You don't have to count calories to flatten your stomach, just cut down on carbohydrates. The low-carbohydrate diet works according to this simple principle. This means you can melt the fat deposits really quickly with little effort and this has even been scientifically proven. As far as the low-carb diet is concerned, we present a few helpful nutritional tips and an exemplary nutrition plan below.
What is low-carb diet?
Before you start a low-carbohydrate diet, you should find out more about the dietary change you are about to make. What needs to be eliminated from your diet and what you will mainly consume is important information so that you can implement the switch to low-carb in the long term. Basically, you have to completely avoid the extremely fast energy suppliers – the so-called “fast carbohydrates”. White bread, pasta, rice, cakes, cookies and sweets are not allowed to be consumed at all. At the beginning, the organism is stressed and surprised by this drastic change. So you can feel a bit weak and unfocused in this first phase. But it will pass.
If the body does not receive any replenishment in the form of carbohydrates, it needs a new energy source and begins to get energy from the fat cells. In this first and extremely consistent low-carb diet phase, you should not miss out on healthy fats such as olive and coconut oil, avocado and nuts. They are important so that you feel full for a long time. The foods that belong on the plan are primarily: meat, but not breaded or marinated, fish and seafood, eggs, dairy products, vegetables and low-fructose fruits such as different types of berries, avocado, orange, lemon, grapefruit, peach, watermelon and sugar melon . Potatoes, honey and alcohol are taboo. You can consume oatmeal 2-3 spoons a day, especially in the morning, and it's best to leave it before that soak overnight.Delicious recipes for overnight oatscan be found in another post.
8 golden rules
1. Focus on the right aspects:A new diet is a change for both the body and the mind. Focusing on the foods you shouldn't eat anymore is definitely not productive. In order to be able to implement the low-carb diet in the long term, you should focus primarily on the foods that you can eat.
2. 3 meals per day:It is essential in the low-carb dietthe little snacksand avoid eating in between meals. There should be a 5 hour break between meals during which the body can concentrate on digestion. For example, if you have breakfast at 8 a.m., you should eat lunch around 1 p.m. and have dinner around 6 p.m. at the latest. The latest findings show that you shouldn't consume any carbohydrates after 5 p.m.
3. Adequate hydration:Sufficient exercise and fluids are considered good prerequisites for the organism's proper energy metabolism. For adults, the daily fluid intake should be around 1.5 - 2 liters. Of course, anyone who is physically active should drink more. In addition, you have to pay attention to theChoice of drinksregard. Soft drinks, juices and alcohol are taboo. Still water and herbal tea are the right choice. However, smoothies do not count as drinks and can replace an entire meal.
4. Create a weekly plan:In order for the change in diet to take place, you should create a nutrition plan in the first few weeks and follow it. During this time you can get to know the foods and find out more about them. However, you don't always have to eat the same thing. The range of foods and the possible combinations are more than you expect at the beginning.
5. Provide variety:The low-carb diet should not be considered oneDietregard. This is a long-term dietary change that doesn't just last four days or two weeks. So that the low-carbohydrate diet doesn't become boring soon, you should think of enough alternatives and delicious recipes. This means you are very flexible and can prepare different dishes alternatively.
Montag– Breakfast: Omelette made from 2-3 eggs with some leeks or mushrooms; Lunch: Vegetable casserole (without potatoes) approx. 300-350 g; Dinner: Salad made from 200 g lamb's lettuce and other vegetables of your choice, with some walnuts and 200 g chicken fillet;
Tuesday– Breakfast: 400 g smoothie made from yogurt and berries; Lunch: 400 g of fried chicken fillet with pepper, tomato and garlic sauce; Dinner: 250 g fried shrimp with 1 avocado;
Wednesday– Breakfast: 150 g salmon and 1/2 avocado; Lunch: 1 tofu seasoned with soy sauce, with fried vegetables; Dinner: 150 g salad with 2 boiled eggs;
Thursday– Breakfast: Smoothie made from 250 ml soy milk, 125 g frozen berries and 1 tbsp chia seeds; Lunch: green leaf salad with 1 grilled chicken breast and some toasted pine nuts; Dinner: soup made from peppers, onions, vegetable broth and cream (about 350 ml);
Freitag– Breakfast: 2 protein breads with 1 slice of cheese and 1 tomato each; Lunch: 250g grilled salmon, 2 small fried zucchini and 150g tzatziki; Dinner: 2 tomatoes, 250 g mozzarella and fresh basil leaves;
Saturday– Breakfast: 250 g yogurt with 2 tablespoons chia seeds and 125 g blueberries; Lunch: about 350 ml pumpkin soup; Dinner: 1 egg, 160 g tuna (1 can), 1/2 pepper and some spring onion
Sunday– Breakfast: 1/2 avocado with 3 slices of smoked salmon and some crème fraîche; Lunch: 200g grilled turkey steak with 200g beans and 100g sour cream; Dinner: Tomato soup (about 500 g) and 100 g cream;
Nutrition tips
Replace rice and pasta:Rice can be replaced with cauliflower. Simply put cauliflower in the food processor and chop until it is the size of a grain of rice. Then cook in boiling water for about 15 minutes over medium heat and garnish as desired instead of rice and serve. Other vegetable alternatives to traditional side dishes such as potatoes, pasta and rice are: carrots, zucchini, pumpkin, kohlrabi, cauliflower and konjac root.
