Want to lose weight and stay away from killer diseases like diabetes, heart disease, or cancer? Then, you must begin being on a low-carb diet.
A study suggests that people who follow a low-carb diet have better health and may have improved brain function. A low-carb diet precisely means a diet low in refined sugar, high GI foods, processed foods, etc., and high in proteins, healthy fats, and complex carbs, such as whole grains, fruits, and veggies.
Diets like the Ketogenic diet (high-fat, low-carb diet), Paleo diet (eliminate all processed foods and grains and legumes) and Atkins diet (eliminate all kinds of sugar like bread, flour, and pasta) are famous low-carb diets. And many fitness specialists affirm by them.
How The Low-Carb Diet Works
Carbohydrates are split down into sugar in the body, which gets deposited as fat if not used as an energy source. Further, simple carbs (refined sugar, pastry, milk chocolate, cakes, etc.) are assimilated and digested quickly, which leads to blood sugar and insulin spikes. And after a time of overconsumption of simple carbs and periodic spikes in insulin levels, the insulin stops indicating the cells to absorb sugar from the bloodstream. This leads to high blood sugar levels, making the body insulin resistant and predisposed to obesity, hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, etc. This complete process can be reversed by following a low-carb diet. When you devour less simple carbs, your blood glucose levels are in control, and your body starts to become insulin sensitive. This supports to keep the metabolism running, inhibits fat storage, and preserves from obesity-related diseases.
Don’t assume that a low-carb diet means you will be totally off carbs. You will consume a lot of complex carbs that are found in whole grains, vegetables, and fruits.
Complex carbs are assimilated and digested much slowly and therefore do not cause immediate blood sugar or insulin spikes. Also, they help in proper bowel movement, thereby averting constipation and slow metabolism.
Decreasing carbohydrates drastically (eg. 30g or less/day) causes the body to go into a different metabolic state called ketosis, where it burns fat for providing fuel. Cut in carbs results in lower insulin levels as the person is receiving energy from ketones, little carbon fragments that are produced by the breakdown of fat stores. This causes you to feel less hungry and shed excess weight since the body burns fat rather of burning carbohydrates.
Lastly, a low-carb diet enables you to eat a lot of proteins and healthy fats that help build lean muscle mass, increase the transition time of the digested food, and help decrease inflammation.
Going on a low-carb diet can give you excellent results. But it may backfire if you don’t check the portions of your food and count the calories. Particularly, if you follow the Ketogenic diet or the Atkins diet.
7-Day Low-Carb Diet Plan
Monday
Early Morning (6:00 – 7:00 am): 2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds soaked overnight in 1 cup water
Breakfast (7:00 – 7:45 am): 2 boiled eggs + 1 cup grapefruit juice + 4 slices of avocado
Mid-morning (10 – 10:45 am): 1 cup green tea
Lunch (12:30 – 1:30 pm): 1 cup blanched veggies (spinach, carrot, broccoli, green peas) + 1 wheat pita bread + 1 grilled chicken breast/ 1 cup lentils
Evening Snack (3:30 – 4:30 pm): 1 cup green tea + 10 in-shell pistachios
Dinner (7:00 – 7:30 pm): 1 cup chicken or mushroom clear soup + 1 slice of whole wheat bread + 1 cup warm milk/soy milk before bed
Tuesday
Early Morning (6:00 – 7:00 am): 2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds soaked overnight in 1 cup water
Breakfast (7:00 – 7:45 am): Oatmeal with blueberries + 2 almonds
Mid-morning (10 – 10:45 am): 1 small bowl cucumber
Lunch (12:30 – 1:30 pm): Tuna or vegetable salad with a light dressing
Evening Snack (3:30 – 4:30 pm): 1 cup green tea + ½ cup celery
