Knowing the difference between good-carbs and bad-carbs can help you survive your low-carb diet. By Amanda St. John

So you’ve finally figured out how to change your body from a carbo-burning engine to a fat-burning machine. Turning off the carbohydrate supply to the body forces it into ketosis, a state where your body is forced to burn fat for energy – fat from your stomach, hips and thighs, just like you always wanted.

Whether you’re talking about the Atkins Diet, The Scarsdale Diet, or any other variation of low carb dieting, the hardest part may not be the “ketone cops” burning away fat – since happily they also suppress your appetite, but handling the low energy, dull brain, and “unusual breath” which accompanies ketosis.

The brain needs glucose to function efficiently. “You need carbohydrates for energy,” says Jon Barron renowned nutritionist and formulator, “they power every part of your body and energize it to work, run, jump, think, breathe, and more”.

Dr. Gail Frank of the American Dietetic Association agrees. “The body needs a minimum of about 150 grams of carbohydrates daily for efficient and healthy functioning.”

But most low carb diets limit the consumption of carbs to only 40 grams a day in order to trigger fat-burning ketosis. You need a small miracle for 40 grams to get you through the day – but that is exactly what Jon Barron developed – AcceleratorÔ, a low glycemic, weight-loss meal replacement shake with good carbs - ultra-long-chain carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates can be simple (short-chain) carbohydrates, which are immediately available to the body, or complex (long-chain) carbohydrates, which break down over a longer time.

Incredibly – if the carbohydrate chain is broken down slowly, over several hours there is no spike in blood sugar and insulin levels. The body does not store fat and you get sustained energy over a prolonged period of time.

“The ultra-long-chain-carbohydrates in AcceleratorÔ produce 400% more energy for the body than a standard fixed calorie” says Jon Barron. We are talking about an ultra-long-chain carbohydrate that takes up to four hours to break down in the digestive tract – providing a slow, sustained release of energy and insulin so you don’t feel tired and hungry throughout the day.

At just eight grams of carbohydrates a shake, AcceleratorÔ can be taken twice a day to loose weight, maintaining high-energy and endurance.

Available from: Baseline Nutritionals at www.baselinenutritionals.com or 1-800-695-5995.