As the name suggests, a low-carb diet is characterized by reducing the intake of the amount of carbohydrates it needs, which leads the body to lose weight. There are many examples of such diets: the popular Kremlin low-carbohydrate diet, the Protasov diet, the protein diet, the high-fat Atkins diet - all of which are based on low carbohydrate intake, which reduces the release of insulin into the blood and thereby promotes blood flowactive fat loss. Most likely, it is not worth talking about that the rejection of sweet, starchy, various fruits, sweets and chocolate promotes weight loss and helps to get rid of extra pounds effectively. They are simple or otherwise quick carbohydrates. It is precisely at reducing their consumption that the diet, which will be discussed later, aims.
The essence and benefits of a low carb diet
To understand the essence of diet, it is important to distinguish how simple carbohydrates differ from complex ones. The fact is that "simple" or "fast" carbohydrates have the ability to be absorbed and converted into body fat very quickly. "Slow" carbohydrates, or as they are also called "complex" carbohydrates, are usually absorbed slowly and recharge the body with strength and energy, as a result of which a person does not feel hungry for a long time and is able to lose many more calories thanhe ate a serving of food.
Simple carbohydrates include: a variety of pastries, sweets, smoked delicacies, fatty and floury foods. The use of these products is strictly prohibited. Complex carbohydrates include various grains and all vegetables. But a low-carb diet allows for vegetables and only a small amount of grains and some fruit.
There are two types of low carb diets: slow and hard. The former are designed for gradual weight loss. At the same time, later, if you adhere to certain norms in the diet, it is quite possible to avoid the repeated set of unnecessary kilograms. Rigid diets are primarily intended for athletes. Often used by bodybuilders for drying purposes, use by a normal person can result in rapid uncontrolled weight gain.
The main benefit of a low-carbohydrate diet is that with its help you can safely and irrevocably lose a decent amount of pounds without suffering from constant hunger. At the same time, however, you shouldn't expect quick results. It's a long-term, controlled process that helps the body avoid unnecessary harm. Those that are usually accompanied by various "hungry" diets. In any case, such a diet can later become a nutritional system, the basis for a daily diet.
The benefits of a low-carb diet are as follows:
- it does not require a fabulous cost as it uses extremely useful and affordable dishes.
- in diabetes mellitus, such a diet will help restore the lipid spectrum, normalize blood sugar levels, but such a diet can only be carried out under the supervision of a specialist;
- the diet is unbalanced, but you can safely adhere to it for a long time or make it a way of life by positioning it as a special nutritional system;
- It is in great demand among athletes as it helps burn fat without affecting muscle mass and it also energizes it for a long time.
Contraindications and disadvantages of a low-carbohydrate diet
As great as the system is, it has both advantages and disadvantages. In addition, a low-carb diet has a number of contraindications:
- it is not recommended to use this diet in childhood and adolescence, since a lack of carbohydrates in a developing body is fraught with unpleasant health consequences.
- Also, during pregnancy and breastfeeding one should not resort to such a weight loss system, since the state of health of the fetus is of the utmost importance for pregnant women, therefore, in principle, they should not go on diets.
- If there are health problems, it is necessary to consult a specialist before starting a diet.
If you adhere to the principles of a low-carbohydrate diet, you should keep in mind that the daily consumption of foods high in protein can lead to undesirable effects on the work of the heart and blood vessels, as well as severe stress on the kidneys. This is usually due to a lack of potassium in the body, which enters the body in small amounts with such a diet.
Glucose deficiency is undoubtedly one of the drawbacks of a low-carb diet. This mainly affects mental activity, memory disorders and a slowdown in the speed of reaction are often noticed. It is especially difficult for lovers of sweets to come to terms with such a diet. A large percentage of those who give up the diet are among these people.
