Low carb diets -- helpful for teenagers or older AS people?

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I'm looking into a low carb way of eating for my husband and myself, but I am now wondering if it might be helpful for my 13 year old son as well.

We tried the GFCF diet for a short while, but gave up on it because we couldn't see any improvement in our son. He also showed no negative effects when eating glutein or casein when he was younger -- no diahrea, distended belly, etc.

Just curious if anyone has any experience with a low carb way of eating being helpful with focus or social skills?

I have more energy and focus with protein. I think I have reactive hypoglycemia where insulin is released too quickly causing a sudden drop in blood sugar.

If YOU want to limit carbs, hey GREAT! Take in enough calories and maybe keep carbs over say 50GM, and you will be fine, etc... I wouldn't suggest it with a teenager. If they're too low, it could stunt growth, etc...

Steve

Steve -- I think you are so right. Heaven knows I wouldn't want to stunt my son's growth -- he doesn't have a whole lotta chance for height as it is (I'm only 5'1" ! ! !) He's really on a growth spurt currently -- and I want to keep it that way!

I'm not a big believer in doing anything radically -- but I think that boosting the whole family's intake of vegetables, fruits, and protein as opposed to the huge amount of sugar and carbs that we HAVE been eating can only be a good thing. I guess this sort of ties in with people starting the GF/CF diet a little later in life, and having any possitive effect on them.

Vegetables, and Fruits are mainly....... Want to guess????????? CARBS!! !! !! !! !

So YEP, you can replace the sugar and even BREAD with things like vegetables and fruits! In fact a GREAT carb would be potatoes, or maybe rice! Oats are considered one of the BEST sources though.

It is true that a PURE carb(short for carbohydrate which means carbon, hydrogen, oxygen) is SUGAR, but sugar is a bad idea. Sugar is the only carb you can REALLY use, but if you can't use it, it may be changed to fat. Oats, potatoes, etc...., by contrast, convert slowly so the sugar may be there when you need it.

Sugar is concidered high GI(used QUICKLY) and often called a BAD carb
Oats are considered LOW GI(used SLOWLY) and often called a GOOD carb
Here is a little list that might help:

http://www.bestdiettips.com/content/view/219/53/

Steve

I'm adult, doing ketogenic diet for about 3 years.

It definitely helped me to overcome depressions and have more energy.

There are carbs and there are carbs.

Dietary fiber is technically carbohydrate, but it's not really digested as glucose, so it doesn't count as carbs in low-carb diets. e.g. some vegetables may be 7g carbs per 100g total, but if it's rich in fiber it could easily be only 1-2 net carbs. Fruits generally have much more sugar carbs, e.g. 15g total, about 2-3g fiber and 10g sugar.

I don't really need to limit green vegetables consumption to stay below 30g of net carbs / day.

Ketosis!