Nutrition Information

How To Treat and Prevent Low Carb Diet Headaches


Strict "no carb" phases of low carb diets have developed a reputation for giving dieters severe headaches. Dietitians have identified a number of different factors that could cause these headaches. They vary from person to person.

One of the factors is caffeine. Most low carb diets prohibit caffeinated drinks because they cause fluctuations in blood sugar, which can potentially jeopardize the efficacy of the diet. The Atkins diet suggests that dieters begin scaling-down caffeine consumption before they start the induction phase of the diet to minimize unpleasant withdrawals.

Another factor is wheat and sugar addictions, which can be the byproduct of reliance on refined carbohydrate products for a quick boost in blood sugar levels. If you snack to increase your blood sugar level, you may be addicted to carbohydrates, according to Dr. Atkins. Again, you may want to begin scaling down your snacks before you start the induction phase to minimize withdrawal symptoms.

The last factor is dehydration. If you are losing weight rapidly on a "no carb" initial phase, you are also losing a lot of water that is bound up in your carbohydrate reserves. In fact, you are actually losing four-times as many grams of water as you are grams of glycogen (or stored carbohydrates).

In addition to preventing dehydration, your body needs to replenish all of the water it loses daily to simply maintain organ functionality, flush out toxins, replace electrolytes, and promote good skin health.

Most low carb dietitians suggest that you consume 8 eight-ounce glasses of water each day. This is especially important if you are losing more than the average amount of water each day, so make sure you are sticking to the "8 x 8"--or whatever amount you can drink comfortably each day--so you don't become dehydrated during the first phase of your low carb diet.

The key to preventing low carb diet headaches is to make sure you are consuming enough water and to scale-down your potential "addictions" before you start.

If you have already started your low carb diet, there is nothing you can do about these headaches. Most experts suggest that you simply wait it out. If they don't go away after four days, then you may have food allergies, in which case you should halt the diet and consult your physician.

Benji Paras runs http://www.list-of-low-carb-food.com, specializing in the benefits of the low-carb lifestyle. The site contains a treasure trove of information for losing weight, and includes a list of low carb foods along with informative articles and the latest low-carb headlines.


MORE RESOURCES:

FAO Says Investing in Agriculture and Nutrition Supports Battle ...
Voice of America - 1 hour ago
On this World AIDS Day, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization is calling for greater investment in agriculture and nutritional policies. ...


Got milk, got health debate
Chicago Tribune, United States - 14 hours ago
The focus on milk follows other recent efforts to improve school nutrition, including banning soda, limiting trans fats in lunches, purging junk food from ...


Senior Nutrition Dec. 1-5
Oneida Dispatch, NY - 18 hours ago
VERNON — The following are the Oneida County Office for the Aging nutrition program menus for the coming week. For more information call the Office for the ...
SNACK Dec. 1-5 Oneida Dispatch
all 2 news articles


School nutrition
Times-West Virginian, WV - 7 hours ago
County schools are following stringent meal-plan guidelines to ensure school children are receiving adequate nutrition. Good nutrition is imperative to good ...


Good nutrition key in fast bone healing
Arkansas Democrat Gazette, AR - 5 hours ago
Nutrition. Much of the “glue” that mends broken bones is found in food. These nutrients are especially important to bone healing Protein such as collagen ...


Elderly Nutrition
Sioux City Journal, IA - Nov 30, 2008
Persons 60 years of age and older and their spouses may participate in the elderly nutrition program in Siouxland. In Sioux City, meals are served ...


New president needs new anti-hunger plan
Central Maine Morning Sentinel, ME - 46 minutes ago
We must stress that ending hunger and improving child nutrition would be one of the most effective tools to boost the nation’s international economic ...
Ease childhood hunger Buffalo News
Answers About Hunger in New York, Part 2 New York Times Blogs
30 million Americans need food stamps Peninsula On-line
TMCnet - Newsday
all 15 news articles


What you don't know about nutrition can pile on the pounds
Chicago Daily Herald, IL - 11 hours ago
To help you keep off extra pounds during the holidays, let's debunk common nutrition myths: 1. Eating before bedtime is fattening. ...


Total Nutrition Technology Launches Customized Nutrition ...
Carolina Newswire (press release), NC - 2 hours ago
CHARLOTTE — Total Nutrition Technology, which specializes in weight loss, health management and enhanced sports performance, has just launched its own ...


Nutrition Notes: Antioxidants During Cancer Treatment?
Kansas City infoZine, MO - 6 hours ago
By Karen Collins, MS, RD, CDN - Conflicting news headlines have many cancer patients confused about antioxidant use during treatment. ...

Nutrition - Google News

home | site map
© 2006