You may have heard of the low carb diet or know someone who follows the diet. Also known as a low calorie diet or a carbohydrate restriction diet , low carb has won many fans due to its benefits and health impacts.
How the low carb diet works
The low carb diet restricts the consumption of carbohydrates to bring benefits to your body, such as weight loss and the control of some diseases, such as diabetes, for example.
As the name implies, the diet does not completely eliminate carbohydrate consumption – it is not zero, it is low in carbohydrates . The amount of carbohydrate that should not be consumed varies according to the metabolism of each one and the chosen eating plan (I will talk more about that later). The objective is to encourage the consumption of low glycemic index foods, preferably natural ingredients, and of better nutritional quality.
“Low carb is more than a diet: it is a nutritional strategy for consuming healthier foods. You can consume less carbohydrate and from healthier sources without giving up eating delicious things. ”
Bia Nunes, nutritionist and creator of Comida Boa
When we decrease carbohydrate consumption, our body is encouraged to use energy and fat stores to produce energy. In addition, the foods indicated to compose the low carb diet are rich in proteins and good fats that are absorbed more slowly by the body, prolonging the feeling of satiety and reducing that hunger between meals.
Food plan
You may have heard of the most popular low carb diets: Atkins, Dukan, Mediterranean, Paleolithic and ketogenic. They are all food plans to help with your food reeducation.
In general, regardless of the diet plan with a focus on carbohydrate restriction, they all have the same goal: to warn that the source of the carbohydrate has an impact on your health. It is very important to consult a nutritionist to monitor this impact so that the eating plan does not lead you to an unwanted result.
See also: Is low carb diet bad?
The aim of your diet is to take care of your health in the medium to long term, which eliminates a range of foods that are bad for your health: ultra-processed, embedded, hydrogenated fats and high in sodium.
Planning
Every diet should start with planning. If you intend to adopt low carb in your life, here are some recommendations:
- Before starting the diet, check the foods you have at home. It is boring to open the pantry and be tempted to see forbidden food;
- Think about your eating habits and, especially, consumption habits. You don’t have to give up dessert after lunch if you start to eat healthier options;
- Don’t eat the same thing every day! Expand your low carb menu . It is difficult to follow a diet when we are tired of eating the same thing.
“Diet is not suffering. You don’t have to give up flavor to have a healthier life. There are food options rich in flavor, with very little carbohydrate and rich in nutritional qualities. ”
Edilson Nunes, chef and co-creator of Comida Boa
Low carb lose weight?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions about the diet. Carbohydrate is a nutrient that helps determine the presence of water in our cells. When we restrict the consumption of the nutrient, it is natural that the liquid is eliminated from our body.
Carbohydrate is also an energy source for these cells and foods can have the nutrient with high or low glycemic level. When ingested, glucose is absorbed by cells for energy.
The problem is when there is excess glucose. Our body stores glucose that has not been absorbed as fat. In diets of high glycemic level the body is unable to consume all the glucose, nor to burn what has been stored.
As the foods allowed by the low carb diet promote the feeling of satiety for longer, you start to eat less carbohydrates, giving your body time to produce hormones that will burn what was stored to obtain the necessary energy.