Low carb diet

As the name suggests, a low carb diet is characterized by a decrease in the intake of the required amount of carbohydrates, thus leading the body to weight loss. There are many examples of such diets: the popular low-carb diet in the Kremlin, the Protasov diet, the protein diet, the high-fat Atkins diet - they are all based on low carbohydrate intake, which reduces the release of insulin into the bloodstream. . and thus promotes active fat breakdown. Most likely, it is not worth talking about the fact that the rejection of sweet fruits, starches, various, sweets and chocolates will promote weight loss and help in the effective removal of extra pounds. Namely, they are simple carbohydrates, or in another way, fast. Precisely in reducing their consumption is aimed at diet, which will be discussed later.

low carb foods for weight loss

The essence and benefits of a low carb diet

To understand the essence of the diet, it is important to distinguish how simple carbohydrates differ from complex ones. The fact is that the "simple" or "fast" carbohydrates have the ability to be absorbed very quickly and converted into body fat. "Slow" carbohydrates, or as they are also called "complex" carbohydrates, tend to be absorbed at a slow rate, charging the body with energy and vigor, due to which a person does not feel hungry for a long time andis able to lose far more calories than gained with a portion of food.

Simple carbohydrates include: a variety of cakes, pastries, smoked delicacies, fatty foods and flour. The use of these products is strictly prohibited. Complex carbohydrates include various cereals and all vegetables. But a low carb diet allows vegetables and only a small amount of whole grains and some fruits.

Low carb diets can be of two types: slow and difficult. The former are created 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 group of unnecessary pounds. Solid diets are primarily intended for athletes. It is often used by bodybuilders for dehydration, so its use by an ordinary person can lead to rapid uncontrolled weight gain.

The main advantage of a low carb diet is that with its help you can surely lose a good amount of pounds irreversibly without suffering from constant hunger. But at the same time, you should not expect quick results. It is a long-term, controlled process that will help the body avoid potentially unnecessary damage. Such, which is usually accompanied by various "hungry" diets. However, such a diet can later become a food system, the basis for a daily diet.

The benefits of a low carb diet are as follows:

  • does not require fabulous cost, as it uses extremely useful and affordable dishes;
  • in diabetes mellitus, such a diet helps to restore the lipid spectrum, normalizes blood glucose levels, but such a diet can be used only under the supervision of a specialist;
  • the diet is unbalanced, but you can certainly stick to it for a long time, or you can make it a lifestyle, positioning it as a separate nutritional system;
  • is quite popular among athletes, as it helps burn fat without affecting muscle mass, and also energizes for a long time.
low carb diet for diabetes

Contraindications and disadvantages of a low carb diet

No matter how big the system is, it has advantages and disadvantages. In addition, a low carb diet has a number of contraindications:

  • the use of this diet is not recommended in childhood and adolescence, as the lack of carbohydrates in a developing body is fraught with unpleasant health consequences;
  • during pregnancy and lactation, you should also not resort to such a system of weight loss, as for pregnant women, the health condition of the fetus is of paramount importance, therefore, in principle, they should not follow a diet;
  • if there are health problems, it is necessary to consult a specialist before a diet.

If you follow the principles of a low-carbohydrate diet, you should remember that eating protein foods every day can lead to undesirable consequences on the work of the heart and blood vessels, as well as a large load on the kidneys. This is usually due to the lack of potassium in the body, which in small amounts enters the body with such a diet.

Glucose deficiency is definitely one of the disadvantages of a low carb diet. This mainly affects mental activity, memory impairment and slowing of the reaction speed are often observed. Lovers it is especially difficult for dessert lovers to agree to such a diet. A large percentage of those who give up dieting are among such people.

Also, protein foods are rich in cholesterol, which can accumulate in the body, and the lack of healthy fiber in the menu can provoke intestinal problems. With a high protein content in the diet, the body begins to produce ketone bodies. They, in turn, are able to remove fat from the body, but at the same time they can also bind to beneficial substances that are necessary for the normal and well-coordinated work of important organs and systems. This can often lead to weakness, dizziness and periods of insomnia. In this case, you should see a doctor, it is very likely that this method of weight loss is not for you.

vitamins for a low carb diet

Since the intake of some useful vegetables is limited to a low carb diet, the body may be deficient in the required amount of vitamins and minerals, therefore, the use of extra vitamin complexes at this time is encouraged.

