04 Dec 2018

Low Carb Diet: What You Need to Know

Nutrition AdviceHealth and Wellbeing Advice

Are low carb diets another fad diet? Are they safe, healthy and beneficial for weight loss?

Be it sugary foods, bread or pasta, what impact are they having on your weight and how much better off would you be without them?

Let’s find out. But first, what are the rules and regulations for an effective low carb eating plan?

What Meat Should You Eat on a Carb-Free Diet?

On a low or carb-free diet, you can eat meat – lean chicken, beef, pork, lamb – but stick to grass-fed meats if you can. Research suggests that grass-fed meat has a higher concentration of desirable omega-3 fats and potentially soluble vitamins A and E.

Next on your low-carb diet is fish. That means salmon, haddock, trout and other wild fish, ideally fresh and not canned.

Eggs? Absolutely, but try to stick to Omega 3 rich or organic eggs.

What Veggies Can You Eat on a Low Carb Diet?

Well, everything except the starchy ones. Your best bets are cauliflower, spinach, broccoli, and carrots.

What Drinks Can You Have on a Low Carb Diet?

Coffee and tea are both fine (without sugar of course) and you can increase your daily intake of water.

Sparkling water is also fine as long as it’s sugar-free.

What Can’t You Eat on a Low Carb Diet?

Number one is sugar, perhaps the most diabolical substance on the planet for gaining weight and losing teeth, among other things. So that means no soft drinks, ice cream, fruit juices and about a million other things filled with sugar to feed your cravings, including junk food.

Then there’s anything highly processed and highly interested in messing with your system in unattractive ways.

Trans fats are the next nasty to avoid and that includes any hydrogenated oil.

And we’re not quite finished. Ideally, you also want to avoid anything that calls itself ‘low fat’ – it probably isn’t. That includes low-fat dairy products and cereals, which may well be low in fat, but generally sneak in unwanted sugar.

Is a Low Carb Diet Healthy?

It has been suggested that low carb diets do have some health benefits. Low carb diets may also be helpful in preventing or lowering your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

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