Carbohydrates from grains, starchy vegetables, sugar and fruits provide more than half of the calories on a standard American diet. The low-carb diet, however, restricts your carb intake to 20 percent or less of your daily calorie intake. Some low-carb programs are stricter and recommend keeping your carb intake to about 5 percent of your total daily calories -- especially if you have a lot of weight to lose and deal with metabolic derangements. The theory behind low-carb diet is that by lowering your carb intake, your levels of the fat-storing hormone insulin will be reduced, resulting in easier weight loss.
Low in Carbohydrate
Although the exact amount of carbs you should consume on a low-carb diet can vary from one person to another, all low-carb diets limit carbs to 150 g or less a day. If you have a low physical activity level, have did a lot of yo-yo dieting, have a lot of weight to lose or have issues with your blood sugar or cholesterol levels, you may need to keep your daily carb intake lower. No matter what your carb budget is, you should make sure that at least 20 g of your carbs are supplied by non-starchy vegetables, such as asparagus, leafy greens, mushrooms, cauliflower and broccoli, the most nutritionally dense of all foods. Complete with controlled servings of carbohydrates from nuts, fruits, plain yogurt, winter squash, sweet potato and grains as permitted by your daily carb allowance.
Moderate in Protein
A well-balanced low-carb, high-fat diet should contain a moderate amount of protein. Protein is the most satiating of all nutrients and will keep you feeling full and satisfied. Each of your meals should include 4 to 6 oz. of protein, up to 8 oz. if you have a larger appetite. Your best protein options are pork, beef, chicken, fish, seafood, eggs and cheese. For example, you could have eggs, cheese and sausages for breakfast, a chicken breast or fillet of salmon for lunch and stir-fried slices of beef or pork for dinner.
High in Fat
To have enough fat in your low-carb diet, you should avoid selecting low-fat, light or reduced-fat foods. Go for full-fat cheese, heavy cream, full-fat mayonnaise, full-fat dressings and don't be afraid of fatty meats, sausages and bacon. Include 1 to 2 tbsp. of fat to each of your meals, either to cook your food or to add flavor. For example, use olive oil to cook your morning eggs, a ranch salad dressing for your salad at lunch, serve your broccoli with butter and your steak with a mushroom and cream sauce at dinner.
Fat and Your Health
A low-carb diet should be high in fat. If you reduce your carb intake, you need to replace these calories with another macronutrient and protein can only be increased to a certain extent. By providing most of your calories on a low-carb diet, fat becomes your body's main source of energy. Many dieters fear fat, but many studies indicate that saturated fats are not the villain they were once though they were, according to a paper published in the August 2005 issue of "Nutrition & Metabolism" and a meta-analysis published in January 2010 in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." Moreover, low-carb, high-fat diets are associated with larger improvements in triglycerides and HDL cholesterol levels, according to a study published in May 2004 in "Annals of Internal Medicine."
References
- MayoClinic.com: Low-Carb Diet
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies Evaluating the Association of Saturated Fat with Cardiovascular Disease; Patty W Siri-Tarino, et al.; January 2010
- "Nutrition & Metabolism"; The Case for Not Restricting Saturated Fat on a Low Carbohydrate Diet; Jeff S. Volek, et al.; August 2005
- "Annals of Internal Medicine"; A Low-Carbohydrate, Ketogenic Diet versus a Low-Fat Diet To Treat Obesity and Hyperlipidemia; William S. Yancy Jr. et al; May 2004
- "The New Atkins for a New You"; Eric C. Westman, et al.; 2010
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