Low carbohydrate diet: benefits, contraindications and an approximate menu

Low Carbohydrate Diet- it's just a one- or two-month diet, it's a way of life. And although it has certain product restrictions (eg, it is necessary to exclude soft drinks, sugar, baked goods), it is not much stricter than usual, but very vague in its understanding of proper nutrition.

Grilled meat, fish, fatty dairy products, berries, vegetables and a variety of vegetables - and with all that variety, you can still successfully shed extra pounds! Doesn't every girl dream of that?! But as elsewhere, there are pitfalls here - which is why we strongly recommend that you consult your doctor before switching to a low-carb diet.

The essence of a low carb diet

Anyone who has tried to lose weight at least once knows that in order to lose weight, you need to give up sweet, starchy foods. It is true that most of the time foods that contain fat are excluded from the diet - butter, meat, cream, mayonnaise. As a result, girls, in an effort to gain the dream figure, eat lettuce and green tea, which inevitably leads to a meltdown and even greater weight gain. This approach to losing weight is fundamentally wrong. To lose weight you need to eat, only the diet should be different from what you followed before.

Furthermore, many women forget that healthy fats are the basis for the formation of sex hormones in the ovaries, adrenal hormones and vitamin D, which is responsible for the expression of several thousand genes!

Nutritionists are constantly studying the effect of certain foods on human health. Their work results in various nutritional systems aimed at maintaining good health, a stable emotional background, and achieving optimal physical fitness. In the mid-2000s, Swedish scientists proved that widespread and massive consumption of sugar and starch, rather than fat, as previously believed, is much more harmful to the figure. This has led to a real revolution in nutrition.

Fatty foods have a completely different effect: they give the body a lasting feeling of fullness, they give it energy, which is enough for a long enough period. Just compare: when carbohydrates are burned inside our body's furnaces, the production plant in the form of cells and tissues receives a little more than 4 kilocalories, while fat brings twice as much - 9 with a small tail.

Recently, another myth has been debunked that the brain needs glucose to function normally, which supposedly can only be obtained with pure sugar. Large-scale studies in the field of physiology and nutritional science suggest the opposite: senile dementia is most often seen in sweet lovers, and those who have consumed moderate amounts of carbohydrate throughout their lives maintain clarity of thought until the end of their days.

In fact, nervous tissue uses glucose as a substrate for energy (ie, the firewood it sends to mitochondrial stoves) - this is a favorite, but it's far from the only way to ensure its vital functions. With prolonged starvation and a decrease in the intake of carbohydrates with food, our brains, at first, of course, reluctantly, but switch from gasoline to gas - or rather, from glucose to ketone bodies.

A low-carb weight-loss diet is very easy to tolerate for many women as it is not accompanied by hunger pangs. Adherents to this eating style note that they do not feel the urge to eat foods that contain large amounts of sugar and starch. In this sense, there is no need to clearly normalize the amount of carbohydrates allowed, however, nutritionists still give certain recommendations - 20 to 100 g of carbohydrates per day. Of course, the source of your supply should be cereals, vegetables and fruits, but not refined sugar and premium (and even more refined) flour.

However, the constant counting of calories in and the resulting guilt if you haven't fit the daily norm only involves loosening the emotional background - and then losing weight backfires with psychosis. Add enough physical activity and make sure that satiety doesn't automatically equate to overeating, and then you definitely don't need very conditional calorie calculations by apps on your phone.

• Eat only natural fats, strongly discarding synthetic ones.
• Keep food cooking to a minimum.
• Eat with pleasure, getting physical and aesthetic pleasure. Be alone with your plate - don't let phones, newspapers and TVs distract you from your meal: don't forget that digestive juices are secreted even before the food touches the taste buds in your mouth - this is called the brain secretion or phase. complex reflex.

There are no serious contraindications to a low-carb diet, but people with chronic illnesses (such as Tired Adrenal Syndrome) are advised to consult their physician. Insulin-dependent patients, patients with cardiovascular problems, must take into account the peculiarities of their condition and be guided by the recommendations of nutritionists.

How Mitochondria Work in the Body

Apparently, why would a person, far from science, understand such a complex issue? However, understanding the fundamentals of cell function will make it possible to better understand what processes are taking place deep within our bodies. We'll just look at the effect of ketones and insulin on mitochondrial activity to show how exactly we can improve our health just by making dietary changes.

Mitochondria function- Extraction of energy from food, its combination with oxygen and the synthesis of adenosine triphosphoric acid (ATP), which is the basic unit of energy in an animal cell. Mitochondria are present in every cell in the body with the exception of erythrocytes - red blood cells are forced to support themselves through slightly different glucose transformation processes.

