Low carbohydrate diets have risen and fallen in popularity over the years and many different variations of the concept have appeared in the mainstream media. Most of us will have heard of the Atkins diet, but there are many alternatives such as the South Beach Diet and the Paleo Diet.
The thing they have in common is restricting the amount of carbohydrates in the diet with the goal of encouraging your body to use your fat stores as energy instead of the carbohydrates in food, which ultimately leads to weight loss.
Finding low carb food can be difficult due to the fact that most food producers and supermarkets focus on calorie or fat content. It has been conventional wisdom for the past half a century that to lose weight, you need to limit calories and increase exercise. This approach is also part of the government guidelines for healthy living, so it is understandable that food manufacturers will highlight this information on their packaging.
Having said that, it is possible to train yourself to recognise foods which are low or high in carbohdrates, so if you're just starting out on a low carbohydrate diet, here are some quick low carb food tips to get you on your way:
- if it grows underground, it is high in carbs (e.g. potatoes and carrots)
- if it is a green vegetable, it is probably low in carbs (brocolli, beans)
- meats are generally carb free - just make sure there is no added sugar, breadcrumbs or anything else added to them
- be careful with artificial sweeteners such as sucralose and aspartame - some people convert these into sugar alcohols which have the same effect as carbohydrates
A common myth that is portrayed by people on alternative diets is that low carb food is boring and unimaginative. It can be true that when you are starting out on a low carb diet it can be difficult to find low carb foods to buy, but once you get going a whole new world of exciting flavour and taste start to appear and you quickly forget the initial problems.
Often people say that once they are a few weeks into a low carbohydrate diet the thought of eating breads, pastas and sugary treats makes them feel a slightly ill, so you will naturally become accustomed to recognising high carb foods.
A major problem faced by low carb dieters is finding snacks while on the go - most high street shops sell potato chips, chocolates, breads and cakes as snacks - all of which are off limits for low carb dieters. There are a couple of solutions, the easiest being to bring your own snacks with you. Some ideas include blocks of cheese and pepperoni sticks. While this is not ideal, it does make life easier!
Another important thing to remember with a low carb diet is that your hunger levels will go down. This is because your body is using fat stores for energy and so it is not constantly telling you to feed yourself. People often comment that they completely forget to eat lunch because they simply weren't hungry - so don't worry if you can't find a snack, as you will quickly forget that you even wanted one!