Dinner (7:00 – 7:30 pm): 1 cup sautéed veggies + 3 oz grilled fish/ ½ cup grilled mushroom with cheese
Wednesday
Early Morning (6:00 – 7:00 am): 2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds soaked overnight in 1 cup water
Breakfast (7:00 – 7:45 am): Vegetable quinoa + ½ grapefruit
Mid-morning (10 – 10:45 am): 1 cup of coconut water
Lunch (12:30 – 1:30 pm): 1 Cucumber boat with veggies or grilled chicken/mushroom with cheese + 1 cup buttermilk
Evening Snack (3:30 – 4:30 pm): 1 cup green tea + 1 multigrain biscuit
Dinner (7:00 – 7:30 pm): Brown rice with stir-fried veggies + 1 cup warm milk/soy milk before bed
Thursday
Early Morning (6:00 – 7:00 am): 2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds soaked overnight in 1 cup water
Breakfast (7:00 – 7:45 am): Spinach and mushroom egg omelet with cheese + 2 almonds + ½ cup watermelon juice
Mid-morning (10 – 10:45 am): 1 cup green tea
Lunch (12:30 – 1:30 pm): 1 cup mixed pulses soup with cauliflower + 2 oz grilled fish
Evening Snack (3:30 – 4:30 pm): 1 cup freshly pressed juice without sugar
Dinner (7:00 – 7:30 pm): Chicken or vegetable stew + 1 whole wheat pita bread
Friday
Early Morning (6:00 – 7:00 am): 2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds soaked overnight in 1 cup water
Breakfast (7:00 – 7:45 am): Vegetable semolina + 1 kiwi
Mid-morning (10 – 10:45 am): 1 cup freshly made lemonade
Lunch (12:30 – 1:30 pm): Tofu lettuce wrap + 1 cup buttermilk
Evening Snack (3:30 – 4:30 pm): 1 cup green tea + 10 in-shell pistachios
Dinner (7:00 – 7:30 pm): Butternut squash soup + 1 piece of dark chocolate + 1 cup warm milk/soy milk before bed
Saturday (Cheat Day)
Early Morning (6:00 – 7:00 am): 2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds soaked overnight in 1 cup water
Breakfast (7:00 – 7:45 am): 2 pancakes with maple syrup and 2 tablespoons Nutella + 1 cup grapefruit juice
Mid-morning (10 – 10:45 am): 1 cup black coffee (without sugar)
Lunch (12:30 – 1:30 pm): Spinach stuffed a grilled chicken breast with grilled sweet potato, asparagus, and broccoli
Evening Snack (3:30 – 4:30 pm): 1 cup green tea + 1 cup plain popcorn
Dinner (7:00 – 7:30 pm): Whole wheat pasta with chicken/mushroom, tomato, olive oil, and basil + 1 piece of brownie
Sunday
Early Morning (6:00 – 7:00 am): 2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds soaked overnight in 1 cup water
Breakfast (7:00 – 7:45 am): 2 scrambled eggs + 1 slice whole wheat bread + 1 cup papaya smoothie
Mid-morning (10 – 10:45 am): 1 cup green tea
Lunch (12:30 – 1:30 pm): Chicken/mushroom stew
Evening Snack (3:30 – 4:30 pm): 1 cup freshly pressed juice without sugar
Dinner (7:00 – 7:30 pm): 1 cup vegetable quinoa + 2 oz grilled fish/ boiled beans + 1 cup warm milk/soy milk before bed
Low-Carb Diet Plan Tips
- Consume 5 types of veggies per day.
- Have 2-3 servings of fruits per day.
- Include healthy fats in your diet, such as nuts, olive oil, ghee, cheese, etc. but make sure you control the portions of these foods as they are high in calories.
- Consume lean protein-rich foods, such as tofu, mushroom, legumes, chicken, fish, etc.
- Do not add sugar to your vegetable or fruit juice.
- Drink warm milk before going to bed to help you sleep better.
- Eat your meals at proper intervals (3-4 hours).
- Consume whole wheat or multigrain bread, brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, etc. as they are rich in dietary fiber.
- Have a cheat day every week to prevent your metabolism from plateauing.
- Use less salt to prevent water retention in your body.
Low-Carb Diet Foods To Eat
- Vegetables – Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, red cabbage, bell pepper, okra, eggplant, peas, French beans, bottle gourd, ridge gourd, bitter gourd, squash, onion, tomato, cucumber, celery, banana flower, green chili, carrot, beetroot, baby corn, sweet potato, potato with peel, etc.
