Pretty much 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, which also helps you burn more fat
– 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 (“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)
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