Allowed Products

The basis of the menu for a low carb diet should be protein food with a small addition of fats and carbohydrates. The following products are allowed:

  • lean meats and lean fish;
  • eggs;
  • low-fat fermented milk and dairy products;
  • mushrooms;
  • seafood;
  • various vegetables, if possible excluding potatoes, legumes, olives and olives;
  • a limited amount of fruits, with the exception of grapes and bananas, as they have a fairly high calorie content;
  • underwear;
  • dried fruits and nuts;
  • buckwheat, oat bran or brown rice in limited quantities;
  • various greens.

Prohibited foods

forbidden foods in a low carb diet

Prohibited foods in a low carb diet include:

  • vegetables and cereals rich in starch: potatoes, white rice, pasta of any variety;
  • bread and various products thereof;
  • sweet cakes;
  • smoked sausages and other delicacies;
  • mayonnaise, ketchup and other fatty sauces;
  • sugar in any form;
  • grapes and bananas, which are rich in fructose;
  • fruit juices and compotes;
  • alcoholic drink.

Nutritionists are competing to insist on banning fatty foods and replacing them with low-fat counterparts, but reviews of numerous fans and supporters of this method of weight loss suggest the opposite. They quietly adhered to this diet and lost weight by eating several types of fatty sausages and meats. You just have to eat them in moderation, without overdoing it.

Guidelines for the low carb diet

In order for such a diet to continue as expected and not harm the body, a few rules must be followed:

  • with such a diet, it is necessary to consume as much juice as possible - more than one and a half liters per day;
  • vegetables are recommended to be roasted, steamed or boiled;
  • with such a system, walking for at least twenty minutes a day or additional physical activity is desirable;
  • to correctly design a daily diet, you should use a chart in which the carbohydrate composition of different products is seen.