- Fruits – Figs, watermelon, muskmelon, honeydew melon, apple, pear, plum, pluot, pineapple, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, papaya, grapes, orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, tangerine, etc.
Protein – Fish, chicken breast, eggs, lean cuts of pork and beef, mushroom, legumes, tofu, soy chunks, etc. - Dairy – Milk, yogurt, and cheese.
- Grains – Brown rice, quinoa, barley, oats, etc.
- Fats And Oils – Olive oil, rice bran oil, ghee, sunflower butter, peanut butter, and almond butter.
- Nuts And Seeds – Almond, walnut, pistachios, macadamia, pine nuts, flaxseeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds.
- Beverages – Freshly pressed fruit and vegetable juice, coconut water, buttermilk, milk, soy milk, and almond milk. (with no added sugar or additional salt and also make sure you practice portion control)
- Herbs And Spices – Ginger, garlic, turmeric, clove, nutmeg, rosemary, cilantro, dill, fennel, fenugreek seeds, asafoetida, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala, allspice, cardamom, cinnamon, mace, bay leaf, oregano, basil, etc.
Low-Carb Diet Foods To Avoid
- Vegetables – Potato without the peel. starchy root vegetables like carrots, beets, and parsnips.
- Fruits – Jackfruit, banana, grapes, and mango (eat them in minimum amounts).
- Protein – Chicken with skin, red meat, sausage, salami, and pepperoni.
- Dairy – Low-fat milk, low-fat yogurt, flavored yogurt, and flavored milk-based drinks.
- Grains – White rice (you may eat white rice provided you eat at least 5 veggies with it).
- Fats & Oils – Animal fat, vegetable oil, butter, and margarine.
- Beverages – Alcohol, soda, energy drinks, and packaged fruit and vegetable juices.
- Others – Candy, sweets, milk chocolate, junk food, salty food, wafers, etc.
Workout Plan
- Head tilt – 1 set of 10 reps
- Neck rotations – 1 set of 10 reps
- Shoulder rotations – 1 set of 10 reps
- Arm circles – 1 set of 10 reps
- Wrist rotations – 1 set of 10 reps
- Waist rotations – 1 set of 10 reps
- Ankle rotation – 1 set of 10 reps
- Spot jogging – 5-7 minutes
- Jumping jacks – 1 set of 20 reps
- Sit-ups – 1 set of 10 reps
- Crunches – 1 set of 10 reps
- Floater kicks – 2 sets of 10 reps
- Scissor kicks – 1 set of 10 reps
- Leg raise – 2 sets of 10 reps
- Side crunches – 2 sets of 10 reps
- Russian twist – 2 sets of 20 reps
- Lunges – 1 set of 10 reps
- Squat – 1 set of 10 reps
- Jumping squat – 1 set of 10 reps
- Burpees – 2 sets of 10 reps
- Stretch
Remember, you must work out at least three hours per week. You can start by working out every alternate day and then three consecutive days, with two days rest in between. When you are comfortable enough, you must work out five to six days a week, with one or two days of rest. Working out will keep your metabolism active, create a negative energy balance in your body, improve brain function, and build muscle power and strength.
Low Carb Diet Benefits
- A low-carb diet aids weight loss.
- It helps fight cancer.
- It decreases the risk of metabolic syndrome like diabetes.
- It helps regulate blood sugar levels.
- It improves cognitive functions and reduces the likelihood of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
- It helps boost metabolism.
- It improves insulin sensitivity.
- A low-carb diet reduces the risk of hypertension.
Low-Carb Diet Side Effects
- You may feel the urge to eat simple carb-rich foods at the beginning of the diet.
- You can experience mood fluctuations.
- You might feel hungry because you will be craving for unhealthy foods.
- Initially, you may experience loss of sleep as you will be on a diet that your body will need time to adjust to.
Bottomline
A low-carb diet is reliable for you – given you consume good carbs along with lean protein and healthy fats. The solution is to hit the right balance of different food groups that are suitable for your body. So, ask your doctor or dietician now and start following a customized low-carb diet plan. You will see results in just a few days time.
Recommended Articles:
