Carbohydrate-free diet: basic rules. What to drink on a carbohydrate-free diet. Prohibited and permitted foods of a carbohydrate diet

A carbohydrate-free diet: for athletes and beyond

A carbohydrate-free diet is a nutritional plan aimed at controlling the intake of available energy sources, carbohydrates (carbohydrates), into the body. As a rule, a carbohydrate-free diet is synonymous with a protein diet; in a mode of deficiency, carbohydrates become the main food. Their ability to break down slowly makes a carbohydrate-free diet one of the most comfortable ones: even small portions of food take a long time to be processed, ensuring satiety.

A carbohydrate-free diet is often used by athletes for the so-called drying, during which subcutaneous fat is removed, and the muscles, thanks to the abundant supply of protein, become embossed and beautiful. This meal plan has collected favorable reviews from those who, with the help of controlling the carbohydrate component of the menu, got rid of extra pounds.

Following a carbohydrate-free diet is easy. It is necessary to remember only one number – 250. This is the maximum number of calories that can be represented by carbohydrates in the daily diet. You can find out the energy “cost” of a product, for example, using the calorie table.

Having decided to adhere to a carbohydrate-free diet, be prepared for the fact that baked goods and other flour products, sweets, vegetables rich in starch, fruits and berries, except for sour ones, are excluded from the diet. At the same time, the use of meat products, fish and cheeses is not limited.

The notorious 250 carbohydrate kcal is also desirable to “gain” not with the help of chocolates and sweets, but by adding sources of slowly digestible carbohydrates to the diet – vegetables, cereals, whole grains.

Sweet and baked goods, even when consumed in limited quantities, cause spikes in blood sugar, leading to insulin-induced hunger flares and metabolic disruptions.

The period of following a carbohydrate-free diet is not limited by anything, except for the internal sensations of losing weight: with normal tolerance and good health, you can control carbohydrates for as long as you like. However, there are two things to keep in mind:

• prolonged carbohydrate deficiency can affect the functioning of the nervous system and the brain, therefore, it is advisable to increase the proportion of carbohydrates in the menu at the end of the active stage of weight loss;

• an abundant intake of protein requires physical activity: it is not necessary to go in for sports professionally, but it is vital to load the body and not sit still, following a carbohydrate-free diet.

Drinking regime on a carbohydrate-free diet

Since a carbohydrate-free diet involves a selective approach to the consumption of foods such as fruits and vegetables, the main stimulants of gut motility, adequate fluid intake is becoming more important than ever. Water not only helps to eliminate undigested food debris, but is also an important part of healthy cell formation and cell renewal in the body that has embarked on the path of losing weight.

The daily volume of liquid required on a carbohydrate-free diet is from 1,5 to 2 liters of pure non-carbonated drinking water. You can also drink green tea (no more than 4-5 cups a day), coffee without sugar is not prohibited. However, it is better not to overuse coffee, keeping in mind its diuretic effect.

Fruit juices, not only packaged, but also freshly squeezed, as well as sodas (including dietary ones) are prohibited for the predictable reason of their high sugar content.

What foods to avoid on a carbohydrate-free diet

In addition to the expected ban on any baked goods, sugar and almost all grains, a carbohydrate-free diet implies a refusal (or significant restriction) of the use of the following products:

• Starchy vegetables (especially those common in our latitudes such as potatoes, carrots, beets, corn);

• Artificial sweeteners (despite the absence of sucrose in the composition, they cause persistent cravings for sweets);

• Foods marked as “dietary” or “fat-free” (they contain many questionable additives to improve the taste, including those containing sugar and starch);

• Alcohol;

• Fruits (except citrus and sour berries. Some nutritionists also admit the use of coconut, peaches and apples on a carbohydrate-free diet);

• Trans fats (hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated);

• Foods that have undergone significant industrial processing (frozen ready meals usually contain significant amounts of carbohydrate additives).

When deciding on a carbohydrate-free diet, make it a rule not to trust brightly colored labels like “healthy food” and don’t be lazy to read the ingredients on the packaging. To reduce the cost, increase the shelf life and improve the appearance of food, unfortunately, many manufacturers today add sweeteners, starch and fats not only to frozen or chilled semi-finished products or meat products, but also to canned food and dairy products. Such “bonuses” harm not only the figure, but also health in general!

Carbohydrate-free diet and cereals: well, you can at least a little?

As we know, a carbohydrate-free diet for weight loss gives a fairly quick and sustained effect, due to the fact that the body ceases to receive available energy from carbohydrates and is forced to expend its own fat reserves. However, in the long term, the increased flight from carbohydrates can affect the health of the kidneys and cardiovascular system, as well as the brain, which “feeds” on pure glucose.

Dietary studies have already documented an eating disorder called carbophobia. Convinced of the simple action of protein diets, losing weight for years “sit” on steaks and omelets, like fire, afraid of any bread crumbs. The result is depression, memory lapses, metabolic disorders, problems with the work of the gastrointestinal tract and excretory systems of the body.

As with any extreme, a total long-term ban on carbohydrates on the menu does little good. A decisive and irrevocable rejection of carbohydrates in any form makes sense at the initial forced stage of weight loss. But when you are close to the desired result and intend to maintain your existing weight rather than continue to lose kilograms, you need to balance the protein, fat and carbohydrate components of the diet. Even staying on a predominantly protein diet, it is important to eat regularly but dosed foods containing carbohydrates.