Healthy breading:If you feel like something crunchy, you can replace the traditional breadcrumb coating with finely chopped or ground peanuts, almonds or cashews.
Dressings and sauces:Ready-made dressings and sauces also have a relatively high amount of carbohydrates in small quantities. That's why it's better to avoid them and prepare some yourself. Here are 3 ideas for low-carb salad dressings:
Mustard-balsamic dressing: 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 0.5 teaspoon mustard, 1 pinch of stevia powder, salt and pepper to taste;
Herb dressing: fresh herbs of your choice, e.g. parsley, chives, basil, etc., 125 ml soy milk, 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil, 1 pinch of stevia powder;
Raspberry dressing: 150 g frozen raspberries, 6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 4 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil, 1 pinch of stevia powder, salt and pepper to taste;
Fruit juices:You should eliminate the ready-made fruit juices from the supermarket from your diet and make freshly squeezed ones yourself. It is also recommended to eat a whole orange instead of just the juice because it contains a lot of fiber.
For on the go:Hard-boiled eggs are always handy for hunger pangs or when you're on the go. They are also very easy to transport and can be eaten quickly. But you should have prepared these at home.
Drive away hunger through scents:Scents drive away hunger. You can flavor boiled, still hot water by adding ginger powder, vanilla pod or the peel of an organic lime or organic orange and, after cooling, filter the water through a sieve.
The right fats:The optimal fat intake consists of 50% saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids and 50% polyunsaturated fatty acids, often referred to as omega-6, which are found in olive oil, linseed and rapeseed oil, avocados and fish. Coconut oil is characterized by a very high proportion of saturated fatty acids, but is not stored by the body and therefore helps you lose weight.
Delicious and healthy low carb recipes
With the low-carb diet, the intake of carbohydrates is drastically reduced. The energy that the organism needs is obtained from foods rich in protein and fat. If you minimize the intake of carbohydrates to less than 100 g per day, the body begins to burn the stored fats. An explanation should be made: In principle, you should not consume carbohydrates in the evening, because fat burning is blocked overnight. Slightly larger portions are provided than you normally eat because the focus here is on a protein-rich, high-fat diet and not on a low-calorie menu. In case you feel like delicious pastries or pizza, we present 3 simple low-carb recipes.
The pizza boothwithout flour
Ingredients for 3 servings:
- 4 Owner
- 200 – 250 g Raspelkäse (Gouda)
- 1 1/2 cups grainy cream cheese
- 30 g ground almonds
Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Blend cream cheese, eggs and almonds in a food processor. If spices such as basil or black pepper are desired, add them now. Finally, stir the Gouda thoroughly, roll out the pizza base on a baking tray and top with whatever you like. Bake until golden brown, 30-35 minutes.
low carbohydrate Bread rolls
Ingredients for 6 rolls:
- 200 ml sparkling water
- 2 Owner
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 15 g psyllium husks
- 45 g flaxseed flour
- 45 protein powder (with natural flavor)
- 65 g Haferkleie
- 1 tsp salt
Preheat the oven to 175°C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Let it soak for 5 minutes. Then form 6 equally sized rolls with your hands, spread them on the baking tray and cut them crosswise. Sprinkle with sesame seeds or chopped nuts if desired. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes until golden brown.
Low-CarbCake
Ingredients for a 20 cm loaf tin:
- 75 g butter, soft
- 3 Owner
- 60 g Erythrit
- 2 TL Steviapulver
- 1 pinch of salt
- 90 g Mandelmehl
- 30 g coconut flour
- 35 protein powder (natural or vanilla flavored)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 75 ml Sahne
- 75 Milch
For the dark dough additionally:
- 25 g Cocoa powder
- 1 TL Steviapulver
- 25 ml Sahne
- 25 ml milk
Optional: 30 g white chocolate chips (sugar-free) for the light dough and as much dark chocolate chips for the dark dough
Preheat the oven to 175°C and grease a small loaf tin or line it with baking paper. In a large bowl, add butter, eggs, salt and sweeteners and mix very well. Mix the dry ingredients well in another and stir in the liquid mixture in portions. Then add cream and milk in stages and mix into a dough. Divide the dough in two and fold the white chocolate chips into the removed light half. Add cocoa, stevia powder and the additional milk and cream to the other half of the dough. Finally, fold in the dark chocolate chips. First put half of the light dough into the loaf pan, then all of the dark dough and spread the rest of the light dough on top. Use a fork or kebab skewer to spiral through the dough to create the typical marble structure. Bake the cake for 50-55 minutes and if it gets too dark, cover with aluminum foil after 30 minutes.
