6 Ways To Do Low Carb The Right Way

These days low carb diets seem to be all the rage. We wanted to provide you with the tips to do low carb the right way and to consider the reasons for following a low carb diet in the first place.

As people are becoming increasingly health conscious carbs have been getting a bad rep! People are getting particular about what they should not eat (sweets, fried and oily food), but the real confusion here is about what they should eat. Carbohydrates provide our body with our daily energy.

So first, ask yourself why are you doing a low carb diet or thinking about doing a low carb diet? If your answer is “weight loss” stop right there. I have better ways for you!

However, there are many other reasons that you may want to try a low carb diet. Low carb diets are low in sugary foods, pasta, white bread, and are high in real foods like protein, healthy fats and vegetables. Low carb diets when done correctly can deliver the right amount and kind of carbohydrate for your body as well as a result in improved health. 

Here are 6 pointers on how to go about the low carb diet the right way:

TIME YOUR CARBS

Eat your carbs in the morning right after you wake up. When we sleep, our body is on a fast mode, and so the carbs stored in the body gets used up. When you eat carbs right after waking up, these new carbs are used by the body to stock up again and do not store as fat. Another great time to eat carbs is before working out. They are critical in providing energy so that you can train harder. Eating carbs after your workout is important too as it will help your muscles recover and not get sore. However, if you are serious about your training you should check out this article 6 best foods to eat before you workout,

2. DROP THE PROCESSED CARBS

Processed foods are made from refined ingredients and artificial substances and are stripped of their fibres and other nutritional content. These foods contribute to obesity and illness. It takes little to no time to convert the sugar from the processed foods to burn it into fat. Examples of carbs that are better for you than process carbs are brown rice, whole wheat, sweet potatoes and oats. There are many healthy carbs that you can incorporate in your diet. 

3. CARB LOADING

Carb loading is a really common strategy used to improve your performance. In simple terms, you would adjust your carb intake and physical activity to boost the amount of carbs stored in your body. I would only generally recommend carb loading if you are working with a professional as the amounts of carbs, time periods (when to eat high and low carbs), and workout structure to support your carb load are very important to achieve desired results.

One of the most common mistakes I see people make when carb loading is eating too much fat for their diet.

4. THINK LONG TERM

Although low carb diets are becoming increasingly popular in recent times, we should also keep in mind that this may not be the best way to achieve long-term health. It can be beneficial for losing weight. But, long-term low consumption of carbs and increase in proteins and fats reduce the amount of fiber intake. It also increases cholesterol, the risk of breast cancer, etc. If losing weight is your #1 goal, I would recommend staying clear of a low-carb diet and instead tracking your macronutrients.

5. FIBRE - YOUR BESTIE ON A LOW CARB DIET

Since a low carb diet reduces your fiber intake, (because most fiber sources are carbs) you need to make more of an effort to eat extra fibre. Incorporate items such as seeds and chia seeds into your diet which can be consumed in multiple ways. Fiber supplements are also helpful to maintain a nutritious diet.

6. STAY HYDRATED

Irrespective of your diet, it is crucial for us to drink at least 6-8 glasses of water a day. Moreover, staying hydrated on a low carb diet is doubly essential. Coming off a high carb diet- a diet high in salts, you may not feel the urge to get a glass of water. But, to avoid headaches and imbalances, you will see that your desire for fluids will increase. Staying hydrated is necessary for proper functioning of your body. Drink healthy fluids like coconut water, water with lemon, soup, stew or broth.

LOW CARB THE RIGHT WAY SUMMARY

Studies show that a low carb diet can aid in weight loss and improve health. However, I do not recommend a low carb diet simply to drop weight. This is not sustainable.

There are many types of low carb diets out there (Keto, Low Carb Paleo, Atkins, etc.) and you can choose according to your needs and goals.

There are a variety of low carb recipes that you can tweak to your taste by playing around with the ingredients.

If you want to lose weight, develop that toned look and increase your energy following a low carb diet may not be the best thing to do. After losing over 65 lbs myself and trying LOTS of daily carb intake amounts, long term it never work. Instead, get your own customized fitness program with the support of an online personal trainer. You WILL see results like 100’s of my clients around the world who take part in the 8-week program.

Stay strong. Be the fire.

Dunnebells

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