Low-carb dieting involves cutting out carbohydrates from your diet, or at least limiting them, and adding more proteins and fats. But even if you cut out grains, starchy vegetables and fruits, will it still help you lose weight and more importantly, will you be healthy and will the weight loss results last?
If you give up vegetables, fruits and grains, the answer is NO. Your body needs the nutrients it gets from these essential foods to keep you healthy. In fact, if you only eat protein and fat, you’re at higher risk for heart disease, cancer, and other types of diseases. But there is a way you can stick to a low-carb diet and still be healthy. Here’s how.
Eat whole grains instead of processed grains like white rice and white bread. These are empty carbs, while whole grains can help you lose weight. For example, eat brown rice instead of bread or pasta.
Choose green leafy vegetables and broccoli. A leafy green, such as kale, paired with broccoli will give you great nutritional value. While it’s best to eat a variety of vegetables, you can’t go wrong by sticking to green, leafy vegetables rather than eliminating veggies from your diet entirely.
Add fruit sparingly. Eat a few fruits from different color groups for the best nutrition. For example, eat a strawberry, a piece of melon and a handful of blueberries. While this doesn’t add too many extra carbs, it does help you get the vitamins and minerals you need.
Eggs are a great way to add protein to your diet because they contain many of the same nutrients as fruits and vegetables without the high carbs. For example, eggs provide you with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin A and many other nutritional supplements. If you’re really trying to follow low-carb diet advice, only eat the yolk.
If you eliminate these foods from your diet just to lose weight fast, you’re more likely to gain the weight right back down the road. This is called a “yo-yo” diet. This is because your body will be so nutrient deficient during the diet that you will crave the foods and later overeat. It’s better to completely eliminate foods that are bad for you, like junk food, and only slightly reduce your intake of foods that are good for you, including grains, fruits, and vegetables.
The worst things you can eat while on a low-carb diet are sugary drinks, snacks, and desserts. Eliminate them from your diet before giving up whole grains, fruits or vegetables. It’s also important to know that low-carb diets result in energy loss. This is because your body needs carbohydrates to produce energy. If you find that you don’t have enough energy to keep up with your normal lifestyle, you may have cut out too many carbohydrates. Add them back in until you feel ready to go about your daily tasks or consider changing your diet.
Thanks to Vladimir Ciplic
