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Types of Low Carb Diet – When is a low-carb diet really a low-carb diet and not just a low-carb diet? With the popularity of low-carb for weight loss and health benefits, many people are turning to the diet in all its various forms. Official dietary guidelines recommend consuming between 225 and 325 grams (g) of carbohydrates per day, which represents about 45 to 65 percent of your daily calorie intake. Dr Juliano Pimentel in one of his articles.
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And while there are many different types, from the ketogenic diet to the Dukan diet, the name isn’t the most important thing. “You can put a label on the type of low-carb diet you want to do, but the bottom line—and one reason low-carb diets can be so successful—is that you should focus on eating real food.
1 – Types of low carb diet – Basic low carb diet
There’s no official guideline that defines a low-carb diet, Schmidt says. But generally speaking, consuming around 50 to 100 grams of carbs per day is considered a basic low-carb diet, she says. That said, it can be more — it’s all about eating fewer carbs than is normal for you. The advantage of this plan is that it’s individualized, allowing you to eat the amount that best meets your body’s needs. It also gives you leeway to choose which carbs you want to include (fruits, vegetables, dairy, whole grains, nuts, and seeds) rather than being on a plan that tells you what to eat and when. It’s best for someone who likes that freedom and doesn’t want to spend the time counting carb grams.
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2 – Types of low carb diet – Ketogenic Diet, or 'Keto'
This is one of the strictest ways to do a low-carb diet, as it limits you to less than 50g of carbs per day, although some experts recommend going for less than 30 or 20g, says Franziska Spritzler, RD, CDE, a low-carb dietitian based in Orange County, California. (Specifically, she says most people need to stay under 30 grams, but some active people can go a little higher.) You'll also be eating a significant amount of fat—up to 80% of your diet.
A keto diet shifts your body’s fuel-burning engine from one that relies on carbs for energy to one that incinerates fat. A big benefit here is that you can lose a significant amount of weight quickly, and that can be motivating to see those results so quickly. The downside is that it’s a very limiting diet—you’re eating mostly fat sources, plus a little bit of protein and some non-statistical vegetables – so it’s hard to keep up the pace, and it’s usually a short-term diet, not a lifelong one. change.
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3 – Types of low carb diet – High-Fat (A diet low in carbohydrates and high in fat)
This sounds similar to keto, but on this plan, you generally eat more carbs (so your body isn’t in the fat-burning state of ketosis, as it is during keto) and less fat. Carbs can comprise about 25% of your calories, while fat accounts for over 60%.
Many people do this for performance benefits during a workout, as it’s thought to teach your body to use fat for fuel, which can provide a longer-lasting form of energy during prolonged periods of endurance activity. That said, whether it actually boosts performance is still up in the air, reported one study published in November 2015 in the journal Sports Medicine . If you are an athlete interested in this style of eating, your best option is to consult a dietitian who specializes in sports nutrition to see what is right for you.
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4 – Types of low carb diet – Atkins Diet
When it comes to the low-carb craze, the Atkins diet started it all. “Dr. Atkins realized very early on that cutting carbs and allowing unlimited protein and fat intake had such a big impact on appetite and insulin levels,” says Spritzler.
On this plan, you start with a very low, ketogenic intake and then gradually add in carb sources like vegetables and fruits. Spritzler notes that a common mistake is to add too many carbs, gain weight, and then think the diet isn’t working. For example, when you’re in maintenance mode, you probably shouldn’t be eating bread.
That said, this diet also features prepackaged foods and snacks, which will be processed regardless of the “low-carb” label. The best way to follow this diet is to continue eating whole foods, Spritzler says.
A note: This diet differs from the Eco-Atkins diet, the diet ranked #22 out of 40 in the 2018 U.S. News & World Report Best Diets. The "eco" twist is that it focuses on plant-based proteins and unsaturated fats with a higher amount of carbohydrates; you'll likely eliminate most animal products and saturated fats.
