For years, several weight loss regimes have focused on protein while minimizing carbohydrates. But although the slow carbohydrate diet also uses this approach, it offers very detailed advice on food to eat and avoid, as well as supplements to consider.
The slow carbohydrate regime was created in 2010 by the entrepreneur and the lifestyle Guru Timothy Ferriss, who wrote The 4 -hour body. The book was a New York Times The bestseller, and the slow carbohydrate diet has taken off.
But although the slow carbohydrate diet has similarities with other protein -rich diets like the keto diet, it’s really different. Here is what the slow carbohydrate diet implies, and if dietitists think it is worth trying.
Meet the experts: Scott Keatley, RD, is co -owner of Keatley medical nutrition therapy; Keri Gans, RDN, is the author of The small change regime.
What is the slow carbohydrate diet?
The slow carbohydrate diet is a diet based on five rules. “It is not unreasonable to expect to lose 10 to 20 pounds of fat,” wrote Ferriss about the diet on his blog. “It’s true even without exercise.”
The slow carbohydrate diet strongly leans with the idea that you can get big results by making small changes. In the end, the slow carbohydrate diet promises to help people burn fat and lose weight.
Ferriss provides many details on the diet, including a list of foods authorized for six days. On the seventh day, subscribers are encouraged to spend a cheating day where they can eat what they want.
During the six main days, followers are encouraged to take several meals a day, focused on five main food groups: animal proteins, vegetables, legumes, fats and spices. You should also avoid refined carbohydrates, fruit and drinks rich in calories on the diet.
Each meal must focus on animal proteins, vegetables and legumes, and you can have as much as you wish. Ferriss also suggests taking certain supplements, but notes that this is not a required part of the diet.
How to follow the slow carbohydrate diet
The slow carbohydrate regime has five rules to which subscribers should adhere:
Avoid “white” carbohydrates.
This includes carbohydrates that can be white. Meaning, no bread, pasta, rice, potatoes or grains.
Eat the same meals.
You don’t need to have exactly the same with each meal, but the diet encourages some of the same dishes, especially for breakfast and lunch.
Avoid drinking your calories.
The diet encourages having a lot of water. Followers can also have tea, unsweetened coffee or any other calorie drink, but discourages drinks that contain significant calories. The regime has an exception of one to two glasses of dry red wine per night.
Do not eat fruit
Ferriss says that fructose, sugar in fruit, can increase blood fat.
Spend a cheating day per week.
Ferriss encourages subscribers to “go crazy” during this day.
What foods can you eat on the slow carbohydrate diet?
The diet digitizes food in five groups: proteins, legumes, vegetables, fats and spices. Ferriss recommends choosing some foods from these groups and staying with them because, as he says, the more you can choose food, the more likely you are.
The slow carbohydrate diet recommends building your diet around these foods:
Protein
- Eggs
- Chicken (breast or thigh)
- Fish
- Beef (preferably nourished with grass)
- Pork
- Lamb
Legumes
- Lenses
- Black beans
- Pinto beans
- Red beans
- Soy
Vegetables
- Spinach
- Mixed vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower or any other cruciferous vegetable)
- Sauerkraut, kimchi
- Asparagus
- Peas
- Broccoli
- Green beans
The diet suggests having less of these foods:
Fat
- Butter
- Olive oil (for cooking)
- Grape or macadamia oil (for cooking)
- Nut
- Ghee
- Creamer (without dairy products, up to 2 teaspoons per day)
Spices
- Salt
- Garlic salt
- White Truffle Sea Salt
- Herbs
Food to avoid on the slow carbohydrate diet
Although the slow carbohydrate diet does not put limits to the quantity you can eat, it suggests avoiding these foods:
Fruits
This includes both fruit and fruit juices. (However, you can have them on cheating, if you wish.)
Dairy products
Although butter and ghee are allowed, traditional dairy products such as milk, cheese and yogurt are not.
Refined carbohydrates
Ferriss calls them “white” carbohydrates, which include bread, pasta, rice, potatoes and grains.
What is the day of slow carbohydrate diet?
The day of the slowness of the slow carbohydrate diet is one of the main principles of the diet. During this day, Ferriss says you can have whatever you want. He suggests choosing one day a week to do it to “go crazy”. Its recommendation is on Saturday.
Diet supplements in slow carbohydrates
Daily supplements are not necessary on the slow carbohydrate diet, but Ferriss suggests several to help fill the nutritional gaps and support weight loss. These include:
- 99 mg potassium
- 400 mg of magnesium
- 1,000 mg of calcium
- 20 to 25 mg of police
- 100 to 300 mg of alpha-lipoic acid
- 325 mg of Gallatte d’Espigallocatechine
- 200 mg of garlic extract
Advantages of slow carbohydrate diet
There are some potential advantages to follow the slow carbohydrate diet. Cutting things like “white” carbohydrates “eliminates the current sources of calories and potential pics of blood sugar, which can lead to overeating and desires,” explains Scott Keatley, RD, co -owner of Keatley medical nutrition therapy.
The restrictive nature of the diet can cause weight loss, explains Keri Gans, RDN, author of The small change regime. “Almost every time you eliminate an entire food group, such as fruits and dairy products, you will lose weight,” explains Gans.
The emphasis on unprocessed foods and rich in protein can help some people feel more complete and more satisfied while promoting muscle preservation, says Keatley. “It also removes many low-calorie nutrients, which can cause short-term weight loss success,” he adds.
The diet is also important for eating a lot of vegetables and legumes, which are filled with nutrients, underlines Gans. “At the beginning, another pro for some people is the very limited menu,” she says. “Less daily choices to make can facilitate respect for the right track.”
Disadvantages of the slow carbohydrate diet
According to nutritionists, there are drawbacks defined at this diet. “This approach is too simplistic and may demonize foods rich in nutrients such as fruits and dairy products, which offer vitamins, minerals and other essential health benefits,” explains Keatley.
Supplements are probably recommended because the diet is so restrictive, he said. “Although supplements can alleviate certain problems, they cannot fully replace the variety of nutrients available in whole foods, which depend on it with a red flag for the overall quality of the diet,” explains Keatley.
Although Gans claims that repetition of the diet can be useful at first, it can age after a while. “It will eventually become an idiot because the rehearsal will rebel many people,” she says.
Gans is not a fan of food either by removing whole food groups, which is a decision that she calls “erroneous”.
Sample of diet meals in slow carbohydrates
There is no caloric on the slow carbohydrate diet, and Ferriss says that you should eat as much as you wish. However, he recommends choosing three to four meals and repeating them for at least the first two weeks. Sample of meals he suggests:
Breakfast
Three whole scrambled eggs, lentils and spinach
Lunch
Organic beef nourished with grass, pinto beans, mixed vegetables and additional guacamole
Dinner
Salmon, asparagus (or lenses) and curry curry coconut curry
Is the slow carbohydrate regime sure?
In the short term, the diet can be safe. But dietitists are concerned with long -term healthy while following the slow carbohydrate diet.
“For most individuals, the slow carbohydrate diet is not a sustainable or optimal approach to weight loss,” says Keatley. “Although it can provide short -term results, its restrictive nature and its dependence on supplements make it less attractive compared to balanced food models which include a variety of nutrient -rich foods.”
Gans does not recommend trying this diet either. “Much better, less restrictive and healthier options are available that will promote weight loss and maintain a person’s mental health,” she said.
Food supplements are products intended to complete the diet. They are not drugs and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent or cure diseases. Be prudent to take food supplements if you are pregnant or in nursing. Also be careful to give supplements to a child, unless it is recommended by their health professional.