Table of carbohydrate ingredient content in different products per 100 grams

products points
Alcoholic drink
Drinks with high alcohol content (rum, whiskey, tequila, vodka and others) -
Dry wine $ 1
Beer (about 250 grams) 12 USD
Alcoholic beverages (about 60 grams) $ 18
Mushrooms
Fresh champions 0. 1 c. u.
Fresh morels 0. 2 c. u.
Butterlets, honey mushrooms and raw mushrooms 0. 5 kub
Fresh milk mushrooms, boletus and porcini mushrooms $ 1
Raw chanterelles, boletus and russula 1. 5 USD
Dried porcini mushrooms 7. $ 5
Dried boletus $ 13
Dried boletus $ 14
Canned food
Any fish -
Beet caviar $ 2
Canned beans 2. $ 5
Pickled cucumbers $ 3
Tomatoes and seaweed $ 4
Olives, eggplant caviar $ 5
Canned peas 6. 5 cubes
Pumpkin caviar 8. $ 5
Pepper with vegetables $ 11
Canned sweet corn 14. $ 5
Tomato paste $ 19
CROPS
Beans and other legumes $ 46
oatmeal $ 49
Hercules, separate peas $ 50
Buckwheat $ 62
Pearl barley and millet $ 66
barley $ 67
white rice $ 71
Dairy products
Vegetable oil -
Low fat cottage cheese, margarine and various types of cheese $ 1
Butter 1. $ 3
Types of low-fat cottage cheese 1. $ 8
Mayonnaise of any fat content 2. $ 6
High fat cottage cheese 2. $ 8
Sour cream with any fat content $ 3
Fermented milk or kefir $ 3. 2
Yogurt without sugar 3. 5 USD
Cream with any fat content $ 4
Pasteurized and baked milk 4. $ 7
Yogurt with sugar content 8. $ 5
Sweet curd mass $ 15
Sweet cottage cheese in the glaze 32 USD
Meat products, poultry
Different types of meat (lamb, beef, pork, beef), poultry, rabbit, heart and beef liver, lard, loin and tongue, various steaks and sausages, pork legs -
Chicken eggs 0. 5 kub
Chicken liver 1. 5 USD
Beef sausages, boiled sausage and milk sausages 1. 5 USD
Pork sausages $ 2
Roast $ 5
Meat in the dough 6 USD
beverages
Coffee, sugar-free tea, mineral water -
Tomato juice 3. 5 USD
Carrot juice, xylitol compote 6 USD
Apple juice 7. $ 5
Grapes Juice $ 8
Tangerine juice $ 9
Plum juice with pulp $ 11
Cherry juice 11. $ 5
Orange juice 12 USD
Grape juice, pomegranate and apricot $ 14
Plum juice without pulp $ 16
Pear compote $ 18
Compote with grapes and apples $ 19
Apricot compost $ 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, radish $ 4
Eggplant, red cabbage, white and cauliflower, bell peppers, turnips, garlic $ 5
Red green and red peppers $ 5
Celery root, wild garlic 6 USD
Leek, radish 6. 5 cubes
Rutabaga, carrot $ 7
Fresh horseradish 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
Almonds $ 11
Walnuts and pumpkin seeds 12 USD
Peanuts, hazelnuts, pistachios $ 15
Sunflower seeds $ 18
Coconut and sesame seeds $ 20
Cashew nuts $ 25
Spices and seasonings
Red wine vinegar (tablespoon) -
Spicy herb (tablespoon) 0. 1 c. u.
Capers and horseradish (tablespoon) 0, 4 USD
Cinnamon and hot ground pepper (teaspoon) 0. 5 kub
Mustard, tartar (tablespoon) 0. 5 kub
Ginger (tablespoon) 0. 8 c. u.
Apple cider vinegar and soy sauce (tablespoons) $ 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 cubes
Seafood, fish
Frozen, fresh, boiled and smoked fish, shrimp, red and black caviar -
Fresh lobster and seaweed $ 1
Fresh crabs $ 2
Fresh squid $ 4
Fresh mussels $ 5
Fish in tomato sauce 6 USD
Fresh ysters $ 7
Baked fish 12 USD
CONFECTIONERY
Jam for diabetics $ 3
Jam for diabetics $ 9
Chocolate ice cream $ 20
ice cream $ 22
Frozen ice $ 25
Almond cake $ 45
Chocolate with nuts $ 48
Sponge cake and dark chocolate $ 50
Chocolate candy $ 51
Milk and white chocolate $ 54
Halva $ 55
Condensed milk $ 56
Cream cake $ 62
Simple waffles and apple jam $ 65
Mall jam $ 66
Jam, jam $ 68
dessert $ 70
Strawberry and raspberry jam $ 71
Biscuits with honey and butter $ 75
marmalade $ 76
Cake with gingerbread $ 77
Pastilles and fruit waffles $ 80
Fondant (candy) $ 83
Stuffed caramel $ 92
Sugar of different types $ 99
Soup
Chicken or meat soup -
Goulash soup and kale soup 12 USD
Mushroom soup $ 15
Vegetable soup $ 16
Tomato soup $ 17
Pea soup $ 20
Fruits
Lemons $ 3
Cherry plum and grapefruit 6. 5 cubes
Quince, orange and tangerine $ 8
Rowan 8. $ 5
Dogwood and apricots $ 9
Pear, peach, plum and apple 9. $ 5
Kiwi and cherry $ 10
Cherry 10. $ 5
Pomegranate, chokeberry, fig $ 11
Pineapples 11. $ 5
Dates and nectarines $ 13
Bananas $ 21
Dried apples $ 45
Dried pears $ 49
Dried apricots $ 53
Dried apricots $ 55
Dried plums $ 58
Raisins $ 66
Fruit fruit $ 68
Bread
Soy flour $ 16
Rye $ 34
Diabetic $ 38
Borodinsky $ 40
Cereal bread and rye tortillas $ 43
Wheat $ 50
Riga and bun $ 51
Lavash armene $ 56
Bagel $ 58
Rye seed flour $ 64
Rusks creamy $ 66
First class wheat flour $ 67
Sushi, egg noodles and premium wheat flour $ 68
Straw and sweet pasta $ 69
Cornflour $ 70
Potato starch $ 79
Corn starch $ 80
berries
Cloudberry 6 USD
Strawberry 6. 5 cubes
blueberries $ 7
Black and red currants 7. $ 5
Lingonberry, raspberry, blueberry and white currant $ 8
blackberries $ 9
Fresh pink hips $ 10
Grapes $ 15
Dried rose 21. $ 5

Based on the chart, you can create a personal menu, adhering to which you can lose up to 9 pounds per week.

