After all, what is a low carb diet?
Much has been heard about the Low Carb diet, which, as its name implies, is a diet strategy with low carbohydrate intake and increased intake of healthy fats and proteins.
Traditional diets and nutritional guidelines recommend eating 50-60% carbohydrates. However, excessive consumption of carbohydrates has increased a lot of people´s weight because the carbohydrate that is not used as an energy source ends up being stored as fat and stimulates the release of the insulin hormone that favours the weight gain, insulin resistance, and increased hunger.
Generally speaking, a low carb diet ranges from 10-40% carbohydrates to the total energy value of the diet and may range from a more restricted low carb diet (ketogenic diet) to a moderately low carb diet.
The basics of a low carb diet are: avoid eating processed and processed foods and prefer real food. Different from what many imagine the low carb diet is not based only on eggs and bacon, in fact, the basis of the low carb diet is vegetables, some types of fruits in the correct amount, healthy fats present in nuts, olive oil and proteins present on eggs, meats, fish, and chicken.
In a low carb diet, the process of slimming occurs, therefore, the body gets energy from the fat stored in the body. Because of the adjustment period, some people may feel some symptoms like a headache, weakness, dizziness, irritability, which are symptoms that disappear in a matter of days.
One of the great advantages of a low carb diet is that the person feels satiated for longer thus helping in controlling and maintaining weight.
Other benefits include the control and treatment of diabetes, prevention of cardiovascular diseases, PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), among others.
Most people can do a low carb diet however it is important to be accompanied by a professional nutritionist who will choose the best strategy for you according to your goals.