Low carb diet

As the name suggests, a low-carbohydrate diet is characterized by a decrease in the intake of the required amount of carbohydrates, which leads the body to lose weight. There are many examples of such diets: the popular Kremlin low-carb diet, the Protasov diet, the protein diet, the high-fat Atkins diet, all of which are based on a low carbohydrate intake, which reduces the release of insulin into the blood. . and therefore promotes the active breakdown of fats. Most likely, it is not worth talking about the fact that the rejection of various sweet, starchy, sweet and chocolate fruits will promote weight loss and help to effectively get rid of extra pounds. That is, they are simple carbohydrates, or in another way, fast. It is precisely to reduce its consumption that the diet is directed, which will be discussed later.

low carb foods for weight loss

The essence and benefits of a low carb diet

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

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

Low carbohydrate diets can be of two types: slow and hard. The former are designed for gradual weight loss. At the same time, later, if you adhere to certain rules in the diet, it is quite possible to avoid the repeated set of unnecessary kilograms. Rigid diets are primarily intended for athletes. It is often used by bodybuilders to dry, so its use by an ordinary person can lead to rapid and uncontrolled weight gain.

The main advantage of a low-carbohydrate diet is that with its help you can safely lose a decent amount of kilogram irrevocably without constant hunger. But at the same time, you shouldn't expect quick results. It is a long-term controlled process that will help the body avoid possible unnecessary damage. Such that it is usually accompanied by various "hungry" diets. In any case, such a diet can later become a nutritional system, the basis of a daily diet.

The benefits of a low carbohydrate diet are as follows:

  • it does not require fabulous costs, 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 only be used under the supervision of a specialist;
  • the diet is unbalanced, but you can safely adhere to it for a long time, or you can make it a way of life, positioning it as a special nutritional system;
  • It is in great demand 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

As good as the system is, it has advantages and disadvantages. In addition, a low-carbohydrate diet has a number of contraindications:

  • it is not recommended to use this diet in childhood and adolescence, since the lack of carbohydrates in a developing body is fraught with unpleasant health consequences;
  • During pregnancy and lactation, one should also not resort to such a weight loss system, since for pregnant women, the health of the fetus is of the utmost importance, therefore, in principle, they should not follow diets;
  • 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 must remember that eating protein foods every day can have undesirable consequences on the work of the heart and blood vessels, as well as a great burden on the kidneys. This is usually due to a lack of potassium in the body, which in small amounts enters the body with such a diet.

Glucose deficiency is undoubtedly one of the disadvantages of a low carbohydrate diet. This mainly affects mental activity, memory impairment and a slowdown in reaction speed are often observed. It is especially difficult for lovers of sweets to accept such a diet. A large percentage of dieters are among those people.

In addition, protein foods are high in cholesterol, which can build up in the body, and the lack of healthy fiber in the menu can cause problems in the intestines. With a high protein content in the diet, the body begins to produce ketone bodies. They, in turn, can remove fat from the body, but at the same time they can also hook up useful substances that are necessary for the normal and well-coordinated work of important organs and systems. This can often lead to weakness, dizziness, and bouts of insomnia. In this case, you need to consult a doctor, most likely this method of losing weight is not for you.

vitamins for a low carb diet

Since the intake of some useful vegetables is limited with a low-carbohydrate diet, the body may lack the necessary amount of vitamins and minerals, so the use of additional vitamin complexes is recommended at this time.

Allowed Products

The basis of the menu for a low carbohydrate diet should be protein foods 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, excluding if possible potatoes, legumes and olives and olives;
  • a limited amount of fruits, except for grapes and bananas, as they have a fairly high caloric content;
  • offal;
  • nuts and dried fruits;
  • Buckwheat, oat bran, or brown rice in limited quantities;
  • various greens.

Forbidden food

foods forbidden on a low-carb diet

Foods prohibited on a low-carb diet include:

  • vegetables and cereals rich in starch: potatoes, white rice, pasta of any kind;
  • bread and its various products;
  • sweet confectionery;
  • 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 drinks.

Nutritionists are racing to insist on banning fatty foods and replacing them with low-fat counterparts, but reviews from numerous supporters and supporters of this method of weight loss suggest otherwise. They quietly adhered to this diet and lost weight, eating some types of fatty sausages and meat. You just need to eat them in moderation, without overdoing it.

Low Carb Diet Guidelines

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

  • With such a diet, it is necessary to consume as much liquid as possible, more than one and a half liters per day;
  • it is recommended to bake, steam or stew vegetables;
  • with such a system, it is desirable to walk for at least twenty minutes a day or engage in additional physical activity;
  • To correctly compose a daily diet, you need to use a table in which the carbohydrate component of various products is seen.

