Looking for a diet that can fit into your lifestyle? Do you love meat, eggs, and dairy? If so, you should go low carb. An overwhelming number of studies indicate that type of diet is the best option for people who want to lose weight and keep it off. Low carb diets have been shown to decrease diabetes risk, improve cardiovascular health, and ward off depression. The best part is that you can enjoy delicious, healthy meals like baby back ribs, hazelnut cake roll, and cheese pie.

What Is a Low Carb Diet?

Low carb diets are so popular for a good reason. They’re flexible, easy to follow, and work on long term. This eating pattern emphasizes foods that are high in protein and fat. What products you should eat depends on your goals, activity level, and overall health. The more active you are, the more carbs you can include in your diet and still lose weight. All low carb diets restrict the following foods:

• Sugar in all its forms
• Grains and white flour
• Starchy foods
• Most fruits

Some also limit the consumption of trans fats, artificial sweeteners, and dairy products. Fruits and honey are usually forbidden because they contain fructose, a natural form of sugar. Most dairy products are high in lactose, which is sugar found in milk. It’s recommended to avoid diet and low fat products because they often contain sugar for extra flavor. Even those that are sugar free may have a high carbohydrate content. Don’t forget that sugar comes in different forms, such as algarve nectar, algarve syrup, dextrose, high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, fructose, glucose, diastase, and molasses.

There are several low carb diet plans available, and each has its own rules. Some limit carbs to 80-100 grams a day, while others go below 40 grams of carbohydrates. The Atkins diet, the South Beach Diet, the Dukan diet, and the ketogenic diet are backed up by science and have proven results. Health experts have classified these diets into three categories:

• Very low carbohydrate: under 30 grams of carbs a day
• Low carbohydrate: under 130 grams of carbs a day
• Moderate carbohydrate: 130 to 225 grams of carbs per day

The ketogenic diet is based on carb cycling, making it ideal for athletes and active individuals. It basically restricts carbohydrate intake sufficiently to cause ketosis, a natural state in which your body uses stored fat for fuel. Dieters can load up on carbs one day a week in order to replenish their liver and muscle glycogen stores. The Atkins diet is extremely restrictive and relies heavily on animal products. The Dukan diet has several phases and offers long term results. Other low carb diets focus on the glycemic index (GI) of foods.

How Do Low Carb Diets Work?

A high-carb meal causes insulin spikes and increases your blood sugar levels. Unless you burn those calories within a few hours, they will be stored as fat. After ingestion, carbohydrates are turned into glucose. Some are used as fuel, while others are stored in your liver and muscles as glycogen. If you eat carbs and your glycogen stores are already full, the sugar will be stored as fat.

Low carb diets deplete your glycogen stores, so your body will have to find another source of energy. Basically, it shifts from sugar metabolism to an increase fat metabolism. After carbohydrates, fat is your body’s main source of fuel. The benefits of low carb diets go beyond weight loss. Research shows that this kind of diet increases energy levels, prevents mood swings, and stabilizes blood sugar levels. People who eat low carb have a reduced risk of diabetes, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, adrenal fatigue, and hormonal imbalances.

Low Carb Diets: The Way to Go?

By cutting down on carbs, most dieters are often restricting their calorie intake. With a few exceptions, high-carb foods contain more calories than those high-protein and high-fat products. For example, 100 grams of potato chips or a slice of cake have more calories than 300 grams of chicken breast or turkey. 100 grams of rice is higher in calories than 500 grams of spinach, cucumbers, or broccoli. In other words, you can eat more and shed fat as long as you choose the right foods.

Most low carb diets allow the consumption of animal products, green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, avocado, fish, seafood, vegetable oils, and fermented cheese. Dieters can enjoy tasty foods like:

• Almonds
• Walnuts
• Pistachios
• Tuna
• Salmon
• Mackerel
• Coconut oil
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Chicken and turkey
• Beef
• Pork
• Bacon
• Eggs
• Zucchini
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Mushrooms
• Broccoli
• Radish
• Strawberries
• Red grapefruit
• Ground meat
• Steak
• Butter
• Cottage cheese
• Goat cheese
• Ricotta
• Greek yogurt

Vegetarians and vegans can go low carb too. Many plant-based foods are high in protein and healthy fats that support weight loss. These include pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, tempeh, tofu, canned beans, hummus, lentils, unsweetened soy milk, kale chips, pecans, and mixed nuts. Regular flour, which is high in carbs, can be replaced with flax meal, almond flour, or coconut flour.