Another addition to the never-ending list of weight loss diets is the Slow-Carb diet. This diet is made successful by creating an optimum balance between two major factors that affect your weight: what you eat and your workout regimen, to lose excess body fat.
Like its sister, the Ketogenic Diet, the Slow-Carb diet consists of minimizing your intake of carbohydrates and foods that promote storage of fat. The diet comes with certain rules which allow you to only eat from a list of allowed foods for six days and have one cheat day per week to indulge in whatever you want. During diet days, you have to limit yourself to four meals per day and avoid consuming refined carbs, fruits or high-calorie drinks. The slow-carb diet only incorporates five main food groups: animal protein, vegetables, legumes, fats, and spices.
As new as it sounds, this diet can be a little limiting and troubling. So here are 4 things that will help you breeze through the slow-carb diet:
Vegetarian Food Options
Since the diet is a low-carb, high-protein diet, it might be burdensome to think of vegetarian options to fulfill your protein requirement. Well, tofu or paneer can stay a part of your diet to meet your daily intake of protein when taken in moderation. If you are still skeptical that paneer can hamper your carb intake, then it’s time to give Hemp Tofu a try. Hemp Tofu is made of hemp seeds instead of soybeans.
We know it might not taste the same as your regular tofu, but another reason for making it your champ is that it has a high content of Omega 3 and proteins. Nuts and seeds are some great options to reach your daily goal of protein. However, portion control becomes important as these are high in fats.
Shake it up!
Adding protein shakes to your slow-carb diet can help boost its effects. Start with shakes that are unsweetened and have little to no carbs. Make sure that these do not come from soy or dairy sources, and have at least 25-30 gm of proteins. Since they are a powdered form of proteins that come from plants (such as rice, hemp, soy, peas, and potatoes), or milk (either in the form of casein or whey protein), these help you meet the requirement of taking your proteins within 30-40 minutes of waking up in the morning. These powders contain additives like sugars and artificial flavors, so do read the label before selecting what suits you best while being on a Slow-carb diet.
Cheat Days Help!
The most awaited days of any diet are the cheat days. Evidence suggests that cheat days can actually benefit you on your weight loss journey. These days help create a balance, both physically and psychologically, help you achieve and maintain your target weight by making the diet program easy to stick with. The slow-carb diet lets you pick one day a week as the day you can indulge in anything you might be missing out on. No rules apply on this day, so don’t feel guilty about “cheating” now!
Handle the Constipation
Constipation is a major side effect that can hamper your confidence to follow your slow carb diet with conviction. This occurs due to the inability of your bowel system to adapt according to your diet. Even though it doesn’t last long, this can become a reason to quit the diet.
Staying hydrated throughout the day is one way to tackle this. Water is your go-to magic potion. Alcohol and caffeinated beverages should be consumed in moderation. If you are being troubled by bloating, avoid having carbonated drinks while on the diet. Did you know that spices like pepper and turmeric are natural laxatives? Hence giving you more reasons to spice up your recipes. Foods like aloe vera, ginger, garlic, avocado, beans, flax and chia seeds are some easily available natural laxatives that can help with your troubled bowel. Plus these are rich in essential vitamins and minerals as well!
Powered with these tips, don’t let the Slow-Carb diet slow you down!
