Carbohydrates are organic compounds and are present in all cells and tissues of living organisms. Life is impossible without them. According to their structure, they are divided into simple and complex, the first are fast, with a high glycemic index, break down instantly, do not have time to be converted into energy and are deposited under the skin in the form of fat. deposit. A low-carb diet aims to saturate the diet with proteins and reduce carbohydrates as much as possible.
Indications for use
Being overweight not only negatively affects a person's appearance, but is also associated with health risks. It involves the danger of cardiovascular diseases, the development of diabetes, and it is an excessive load on the joints and spine, which leads to their pathologies. Therefore, the benefits of a low-carbohydrate diet are obvious - to lose excess weight, prevent the risk of developing diseases or contribute to their treatment.
Low-carbohydrate diet for type 2 and type 1 diabetes
The absorption of proteins and fats occurs much more slowly than carbohydrates. It helps reduce insulin release and is used to treat type 2 diabetes. The first recommendations for patients when a disease is diagnosed are to lose weight and eat right. A low glycemic index diet has been shown to be effective in lowering blood sugar levels.
Although type 1 diabetes is insulin dependent and allows hormones to adjust sugar levels based on carbohydrate intake, it is best to avoid spikes through diet. In diabetics of this group, insulin is not produced by the pancreas at all, so its dose must be determined by counting carbohydrates.
When using a low-carbohydrate diet for type 1 diabetes, it is necessary to take this fact into account in order not to provoke a hypoglycemic coma.
Low carb diet for high cholesterol
Cholesterol is a fatty alcohol, 80% of which is produced by the body, the rest comes from food. It is divided into high and low density compounds. The latter is called "bad cholesterol" because it is deposited on the inner walls of the blood vessels and clogs them. This leads to strokes and heart attacks. An active lifestyle, getting rid of bad habits and reducing the intake of fat, namely fatty dairy products, butter, meat, helps to influence their conditions and reduce harmful ones. Raw vegetables and fruits, juices high in carbohydrates are very useful. Therefore, a low-carb diet cannot be used if you have high cholesterol.
Low carbohydrate diet for hypertension
Hypertension is characterized by an increase in blood pressure and manifests itself in headaches, noise in the head, dizziness, nausea, spots in front of the eyes and rapid heartbeat. In addition to poor condition, this is fraught with danger to life, because. . causes heart failure and bleeding.
The causes of the disease are different: from hereditary to poor lifestyle, nutrition and obesity. To lose weight with hypertension, you can use a short-term low-carbohydrate diet if the disease is not accompanied by high cholesterol or is not burdened by atherosclerosis.
Desirable foods on the table for hypertensive patients are dried apricots, raisins, bananas, honey and vegetables. There are restrictions on animal fat, salt and alcohol.
Low carb diets for weight loss
Nutritionists have developed many nutritional systems based on limiting carbohydrate consumption. Some of them focus on proteins – low carb protein diets, while others focus on fats – high fat diets. Let's present some of the most popular ones.
The essence of a low-carb diet
A low-carb diet shifts the role of energy source to fat. It is usually drawn from glycogen, into which glucose is converted as a result of metabolic reactions. The depletion of its reserves leads to one's own fat reserves beginning to be used.
The essence of the diet is to remove fast carbohydrates from the diet, minimize complex ones and saturate the body with proteins, fibers and nutrients. Its other rules include small and frequent meals, drinking plenty of fluids (a necessary condition for the absorption of proteins), organizing the first meal an hour after waking up, the last 2 hours before bedtime. Sweets, flour, soft drinks, fast food, sweet berries and fruits, marinades, mayonnaise and smoked food are completely excluded from the diet.
Low Carb Atkins Diet
Its main phase is designed for 2 weeks, but it lasts much longer and promises weight loss of up to 10 kg. Its author, the American cardiologist Robert Atkins, based on research, specially developed it to fight his obesity. The diet is also called the "Hollywood" diet because of its successful use by many celebrities.
The main rule of such nutrition is the complete exclusion of carbohydrates from the menu. In fact, it is a protein because it contains predominantly proteins, but fat is not excluded. It is believed that they promote weight loss at the same time.