Insulin plays an important role in this process. It depends exactly on how the body will dispose of the generated energy: will it use it for current needs or store it for a rainy day. Elevated insulin levels trigger synthetic reactions - including fat. This is the ANABOLISM hormone - that's why everything grows on it: both the muscles (due to increased protein production) and the cancer cells (actually, the tumor is based on uncontrolled division).

The lack of carbohydrates leads to the fact that insulin is produced in a limited amount - just enough to cover the body's needs. This starts the process of ketogenesis: fatty acids are converted into ketones, which serve as fuel for cells - including brain neurons, as mentioned earlier.

8 Types of Low Carbohydrate Diets

Basic Low Carbohydrate Diet

In a nutshell, it can be described as follows: carbohydrates - less protein - more (compared to your normal diet). The basis of the diet is meat, fish, eggs, cereals, vegetables, fruits, nuts, natural fats.

As for the recommended amount of carbohydrates, it depends on the objective:

• to maintain weight or provide energy to the body for intense sports activities - 100-150 grams. Starchy fruits and vegetables are allowed;
• moderately reduce weight - 50-100 grams; Prohibited potatoes and sweet fruits with high carbohydrate content (such as bananas and mangoes)
• quickly get rid of excess fat - no more than 50 grams. Lots of vegetables, but minimal fruit.

Ketogenic Diet

If you reduce your carbohydrate intake to a minimum, your insulin levels drop to baseline, triggering the onset of ketosis, a state in which fatty acids are broken down to extract the energy your body needs. Ketone bodies are formed in the liver, which itself does not have enzymes to use for energy - in fact, it is a factory that produces goods for export. These molecules act as fuel for your muscles, kidneys and brain.

The diet for a ketone diet includes foods high in protein and fat, while the amount of carbohydrates is limited to 20-50 (and often 5-10) grams per day.

Low Carbohydrate High Fat Diet (LCHF - Low Carbohydrate, High Fat). . .

This style of eating differs from the usual option by emphasizing the inclusion in the diet of whole foods or foods that have undergone minimal cooking. Most common in Scandinavia, where sustainable ways of eating and living in general are traditionally popular.

Paleo-low carbohydrate diet

Adherents to this method of losing weight and maintaining health believe that only foods that were available to humans at the beginning of its appearance in the Paleolithic era can be consumed. You can eat meat and fish, seafood, eggs, fruits, vegetables and wild berries, nuts, seeds and roots. In short, what ancient man could gather or take with his own hands is permissible. Everything that has emerged as a result of the development of agriculture and the food industry is prohibited: sugar, cereals, sausages and confectionery, semi-finished products. The main idea of this diet is the confidence that when Homo sapiens appeared, nature had prepared everything that was necessary for its good nutrition.

Atkins diet

The popularity of this weight loss system has not diminished over the past forty years. Meat, fish, seafood, eggs, salads and other non-starchy vegetables, mushrooms, dairy products and nuts are allowed. Fruits need to be limited due to their high fructose content.

The diet has four steps:

• in the induction phase, it is recommended to ingest less than 20 g of carbohydrates for two weeks. The diet consists of protein products and vegetables that do not contain starch.
• in the stable weight loss phase, the amount of carbohydrate increases weekly by 5 g 3-5 kg before the desired weight, this phase ends.
• in the stabilization phase, carbohydrates are added at 10 g per week.
• in the maintenance phase, it is allowed to include healthy carbohydrates in the diet. If the weight starts to increase, its number decreases again.

Eco-Atkins

For herbal nutrition enthusiasts, a special type of Atkins diet has been created. As animal products are not used as a protein source, essential amino acids are obtained from soy, legumes, nuts and gluten. This inevitably increases the amount of carbohydrates consumed compared to the classic Atkins diet, but in the context of traditional diets, there are very few of them on the vegan menu. Furthermore, the frequent use of cereals negatively affects intestinal permeability - it increases, which leads to the entry of bacterial cell wall elements into the systemic circulation and activation of immune system reactions.

Zero Carbohydrate Diet

Few decide to completely exclude the use of carbohydrates to start the process of active weight loss. However, there are people who exclusively include animal products in their diet. Its menu includes meat, fish, eggs and animal fats. They don't eat vegetables, fruits and even more cereals. It is not clear how safe this style of eating is, as the corresponding scientific research has not yet been carried out.

Definitely, the total absence of fiber (a kind of broom that cleans the intestines and also stimulates their motility) will negatively affect the body. The resulting constipation and stool problems form a closed vicious circle, leading, in turn, to bacterial overgrowth and, as a result, to an increase in intraintestinal pressure. The latter will negatively affect the excretion mechanisms of pancreatic juice and bile.

mediterranean diet

Based on the traditional Mediterranean diet of fish, seafood, olives, vegetables, cheese and durum wheat pasta. It differs from the classic low-carbohydrate diet because of its reduced content of red meat and animal fats and the large amount of vegetables, including olive oil. Studies show that this lifestyle helps the Mediterranean population suffer less from obesity, cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes.

