The ketogenic diet has been around for decades, recommended by neurologists for epilepsy patients.
In the constantly changing landscape of dietary trends, the low-carb diet continues to stand its ground as a favoured dietary approach among health-conscious individuals seeking to manage their weight and optimise health and longevity. This dietary approach has gained significant popularity over the past decade for its potential to not only support weight loss but also foster a range of health benefits including enhancing metabolic health, improving cognitive function, stabilising blood sugar levels and reducing the risk of certain chronic diseases.
The merits of a properly balanced low-carb diet are numerous and compelling. Nonetheless, it’s essential to ensure that you’re approaching it correctly to avoid nutritional deficiencies and navigate potential hurdles that can arise when making substantial dietary changes.
What is a low-carb diet?
A low-carb diet is a nutritional approach that focuses on reducing the intake of carbohydrates, particularly refined and simple carbohydrates such as sugars, processed grains and starchy vegetables. A well-structured low-carb diet emphasises the consumption of good-quality protein, healthy fats and natural nutrient-dense carbohydrates from certain vegetables, fruits and whole grains, in moderation.
Carbohydrates are one of the three main macronutrients, along with fats and proteins. They are broken down into glucose (sugar) in the body, which serves as a primary source of energy. However, consuming excessive amounts of carbohydrates, especially refined ones, can lead to spikes in blood sugar levels and potentially contribute to weight gain and various health issues.
A low-carb diet typically involves reducing carbohydrate intake to a certain level, often ranging from 20 to 100 grams of net carbohydrates per day, depending on the specific variation of the diet. Net carbohydrates, which are the number of carbs the body absorbs, are calculated by subtracting fibre and certain sugar alcohols from the total carbohydrate content, as these components have a lesser impact on blood sugar levels.
Variations of low-carb diets
There are several variations of a low-carb diet, each with varying levels of carbohydrate restriction. However, most involve restricting carbohydrate intake to less than 30–40 per cent of your total daily calories.
Low-carb, high-protein diet
Following a low-carb, high-protein diet entails a macronutrient breakdown of approximately 30–35 per cent protein, 20 per cent or less carbohydrates and around 45–50 per cent fat. For
