What is a no-carb diet? It sounds pretty extreme, doesn’t it? Could you really go through with it? Let’s delve into it and see what it’s really all about it. It’s not as bad as it sounds. You can eat eggs, meat, fish, low-carb veggies, nuts & seeds, oils & fats, condiments, herbs, and spices.
You just need to ditch the refined carbs. You basically get rid of all starches and sugars that don’t exist naturally in nature. So, you throw out pasta, chips, fries, and so on. You get to keep eating beans, legumes, fruits, vegetables, and so on.
A no-carb diet is hard for some people who have become addicted to refined carbs. Some people switch out the worst offending carbs, like white flour, white rice, and pasta for whole-grain bread, steel-cut oats, and other fiber-rich products.
You might experience headaches, fatigue, moodiness, lack of concentration, weight loss, extreme cravings, irritability, getting easily angered, less bloating, and stomach aches.
1. Timing Carb Intake
When you begin a low carb diet one of the most important things that you can do in order to be the most successful is to make sure that you are timing your carb intake wisely. One of the main reasons that a person goes on a low carb diet is to help stabilize blood sugar levels. The best time to consume carbs is either before, during, or after exercising. If you are on a low carb diet you will want to avoid carbs the majority of the time.
However, carb intake before an intense exercise session, an exercise that involves lifting weights, and for programs that last more than two hours can actually be beneficial. In addition, eating carbs before, during or after exercise will not cause an ill effect on blood sugar levels. If you are limiting your carb intake throughout the day, try to eat your highest amount of carbs during these times for the most effective.