The Atkins diet consists of 4 phases. The duration of the first is 14 days, during which carbohydrate intake is reduced to 20 g per day. day. At this stage, serious changes occur in the metabolism, the ketosis process begins, i. e. The body does not produce enough glucose to produce insulin.
In the following stages, carbohydrates are gradually added to the menu every week, while body weight is monitored. As soon as it stops falling, take the last amount as your consumption.
The advantage of this diet is the absence of hunger, because proteins satiate well.
Dr. Bernstein's Low Carb Diet
Designed for diabetics and is a guide to normalizing blood sugar. It was originally developed for himself through trial and error because he suffered from this disease. Thanks to the production of the first glucometers at the factory where he worked, it was possible to track the glycemic level at different times of the day and identify the pattern of its changes due to food intake and after the administration of insulin.
It turned out that by maintaining blood sugar levels, you can live and work to the fullest. To gain recognition for his technique, Bernstein had to train as a doctor, publish his theory and, as proof of it, live with complex diabetes until a ripe old age.
Bernstein's low-carb diet is based on a complete ban on foods such as grains, sugar, low-fat dairy products, berries and fruits. In parallel, insulin (for type 1 diabetes), sugar-lowering drugs are used, the dynamics of sugar levels are monitored, and drug doses are adjusted individually.
Low-carb diet Enheld
Enheld is a Western nutritionist who has written more than one book on the subject of low-fat, low-carbohydrate diets, which have become real bestsellers. As a general practitioner, he claims that there is no better way to get rid of extra pounds than by consuming fat, and that there is no link between cardiovascular disease and fatty foods.
The Enhalda diet prohibits sugar and sweetener substitutes, starchy foods (potatoes, rice, white and brown bread, even whole grains), breakfast cereals, soft drinks, beer, margarine, sweet fruit and dried fruit.
But you can have any meat, all types of fish, eggs, vegetables that grow above the ground, butter, milk (except low-fat) and dairy products, cheeses, nuts, sour berries. A moderate amount of root vegetables such as carrots, beets and radishes is acceptable.
For those with a sweet tooth, good news will be the message about the benefits of chocolate containing at least 70% cocoa, and alcohol lovers can occasionally afford a little dry wine, cognac or whiskey, the most important thing is that they do not contain sugar.
Low carb Dukan diet
Dealing with nutritional issues to help his friend fight obesity, Dukan developed a diet that allowed him to lose more than three pounds in a week. This encouraged him to further his activities as a nutritionist. Now his work is successfully used by a large number of people in many countries.
His diet is low carbohydrate and protein, the list of allowed foods includes as many as 72 items, there are no strict restrictions on the amount eaten, you can even use spices.
You must also drink a lot, include oat bran in your diet all the time, exercise moderately and go for walks.
The Dukan diet consists of several phases, the duration of which depends on how much weight you need to lose. So, to get rid of 5 kg, the first phase "attack" lasts 2 days, the second "alternation" - 15 days, the third "consolidation" - 50 days. To lose 10 kg, it will take respectively 3, 50 and 100 days, etc. A final "stabilization" is also provided, which contains recommendations for further proper organization of your diet in order not to regain lost weight.
The first phase includes a clean protein menu, without fat and carbohydrates, as well as 1. 5 tablespoons of bran daily and plenty of liquid.
On the other, alternate protein foods and proteins with vegetables. This can be a 1/1, 3/3 or 5/5 scheme, depending on how many kilos you need to lose. A larger gap therefore removes more.
In the third phase - products of the previous ones and a small amount of previously forbidden, for example, pasta, rice, potatoes, buckwheat, peas, pork and a few slices of bread.
"Stabilization" should be considered an additional nutritional method to stay at the new weight: drink plenty of fluids, several tablespoons of bran, unlimited proteins and vegetables, moderate 2 of any starchy food per day.
Vegetarian diet with low carbohydrate content
Is a low-carb diet suitable for vegetarians, since the usual source of proteins (meat, fish, eggs) is unacceptable for them? As a rule, this category of people is not overweight, but there may be carbohydrate intolerance, forcing them to minimize their consumption.
