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Is a low-carbohydrate slimming diet effective? According to some dietary concepts, the main reason for gaining weight is an excess of carbohydrates. Giving up on them is the easiest way to achieve a slim figure. We present an example menu for a week, based on products with a low carbohydrate content.

Low-carbohydrate dietis a diet that is based on limiting the consumption of products that provide carbohydrates below the values ​​recommended by official institutions and standards of nutrition of the population, which currently amount to 45-65% of energy in daily diet. At the same time, the proportion of he althy fats in meals increases.

Low-carb diet - rules

Low carbohydrate diet can often be found under the name LCHF from the English low carb high fat. The proportion of protein in this diet also increases, but not to the same extent as in high-protein diets (20-30%).

Low-carbohydrate diets include popular eating styles and ready-made nutritional programs, incl. paleo, Atkins, South Beach, Kwaśniewski. There are several types of diets with restriction of carbohydrates:

• moderate - providing 26-45% of energy in the diet, • low-carbohydrate - providing less than 130 g of carbohydrates per day (less than 26% of energy with a 2000 kcal diet), • ketogenic, very low carbohydrate - providing 20-50 g of carbohydrates per day (4-10% of energy with a diet of 2000 kcal).

The division into types of low-carbohydrate diets results from the fact that the minimum amount of carbohydrates necessary for the work of the brain is considered to be 130 g. However, in most people, when consuming carbohydrates at the level of 20-50 g per day, the body enters the state of ketosis, in which the basic source of energy for all body cells, including the brain, becomes ketone bodies (a product of fat metabolism), and not glucose (a product of carbohydrate metabolism).

Low-carbohydrate diets do not introduce strict recommendations as to how to prepare meals or the amount of calories consumed. The key is to provide the body with sufficiently small portions of carbohydrates and to replenish the calorie deficiency resulting from carbohydrate restriction with a greater consumption of he althy fats.

Regardless of your variety of low-carb diets, eating a diet is always recommendedunprocessed, eating green leafy vegetables and cruciferous vegetables, nuts, almonds, seeds, eggs, fish, unprocessed meat, fatty natural dairy products, and avocado, coconut and olive fats.

In order to strictly adhere to the recommended carbohydrate intake, it is imperative to refer to the nutritional tables of foods and to count the carbohydrate intake in your meals. Carbohydrates do not include fiber, but only those absorbed in the digestive tract.

Online calculators and smartphone applications are very helpful tools to help control carbohydrate intake.

Low-carbohydrate diet - what can you eat?

Low-carbohydrate diets are not diets that completely exclude carbohydrates, but you must be aware that they are found not only in cereal products (bread, pasta, groats, cereals, etc.) or sweets, but also in fruits, dairy products, legume seeds, and in very small amounts in most vegetables.

In meals, eggs in various forms, salads play an important role, and meat combined with vegetables for the main courses. This diet promotes food from local producers, meat preferably from a farmer, dairy products from small local dairies, where the fat content of the products is higher than those typically available in stores.

Sparkling and still water is recommended for drinking. Between meals, in case of lack of hunger, you can drink black coffee or with a little addition of milk or cream. If you feel hungry, you can add cream to the coffee without restrictions. On LCHF diets, the so-called bulletproof coffee - coffee with butter or coconut oil.

With spirits, red or white dry wine, vodka, gin, whiskey and brandy are allowed occasionally, but only drunk with water or lime juice.

It's worth a try

Author: Time S.A

An individually selected diet will allow you to easily lose weight, and at the same time eat he althy, tasty and without sacrifices. Take advantage of Jeszcolubisz, the innovative online dietary system of the He alth Guide and take care of your he alth and well-being. Enjoy the perfectly selected menu and the constant support of a dietitian today!

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Low-carbohydrate diet - recommended products

Almonds
Meat, fish, eggsDairyFatNuts and seedsVegetables
Red meat of any fat content Chicken, turkey, duck etc. Game Lean and fatty fish Seafood EggsYellow cheese, white cheese, cottage cheese, cottage cheese, cream, full-fat yoghurtGreekOlive oil Butter Coconut oil AvocadoAll leafy greens Cruciferous vegetables Vegetables growing above the ground

Fruits are also allowed, but in limited amounts depending on the carbohydrate content. The least amount of sugar is found in berries: blueberries, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries.

