Read The Low-Carb Diabetes Solution Cookbook for Free Online

concentrating. Do not panic. Do not give up. If you quit a two-pack-a-day cigarette habit and felt bad for a few days, would you assume it meant that giving up smoking was a bad idea? Same thing here. Your body
will
step up production of the enzymes needed to burn fat for fuel.
    SODIUM
    Another reason people can feel a little off in the first week or two is dehydration from salt and water loss. Salt has been so demonized that you may be unaware that it is—unlike carbohydrate—an essential nutrient.
    The
American Journal of Physiology
tells us that high insulin levels signal the kidneys to hang on to sodium, and with it water, even to the point of causing high blood pressure. When you go low carb and your insulin levels drop, your kidneys get the signal to let that sodium go, along with the water it holds. This is why most people drop several pounds of water weight in the first few days, and high blood pressure comes down quickly.
    Because of this, it is possible to wind up with dehydration and low sodium levels, especially as you’ll also be cutting out most high-sodium processed food. The symptoms of dehydration include light-headedness, fatigue, headaches, muscle aches, and possibly cramps.
    It’s easy to prevent this. Don’t hesitate to use salt in cooking and at the table, and if you feel weak, dizzy, or achy, add a cup or two of bouillon or heavily salted broth per day. The salt and water in the bouillon will replace some of the salt and water that you have lost, and you’ll feel better in just 10 minutes.
    DO I NEED TO EXERCISE?
    If you want to exercise, great. But we’re not going to push you. Until you shift over to a fat- and ketone-burning metabolism and get access to the tank, you’re likely to be tired. You should feel your energy level rise as your body adjusts. If you find yourself wanting to go for a walk, go dancing, take a yoga class, or lift weights—we’re all for it. But don’t make yourself miserable.
    And remember: You cannot exercise your way out of a lousy diet.
    WON’T A HIGH-FAT DIET GIVE ME HEART DISEASE?
    First, know this: Diabetes will give you heart disease. Remember, people with diabetes have double the risk of heart disease compared with those who do not have the condition. That includes all those people who are “controlling” their diabetes according to current standards.
    BUT WHAT ABOUT CHOLESTEROL? TRIGLYCERIDES?
    The issue of triglycerides is clear-cut: High levels of triglycerides, widely accepted as an important marker of heart disease, are driven not by fat intake, but by carbohydrate intake. In
Current Opinion in Lipidology
, we find this clear statement: “High-carbohydrate/low-fat, isocaloric [neither high nor low calorie] diets have repeatedly been shown to increase plasma triglyceride concentrations. Indeed, there is a medical term for this: carbohydrate-induced hypertriglyceridemia.”
    Knowing this, it is no surprise that triglyceride levels drop, often precipitously, on a low-carbohydrate diet.
    HOW ABOUT CHOLESTEROL?
    We trust that by now you’ve gathered that the cholesterol issue is more complicated than your total cholesterol number. You’ve likely heard of LDL cholesterol, often called “bad” cholesterol, and HDL, considered “good” cholesterol. Most doctors look at the ratios of these to one another, to total cholesterol, and to triglycerides. What does a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet do to these ratios?
    A 2014 study at Tulane University in New Orleans compared a low-carbohydrate diet with a low-fat diet in a yearlong trial. The low-carb dieters were to eat 40 grams or fewer of carbohydrate per day, while the low-fat dieters were told to get 30 percent or less of their calories from fat. What happened?
    The low-carbohydrate group had greater improvements in HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and in the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL. Their estimated ten-year heart disease