In the swarm of information about low carb dieting and the craze of cutting out bread and other carbs, you may be searching for a diet that incorporates carbohydrates as part of a healthy daily plan. If so, you're in luck. The carb lovers diet does just that, allowing you to eat bread, potatoes, and other carbs. The difference is the carb lover's diet focuses on complex carbs rather than simple carbs, making sure you eat foods that provide the body with energy rather than empty calories.
The Importance of Carbs
Johanna Burani, registered dietitian and author of "Good Carbs, Bad Carbs," in an interview with Good Housekeeping, explains that carbohydrates are the body's first choice when it comes to fuel and energy. Sugars and starches are actually crucial to a diet that fuels the body effectively in the long run. Therefore, the body is likely to feel tired and lethargic if it does not receive enough fuel from carbs. She explains further that a diet that excludes any food completely or severely can often lead to later binge eating, which contributes to rapid weight gain and destroys the initial goal.
Complex vs. Simple Carbs
Understanding the right carbs to eat is the key to effective dieting. Burani describes "good carbs" as those that are digested slowly. They supply a gradual, slow supply of energy rather than releasing a large amount of glucose at once into the blood stream. Good carbs, or complex carbs, include high fiber, whole grain options like brown rice, beans, oat and bran cereals, and whole grain breads. Simple carbs, on the other hand, should be avoided. These include low-fiber, highly refined carbs like white bread and rolls, snack cakes, crackers, cake, and candy loaded with sugar.
The Importance of Calorie Control
While low carb diets like Atkins and South Beach sometimes boast that calories don't count, calorie counting is an effective way to eat what you want and still drop pounds. On the Carb Lover's Diet, all your favorite foods are still on the menu, as long as you eat a plan to includes no more than 1,400 calories per day for the one-month diet. You are allowed to include more than 1,400 calories if you exercise.
Sample Menus: Breakfast
Delia A. Hammock, M.S., R.D. and writer for Good Housekeeping, describes the 30-day Carb Lover's Diet as an easy-to-follow plan with five different options for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The main choices for breakfast include a fast food egg sandwich such as the Egg McMuffin, Subway Western Egg Sandwich or Dunkin Donut Egg Cheese English Muffin Sandwich. Each one weighs in at close to 400 calories, the appropriate count for each meal to keep your total calorie count at the limit. Other breakfast options include a fruit smoothie, a toasted whole grain waffle with peanut butter and fruit juice, a whole wheat English muffin with ricotta cheese and broiled pineapple, or a cup of bran flakes with fat-free milk and 1/2 of a banana.
Sample Menus: Lunch
The five lunch options, according to Hammock, are a fast-food fruit salad like McDonald's Fruit and Walnut Salad with Yogurt and 1 cup of low-fat milk, a sandwich on a whole-wheat bun with smoked turkey, skim cheese, and an apple or serving of grapes; a sandwich on whole wheat bread with 2 ounces of lean meat and tomato slices, served with cantaloupe or melon chunks; a chicken salad with light mayonnaise, served on lettuce with grape tomatoes and a cup of fat free milk; and, a grilled cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread with hard cheese and tomato slices, served with hummus and baby carrots or celery.
Sample Menus: Dinner
Dinners can be mixed and matched, with five easy options: three slices of low-fat pizza, a lean ground beef or turkey burger with coleslaw, 4 oz. of flank steak or pork tenderloin with asparagus and corn on the cob, 2 oz. of whole wheat pasta with spinach, ricotta, and marinara, or a 5 oz. piece of salmon served with a small serving of potatoes and a cup of grilled zucchini. These menu options can be mixed and matched for a varied menu of healthy carbs, proteins and fats.
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