Protein foods are also high in cholesterol, which can build up in the body, and the lack of healthy fiber on the menu can cause intestinal problems. With a high protein content in the diet, the body starts producing ketone bodies. They, in turn, are able to flush fat out of the body, but at the same time they can also absorb useful substances that are needed for the normal and well-coordinated work of important organs and systems. This can often lead to weakness, dizziness, and insomnia. In this case, you need to consult a doctor, most likely, this method of losing weight is not for you.
Since the intake of some useful vegetables is restricted in a low-carbohydrate diet, the body may lack the required amount of vitamins and minerals, so the use of additional vitamin complexes is recommended at this time.
Allowed Products
The basis of the menu for a low-carb diet should be protein-containing foods with a low addition of fats and carbohydrates. The following products are approved:
- lean meat and lean fish;
- Eggs;
- low-fat fermented milk and milk products;
- Mushrooms;
- Seafood;
- various types of vegetables, if possible without potatoes, pulses, olives and olives;
- a limited amount of fruits, with the exception of grapes and bananas, as they are quite high in calories;
- Offal;
- Dried fruits and nuts;
- Buckwheat, oat bran, or brown rice in limited quantities;
- different greens.
Prohibited foods
Forbidden foods on a low-carb diet include:
- starchy vegetables and grains: potatoes, white rice, pasta of all kinds;
- Bread and various products made from it;
- sweet confectionery;
- smoked sausages and other delicacies;
- Mayonnaise, ketchup and other fatty sauces;
- Sugar in any form;
- Grapes and bananas, which are high in fructose;
- Fruit juices and compotes;
- alcoholic drinks.
Nutritionists vie to insist on banning fatty foods and replacing them with low-fat counterparts, but reviews from numerous followers and proponents of this weight loss method suggest otherwise. They quietly adhered to this diet and lost weight by eating some types of fatty sausages and meat. Only you need to eat them in moderation, without overdoing it.
Guidelines for a Low Carbohydrate Diet
In order for such a diet to go as expected and not harm the body, it is necessary to follow certain rules:
- with such a diet it is necessary to drink as much fluids as possible - more than one and a half liters per day;
- Vegetables are recommended to be baked, stewed, or stewed;
- with such a system, walking for at least twenty minutes a day or additional physical activity is desirable;
- To properly compose a daily diet, you should use a table that shows the carbohydrate content of various products.
Table of the content of the carbohydrate component in various products per 100 grams
| Products | Points |
|---|---|
| Alcoholic drinks | |
| High alcohol drinks (rum, whiskey, tequila, vodka, and others) | - |
| The dry wine | $ 1 |
| Beer (approx. 250 grams) | 12 USD |
| Schnapps (approx. 60 grams) | $ 18 |
| mushrooms | |
| Fresh mushrooms | 0. 1 cu. |
| Fresh morels | 0, 2 c. E. |
| Butterlets, honey mushrooms and raw mushrooms | 0. 5 cubic meters |
| Fresh milk mushrooms, boletus and boletus | $ 1 |
| Raw chanterelles, boletus and russula | 1. 5 USD |
| Dried boletus mushrooms | $ 7. 5 |
| Dried boletus | $ 13 |
| Dried boletus | $ 14 |
| Canned food | |
| Any fish | - |
| Beetroot caviar | $ 2 |
| Canned beans | $ 2. 5 |
| Pickled cucumbers | $ 3 |
| Tomatoes and seaweed | $ 4 |
| Olives, eggplant caviar | $ 5 |
| Canned green peas | 6. 5 cubic feet |
| Zucchini caviar | $ 8. 5 |
| Pepper with vegetables | $ 11 |
| Sweet canned corn | $ 14. 5 |
| Tomato paste | $ 19 |
| grain | |
| Beans and other legumes | $ 46 |
| oatmeal | $ 49 |
| Hercules, split peas | $ 50 |
| Buckwheat | $ 62 |
| Pearl barley and millet | $ 66 |
| Just | $ 67 |
| white rice | $ 71 |
| Dairy products | |
| Vegetable fat | - |
| Low-fat cottage cheese, margarine and various types of cheese | $ 1 |
| butter | $ 1, 3 |
| Low-fat cottage cheeses | $ 1, 8 |
| Mayonnaise with any fat content | $ 2. 6 |
| High fat cottage cheese | $ 2. 8th |
| Sour cream with any fat content | $ 3 |
| Sour milk or kefir | $ 3, 2 |
| Sugar-free yogurt | 3. 5 USD |
| Cream with any fat content | $ 4 |
| Pasteurized and baked milk | $ 4. 7th |
| Yogurt with sugar content | $ 8. 5 |
| Sweet curd mass | $ 15 |
| Sweet quark in glaze | 32 USD |
| Meat products, poultry | |
| Different types of meat (lamb, beef, pork, veal), poultry, rabbit, heart and beef liver, lard, loin and tongue, steak and various sausages, pork legs | - |
| Chicken eggs | 0. 5 cubic meters |
| Chicken liver | 1. 5 USD |
| Beef, scalded and milk sausages | 1. 5 USD |
| Pork sausages | $ 2 |
| Breaded meat | $ 5 |
| Meat in batter | 6 USD |
| beverages | |
| Coffee, sugar-free tea, mineral water | - |
| Tomato juice | 3. 5 USD |
| Carrot juice, xylitol compote | 6 USD |
| Apple juice | $ 7. 5 |
| Grapefruit juice | $ 8 |
| Mandarin juice | $ 9 |
| Plum juice with pulp | $ 11 |
| Cherry juice | $ 11. 5 |
| orange juice | 12 USD |
| Grape, pomegranate and apricot juice | $ 14 |
| Plum juice without pulp | $ 16 |
| pear compote | $ 18 |
| Grape and apple compote | $ 19 |
| apricot compote | $ 21 |
| Cherry compote | $ 24 |
| Vegetables, herbs | |
| Daikon | $ 1 |
| Celery, lettuce, spinach | $ 2 |
| Green beans, fresh cucumber, asparagus, sorrel | $ 3 |
| Green onions | 3. 5 USD |
| Pumpkin, zucchini, tomatoes, radishes | $ 4 |
| Eggplant, red cabbage, white and cauliflower, peppers, beets, garlic | $ 5 |
| Green and red peppers | $ 5 |
| Celery root, wild garlic | 6 USD |
| Leek, radish | 6. 5 cubic feet |
| Turnips, carrots | $ 7 |
| Horseradish fresh | $ 7. 5 |
| Beans, kohlrabi, parsley | $ 8 |
| Watermelon, melon, onion, beet | $ 9 |
| Parsley root | $ 10. 5 |
| Fresh green peas | 12 USD |
| Raw potatoes | $ 16 |
| nuts | |
| Pine nuts | $ 10 |
| Almond nut | $ 11 |
| Walnuts and pumpkin seeds | 12 USD |
| Peanuts, hazelnuts, pistachios | $ 15 |
| Sunflower seeds | $ 18 |
| Coconut and sesame seeds | $ 20 |
| Cashews | $ 25 |
| Spices and spices | |
| Red wine vinegar (tablespoon) | - |
| Hot herbs (tablespoon) | 0. 1 cu. |
| Capers and horseradish (tablespoon) | $ 0, 4 |
| Cinnamon and ground hot pepper (teaspoon) | 0. 5 cubic meters |
| Mustard, tartar (tablespoon) | 0. 5 cubic meters |
