Sam has started a new diet. Every now and again, he'll hear about different diets from people--he's in sales, so he hears a lot of them--and if he comes across one he thinks sounds beneficial, he'll test it out. So, the other day, he asked me to check this one out and see what I thought.
The general idea of the diet is: high protein, moderate fats, and low carbs. Ketosis occurs (because of the specific levels of protein and fats): your body will begin to use ketone bodies for energy--fats--thus almost all your energy is supplied by fats (in the diet, the fats will come from nuts and oils). In case he should think "oh no, I could die without carbs!" there is a cheat meal once a week where he can eat whatever he wants. :)
Further in my investigation, I read an article (rather some "educated blog-spot") that said cardio should be at a low intensity (under 120 bpm heart rate!) for a long duration to ensure the use of fat as your fuel source. They say that as your heart rate increases, carbohydrates become the preferred source of fuel for your body. "On a low carb diet, your body will break down muscle and turn that into carbs"..."Fat CANNOT be changed into carbs."
I took that to mean, running at level 5 on my treadmill means burning carbs, not fat. But walking at level 4 on my treadmill means burning fat! Win-win?
And why burn fats vs carbs? Both breakdown into acetyl CoA. Both provide energy (fats provide twice the engery--hence the reason for it in the diet). But fats go through more steps--TAKE LONGER--to breakdown. Therefore, fats build up and find a comfortable place to store themselves (like in my butt, or arms, or rolls on my tummy) if not used for energy.
Whew. That's enough exercise for me for one day!
Thanks for the treadmill tips. We will take all the health tips we can get.
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