carbs would make sense.

However, this isn't strictly a low carb diet.

Allowing you to eat carbs once a day means you can give in to your cravings, which may make it easier to stick to the diet and lose weight.

Most people will be unlikely to overeat at the Reward Meal as they'll still be eating plenty of satiating protein.

Unless you drink lots of sugary drinks, that is!

I'd be concerned at the fact that there are no limits on fat intake as many really tasty carb foods like fries and ice cream are horrendously high in fat calories per mouthful.

On the plus side, you'll be eating plenty of food, which should fill you up and stop you from feeling deprived.

Eating fruit and veg is encouraged, which is a plus point.

Does it work? Well, there are no independent studies to suggest that it does and the science seems suspiciously faddy in parts to us.

However, there are worse diets out there and strictly speaking no foods are banned.

Will it cure you of your sugar addiction? Hmm, our Carbohydrate Addicts diet review would suggest that the Reward Meal could turn out to be a license to binge!

Carbohydrate Addicts Diet Review - The Bottom Line...

We've no problem with low carb diets per se, as long as they're low fat diets too.

Whether it's the effect on your insulin levels or the fact that you'll be eating fewer calories is immaterial if you're losing weight.

The problem we have with this diet is that if you're addicted to sugar, carb foods are likely to be your binge eating triggers.

Any sugar addicted binge eater is going to struggle to avoid overeating during the Reward Meal.

Removing the trigger foods altogether is a better strategy for a binger.

For that reason, we couldn't recommend this diet. If carbs are a problem for you, you may want to try a low GI Diet...read our Glycemic Impact Diet Review.

Our Carbohydrate Addicts Diet review verdict? Could turn out to be a licence to binge - avoid!

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