Low-carbohydrate diet - contraindicated products

On a low-carbohydrate diet, it is forbidden to: sweets and sweet drinks: carbonated, non-carbonated, energy, isotonic drinks, cookies, wafers, chocolate, candies, ice cream, confectionery, breakfast cereals, etc., and beer and colorful drinks from alcohol, because they provide a lot of sugar in the most unhe althy version.

Crisps, breadsticks, crackers, white bread, white pasta and any white flour products are excluded. Margarine (especially hard in cubes) is also forbidden as a source of trans fats.

Depending on the assumed carbohydrate intake, you need to significantly reduce or completely eliminate the sources of complex carbohydrates, i.e. thick groats, rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, wholemeal pasta, wholemeal bread, whole grain cereals, etc. Small amounts of root vegetables (beetroot, carrots, parsley, celery) and legumes.

Low-carbohydrate diet - carbohydrate content in foods

15 g of carbohydrate can be found in:

  • cereal products - e.g. a slice of bread; 1 tortilla cake approx. 15 cm; 1/2 cup of unsweetened cereal; 1/3 cup of cooked pasta; 1/3 cup of cooked rice; 1/2 cup of cooked groats
  • fruit - e.g. 1 small apple; 1 small pear; 4 apricots; 1/2 large banana; 15 cherries; 15 grapes; 2 figs; 3/4 cup of raspberries; 2 plums; 1 large kiwi; 3/4 cup of fresh pineapple; 1 and 1/4 cups of watermelon
  • dairy products - e.g. 300 ml of milk; 1 cup of lean yogurt; 750 g of cottage cheese; 1 kg of feta cheese
  • legumes - e.g. / 1/2 cup of cooked legumes; 1/2 cup of boiled potatoes; 1 small baked potato; 3 cups raw: asparagus, tomatoes, broccoli, courgettes, peppers etc.
  • snacks / sweets - e.g. 3 level teaspoons of sugar; 4 glasses of popcorn; 30 g of chips; piece of cake 5x5 cm, 1/2 cup of ice cream; 1 small cereal bar; 1/2 cup of chocolate milk

Foods that contain no or no carbohydrates include vegetable oils, butter, meat, fish, eggs, and cheese.

Dietlow carbohydrate - is it he althy?

  • Nutritional value of low-carb diets

There is an opinion that reduced-carbohydrate diets do not provide adequate amounts of minerals and vitamins.

Australian research has shown that this problem does not occur with a rationally planned meal plan. The diet failed to cover only women's iron requirements (86-98% of recommended amounts were reached) and vitamin D in women and men, which is a common problem with most diets.

  • Low-carbohydrate diet for insulin resistance and diabetes

A low-carbohydrate diet should be the first choice for treating insulin resistance and diabetes. It has a positive effect on glycemic control and allows you to limit the doses of medications taken. This has been repeatedly shown by serious scientific research, but official recommendations for the diet in diabetes still recommend a diet based on carbohydrates with a low glycemic index.

GOOD TO KNOW: A DIABETIC DIET in accordance with the principles of he althy eating

  • Low-carbohydrate diet and the risk of cardiovascular disease

Many cardiologists believe that low-carbohydrate diets increase the risk of heart disease from consuming more animal fats.

The same theory can be found in guides recommending a high-carbohydrate and low-fat diet in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. It should be remembered here that the theory lobbied for decades that the consumption of saturated fat from animals is the main cause of atherosclerosis and heart attacks has not been confirmed in epidemiological studies.

No association has been demonstrated between the amount of animal fat in the diet and mortality from atherosclerosis.

Randomized, controlled studies show that low-carbohydrate diets not only do not adversely affect the parameters tested, but can even improve them.

A 2022 review (Noakes et al.) Clearly shows that the LCHF diet lowers triglycerides and ApoB (one of the risk indicators for atherosclerosis) and raises HDL "good cholesterol" levels better than a low-fat diet. It can also slightly lower the level of "bad cholesterol" LDL, but not statistically significant.

Some studies show that following the LCHF diet slightly raises total cholesterol, but it should be noted that this is normal when at least one component (in this case, HDL) increases. In addition, for cardiovascular he alth, the ratio between HDL and LDL levels is crucial, not alonetotal cholesterol.

Numerous studies investigating the effects of a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet on factors associated with heart disease show that:

• HDL level increases, • ApoB levels decrease, • blood flow through arterioles improves, • inflammatory biomarkers decrease, • systolic and diastolic blood pressure decrease, • glycemic control improves and the level of glycated hemoglobin decreases , • blood glucose and insulin levels decrease, • abdominal circumference, visceral fat and fatty liver decrease.

