A high protein low carb diet is one that consists of meats, fish, poultry and eggs along with vegetables and some fruits.
This type of diet has become very popular in recent years and many books and diet plans have been published such as The Atkins Diet, the South Beach Diet and The Carbohydrate Addicts Diet. These diets work on the basis that eating carbohydrates raise your blood sugar levels and cause weight gain, therefore they limit the amount of carbohydrates consumed in each meal or snack.
What’s Allowed
Food choices on a high protein low carb diet can be boiled down to the simple rules below.Most diet plans do recommend an “induction phase” where your choices are more limited (see my
low carb diet reviews
section for more details on that), but this is typically what you should / should not eat on a high protein low carb diet.
Foods Allowed
All meats (for optimal health stick to low fat meats only)
All fish
All shellfish
Low carb veggies
Low carb fruits
butter and oil
cheese
eggs
High Protein Low Carb Diet Packaged Foods
Foods to Avoid
Lunch meats and packaged meats (check carb counts on package, some have added carbs!)
Breads, Bagels, Baked Goods
Candy, ice cream, anything with sugar
Starchy Vegetables such as potatoes and corn
High carb fruits like bananas
Basically any food that is in a package is high in carbs (as well as other things that are bad for you such as trans fats and chemicals) and should be avoided. Stick to fresh fruits and vegetables and lean meats for healthy eating choices.
Advantages Of A High Protein Low Carb Diet
First off it will eliminate all processed foods from your diet – these foods have little nutritional value and are just “empty calories”. This type of diet can steady blood sugar levels and help you avoid those sugar lows that cause you to eat candy bars in the afternoon. A steadier eating pattern will allow you to make better food choices and result in weight loss. High protein diets have been known to result in faster initial weight loss.
Disadvantages Of A High Protein Low Carb Diet
This type of diet can promote over consumption of red meats which are loaded with fat and thought to contribute to heart and other diseases. It can also lead to under consumption of carbohydrates which can overwork your kidneys and cause health problems. A high protein diet can also cause the body to lose calcium so be sure you are taking the appropriate supplements if you are considering this type of diet. You should never eliminate carbohydrates from your diet and should still eat 5 or more servings a day of fruits and vegetables.
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