| Ginger (tablespoon) | 0. 8 cu. |
| Apple cider vinegar and soy sauce (tablespoon) | $ 1 |
| White wine vinegar (tablespoon) | 1. 5 USD |
| BBQ sauce (tablespoon) | $ 1, 8 |
| Vinegar (tablespoon) | $ 2, 3 |
| Tomato sauce (50 grams) | 3. 5 USD |
| Ketchup (tablespoon) | $ 4 |
| Cranberry sauce (tablespoon) | 6. 5 cubic feet |
| Seafood, fish | |
| Frozen, fresh, cooked and smoked fish, shrimp, red and black caviar | - |
| Fresh lobster and seaweed | $ 1 |
| Fresh crabs | $ 2 |
| Fresh squids | $ 4 |
| Fresh mussels | $ 5 |
| Fish in tomato sauce | 6 USD |
| Fresh oysters | $ 7 |
| Breaded fish | 12 USD |
| Sweets | |
| Jam for diabetics | $ 3 |
| Jam for diabetics | $ 9 |
| Ice cream in chocolate | $ 20 |
| ice cream | $ 22 |
| Frozen ice | $ 25 |
| almond cake | $ 45 |
| Chocolate with nuts | $ 48 |
| Sponge cake and dark chocolate | $ 50 |
| chocolates | $ 51 |
| Milk and white chocolate | $ 54 |
| Halva | $ 55 |
| Condensed milk | $ 56 |
| Cream cake | $ 62 |
| Simple waffles and apple jam | $ 65 |
| Apple jam | $ 66 |
| Jam, jam | $ 68 |
| lollipop | $ 70 |
| Strawberry and raspberry jam | $ 71 |
| Honey butter biscuits | $ 75 |
| jam | $ 76 |
| Pudding gingerbread | $ 77 |
| Pastila and fruit wafers | $ 80 |
| Fondant (candy) | $ 83 |
| Caramel filled | $ 92 |
| Different types of sugar | $ 99 |
| Soups | |
| Chicken or meat broth | - |
| Goulash soup and kale soup | 12 USD |
| Mushroom soup | $ 15 |
| vegetable soup | $ 16 |
| tomatosoup | $ 17 |
| Pea soup | $ 20 |
| fruit | |
| Lemons | $ 3 |
| Cherry plum and grapefruit | 6. 5 cubic feet |
| Quince, orange and tangerines | $ 8 |
| rowan | $ 8. 5 |
| Dogwood and apricots | $ 9 |
| Pear, peach, plum and apple | $ 9. 5 |
| Kiwi and cherries | $ 10 |
| Cherries | $ 10. 5 |
| Pomegranate, aronia, fig | $ 11 |
| pineapple | $ 11. 5 |
| Persimmons and nectarines | $ 13 |
| Bananas | $ 21 |
| Dried apples | $ 45 |
| Dried pears | $ 49 |
| Dried apricots | $ 53 |
| Dried apricots | $ 55 |
| Plums | $ 58 |
| raisin | $ 66 |
| Date fruit | $ 68 |
| bread | |
| Soy flour | $ 16 |
| rye | $ 34 |
| diabetic | $ 38 |
| Borodinsky | $ 40 |
| Cereal bread and rye tortillas | $ 43 |
| wheat | $ 50 |
| Riga and rolls | $ 51 |
| Armenian lavash | $ 56 |
| bagel | $ 58 |
| Rye flour | $ 64 |
| Creamy rusks | $ 66 |
| First class wheat flour | $ 67 |
| Sushi, egg noodles and premium wheat flour | $ 68 |
| Sweet straws and pasta | $ 69 |
| Cornmeal | $ 70 |
| Potato starch | $ 79 |
| Cornstarch | $ 80 |
| Berry | |
| Cloudberry | 6 USD |
| strawberry | 6. 5 cubic feet |
| Blueberry | $ 7 |
| Black and red currants | $ 7. 5 |
| Lingonberry, raspberry, blueberry and white currant | $ 8 |
| Gooseberry | $ 9 |
| Fresh rose hips | $ 10 |
| grape | $ 15 |
| Dried rose hip | $ 21. 5 |
Based on the table, you can create a personal menu that you can lose up to 9 kilograms in a week.
The principle of construction is based on restricting the use of foods with a high content of carbohydrates:
- for weight loss - you need to gain up to 40 conventional units per day;
- for weight stabilization - no more than 60 conventional units;
- to increase the kilogram - 60 conventional units and more.