Porridge is an affordable source of not only slowly digesting, and therefore nutritionally complete carbohydrates, but also fiber, as well as many important microelements. At the same time, having found your happiness on a protein-free carbohydrate diet, you can choose from all cereals those with the highest protein content, and follow the rule of “no more than 250 carbohydrate kcal per day”, regularly receiving a portion of a healthy product.

Some of the richest in protein cereals include, for example:

• buckwheat (12% protein, 68% carbohydrates)

• pea (21% protein, 50% carbohydrates)

• oat (12% protein, 65% carbs)

• Quinoa (14% Protein, 64% Carbs)

It must, however, be remembered that vegetable protein differs from animal protein in terms of its amino acid composition. Some nutritionists recommend consuming cereals in the company of milk, cottage cheese, meat or by-products in order to “complete the set” of amino acids.

Want to indulge yourself with a baked goods or pancake, but have no idea how to make them without flour rich in carbohydrates? Trick: Try replacing it with finely ground nuts or loose bran. Nuts are an excellent source of easily digestible protein and valuable vitamins, and bran, although they contain a certain proportion of carbohydrates, are absorbed extremely slowly, playing a useful role of fiber “ballast”, providing a feeling of fullness and stimulating the intestines.

Delicious food ideas for a carb-free diet

There are many ready-made options for a carbohydrate-free diet menu. However, monotony is the scourge of any meal plan that restricts the intake of any macronutrient. It would seem that without potatoes, pasta, flour it is difficult to make a complete diet, but with a certain amount of imagination and inspiration, you can enrich your table with tasty and healthy dishes suitable for a carbohydrate-free diet.

Carbohydrate Menu: Cheeseburger No BunLow-fat minced meat (beef or turkey) shape into steaks, grill or bake in the oven, add a slice of cheddar for each serving. For juiciness, serve with tomato salsa or finely chopped fresh salad vegetables with herbs and spices.

Carbohydrate diet menu: mitza or omelet pizzaIn appearance and even taste, this dish resembles the usual pizza on dough, with the difference that the flour crust replaces the lean minced meat or omelet base.

Mitzi is a dish whose name comes from a combination of the English words meat – meat and pizza – pizza. To prepare an appetizing mittsa, tamp the lean minced meat tightly into a hot-resistant form and place the vegetable filling on top (you can add a little mushrooms, cheese). Bake in the oven at 160 C for 30-40 minutes (depending on the thickness of the “cake”).

Omelet pizza can be cooked over an open fire in a lightly greased skillet with a lid: beat eggs with kefir and spices, pour the mixture into a preheated skillet, add tomatoes, boiled meat slices, herbs, cheese. This dish is also prepared for the company, cutting into triangles like a traditional pizza.

Carbohydrate-free diet: how to choose foods

Having decided on a carbohydrate-free diet, in order to achieve a slimming effect, it makes sense not only to delete bread and sweets from your life, but also to take into account the intake of fats. Protein-rich food – meat, dairy products – as a rule, contains tangible portions of lipids of various qualities and origins.

Nutritionists treat this feature of a carbohydrate-free diet in two ways: on the one hand, the body needs fat for normal functioning, on the other hand, protein processing itself becomes a serious burden for the body and, if you add to this task uncontrolled “supply” of fat, the problem is turns around is not important for the vessels and the cardiovascular system.

There are known varieties of high-fat carb-free diets, which are especially popular in the United States, where a culture of fast food is developed. Paradoxically, a complete ban on carbohydrate consumption, combined with a permit for unlimited fat intake, allows you not to gain weight, but rather quickly causes digestive disruptions and provokes heart disorders. The most striking example of such a fatty diet is the ketogenic diet, which is popular today.

When choosing meat products for a carbohydrate-free diet, pay your consumer attention primarily to farm raw materials, harvested from conscientiously fed and raised in decent conditions. Avoid fat-saturated carcass parts by choosing lean cuts.

When cooking, avoid deep frying, frying in oil, preferring baking in the oven or grilling, steam cooking.

Although all meat products have a zero carbohydrate index (sausages, sausages, pates, etc., containing additives are not taken into account), in order to lose weight on a carbohydrate-free diet, it makes sense to pay attention primarily to lean meat, avoiding mutton fat tail and lard.

There is an opinion that there is more harm than good in industrially low-fat dairy products, but there is also room for choice: low-fat homemade cheese or grain cottage cheese for a carbohydrate-free diet is preferable to creamy, heavy-to-digest varieties of the same products.

Best foods for a carbohydrate-free diet

Meat: beef, veal, chicken, turkey, rabbit

Offal and eggs: liver, heart, tongue, poultry egg (chicken, duck, quail)

Fish and seafood: fillet of sea fish, crabs, lobsters, shrimps

Dairy: grain cottage cheese, yogurt without additives, kefir, sour cream, with care – whole milk

Vegetables: all leafy vegetables and salads, cabbage, bamboo shoots, artichokes, culinary herbs, bell peppers, zucchini, green peas and beans, onions, with caution – mushrooms

Fruits and berries: lemons, oranges, grapefruit, pomegranate, green apples, cranberries, currants, strawberries

Seeds and Nuts: pine nuts, almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds.