Information sourced from Dr Jason Fung M.D. at www.dietdoctor.com
A low-carb diet is low in carbohydrates, like sugary foods, pasta and bread. Instead, you eat real foods including protein, natural fats and vegetables.
Studies show that low-carb diets result in weight loss and improved health markers, and just about everyone knows someone who has successfully tried it.
There’s not even any need to count calories or use special products. So why is it still controversial?
A low-carb diet means that you eat fewer carbohydrates and a higher proportion of fat. This can also be called a low-carb, high-fat diet (LCHF) or a keto diet.
For decades we’ve been told that fat is detrimental to our health. Meanwhile low-fat “diet” products, often full of sugar, have flooded supermarket shelves. This has been a major mistake, that coincided with the start of the obesity epidemic.
Studies now show that there’s no reason to fear natural fats. Fat is your friend (here’s why). On a low-carb diet, you instead minimize your intake of sugar and starches. You can eat other delicious foods until you are satisfied – and still lose weight.
How does it work? When you avoid sugar and starches, your blood sugar stabilizes and the levels of the fat-storing hormone insulin drop. This increases fat burning and makes you feel more satiated, reducing food intake and causing weight loss.Studies prove that a low-carb diet makes it easier both to lose weight and to control your blood sugar, among other benefits.
What to Eat on a Low-Carb Diet
In this section you can learn exactly what to eat on low carb, whether you prefer visual guides, detailed food lists, delicious recipes or a simple get started guide.
Let’s start with a quick visual guide to low carb. Here are the basic food groups you can eat all you like of, until you’re satisfied:
The numbers above are grams of digestible carbs per 100 grams (3.5 ounces). Fiber is not counted, you can eat all the fiber you want.
All foods above are below 5% carbs. Sticking to these foods will make it relatively easy to stay on a strict low-carb diet, with less than 20 grams of carbs per day.
The fewer carbohydrates you eat, the bigger the effects on weight and blood sugar will be. We recommend following the dietary advice as strictly as you can. When you’re happy with your weight and health, you may carefully try eating more liberally (if you want to).
Here are three examples of what a low-carb meal can look like, depending on how many carbs you eat per day:
A strict low-carb diet is often called a ketogenic (or “keto”) diet
Try to avoid
Here’s what you should not eat on low carb – foods full of sugar and starch. As you can see, these foods are much higher in carbs.
The numbers are grams of digestible carbs per 100 grams (3.5 ounces), unless otherwise noted.
Detailed list of foods to avoid
What to drink
So what do you drink on low carb? Water is perfect, and so is coffee or tea. Ideally, use no sweeteners. A modest amount of milk or cream is OK (but beware of caffe latte!).
The occasional glass of wine is fine too.
Check out our full guides to low-carb drinks and low-carb alcohol.
Information sourced from Dr Jason Fung M.D. at www.dietdoctor.com