Less Known Low Carb Diets That Work
While most people have heard of popular diets such as the Atkins, Caveman, South Beach, and Low GI, there are other less known approaches. Some of them are considered fad diets while others result in healthy weight loss.
Dukan as a Multi-Step Approach
The Dukan Diet is based on the
consumption of low carb foods and protein-rich products. The first stages aim at short-term weight loss and are known as the Attack and Cruise phases. During the initial stage, dieters consume plenty of lean protein such as soy, eggs, poultry, and fish. They also have 1.5 tablespoons of oat bran. The next stage is less restrictive, and dieters include non-starchy vegetables in their menu. The list of banned vegetables includes potatoes, corn, and carrots. The next stage is called Consolidation and allows 1 piece of cheese, 2 slices of wholegrain bread, a piece of low carb fruit, and plenty of vegetables and lean protein. Stabilization is the final stage during which dieters can include foods from all categories provided that they follow the rules from stage 1 once a week.
The Stillman Diet
This is another approach to weight loss that is based on low carb, high protein foods. It is an early reduced carbohydrate plan that was developed to help obese patients to lose weight. The plan recommends eating 6 small meals daily, accompanied with plenty of water. Dieters consume cottage cheese, eggs, fish and seafood, poultry, and lean meat. You can bake, boil, or broil products but avoid fried food. The list of allowed beverages includes soft drinks, coffee, tea, and water. Condiments that include oil are not allowed. However, you can use garlic, pepper, and salt. In general, this diet aims at rapid weight loss, and the body goes in a state of ketosis. This means that fats are used for energy instead of carbohydrates.
Medifast
This is yet another approach that offers nutritional advice and recommendations to people looking for ways to lose weight. One of the main advantages is that it is easy to follow – no calorie or carb counting is required. Dieters who follow this plan lose between 0.9 and 2.3 kg a week. The menu includes different
Medifast foods such as soups, oatmeal, bars, and shakes, along with a limited amount of non-starchy vegetables and lean protein. Once you reach your desired weight loss goals, you are free to reintroduce low-fat dairies, fruits and vegetables, and whole grains. While many people claim that this is a balanced nutritional approach, some experts warn about possible side effects such as bad breath, rashes, loose skin, constipation and diarrhea, fatigue, leg cramps, and others.
Crash Diets
Crash or fad diets aim at quick weight loss and are very restrictive. Nutrition experts warn that they can harm your health. While some people report losing 4.5 kg a week, fad diets are dangerous in that they can lead to decreased muscle strength, bone density, and metabolism rate, as well as weak immune function. In extreme cases, they can lead to premature death. There are different fad diets such as the Subway, Junk Food, Beverly Hills, Israeli Army, Grapefruit, and Cabbage Soup diets. Extreme regimes are unhealthy even if they are based on the low carb approach. Whatever the diet of choice, it is important to consume foods from all groups, including protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Key nutrients include minerals and vitamins such as vitamin D, B, calcium, potassium, dietary fiber, and others. Most plans recommend limiting the amount of sugar and salt consumed.