Different menus for the week on a low carb diet
A sample menu for a week can be shown as follows:
- breakfast - steamed omelette, green or herbal tea;
- second breakfast - low-fat cottage cheese;
- Lunch - mushroom soup, boiled chicken;
- Dinner - baked fish.
Slimming menu for the week
To lose about 10 extra pounds in a week, you can try this version of the weekly menu:
- breakfast - cottage cheese with dried fruits;
- Lunch - cabbage soup;
- Dinner - boiled veal.
Diabetes mellitus weekly menu
With diabetes mellitus, a separate medical menu can be used:
- breakfast - low-fat cottage cheese, tea and 2 boiled eggs;
- second breakfast - 250 grams of yogurt;
- Lunch - bean soup;
- Afternoon tea - orange;
- Dinner - oven-baked fish with vegetables.
High-fat, low-carbohydrate diet
This diet was developed by Dr. Atkins invented. It takes place in four phases:
- the first phase - duration 2 weeks, carbohydrate restriction about 20 grams, proteins allowed in any amount;
- the second phase - lasts for several months, during which it is necessary to gradually increase the amount of carbohydrates ingested in food;
- the third phase - in order to keep the weight in the current state, it is recommended to increase the amount of available carbohydrates to 10 grams per day;
- fourth phase - to consolidate the result, you need to consume the same amount of carbohydrates as in the third phase.
Sample menu for athletes
To effectively burn fat without losing muscle mass, it is recommended to use the following menu for about a week:
- breakfast - tea, oatmeal in milk;
- second breakfast - 200 grams of low-fat cottage cheese;
- Lunch - vegetable soup, seafood salad, steamed vegetables;
- Afternoon tea - cottage cheese pudding;
- Dinner - meat baked in the oven, stewed vegetables, kefir.
Low carb diet for vegetarians
There is a separate diet for those who do not include meat in their diet. There are some rules for them:
- the calculation of carbohydrates consumed must be done in this way: 5 grams of carbohydrates per 10 kilograms of weight;
- Meat and fish products need to be replaced with soybeans, beans and grains.
Protein diet
Such a menu in their diet can be used both by athletes during the dry season and by ordinary people who prefer protein foods:
- breakfast - tea and 100 grams of fat-free cottage cheese;
- second breakfast - zhmenya nuts;
- Lunch - boiled chicken with stewed vegetables;
- Afternoon tea - kefir or yogurt;
- Dinner - fish cooked in a double boiler.
Low Carbohydrate Diet Recipes
Shrimp soup
For the soup you will need:
- shrimp - 1 kg;
- Celery;
- tomato - 1 piece;
- onion - 1 piece;
- Curry;
- Lemon juice.
Peel the prawns and rinse well, finely chop the vegetables and herbs. Pour water over the ingredients, add a little curry, drizzle with lemon juice and place on the stove.
Beef stew with spinach
To prepare such a dish, you can use the following recipe:
- beef - 1 kg;
- Spinach - 400 grams;
- onion - 1 piece;
- Celery root - 200 grams;
- Garlic - 1 clove;
- tomatoes - 2 pieces;
- Olive oil;
- Caraway seed;
- Ginger powder;
- Beef broth - 250 grams.
Fry all the spices in oil, gradually adding chopped onions and tomatoes. Fry a little, add the beef stock and the remaining ingredients. It is best to cut the beef into strips so that cooking takes less time. Cover the bowl and simmer for forty minutes.
Conclusions
Reviews of the low carb diet are mixed, with many supporters and many opponents alike. However, both these and those indicate their effectiveness. Such a diet is well suited for those who do not like strenuous fasting, because there are a lot of foods that can be consumed. Its advantages include successful use in diabetes mellitus. It has worked quite well as a remedy. In addition, it is affordable and will not weigh heavily on the family budget. In a word, if you use such a system specifically for weight loss, it will undoubtedly produce amazing results. However, it should be remembered that such a diet, although not a mono diet, but its indicators are unbalanced in history.