All these positive changes indicate a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease with the LCHF diet.

  • Is ketosis dangerous?

Ketosis is associated with, and sometimes mistakenly equated with, ketoacidosis. Ketosis is a condition in which the liver produces ketone bodies which are the source of energy for the brain and nervous system due to the restriction of carbohydrates in the diet. Ketosis naturally occurs in newborns, during pregnancy and fasting.

In a person whose diet is based on carbohydrates, the level of ketone bodies is 0.1 - 0.3 mmol / L. On a low-carbohydrate diet, it rises from 1 to 7-8 mmol / L. However, the he alth and life-threatening state of ketoacidosis occurs only at the level of ketone bodies of 25 mmol / L. It is therefore at least 3 times higher than with the LCHF diet.

  • Other side effects of low-carb diets

Very low-carbohydrate diets can cause headaches, dullness, and muscle aches. Most people who experience side effects disappear after a period of adaptation.

Low-carbohydrate diet and slimming

The low-carb diet was first used as a weight loss diet around 1860. It gained enormous popularity in the 70s of the twentieth century thanks to the book by Dr. Atkins. Back then, his diet was considered one of the "miracle diets", but today it is already known that a low-carbohydrate diet is an effective approach to weight loss, and this is confirmed by numerous scientific studies.

In the conclusions of the analyzes, we can read that low-carbohydrate diets are at least as effective as other dietary approaches, but more often it is concluded that the diet is more effective and easier to follow.

Importantly, adherence to the principles of a low-carbohydrate diet results in an increased feeling of satiety and a spontaneous reduction in the amount of calories consumed by study participants (without suggesting or imposing any restrictions on the amount of food), which greatly helps in the long-term process of losing excess weightbody.

Greater satiety may result from increased protein intake, balanced blood glucose levels (sugar spikes after consuming carbohydrates result in hunger pangs), the state of ketosis in the body, and metabolic changes.

  • An annual randomized trial of 148 obese women and men without type II diabetes or cardiovascular disease compared weight loss on an LCHF diet (less than 40 g of carbohydrate per day) and a 55% carbohydrate diet. In the first group, the average weight loss was 5.3 kg, and in the second - 1.8 kg.
  • In 84 people with type II diabetes, the effect of a ketogenic diet in comparison with a diet with a low GI and limited by 500 kcal calories was tested. After 24 weeks, a much higher weight loss was found in the group on the ketogenic diet (11.1 kg vs. 6.9 kg).
  • 322 overweight people were divided into 3 groups. The first was a reduced calorie Mediterranean diet, the second was a low-fat, reduced-calorie diet, and the third was a low-carbohydrate, norm-calorie diet. A check was performed after 24 months. In the first group, the weight loss was on average 4.4 kg, in the second - 2.9 kg, and in the third - 4.7 kg.

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Low-carbohydrate diet - recommendations

A low-carbohydrate diet should be recommended in the first place to patients with diabetes type I and II. Its effectiveness in the treatment of these diseases and the possibility of reducing the doses of medications taken have been proven many times, also in large scientific studies.

The confirmation may be, for example, a very serious collective work (Feinmann et al., 2015) presenting an overview of long-term randomized controlled trials, i.e. the most reliable in the world of science. It is signed by several dozen specialists in diabetes and nutrition, emphasizing the need to change the current official recommendations of a low-fat diet with a low glycemic index in the treatment of diabetes.

The ketogenic diet, which is the most restrictive type of low-carbohydrate diet, is successfully used in the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy. In this case, it requires entering under the supervision of a doctor.

Low-carbohydrate diets can certainly benefit people who are slimming. It brings very good results,while giving the impression of being full.

A group that should not introduce large restrictions on carbohydrates are pregnant and breastfeeding women. Their demand is then higher. Also in people suffering from hypothyroidism, it is inadvisable to limit carbohydrates. Ideally, they shouldn't consume less than 120-130 g per day (women).

Low-carbohydrate diet - sample menu

Day 1

Breakfast

Scrambled eggs fried in butter with tomato

Second breakfast

A handful of almonds

1 small apple

Lunch

Zucchini noodles (cut the zucchini into very thin strips, add to s alted boiling water for 2 minutes) with Parma ham fried for a while in a pan with garlic, cherry tomatoes, a spoonful of pine nuts, grated Parmesan cheese and olive oil.