Typically, vegans get their protein from beans and grains, but they are rich in carbohydrates. Hemp seeds can be a complete substitute for these products. For 28 g of its weight, 16 g are proteins, and they also contain healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
Other foods on the menu include nuts, avocados, lettuce, asparagus, vegetable oil and seaweed.
Low carbohydrate diet during pregnancy
In order for the baby to develop fully in the womb, the expectant mother must eat properly and balanced. Any diet suffers from its one-sidedness, which means that the fetus gets nothing. Therefore, different food groups are needed in the diet: fats, proteins, carbohydrates, microelements, fibres, vitamins. Therefore, a low-carbohydrate diet is contraindicated for pregnant women.
Menu for a week on a low-carb diet
In addition to foods rich in carbohydrates, there is a long list of them that you can use to diversify your menu on a low-carb diet. Each nutrition system offers its own schedule, but the menu for the week could be like this:
1st day:
- breakfast - 2 boiled eggs, grapefruit, tea;
- 2. breakfast - a piece of cheese, salad leaves;
- lunch - boiled chicken breast, vegetable salad;
- afternoon snack - yogurt;
- dinner - baked fish.
Day 2:
- breakfast - cottage cheese casserole, topped with sour cream, coffee;
- 2. breakfast - cabbage and carrot salad;
- lunch - fish, asparagus;
- afternoon snack - kefir;
- dinner - grilled meat and vegetables.
3rd day:
- breakfast - omelette with vegetables;
- 2nd breakfast - salad with avocado and prawns;
- lunch - mushroom soup without potatoes with sour cream, a slice of wholemeal bread;
- afternoon snack - cottage cheese;
- dinner - boiled veal, greens.
4th day:
- breakfast - oatmeal without sugar with butter;
- 2. breakfast - baked sour apples;
- lunch - meatballs, salad;
- afternoon snack - grapefruit;
- dinner - the vegetable stew.
Day 5:
- breakfast - cottage cheese, coffee;
- 2. breakfast - salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, dressed with olive oil;
- lunch - chicken, broccoli, cauliflower;
- afternoon snack - yogurt;
- dinner - 2 eggs, vegetable salad.
Day 6:
- breakfast - milk buckwheat porridge;
- 2. breakfast - grapefruit;
- lunch - chicken broth soup, toast of bread;
- afternoon snack - kefir;
- dinner - grilled eggplant, fish.
Day 7:
- breakfast - egg and squid salad, apple;
- 2. breakfast - Greek salad;
- lunch - red borscht, bread;
- afternoon snack - grapefruit;
- dinner - baked mackerel with vegetables inside.
Menu for type 2 diabetes
With type 2 diabetes, it is necessary to exclude fast carbohydrates from the menu, because they lead to a sharp jump in blood sugar. All products whose glycemic index exceeds 50-55 units should not be consumed by the patient. The above menu can be used to feed diabetics. Food preparation methods, low-fat varieties of fish and meat and dairy products are also relevant.
Low carb diet menu for 2 weeks
For those who like strict methods to achieve weight loss in a short time, there are more strict diets. Low-carbohydrate diet menu for 2 weeks (food per day is divided into several meals).
Days:
- 1. - 200 g chicken meat, 300 ml vegetable juice, 2 glasses of water, a glass of green tea, herbal decoction (chamomile, lemon balm, rose hip). Drinking is relevant for every day throughout the diet period;
- 2. - a handful of nuts, half a grapefruit, tomatoes, a piece of boiled fish, kefir;
- 3. - apple, steamed meat;
- 4. - a portion of vegetable stew, steamed meatballs with lean meat;
- 5. - boiled egg, pea soup, 150 g chicken, yogurt;
- 6. - 2 oranges, a glass of milk, an omelet from the whites of 2 eggs;
- 7. - 200 g red fish, vegetable salad, coffee without sugar;
- 8. - several slices of hard cheese, boiled chicken;
- 9. - vegetable soup, omelette, kefir, coffee;
- 10. - nuts, grapefruit, pilaf of wild rice without meat;
- 11. - 150 g steamed beef, cabbage and carrot salad;
- 12. - lentil soup, 100 g ham, banana, coffee;
- 13. - vegetarian soup, bread;
- 14. - heavy drinks, kefir, nuts.
