Will A High Protein Low Carb Diet Make You Thin?

With obesity reaching record levels, following a high protein low carb diet is often the suggested approach to losing weight. But does it work?

High protein diets were extremely popular but studies have shown that they can cause bad breath, digestive issues and may even cause kidney disorders. No diet that concentrates on one food group to the exclusion of others is healthy.

A healthy eating plan is one that combines all the nutrients that your body needs in order to function at its best. There are two different types of nutrients found in food. Macronutrients are found in carbohydrates, protein, fats and water. Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals. Your body needs both types to flourish and it is only be ensuring you eat them in the right quantities in order to reach your optimum weight.

Following a high protein low carb diet may not be ideal. Although we need proteins to produce amino acids which used to make cells and tissues, you will put on weight if you eat too much of the wrong sources of protein. Full fat dairy products and fatty red meat are both great sources of protein but consumed excessively will lead to heart disease, cholesterol problems and other health issues.

Also not all carbohydrates are created equal. Your body needs large quantities of carbohydrates to function properly but this does not mean that you can eat as many cakes and biscuits as you want. You should be aiming to consume carbs that score low on the glycaemic index. These will help you lose weight and gain energy – perfect for those new exercise sessions you are going to be undertaking!

But what does the glycaemic index mean? It is simply a measure of how the food you eat reacts in your body. Foods with a high glycaemic index are converted very quickly into glucose whilst those low GI foods convert much more slowly. What does that mean to you? Well glucose is what our body uses for energy. But if it doesn’t use all the glucose you consume, the excess is converted to fat and stored on our bodies. It makes sense that we would prefer to eat less of those foods that convert quickly into glucose as we are looking to lose weight not increase our fat levels.

Carbohydrates such as white bread, potatoes are high GI foods so best avoided when trying to lose weight. Weight gain is not the only worry with consuming too many high GI foods. This overdose of glucose has been linked to the increase in diabetes, an illness we all want to avoid if possible.

Following a low GI diet combined with a gentle exercise plan will lead to weight loss and other health benefits. You will be increasing your intake of fiber which should help prevent cancer. You will look younger as your skin will benefit from the lower consumption of sugar and toxins.

So do yourself a favour, knock the high protein low carb diet on the head and start eating low GI foods instead.