Definition
A low-carb diet limits carbohydrates — such as those found in grains, starchy vegetables and fruit — and emphasizes foods high in protein and fat. Many types of low-carb diets exist. Each diet has varying restrictions on the types and amounts of carbohydrates you can eat.
Low-carb diets can aid weight loss and are linked to a growing number of health benefits. Reducing the ammount of carbs tends to reduce your appetite and cause "automatic" weight loss without the need to count calories. A reduced carb intake gives positive impacts to those with various health issues, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, acne, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and Alzheimer's disease.
For these reasons, people are following this diet plan to improve their health and lose weight.
The low-carb, high-fat eating plan, or LCHF diet, are promoted as the healthy and safe way to lose weight.
What Is A LCHF Diet?
The LCHF diet is an umbrella term for eating plans that reduce carbs and increase fats. LCHF diets are low in carbohydrates, high in fats and moderate in protein. This method of eating is referred to the "Banting Diet" or simply "Banting" after William Banting, a British man who popularized it after losing a large amount of weight.
The eating plan emphasizes whole, unprocessed foods like fish, eggs, low-carb vegetables and nuts and discourages highly processed, packaged items.
Added sugar and starchy foods like bread, pasta, potatoes and rice are restricted instead replace them with protein, fat and healthy vegetables. In fact, a popular alternative called the low-carb diet has been shown to be much more effective for weight loss than the high-carb diet that has been recommended for the past few decades. Studies show that low-carb diets reduce your appetite and make you eat fewer calories and lose weight pretty much effortlessly, as long as you manage to keep the carbs down. The LCHF diet doesn't have clear standards for macronutrient percentages since it's more a lifestyle change.
The dietary guidelines recommend that carbs provide 45 to 65 percent of your daily calorie intake. So if you eat a 2000-calorie diet, you should aim for about 225 to 325 grams of carbs per day. But if you need to lose weight, you will get much faster results eating around 50 to 150 grams of carbs.
However, even those consuming more than 150 grams of carbs daily can follow the diet and be inspired by its principles, as it can be personalized to meet an individual's needs.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, LCHF diets are low in carbs, high in fats and moderate in protein. The diet can be personalized to meet and individual's needs.
Mostly Asked Question is LCHF Diet the Same as the Ketogenic Diet or Atkins Diet?
The Ketogenic diet and Atkins diet are both low in carbs that falls under the term of LCHF diet. The ketogenic diet (or keto diet, for short) is a low-carb, high-fat diet that offers many health benefits. Ketogenic diets may even have benefits against diabetes, cancer, epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease.
There are several versions of the ketogenic diet, including:
> Standard ketogenic diet (SKD)
- Which is very low in carbs, moderate protein and has a high-fat diet. It typically contains 75% fats, 20% of proteins and only 5% of carbs.
> Cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD)
- This diet involves periods of higher-carb refeeds, such as 5 ketogenic days followed by 2 high-carb days.
> Targeted ketogenic diet (TKD)
- This diet allows you to add carbs around workouts.
> High-protein ketogenic diet
- This diet is the same as the standard ketogenic diet, but has more proteins. The ratio is often 60% fat, 35% protein and 5% carbs.
Meanwhile, Proponents of Atkins diet claim that you can lose weight while eating as much protein and fat as you want, as long as you avoid foods high in carbs. The diet was originally considered unhealthy and demonized by the mainstream health authorities, mostly due to its high saturated fat content. However, new studies suggest that saturated fat is harmless.
The Atkins diet is split into 4 different phases:
> Phase 1 (induction) :
Under 20 grams of carbs per day for 2 weeks. Eat high-fat, high-protein, with low-carb vegetables like leafy greens. This kick-starts the weight loss.
> Phase 2 (balancing):
Slowly add more nuts, low-carb vegetables and small amounts of fruit back to your diet.
> Phase 3 (fine-tuning):
When you’re very close to your goal weight, add more carbs to your diet until weight loss slows down.
> Phase 4 (maintenance):
Here you can eat as many healthy carbs as your body can tolerate without regaining weight.
While these types of low-carb, high-fat diest are more restrictive, anyone can follow up the LCHF principles with no any specific guidelines.
This LCHF diet is clearly adaptable by anyone and much more easier to follow than the regimented plans like the ketogenic or atkins diet.
Basically, this LCHF lifestyle is all about low carbs and replaces with fats and the ketogenic and atkins diets are the types of this diet plan.
What are the Benefits of this LCHF Diet Plan ?
Anyone can lose weight by cutting down carbs in their daily food intake instead consuming high dietary fats. Studies demonstrate that LCHF diets also benefit many health conditions including diabetes, heart disease and neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s disease.
Diabetes
A study of obese adults with type 2 diabetes has been stated that a very low-carb, high-fat diet led to greater improvement in blood sugar control and a more substantial reduction in diabetes medication than a high-carb diet.
Another study in obese participants with type 2 diabetes showed that following a ketogenic diet for 24 weeks resulted in significant reductions in blood sugar levels and a decreased need for blood sugar medications.
Moreover, some of the participants assigned to the ketogenic diet were able to discontinue their diabetes medications completely.
Neurological Diseases
A neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures. Studies show that LCHF diets plays a therapeutic role in other neurological diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease. One study demonstrated that a ketogenic diet led to improved cognitive functioning in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Surprisingly, a low-carb, high-fat diet aids to improve cognitive function.
Heart Disease
This diet has it's own benefits to reduce body fat, lower inflammation and improve blood circulatory system which are all related to the heart disease. A study in 55 obese adults found that following this diet plan diet for 12 weeks reduced triglycerides, improved HDL cholesterol and decreased levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation linked to heart disease. LCHF diets have also been shown to reduce blood pressure, lower blood sugar, decrease LDL cholesterol and promote weight loss, all of which can help reduce the risk of heart disease.
There are Foods to Avoid and Should Eat while Anyone is Following This Diet Plan
Foods to Avoid
Grains and starches: Breads, baked goods, rice, pasta, cereals, etc.
Sugary drinks: Soda, juice, sweet tea, smoothies, sports drinks, chocolate milk, etc.
Sweeteners: Sugar, honey, agave, maple syrup, etc.
Starchy vegetables: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash, beets, peas, etc.
Fruits: Fruits should be limited, but consuming small portions of berries is encouraged.
Alcoholic beverages: Beer, sugary mixed cocktails and wine are high in carbohydrates.
Low-fat and diet items: Items labeled “diet,” “low-fat” or “light” are often high in sugar.
Highly processed foods: Limiting packaged foods and increasing whole, unprocessed foods is encouraged.
Although the above foods should be reduced in any LCHF diet, the number of carbs consumed per day varies depending on the type of diet you are following.
Foods to Eat
Any type of LCHF diet emphasizes foods that are high in fat and low in carbohydrates such as :
Eggs: Eggs are high in healthy fats and essentially a carb-free food.
Oils: Olive oil, coconut oil and avocado oil are healthy choices.
Fish: All fish, but especially those high in fats like salmon, sardines and trout.
Meats and poultry: Red meat, chicken, venison, turkey, etc.
Full-fat dairy: Cream, full-fat plain yogurt, butter, cheeses, etc.
Non-starchy vegetables: Greens, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, mushrooms, etc.
Avocados: These high-fat fruits are versatile and delicious.
Berries: Berries such as blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries can be enjoyed in moderation.
Nuts and seeds: Almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, pumpkin seeds, etc.
Condiments: Fresh herbs, pepper, spices, etc.
Thank you ☺
Very informative dear