Healthy Low Carb Diet: Safe Ways To Cut On Carb Intake

Posted on April 13, 2020 by Julia Valdez

No more sugar, pasta, bread, and a lot of quick grabs you used to enjoy — this is the daily life of people on a low-carb diet.

As the name implies, this type of intake limits the number of carbohydrates an individual eats. Instead of foods packed with carbs, a person can switch to eating proteins, vegetables, and healthy fats.

Low-carb diets boast a track record of improved health markers such as cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Moreover, many of those who have tried the fad diet experienced quick weight loss and were able to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

But before you quickly drop your carb intake to zero, there is a hazard to doing it wrong. A sudden withdrawal from carbs may lead to a hypoglycemic attack, an episode that causes hunger, nausea, trembling, dizziness, sweating, and in severe cases, coma and death.

Below are some safe ways to cut on carb intake so you can reap the benefits of the healthy low carb diet while keeping health risks at a minimum.

3 Tips to Succeed with a Healthy Low Carb Diet

Shifting to a low-carb diet, especially with its rewards in mind, seems like an exciting weight loss or lifestyle change. Some people may not experience a successful transformation as those who avidly recommend it, but you can increase your chances of seeing results as long as you do it right!

#1 – Know Your Numbers

People on a keto diet follow a strict low-carb regime where they only consume up to 5% of the daily recommended carbohydrate intake. The goal of this diet scheme is to achieve ketosis, a state that forces the body to burn stored fat instead of sugars. This metabolic process happens after the body becomes deprived of glucose, one of the three types of sugars and the usual fuel that comes from carbohydrate-rich foods.

Keeping track of daily fat, protein, and carb intake has worked well for people trying to lose weight. Whether you chose keto or a typical low-carb plan, it’s best to know what serving size for every meal will give you the nutrition you need. You can do this by:

Checking the carbohydrate value in the nutritional content section of the food package.
Subscribing to a daily low-carb menu from a reputable dietician or meal prep company.
Researching for the carbohydrate content of a homemade meal or each ingredient you used to prepare it.

The above steps are time-consuming and some may find it too technical for them. Weight watchers who want to do this the easy way make use of a nutrition calculator or eat pre-designed snacks from providers like Fiber Gourmet.

#2 – Consider a Slow and Smooth Transition

Due to a drop in energy source, the body may suffer from hypoglycemia. The symptoms include headache, fatigue, dizziness, inability to focus, heart racing, trembling, and extreme hunger. This condition is temporary and may go away, but one should be careful to prevent a worse health situation from developing from long-term energy deprivation.

As such, experts recommend weight-watchers to engage in a slow and smooth transition to a low-carb diet. The daily recommended carb intake of people who are in the normal 2000-calorie diet ranges from 225 to 325 grams. For someone who would like to cut on carbs, you can follow a glide path of transition to do this safely. You can start eating 100 grams of carb in the first few days and gradually reduce it to 20-30 grams.

#3 – Carb Cycle to Avoid Fat Burn Plateaus

After weeks of doing a consistent low-carb diet, your body may soon adapt and slow down the fat-burning process on its own. This event is called a weight-loss plateau, and you can dispel this effect through carb-cycling.

The carb cycling methods may vary from person-to-person. Some would eat low-carb foods for several consecutive days, followed by a day of higher-carb content meals. This technique tricks the body by giving it an increased amount of glucose for a day, then again depriving it of its favorite fuel to make it cycle back to burning fats.

How to Enjoy a Low Carb Diet

The first week of a low carb diet is an exciting phase of a lifestyle change. But as days pass by, you’ll get tired of eating the same food over and over.

Baked, boiled, poached, fried, grilled, stewed — no matter how skilled you are at cooking, you’ll run out of recipes and food options. Soon, you’ll crave for the quick high-carb snacks you used to enjoy. If you give in to the urge, though, you’ll surely regret even the tiniest bite.

Here’s how you can maintain a low-carb diet sans the guilt over cheating.

#1 – Bake Pastries With Almond Flour

Low-carb cakes and baked goods? It’s possible if you use almond flour and your favorite sugar-free sweetener. Although carbs may be inevitable, its content stays at a safe amount for as long as you don’t eat more than one serving.

#2 – Use Almond Milk

Coffee vampires may like their daily dose of caffeine with a shot of creamer and some cubes of sugar. But if you’re doing a low-carb or a ketogenic diet, you take away the sweet and creamy stuff so it won’t derail your weight-loss efforts.

If you’re not a fan of pure black coffee, consider mixing in a shot of almond milk, heavy cream or sugar-free vanilla. Try cold brew, espresso, and other types of coffee for varying tastes.

#3 – Salmon And Fatty Fish

A low-carb diet does not mean binge-eating on protein and unhealthy fats such as grilled sausages and processed foods. Get your daily measure of healthy fats from salmon, cod, and fatty fishes.

#4 – High Fibre Foods

FibreGourmet suggests that everyone should “live light without compromise.” This statement may raise some eyebrows, but it has been proven that one can enjoy a low-carb life without great sacrifices.

The Fibre Gourmet team dedicated their time experimenting with unhealthy food options to make a healthier version of them while maintaining the same delicious and satisfying taste.

How Fiber Gourmet Makes a Low Carb Diet Enjoyable

By switching flour with healthy substitutes, Fiber Gourmet brings you fibre-rich foods you used to enjoy without the enormous carbohydrate loads.

Fiber Gourmet brand foods are rich with insoluble fibre, creating a full list of food products low in calories and net carbs. With Fiber Gourmet, you don’t need to settle with eating less or unpalatable food choices. Eat exceptional meals without the huge carb deals.

Suffering From a Condition? Ask Your Doctor First!

A low carb diet, like other meal restrictions, may not be suitable for people with diabetes, high blood pressure, and those who take medication. It is also not a recommended diet for breastfeeding mothers. It is always best to consult a doctor or a nutritionist before going on any kind of diet.