Table of the content of the carbohydrate component in various products per 100 grams.

Products Points
Alcoholic drinks
High alcoholic beverages (rum, whiskey, tequila, vodka and others) -
Dry wine $ 1
Beer (about 250 grams) 12 USD
Liquor (about 60 grams) $ 18
Mushrooms
Fresh mushrooms 0. 1 c. or.
Fresh morels 0. 2 c. or.
Butters, honey mushrooms and raw mushrooms 0. 5 cubic feet
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 cucumber $ 3
Tomatoes and seaweed $ 4
Olives, eggplant caviar $ 5
Canned peas 6. 5 cubic feet
Zucchini caviar $ 8. 5
Pepper with vegetables $ 11
Canned sweet corn $ 14. 5
Tomato paste $ 19
Cereals
Beans and other legumes $ 46
Oatmeal $ 49
Hercules, split 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
Low-fat types of cottage cheese $ 1. 8
Mayonnaise of any fat content $ 2. 6
High-fat cottage cheese $ 2. 8
Sour cream of any fat content $ 3
Sour milk or kefir $ 3. 2
Unsweetened yogurt 3, 5 USD
Cream of any fat content $ 4
Pasteurized and baked milk $ 4. 70
Sweetened yogurt $ 8. 5
Sweet curd dough $ 15
Sweet curd in glaze 32 USD
Meat products, poultry
Different types of meat (lamb, veal, pork, veal), poultry, rabbit, beef heart and liver, lard, loin and tongue, steak and various sausages, pork thighs -
Chicken eggs 0. 5 cubic feet
Chicken's liver 1. 5 USD
Beef sausages, boiled sausages and milk sausages 1. 5 USD
Pork sausages $ 2
Breaded meat $ 5
Breaded meat 6 USD
Drinks
Coffee, unsweetened tea, mineral water. -
Tomato juice 3, 5 USD
Carrot juice, xylitol compote 6 USD
Apple juice $ 7. 5
Grape juice $ 8
Tangerine juice $ 9
Plum juice with pulp $ 11
Cherry juice $ 11. 5
Orange juice 12 USD
Grape, pomegranate and apricot juice $ 14
Plum juice without pulp $ 16
Pear compote $ 18
Grape and apple compote $ 19
Apricot compote $ 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, radishes $ 4
Eggplant, red cabbage, white and cauliflower, bell peppers, turnips, garlic $ 5
Green and red peppers $ 5
Celery root, wild garlic 6 USD
Leek, radish 6. 5 cubic feet
Rutabaga, carrots $ 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
Walnuts
pinions $ 10
Almond nut $ 11
Pumpkin seeds and nuts 12 USD
Peanuts, hazelnuts, pistachios $ 15
Sunflower seeds $ 18
Coconut and sesame seeds $ 20
Cashew nuts $ 25
Seasonings and spices
Red wine vinegar (tablespoon) -
Spicy herbs (tablespoon) 0. 1 c. or.
Capers and horseradish (tablespoon) $ 0. 4
Cinnamon and ground chili (teaspoon) 0. 5 cubic feet
Mustard, tartar (tablespoon) 0. 5 cubic feet
Ginger (tablespoon) 0. 8 c. or.
Apple cider vinegar and soy sauce (tablespoon) $ 1
White wine vinegar (tablespoon) 1. 5 USD
BBQ sauce (tablespoon) $ 1. 8
Vinegar (tablespoon) 23 $
Tomato sauce (50 grams) 3, 5 USD
Tomato sauce (tablespoon) $ 4
Cranberry sauce (tablespoon) 6. 5 cubic feet
Seafood, fish
Frozen, fresh, boiled and smoked fish, shrimp, red and black caviar -
Lobster and fresh seaweed $ 1
Fresh crabs $ 2
Fresh squid $ 4
Fresh mussels $ 5
Fish in tomato sauce 6 USD
Fresh oysters $ 7
Breaded fish 12 USD
Sweet
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 candies $ 51
Milk and white chocolate $ 54
Halva $ 55
Condensed milk $ 56
Cream cake $ 62
Simple waffles and apple jam $ 65
Apple jam $ 66
Marmalade jam $ 68
Pacifier $ 70
Strawberry and raspberry jam $ 71
Honey and butter cookies $ 75
Jelly $ 76
Gingerbread with pastry cream $ 77
Pastila and fruit waffles $ 80
Fondant (caramel) $ 83
Caramel filling $ 92
Sugar of different types $ 99
Soups
Chicken or beef broth -
Goulash soup and green cabbage soup 12 USD
Mushroom soup $ 15
Vegetable soup $ 16
Tomato soup $ 17
Pea soup $ 20
Fruits
Lemons $ 3
Cherry plum and grapefruit 6. 5 cubic feet
Quince, orange and tangerines $ 8
Rowan $ 8. 5
Dogwood and apricots $ 9
Pear, peach, plum and apple $ 9. 5
Kiwi and cherries $ 10
Cherries $ 10. 5
Pomegranate, chokeberry, fig $ 11
Pineapple $ 11. 5
Persimmons and nectarines $ 13
Bananas $ 21
Dried apples $ 45
Dried pears $ 49
Dry dams $ 53
Dry dams $ 55
Prunes $ 58
Pass $ 66
Fruit date $ 68
Bread
Soybean flour $ 16
Rye $ 34
Diabetic $ 38
Borodinsky $ 40
Cereal bread and rye tortillas $ 43
Wheat $ 50
Riga and bun $ 51
Armenian lavash $ 56
Donut $ 58
Seedless rye flour $ 64
Creamy biscuits $ 66
First grade wheat flour $ 67
Sushi, egg noodles and premium wheat flour $ 68
Sweet straws and pasta $ 69
Cornmeal $ 70
Potato starch $ 79
Cornstarch $ 80
Berries
Cloudberry 6 USD
Strawberry 6. 5 cubic feet
Blueberry $ 7
Black and red currants $ 7. 5
Cranberry, raspberry, cranberry, and white currant $ 8
Currant $ 9
Fresh rose hips $ 10
Grape $ 15
Dried rosehip $ 21. 5