The principle of construction is based on limiting the use of foods that contain a large amount of carbohydrates:

  • for weight loss - you should 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 types of menus for the week with a low carb diet

An example menu for a week can be presented as follows:

  • breakfast - steamed omelet, green or herbal tea;
  • second breakfast - low-fat cottage cheese;
  • lunch - mushroom soup, boiled chicken;
  • dinner - roasted 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 beef.

Diabetes mellitus weekly menu

A special medical menu can be used for diabetes mellitus:

  • 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 diet with low carbohydrates

This diet was invented by Dr. Atkins. It takes place in four stages:

  • first stage - duration 2 weeks, restriction on carbohydrates about 20 grams, proteins are allowed in any quantity;
  • second phase - lasts several months, during which it is necessary to gradually increase the amount of carbohydrates consumed in food;
  • third stage - to keep the weight in the current state, it is recommended to increase the amount of available carbohydrates to 10 grams per day;
  • fourth stage - to consolidate the result, you need to consume the same amount of carbohydrates as in the third stage.

Example menu for athletes

low carb diet for athletes

To burn fat effectively without losing muscle mass, it is recommended to use the following menu for approximately one week:

  • breakfast - tea, oatmeal in milk;
  • second breakfast - 200 grams of low-fat cottage cheese;
  • lunch - vegetable soup, seafood salad, boiled vegetables;
  • afternoon tea - cottage cheese pudding;
  • dinner - oven-baked meat, boiled vegetables, kefir.

Low carb diet for vegetarians

There is a special diet for those people who do not use meat in their diet. There are some rules for them:

  • the calculation of carbohydrates consumed should be done as follows: 5 grams of carbohydrates per 10 kilograms of weight;
  • meat and fish products should be replaced by their soy counterparts, beans and cereals.

Protein diet

Such a menu in their diet can be used both by athletes during the drying period and by ordinary people who prefer protein foods:

  • breakfast - tea and 100 grams of nonfat cottage cheese;
  • second breakfast - zhmenya nuts;
  • lunch - boiled chicken with boiled vegetables;
  • afternoon tea - kefir or yogurt;
  • dinner - fish cooked in a double boiler.

Low carb diet recipes

Shrimp soup

shrimp soup on a low carb diet

To make soup you will need:

  • shrimp - 1 kg;
  • celery;
  • tomatoes - 1 pc;
  • onion - 1 piece;
  • kerri;
  • lemon juice.

Peel a squash, grate it and squeeze the juice. Finely chop the vegetables and herbs. Pour water over the ingredients, add a little curry, sprinkle 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;
  • qimnon;
  • ginger powder;
  • beef broth - 250 grams.

Fry all the spices in oil, gradually add the chopped onion and tomato there. Fry a little, add the beef juice and the remaining ingredients. It is best to cut the beef into strips so that it takes less time to cook. Cover the plate and simmer for forty minutes.

conclusion

Low carb diet reviews are mixed, with many supporters and many opponents alike. However, both they and they note its effectiveness. Such a diet is suitable for those who do not like exhausting fasting, because it allows you to eat a lot of food. Its advantages include its successful use in case of diabetes mellitus. As a medicine, it is quite well proven. In addition, it is affordable and will not hit the family budget too much. In a word, if you use such a system specifically for weight loss, it will definitely lead to amazing results. However, it is worth remembering that such a diet, although not a diet, but its indicators are unbalanced, therefore, before starting a course of such a fast, it is necessary to consult a specialist, especially ifthere is any chronic disease in history.