Benefits of a Low Carbohydrate Diet for Weight Loss

Research has proven the effectiveness of a low-carb diet for weight loss. At the same time, people do not feel hungry, do not experience a constant craving for prohibited products. This is due to the specificity of protein degradation and the sufficient caloric content of fats.

A low-carb diet can help you quickly lose belly fat, including visceral deposits around your internal organs. This significantly reduces the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer.

Benefits of a Low Carbohydrate Diet in Fighting Disease

Excess weight becomes the cause of many pathological conditions, so you need to get rid of the accumulated pounds, even if there are still no tangible health problems. A low-carbohydrate diet should be the guiding principle of nutrition for patients with diabetes, heart, reproductive, and neurological diseases.

• Diabetes. . . Changing the diet to fewer carbohydrates while increasing fat has many beneficial effects in obese patients with type 2 diabetes. By following this diet, they stabilize blood glucose levels and can take lower doses of medications prescribed for this condition.
• neurological disease. . . For people with epilepsy, a low-carb diet has long been recommended as a simple and effective way to reduce the risk of seizures. In the case of Alzheimer's disease, in addition to preventing its occurrence, neurologists advise including more high-fat foods in the diet and minimizing the use of simple carbohydrates.
• Heart diseases. . . By adhering to the principles of a minimal carbohydrate diet, patients with heart problems can significantly improve their condition. One study involved 55 overweight individuals. After 12 weeks of adhering to a low-carbohydrate diet, they showed a decrease in triglycerides, C-reactive protein (a major marker of inflammation) and also an improvement in indicators of "good" cholesterol in HDL (high density lipoprotein)

Foods to Avoid on a Low Carbohydrate Diet

Complying with a diet means excluding the following foods from the diet:

• cereals and starch: breads, rolls, pies, pasta, rice and other cereals.
• sweet drinks: juices, tea with sugar, milkshakes, fruit smoothies, sports drinks, cocoa, sweet lemonade.
• Sweeteners: sugar, honey, agave, syrups.
• Vegetables rich in starch and sugar: potatoes, sweet potatoes, zucchini, beets, peas.
• Alcoholic beverages: beer, sweet cocktails and sweet wines.
• Commercially available low-calorie and diet foods. . . This labeling is often misleading: light mayonnaise contains starch and diabetes products contain fructose.
• Semi-finished and sausage products: not suitable due to high sugar, starch and soy content. They are also a hidden source of gluten.
• Fruits can be consumed in limited quantities, berries - in small portions.

These are general guidelines for all types of low-carb diets. The exact amount of carbohydrates that can be consumed during the day depends on the goal and, consequently, the type of diet. Thus, ketosis can only be achieved with the maximum reduction of carbohydrate-containing foods. Other types of diet can include up to 50 or even 100 g of carbohydrates in the diet.

List of approved products

To lose weight without feeling hungry and unhealthy, the creators of low-carb nutrition systems are focusing on foods high in fat and protein.

This list includes:

• Eggs. . . They contain lots of healthy fats and an almost complete absence of carbohydrates. In particular, it is a source of biotin, fat-soluble vitamins (A, D and E), in addition to choline, a precursor of one of the main neurotransmitters in the nervous system - acetylcholine.
• oils. . . All types of oils can be used in the diet, but olive, coconut and avocado oils are recognized as leaders in terms of health benefits.
• A fish. . . It is better to give preference to fatty varieties - salmon, trout, sardines. Sufficient consumption will provide the body with omega-3 fatty acids, significantly reducing the risk of cardiovascular system pathologies and impaired cognitive functions.
• Meat and Poultry. . . Veal, chicken, turkey and rabbit are recommended.
• Milk derivatives. . . Cream, unsweetened yogurt, butter, cottage cheese, cheeses.
• Starchy Vegetables. . . Any greens, broccoli, all kinds of lettuce, asparagus, cauliflower, peppers, mushrooms.
• Avocado. . . A unique fruit with a healthy high fat content.

I'll give you a sample menu

A sample low-carb weight loss diet for a week looks like this:

Breakfast:

• An omelet made with two eggs and a small amount of milk or whole cream.
• Two pieces of hard cheese.
• Coffee with coconut milk or cream.

To dinner:

• Pork steak.
• Fresh vegetable salad with oil.
• Cottage cheese (3 tbsp).
• Sugar-free tea.

Afternoon snack(optional - but it's still better to strive for the three most physiological meals a day):

• 20-30 pcs. pre-soaked almonds.
• Baked apple (no raisins, sugar and honey! ).

