Is low-carb healthy? The trend diet under the microscope
Is low-carb healthy? The trend diet under the microscope

Is low-carb healthy? The trend diet under the microscope

Going on a diet - for many, this is on the list of good resolutions at the beginning of a new year. Many different diets can be found on the internet or in magazines, which often advertise losing as many kilos as possible in as short a time as possible. But this is not healthy: often you put on weight again after the flash diet and sometimes you have more on your ribs than before. The typical yoyo effect. But are all diets bad? In the next few articles, we will take a closer look at a few popular diets and nutrition trends, starting with the low-carb diet.

Low carb diet

What does a low-carb diet mean?

With the low-carb diet, you avoid carbohydrate-rich foods, i.e. potatoes, bread, rice, pasta, but also sweets, because sugar is also a carbohydrate. However, fruit and vegetables that have a comparatively high carbohydrate content should also be kept off your plate. These include bananas, corn, grapes and peas. Legumes are also avoided, as they also contain some carbohydrates. But what do you eat then? Mainly foods with a high protein content, i.e. meat, fish, eggs and dairy products. 

How does the low carb diet work for weight loss?

We only lose weight if we consume more energy in total than we need. Protein keeps you full for a long time, which is why you tend to eat less on a low-carb diet. In addition, various functions of the human metabolism are used to accelerate fat loss. Superfluous carbohydrates are converted into fat, among other things, so that they can be stored better. If there are too few carbohydrates, the reverse process starts more quickly, fat is broken down and you lose weight, which can even happen very quickly at first.

Is low carb a healthy way to lose weight?

Lose weight scale

The German Nutrition Society (DGE) has evaluated various diets for their health effects. It considers a diet to be healthy if the following points apply:

  • Slow and long-term weight loss
  • Maintain weight for at least one year
  • Individual preferences are taken into account when eating and drinking
  • Health-conscious behaviour is promoted (for example, exercise, healthy & enjoyable eating behaviour)
  • No side effects

Nutrition experts advise against a low-carb diet, because by foregoing so many foods, this type of diet is very one-sided. Moreover, carbohydrates are not unhealthy in themselves; whole grains and legumes in particular provide a lot of healthy nutrients and fibre that our bodies need. So if you eat a low-carb diet for a long time, you may end up with deficiencies in the long run. Too much animal protein and fat increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, blood lipids and uric acid levels can rise, which can lead to various diseases. Of course, none of this will happen if you eat a low-carb diet for a few weeks. Nevertheless, the yo-yo effect is very likely to set in after the temporary diet if you do not change your diet to a healthy and balanced one in the long term.

Our tip for losing weight: One meal per day low carb

There are different ways to lose weight. If you are interested in a low-carb diet, we recommend that you don't eat all your meals at 100% low-carb in order to avoid the disadvantages of this one-sided diet. For example, you could eat 2 low carb meals and the third balanced meal with whole grains and legumes.

It's no secret that many animal products and meat are unhealthy. But there are also plant-based alternatives to make a meal low-carb and healthy. In our shop you'll find some products that are low in carbohydrates but high in healthy ingredients thanks to lots of vegetables.

Conclusion: Better balanced & healthy in the long term

You can lose weight quickly with low carb, but it is not a healthy way to lose weight. It is much better to lose weight with a balanced diet, namely with adapted portion sizes, exercise and a long-term change in diet. If you want to have a low-carb meal now and then, this is of course not directly harmful. In the shop you will find here suitable products. These meals are purely vegetable and have a comparatively low carbohydrate content. Nevertheless, some of them contain potatoes and pulses. However, these are healthy carbohydrates, which is why you can enjoy them without a guilty conscience.

How about a delicious tomato soup? All soups from our Tasting Pack Creamy Soups are a good, low-carbohydrate alternative.

Wacker Organic Tomato Soup
Order now!


Sources: AOK, TK, DGE
Image "Low Carb": Adobe Stock, Pixelbliss, #71644603
Low carb food image: Adobe Stock, azurita, #140345682

5 Comments

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