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5 – Types of low carb diet – Paleo Diet
The caveman style of eating focuses on eating fat and protein with fewer carbs. That said, just because you cut out grains, legumes, beans, sweets, and dairy, it doesn’t automatically mean low-carb, since you can still eat starchy vegetables and fruits, which can add up.” A paleo diet can contain a number of carbs ranging from keto to normal carb levels,” says Spritzler. The benefit of a paleo eating plan The key to a healthy diet is to emphasize whole, unprocessed foods, she says. It can feel heavy if you prefer a more plant-based diet. To make sure it stays low-carb, focus on vegetables that naturally fall on the high-carb spectrum, like cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, and peppers.
6 – Types of low carb diet – Whole30
THE Whole30 is another diet (which calls itself more of a program) that is not specifically designed to be low-carb. For 30 days (no cheating!), you are asked to eat meat, seafood, vegetables, fruits, and fats and avoid any type of added sugar – alcohol, grains, legumes, and dairy.
It can be a radical approach for someone who is used to eating the standard American diet — which is low in fruits and vegetables, and high in sugar and fat — and can help with weight loss, Spritzler says, adding that the freedom to eat as many carbs as you want can make it an unsuitable fit for people with type 2 diabetes . Because this is designed as a short-term (30-day) challenge, it's supposed to be tough. You have to weigh your stick before you start, and then plan what you're going to do after 30 days.
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7 – Types of low carb diet – Low Carb Mediterranean Diet
This one gets major health points from Spritzler. “I personally feel this is the ideal diet to follow, as it provides all the benefits of a Mediterranean and low-carb diet,” she says.
The difference from other low-carb diets is that you will swap saturated fats for unsaturated fats – a plus if you have type 2 diabetes, which puts you at higher risk for heart disease, or if you have a personal or family history of heart disease. That means instead of butter, cheese, and cream, you’re eating olive oil, fatty fish, nuts, seeds, and avocado as their main sources of fat.
The big pro of this diet is that it is very heart-friendly; the con is that for some people, the appeal of a low-carb diet is often the ability to eat highly palatable foods like bacon and cheese. Research looking at the benefit of a low-carb Mediterranean diet on diabetes, such as a study published in July 2014 in the journal Diabetes Care , advised participants to consume no more than 50% of their daily calories from carbohydrates and to get at least 30% of their calories from fat, focusing on vegetables and whole grains as carbohydrate sources.
8 – Types of low carb diet – Dukan Diet
In this diet, you will be taken through four phases. First, you will focus on high-protein foods and then add vegetables, followed by gradually introducing more carbohydrate-containing foods, such as fruits and whole-grain bread, as well as an allowance of two meals per week. In the final phase, you will aim to maintain your weight loss results by eating foods from all food groups, supplementing with oat bran, and fitting in daily fitness.
According to U.S. News & World Report, the Dukan Diet ranks 39th out of 40 in terms of best diets overall—that's very low. Why? There are many rules to follow, and you need to eat a lot of protein, something the expert panel says can compromise your health.
9 – Types of low carb diet – The South Beach Diet
Unlike some of the other types of low-carb diets, which focus on health benefits, this one bills itself as a pure weight loss diet. While you focus more on lean protein and healthy fats, Mayo Clinic Note that the South Beach Diet isn't necessarily a low-carb diet. In fact, you eat "good carbs"—especially after the first phase.
On the diet, you can get frozen and ready-to-eat meals from South Beach, as well as make some meals yourself. They also encourage you to buy South Beach Diet brand snacks. The upside is that they will tell you what to eat throughout the day and there is little cooking involved (great if you hate your kitchen); the downside is that you have to buy your food through them, and the choices can be limiting. Plus, when you are buying packaged foods, you are not getting the full nutritional benefit that you would get from eating whole foods.
10 – Types of low carb diet – Zero Carb Diet
If you look around the web, you will see that many people have taken up the challenge of a no-carb diet, which involves eating only meat and fat. The downside of this diet is that it can be exceptionally high in saturated fat and does not contain fibers , something that aids digestion, and not vegetables or fruits, which provide critical vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Considering that experts recommend talking to your doctor before even trying a ketogenic diet—and this is a much more serious form—you need to consult a medical professional before trying the zero-carb diet!
