What is a Low Carb Diet?

Low carb diet is a diet that has a limited amount of carbohydrates in it, as compared to the average diet that we consume. The word carb is taken from the word carbohydrate, and it is consumed in less quantity. And despite it, people started eating food that is rich in protein and fat.

Simply, it can be defined as the process of reducing the carbs in your diet.

It is preferred at the time of losing weight and is very helpful for people who want to reduce their weight.

There are many examples of food that you can prefer for low carbs, like-

• Eggs Sweet Potatoes
• Oatmeal Cauliflower
• Quinoa Plums
• Polenta Berries
• Beef Olives 
• Shrimp Nuts
• Peanut Butter

Benefits of low Carb diet: –

● It helps in losing weight.

● It reduces the risk of heart-related problems.

● It helps in maintaining cholesterol levels.

● It also reduces your Appetite.

● It also reduces blood triglycerides (which are the main cause of heart diseases).

● Some cholesterol is good like HDL, meaning high-density lipoprotein and a low-carb diet increases your body’s HDL level.

● Low-carb diets also help in reducing the Insulin and blood sugar levels in the body by minimizing the number of carbs in the diet.

● It also maintains Blood Pressure, which is the cause of various problems like kidney failure or heart-related diseases.

There are many patterns of low carb diet like: –

Ketogenic Diet: It is a diet with high fat and low carb. It also gives benefits to curing metabolic problems and reducing weight and appetite.

LCHF (Low carb, High Fat): As the name indicates contains low content of carbs and high content of Fat. Ex- Vegetables, meat, eggs, etc.

Paleo Diet: It is a type of diet that includes the consumption of unprocessed food and is a very famous type of diet. That means in this diet there is no intake of processed food, dairy products, grains, etc. Ex- Fruits, fish, nuts, vegetables, etc.

Zero-carb diet: The diet that contains no amount of carbs in it, is called a zero-carb diet. Generally, it considers only animal food and excludes plant food. 

Ex– eggs, fish, animal fat, etc.

Atkins Diet: It is a diet that has 4 phases and contains a low quantity of carbs and a high quantity of fats and high Protein Foods. Those 4 phases are given below:

• Induction
• Balancing
• Fine – Tuning
• Maintenance

Eco- Atkins Diet- It can be considered the vegan version of the above diet. However, it contains more carbs as compared to the Atkins diet.

Low-Carb Mediterranean Diet: It is the best diet for people suffering from heart-related issues, diabetes, and cancer. The main focus of this diet is on fatty fish and extra virgin olive oil as compared to red meat and butter.

So, these are some patterns of Low carb diet, you have to pick any of the diets according to your suitability and preference. Because it may be the possibility that one diet suits one person but not the other. So select a diet, which is suitable for you.

Major tips regarding Low carb diet:-

1. While taking a low-carb diet we should know the number of carbohydrates in it, and it should be between 20 to 50 grams per day. 

Some examples are:

• Broccoli, fish, meat, green vegetables, nuts, olive oil, blueberries, plain Greek Yogurt, strawberries, etc.

2. Draft a meal plan. It is because it makes it easier to follow the diet routine regularly, and we stick to our diet.

3. We can also prepare some low-carb snacks that we can take in between meals.

4. Along with a low-carb diet, exercising daily also plays an important role in our fitness, so also do it daily.

5. Not all carbs are equal to digest, some can easily be digested and some take time to digest, so always keep this in mind while taking them.

Low-carb diet Plan

This plan tells us what to eat, what not to eat when to eat etc. What to eat: –

●  Fruits- Blueberries, strawberries, oranges, Apples, etc.

●  Eggs

●  Fats and oils- like olive oil, coconut oil, and fish oil

●  Vegetables- Carrots, Spinach, Cauliflower, Broccoli, etc

●  Seeds and nuts -Walnuts, Almonds, etc.

●  Fish

You can also take Dark chocolate but in moderate quantities.

Also, Tea, coffee, and Sugar-free beverages can be consumed.

What not to eat: –

●  Highly processed food

● Sugar

●  HFCS

●  Trans fats

●  Refined grains

●  Starchy Vegetables

●  Also, Bread, pizza, pasta, cookies, ice- cream, beer, rice, and banana should also be avoided.

Also, make sure that the concentration of carbs should not exceed 50 grams per day.

Some examples of healthy low-carb snacks: –

• Baby carrots
• Nuts
• Boiled eggs
• Any fruit Cheese

If you go to any Restaurant, then you should order:

1. Only simple water instead of any sugary juice.

2. Order salad and vegetables instead of bread or rice.

3. Order a dish containing fish.

Also, follow the key points:

● Prepare yourself before starting any low-carb diet plan.

● Try to avail all meals in advance.

● Also, purchase low-carb snacks.

● Also, do exercise.

● Avoid excessive dieting.

Conclusion: –

Low-carb diets are considered good for losing weight. But it is also noticed that the benefits of a low-carb diet do not result in the same for all people following it.

The conclusion is that a low-carb diet gives benefits only when it is followed properly and monitored carefully and within a limit. Also, not only diet gives all the benefits, along with this yoga and exercise also play an important role to make the body healthier.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions): –

1.  How many carbs should be intake per day to lose weight?

• Around 50 to 100 grams.

2.  Can a Vegetarian also eat low carbs?

• Of Course, yes, like strawberries, Spinach, and carrots. This means a vegetarian low-carb diet is also available.

3.  What to avoid on a low-carb diet?

• Pasta, potatoes, bananas, desserts, bread, milk, soda, etc.

4.  Are there any side effects of a low-carb diet?

• Yes, extreme consumption of everything is harmful. Also, Keto flu and keto rash sometimes may be the issue.