Based on the table, you can create a personal menu, adhering to which you can lose up to 9 kilograms in a week.

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

  • to lose weight, you need to 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 carbohydrate diet

A sample menu for one week can be presented as follows:

  • breakfast: steamed omelette, green or herbal tea;
  • second breakfast: low-fat cottage cheese;
  • lunch: mushroom soup, boiled chicken;
  • dinner - baked fish.

Slimming menu of the week

To lose an extra 10 kilos in a week, you can try this version of the weekly menu:

  • breakfast - cottage cheese with dried fruits;
  • lunch - cabbage soup;
  • dinner - boiled beef.

Weekly diabetes mellitus menu

A separate medical menu can be used for diabetes mellitus:

  • breakfast: low-fat cottage cheese, tea and 2 hard-boiled eggs;
  • second breakfast: 250 grams of yogurt;
  • lunch - bean soup;
  • afternoon tea - orange;
  • dinner: baked fish with vegetables.

High-fat, low-carbohydrate diet

This diet was invented by Dr. Atkins. It proceeds in four phases:

  • the first phase: duration 2 weeks, carbohydrate restriction around 20 grams, protein in any amount is allowed;
  • the second phase - lasts for several months, during which it is necessary to gradually increase the amount of carbohydrates consumed in food;
  • the third phase - to maintain the weight in the current state, it is recommended to increase the rate of available carbohydrates to 10 grams per day;
  • fourth phase: to consolidate the result, you must consume the same amount of carbohydrates as in the third phase.

Sample menu for athletes

low carbohydrate diet for athletes

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

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

Low carb diet for vegetarians

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

  • the calculation of the carbohydrates consumed should be done in this way: 5 grams of carbohydrates for every 10 kilograms of weight;
  • Meat and fish products should be replaced by their soy, bean, and cereal counterparts.

Protein diet

Such a menu in your 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 fat-free cottage cheese;
  • second breakfast - zhmenya walnuts;
  • lunch - boiled chicken with stewed 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 the soup you will need:

  • shrimp - 1 kg;
  • celery;
  • tomato - 1 piece;
  • onion - 1 piece;
  • curry;
  • lemon juice.

Peel the shrimp and rinse well, finely chop the vegetables and herbs. Pour water over the ingredients, add a little curry, sprinkle with lemon juice and place on the fire.

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;
  • caraway;
  • powdered ginger;
  • beef broth - 250 grams.

Fry all seasonings in oil, gradually add chopped onions and tomatoes. Fry a little, add the beef broth and the rest of the ingredients. It is better to cut the meat into strips so that it takes less time to cook. Cover the plate and simmer for forty minutes.

conclusions

Reviews of the low carb diet are varied, with many supporters and opponents alike. However, both those and those indicate its effectiveness. Such a diet is suitable for those who do not like exhausting fasting, as it allows them to eat a lot of food. Its advantages include its successful use in diabetes mellitus. As a remedy, it has proven its effectiveness. Also, it is affordable and will not affect the family budget too much. In a word, if you use such a system specifically for weight loss, you will undoubtedly get amazing results. However, it is worth remembering that such a diet, although not a mono-diet, but its indicators are unbalanced, therefore, before embarking on a course of such a fast, it is imperative to consult a specialist, especially if there is any chronic illness. in the history.