This diet is only suitable for healthy people. For even long-term low-carb diets, for example for a month, you can use the Dukan system and stick to his menu.
Low Carb Diet Recipes
Numerous recipes will tell you how to cook on a low-carb diet.
Soups.They can be cooked with either water or broth.
Vegetable contains the following ingredients: broccoli, cauliflower, a little carrot, tomato, onion (potatoes are not used). The heads are divided into inflorescences, the rest are cut, dipped in boiling liquid and brought to clarity.Mushroom soup: chopped mushrooms, grated processed cheese, onions are added to the broth, and chopped dill is added at the end of cooking.Cabbage soup: Shredded cabbage, sweet pepper, green peas are boiled in water, seasoned with a spoonful of olive oil.
Porridge.Important in the diet menu, because. . . They are a source of fiber and many nutrients. For a low-carb diet, choose grains with the highest protein content. These include buckwheat, oatmeal and quinoa, which are not very common in our area. Cook with water or natural milk without sugar.
Vitamins for a low-carb diet
When you are on a low-carbohydrate diet, the body suffers from a lack of vitamin C. Together with B vitamins, it helps break down carbohydrates. Without D, calcium cannot be absorbed. Chromium and zinc are also necessary for metabolic reactions. Therefore, when you are on a low-carbohydrate diet, you cannot take individual vitamins, but choose vitamin-mineral complexes. Consulting a doctor will help with this.
Low-carbohydrate diet and biguanide
Biguanide is a drug that lowers blood sugar. Diabetics drink it and sometimes take it for weight loss. If the diet is already low in carbohydrates, what about biguanide? It is recommended to use it for the purpose of losing weight in diabetes with obesity, aggravated by hypertension, high cholesterol, cardiovascular system disorders and in other special cases.
The use of the drug can be safe if the caloric intake does not fall below 1200 kcal per day, and there should be no alcohol, however, with a diet without biguanides, alcoholic beverages with a low carbohydrate content (dry wine, whiskey, beer without carbohydrates). ) is not prohibited.
They start drinking biguanide with a small dose - 500 mg per day at night, after dinner. After 1-2 weeks, it is increased and gradually brought to 1500-2000 mg.
What is possible and what is not?
Many products that can be used on a low-carb diet have already been mentioned more than once above, but to summarize, we remind you:
- meat - veal, beef, rabbit, turkey, chicken as well as offal;
- vegetables - leafy greens, cabbage, zucchini, peppers;
- egg;
- fruits - grapefruits, oranges, lemons, currants, cranberries, strawberries, pomegranates, green apples;
- nuts - walnuts, almonds, pine, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds;
- dairy products - plain yogurt, kefir, cottage cheese, sour cream, whole milk.
What can't you eat?When following a low-carb diet, you absolutely cannot eat various sausages, confectionery, bread and buns, potatoes, rice, semolina, pasta, bananas, grapes, dates, figs, sugar. As in any diet, pickles, smoked foods, sweet drinks, jelly, mayonnaise, ketchup and fatty sauces are unacceptable. Cooking methods such as frying in oil and deep-frying are not suitable.
Contraindications
A low-carbohydrate diet is not recommended for pregnant women, breastfeeding women, children and adolescents.
Possible risks
A carbohydrate deficiency can lead to dehydration, which puts the liver and kidneys at risk. There is also a lack of fibre, which reduces intestinal motility and causes constipation. Risks associated with the diet include reduced brain activity, calcium deficiency and increased cholesterol.
Another unfortunate side of the low-carb diet is ketosis. It is characterized by an increase in ketones - carbohydrate fragments, a product of fat breakdown. They are formed in the liver from fatty acids. Possible complications are associated with the likelihood of poisoning the body, damage to vital organs: liver and kidneys.
Reviews
According to the reviews of those who used a low-carb diet to lose weight, they actually managed to lose weight. Sometimes the result reached 10 kg in a month. Many noted that it was much easier than others because. . . not limited to proteins or fats (depending on which was chosen).
Another benefit they note is that you don't waste food when you're done. By observing moderation, you can maintain your existing weight for a long time.