For many people who’ve been looking for a diet that can lower their weight drastically, many have suggested the use of a low-carbohydrate diet. And for many, the simple idea of “low carbohydrate” just translated to DIY diets where they tried to eliminate as many sources of carbohydrates as possible, without
researching on what would actually work.
Here are some guidelines and information that you should know if you want to pursue a low-carb diet: Protein, Fat and Restrictions
By definition, low-carb diets do aim to limit the intake of carbohydrates through grains, starchy vegetables, and fruits. In place of this, there is an emphasis on protein and fat. There are many low-carb diet types, each differing on the amount and types of carbohydrates that you can eat.
What can a low-carb diet do for you?
Aside from losing weight, you gain extra health benefits, as you can reduce your personal risk factors for heart disease, diabetes, some metabolic syndromes, and certain forms of cancer. A low-carb diet, if followed correctly, can even reverse some of the effects of existing health conditions. As always, before embarking on a low-carb diet, do make sure to check with your doctor. What are the basic food types that I can eat? The following are what’s normally allowed for low-carb dieters: Meat, fish, eggs,
vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, high-fat dairy, healthy oils, and fats. You could also include some tubers and grain classified as low-gluten or non-gluten, if necessary. However, depending on your other health concerns, your doctor or physical trainer might add or remove more food types from the accepted list.
What kinds of food do I avoid?
The general food types to avoid are: Sugar, grains rich in gluten, trans fats, and Omega-6 seed and vegetable oils. It’s also best to avoid highly processed food, artificial sweeteners, and “diet”/”low fat” food.
Also, it’s okay to eat cheese and nuts, but not to excess.
What else can I add to the diet?
Aside from tubers (potatoes, sweet potatoes) and low- or
non-gluten grains (rice, oats, etc.), legumes are also allowed. Dark chocolate with 70% cocoa or higher is also allowed, as is dry wine with no added sugar or carbs. Do remember, though, that just because they can be added to the diet, it doesn’t mean that they should be staples of your diet. Do check with your doctor about adding these food types, or at best use them to spice up your diet every now and then.
When it comes to drinks, coffee, tea, and water are allowed, as are carbonated soda drinks without artificial sweeteners. You should follow the limits for coffee and tea, which amounts to about two or three cups a day.
Is the Paleo Diet a low-carb diet?
Many people think that the Paleo Diet is a low-carb diet, given how it follows many guidelines for low-carb diets, however, it should be noted that even without high-carb food types, it somewhat evens out as a Paleo diet is higher in fats than the normal baseline diet. And since carbs and fats are me tabolized as energy anyway, you may still end up with a high carb count, even if you’re using a Paleo diet.