To dinner:

• Greek salad (pepper, cucumber, tomato, feta, olives).
• Mushrooms grilled or fried in vegetable oil.
• Baked fish.

menu of the week

To simplify the weight-loss process as much as possible and save time, we suggest using an everyday menu for precise adherence to a low-carb diet. If you wish, you can make changes without going beyond the approved products list.

Monday

• Breakfast.Omelet with cheese, vegetable and herb salad, toast with avocado, unsweetened coffee with a piece of butter or coconut oil and berries.
• To dinner. Grilled or skillet pork steak, lettuce, homemade salted cheese.
• To dinner.Veal in creamy sauce, coleslaw.

Tuesday

• Breakfast.Pike cutlet, sliced cucumbers and tomatoes, plain yogurt for dessert (you can add coconut, almond flakes and some berries beaten in a blender).

• To dinner.Mushroom soup, tobacco chicken, homemade eggplant and chili caviar.
• To dinner.Duck breast with vegetable accompaniment.

Wednesday

• Breakfast.Ham omelet, green salad with sour cream dressing, handful of your favorite nuts, green tea.
• To dinner.Zucchini puree soup, fried cheese, baked apple (better to choose sugar-free varieties).
• To dinner.Sauteed veal, cauliflower, stewed with cream.

Thursday

• Breakfast.Poached eggs with avocado, spinach and lightly salted salmon.
• To dinner.Pike cutlets, grilled vegetables.
• To dinner.Pork and broccoli casserole in cream sauce with cheese crust.

Friday

• Breakfast.Boiled eggs, zucchini pancakes with ricotta cheese, olives, cocoa.
• To dinner.Chicken fillet cutlet on a vegetable pillow.
• To dinner.Salmon steak with pumpkin puree.

Saturday

• Breakfast.Omelet with ham and sun-dried tomatoes, hard cheese, a handful of nuts and berries.
• To dinner.Rabbit back with poached and fried asparagus.
• To dinner.Chicken leg, mushrooms and sautéed eggplant.

Sunday

• Breakfast.Poached egg with salmon and spinach, roasted turkey, unsweetened coffee.
• To dinner.Turkey steak, cauliflower in creamy sauce.
• To dinner.Cured meats and broccoli puree.

Remember that, for those who want to change to a low-carb diet, this weekly menu is just a guide to creating an individualized diet. It is impossible to take into account each person's taste preferences. The main thing is to follow the basic principle behind a low carb diet: low carb and high fat.

Low Carbohydrate Diet for Diabetes

The principles of a low-carb diet vary depending on the type of diabetes. Insulin dependent patients should follow a balanced diet that includes foods with a low glycemic index.

The low carbohydrate diet for type 2 diabetes has some specific characteristics:

• The main part of the medical menu is made up of vegetables and herbs. For women, the norm for non-starch vegetables is 500 g a day if she doesn't expend a lot of energy, and up to 800 g - with regular physical work or sports.
• To prevent cholesterol levels from rising, people with diabetes follow a low-carb, non-saturated-fat diet. Preference is given to healthy unsaturated fats, which are found in low-fat fish varieties, as well as vegetable fats. This means that pork, lard, salmon, salmon are not recommended. Instead, nutritionists advise diabetics to eat more nuts, avocados, olives and use vegetable oils for cooking.
• Complete rejection of carbohydrates for these patients is contraindicated as it leads to a drop in blood sugar and a deterioration in well-being. Carbohydrates should be absorbed evenly throughout the day, with vegetables being the best source of carbohydrates.
• For snacks, you can use protein foods with a low glycemic index, which quickly satisfy hunger - pre-soaked nuts are perfect.
• In type 2 diabetes, a low-carbohydrate diet with a low-sugar menu may require adjustments to previously prescribed drug dosages. In the first step, you need to constantly measure your blood glucose level: if it decreases as a result of a change in diet, your doctor will reduce the dosage of antihyperglycemic drugs. Consultation with an endocrinologist is necessary, it is not worth adjusting your medication intake yourself.

Low Carbohydrate Diet for Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome

Adrenal fatigue syndrome occurs as a result of constant stressful conditions. One of the symptoms of this condition is hypoglycemia and the accompanying hunger, irritability, and headache.

Treatment is accompanied by adequate nutrition, which is based on three main points:

• Do not abuse sweets under any circumstances. Sweets eaten temporarily improve your well-being, but invariably lead to a sharp drop in blood glucose concentration and subsequent malaise.
• Any sausage is better than preferring a piece of regular meat. Products obtained from a complex technological process contain a large amount of substances that are contraindicated in this diagnosis.
• Gluten and vegetable oils containing pro-inflammatory omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids will have to be eliminated from the diet.

Also, a low-carb diet for men and women with adrenal fatigue syndrome means avoiding coffee altogether. Everything revolves around cortisol, whose production is increased under the influence of caffeine. As a result, the metabolism slows down and the weight loss process slows down.