What is a low carb diet?
A low carb diet is a diet that restricts the intake of carbs, which are the main source of energy for the body. This type of diet has been shown to be effective for weight loss and can help to manage conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and some types of cancer. While there are many different variations of low carb diets, all aim to reduce carbohydrate consumption while still providing enough nutrients and fiber to support health.
How to start a low carb diet
If you’re looking to start a low carb diet, here are six tips to get you started. First, make sure you have a clear understanding of what low carb means. Second, be realistic about how much carbohydrate you can eat without experiencing negative consequences. Third, create a meal plan and stick to it as closely as possible. Fourth, track your food intake and adjust your diet accordingly. Fifth, avoid processed foods and sugary beverages when starting a low carb diet plan. Finally, enjoy your new low carb lifestyle!
The benefits of a low carb diet
A low carbohydrate diet has been shown to have a number of benefits. It can help you lose weight, manage your blood sugar levels, improve your mood and even reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Food to eat on a low carb diet
If you’re following a low-carb diet, you’ll want to make sure you’re getting all the nutrients your body needs.
What you can eat:
Protein: beef, chicken, pork, eggs, fish, shellfish, fowl, wild game
Dairy: cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, heavy cream, unsweetened yogurt
Fats and Oils: olive oil, nonhydrogenated vegetable oils, animal fats, mayonnaise, peanut butter
Non-Starchy Vegetables: asparagus, avocado, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, lettuce, peppers, pickles, olives
Nuts and Seeds: nuts, peanuts, nut oils and flours, seeds (pumpkins, sunflower, etc.)
Beverages: water, unsweetened tea, coffee with artificial sweetener and heavy cream, diet soda
How do you count carbs?
If you’re trying to stay on track with your carb intake, it can be tricky to decide what counts as a carbohydrate. There are different ways to count carbs, and each one has its own set of guidelines. Here are three ways to count carbs:
1. The grams-per-day rule: According to this method, you should eat less than 50 grams of carbs per day. This includes both fiber and sugar alcohols, like erythritol.
2. The net carb approach: This considers both the total grams of carbs and the fiber content of a food. Net carbs = total carbs – fiber.
3. Use an app like myfitnesspal, fatsecret or loselt to track your intake.
Food to avoid on a low carb diet
A low carb diet is designed to help you lose weight by restricting the amount of carbohydrate that you eat. Carbohydrates are one of the main sources of energy for the body and can be found in foods like bread, pasta, grains, sugars and fruit. To start a low carb diet plan, try to limit your intake of these types of foods to no more than 50 grams per day.
The dangers of going too low carb
Low carb diets are currently all the rage and for good reason. They are incredibly effective at losing weight and improving your overall health. However, there are some potential dangers associated with going too low carb. If you’re not paying attention, you may end up putting your health at risk by adopting a restrictive diet that’s full of junk food and little else. When you go on a low carb diet, your body switches from burning glucose (from carbs) to burning stored fat as its primary energy source. This means that you’ll start to crave high calorie foods that contain lots of sugar (like candy bars or ice cream). Over time, this can lead to an addiction to sugar-free foods, which can be extremely unhealthy.
This infographic provides an easy to follow guide for starting a low carbohydrate diet, including what you can eat on a low carb diet, what your meals during the course of a typical day will look like, a quick guide on how to count carbs and a step by step plan for getting started with a low carb lifestyle.
Original infographic via lowcarbdieting.org, content updated in March 2022.
