Is a Low-Carb Diet Good for You?

There are so many diet plans out there. We can follow Weight Watchers, Slimming World, the Atkins Diet, the Paleo Diet and so many more. It’s actually difficult to keep track of them.

Some of the diets have one thing in common: they’re low-carb diets.

I want to point out that they’re low-carb and not no-carb. This is important because carbs are still an essential part of our diets. We need them.

But you could benefit from reducing the amount of carbs you eat. Especially the types of carbs you eat.

Me saying that may surprise some people. After all, I advocate on a healthy and balanced diet, but this does support a low-carb diet plan. The key is in the balanced part of the phrase.

There’s nothing wrong with eating a carby meal now and then. Hell, I love pasta dishes and bread is a firm favorite in our house. The difference is we also focus on high-protein and high-fiber meals a lot of the time. We’ll look at low-carb meals because they can help and here’s why:

You feel fuller for longer

There’s no doubt that carbs break down in the body quicker than other food groups. This is especially the issue with simple carbs. They lead to blood sugar spikes and then crashes afterwards.

When you opt for a low-carb meal, you pack it with protein and fiber. They break down slower and you feel fuller for longer. What does this mean? Well, you end up eating less during the day without feeling hungry. Your diet plan is much easier to stick to.

You’re not cutting everything out

The point of low-carb diets is that you’re not completely cutting the carbs out. You’re reducing the amount that you eat.

And when you do eat carbs, you’re focusing on complex ones; the ones that break down slowly and keep you feeling fuller; the ones that don’t lead to the blood sugar spikes.

When we have pasta, we try to focus on wholegrain options. I love wholegrain bread and potatoes are favorites because they’re not too bad when it comes to blood sugar spikes. Fruits are carby in nature, but they’re natural sugars and full of fiber at the same time.

I’m not saying no to myself, which means I’m not as likely to go off track. I’m just saying “not right now” and focusing on a healthier me.

You’re creating something new

Rather than focusing on what you can’t have, you can get creative and focus on what you can have. A low-carb diet means you can look at the different types of foods available. You can create new recipes and use ingredients in ways that you never expected.

We’ve been looking at the paleo diet recently for some new meal ideas. They’re fun and exciting, and I honestly never thought I’d be able to use some food in ways that it suggests.

There are lots of ideas out there. People have created websites dedicated to the low-carb diet plans. There’s no excuse for getting stuck and not sticking to it.

So, could the low-carb diet plan work for you? Maybe you could give it a try and see what it does. It can work and it is healthy when you do it the right way. Don’t cut out carbs completely, but change the amount you get to stick within healthy and recommended amounts.