Afternoon tea

Cottage cheese with radish, cucumber and chives

Dinner

Salad: lettuce, arugula, roasted spiced chicken breast, chopped into strips, tomato, pepper, dried tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, spices

Day 2

Breakfast

Very good quality sausages, min. 90% meat, no nitrites, polyphosphates, monosodium glutamate, yeast extract, dyes, emulsifiers and fillers (e.g. pea protein) Tomatoes with onion and olive oil

Second breakfast

Chia pudding with raspberries (mix half a can of coconut milk with 2 tablespoons of chia and 1 level teaspoon of honey, cool, place half a cup of blended or whole raspberries on top)

Lunch

Pork neck baked in slices with onion (eat with the prepared sauce) Pickled cucumbers

Afternoon tea

Vegetables, cut into sticks, e.g. carrots, peppers dipped in hummus

Dinner

Boiled broccoli divided into florets with egg, tomato, fresh cucumber, radish sprouts, olive oil, spices

Day 3

Breakfast

Egg omelette and 1 tablespoon coconut flour fried in coconut oil with cheese and stewed mushrooms with onion

Second breakfast

Greek yogurt with half a cup of blueberries and a handful of hazelnuts

Lunch

Halibut baked in foil with lemon and dill

Baked vegetables: zucchini, tomatoes, peppers with thyme, s alt, garlic and olive oil

Afternoon tea

Very good quality kabanos sausages

A cup of radishes

Dinner

Pumpkin cream soup with coconut milk and ginger sprinkled with pumpkin seeds

Day 4

Breakfast

2-4 slices of low-carb vegetable bread with butter, high-quality sausage, lettuce, tomato, radish

Low-carbohydrate bread

  • 7 bigger eggs
  • 1 a well-filled glass of grated vegetables, e.g. carrots, zucchini
  • half a cup of olive oil or melted butter
  • 1/3 cups coconut flour
  • 1/3 cups of flax flour
  • 1/4 cups of pumpkin seeds
  • 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon of baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon of s alt
  • optional spices

Grate the vegetables on a fine grater and squeeze the juice out thoroughly. Beat the wet ingredients, apart from vegetables, in a bowl to a loose, fluffy mass. Add all dry ingredients and mix with a spoon. Add vegetables and half of the pumpkin seeds. Mix. Pour the dough into a 10x20 cm mold, sprinkle with pumpkin seeds on top. Bake for 50-60 minutes at 180oC until the so-called dry stick.

Second breakfast

A handful of plums, a handful of walnuts

Lunch

Roasted chicken thighs with rosemary and tomatoes (eat with skin) Carrot and leek salad

Afternoon tea

Cottage cheese with a teaspoon of sugar-free homemade jam

Dinner

Stewed vegetables without potatoes, e.g. in coconut oil + meat from dinner

Day 5

Breakfast

Salad with avocado, tomato, canned tuna, sunflower seeds and olive oil

Second breakfast

2 slices of low-carb bread with butter, cheese and tomato

Lunch

Pork shoulder stew with mushrooms, pepper and pickled cucumber

Afternoon tea

Cocktail: half a can of coconut milk + half a banana

Dinner

Tomatoes with mozzarella, arugula, basil and olive oil

Day 6

Breakfast

Scrambled eggs fried in butter with paprika

Second breakfast

Cold cheesecake with strawberries and jelly (homemade, based on unsweetened compote) with erythritol instead of sugar

Lunch

Chicken breast with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes in cream-cheese sauce

Afternoon tea

2 cups of vegetables

Dinner

Mexican soup with minced meat, paprika, tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of red beans

Day 7

Breakfast

2-4 slices of low-carbohydrate vegetable bread + mackerel and pickled cucumber paste

Second breakfast

Greek salad: tomatoes, black olives, red onion, feta, olive oil

Lunch

Fried liver served with a sauce of stewed onion, Greek yogurt and mustard Roasted pumpkin with thyme

Afternoon tea

High-fat cheese crackers with guacamole

  • 200 g of good quality cheese
  • 100 g coconut flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup of cold water
  • s alt, pepper, favorite spices to taste

Grate the cheese on a medium-mesh grater. Mix all ingredients together until an elastic mass is obtained. If necessary, add a little water or coconut flour. Shape into a ball. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Put the dough on a baking tray and form a flat cake with the palm of your hand. Bake for 15 minutes at 210oC, forced air. After cooling, cut into squares.

Dinner

Shrimps stewed in butter with parsley Mix of lettuces with olive oil

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Slimming