“Oh Wade, dreams really do come true…”
Believe it or not, before my strict vegetarian ways were adapted, before my WeightWatchers.com® Points were being counted, I experimented with the “low-carb” diet lifestyle. I spent a little over 5 months on the low-carb plan, mainly as a carnivore of sorts. Making Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches sans bread, bacon wrapped brats, eggs, tuna, etc. Was going for ultra low-carb and for a while there was under 5g of carbs per day, all while trying to go for the occasional jog.
It worked alright for a while there. Lost 20lbs but was feeling more and more weak and malnurished and had hit a weight loss wall that I couldn’t break through. It was then that I decided to take the advice of a few others in my life and start winging it with the Weight Watchers Points, where I had much more success and felt much better being able to eat anything I wanted, in the right amounts.
I don’t look back on my low-carb days as a mistake though. Actually I recommend people try all sorts of plans to see what works well for them. One thing that the low-carb plan taught me was how to listen to my body, what carbs are used for, and going low-carb purely with meat as my intake isn’t really the healthiest way to go about it.
That’s why I have decided to post some information about an article I read recently on WebMD which involves a shift in the typical low-carb plan…towards a vegetarian version.
Seems like a paradox of sorts, low-carb vegetarian, since the common route is basically going very carnivorous. But the study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine included 47 individuals (men and women, both with high levels of LDL, aka “bad” cholesterol) who were give prepared meals for 30 days that were following a low-carb formula, yet were also vegetarian.
Half of the participants got meals that were high in plant-based protein (soy, gluten, and nuts) and low in carbohydrates. Oats and barley, which are high in fiber, were allowed in limited amounts, but common starchy foods — like bread, baked goods, and rice — weren’t included.
For comparison, the other half of the group got a high carbohydrate, low-fat, lacto-ovo vegetarian diet, meaning it included low-fat or skim dairy products and egg whites or egg substitutes.
At the end of the month, both groups had the same average weight loss — about 9 pounds.
People in both groups improved their cholesterol and triglycerides levels, as well as their blood pressure. But the high-protein group had a greater improvement in those areas.
More testing will need to be done to help determine if it was the protein that caused the difference (or perhaps the fiber content) to determine why the difference in cholesterol readings took place as well as more research being recommended in regards to how the diet works in the long run, especially if the participants need to prepare their own food instead of having it provided for them. Even so, it is a very interesting way to think of low-carb options.
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High protein diets *in moderation* aren’t a problem and actually help to restore the balance of blood sugar and some hormones. Thereby helping people lose weight or build muscle accordingly depending on the other lifestyle adjustments and caloric intakes. (Except for diabetics and those with Kidney problems).
However in my own life and at my clinic (where we assist people in building healthy lifestyle habits) we aim for a more balanced diet. Protein, Carbs and Good Fats at every meal to achieve a harmony within the body and avoid the unnecessary release of fat storing hormones. It’s awesome and safe because your body really returns to a healthy range and you can never get too thin or too heavy or lose too much muscle.
Loving the blog already! Thanks for posting!
It’s pretty obvious why people can feel malnourished on 5g of carbs a day… its because they are. Even taking a multi-vitamin you are still missing out on a key macro that your body needs to function (specifically glucose). Lower carbs can be a good option for some people as it helps with calorie restriction in several ways (limiting a whole macronutrient does that on its own, plus protein takes more energy to process, and it is more satiating than even fats) so some people respond very well on a lower or moderate carb diet that gets most carbs from vegetable sources vs. grains.
That study is interesting though. I suspect that the prepared meals part was to strictly control intake as people are notoriously bad at that when left to their own devices.