Forget the Low-Carb Diet – the Low-Carb Lifestyle Is a Keeper!

While there are many benefits to the trusty old low-carb diet, there are also many downsides. One, in particular, is that low-carb diets require the strict and meticulous calculation of daily carb intake, even so far as using keto strips to detect ketone levels and triglyceride levels. When it comes to a low-carb lifestyle, though, things get a whole lot simpler – it’s all about the bigger picture! No more counting calories in a food log and no more blood work! A low carb lifestyle is simply focussing on eating fewer simple carbs with every meal and turning your attention to whole foods, increasing your protein and fiber intake and your servings of vegetables.

Steady Energy Levels

The fact of the matter is that high-carb diets cause fluctuations in your blood sugar levels. With fluctuating blood sugar levels, you experience fluctuating energy levels as well. Anybody who has a diet high on carbohydrates can attest to the roller coaster ride of energy that you experience! Working towards a low-carb lifestyle will have you drawing your energy and blood sugar to a predictable baseline. Unfortunately, the first couple of days following a low carb lifestyle might have you down with ‘low-carb flu’, but this is an adjustment phase and the waves of sluggishness will pass and you’ll ditch the slumps for good.

Better Skin

If you’ve been searching for an easy, low-maintenance method of achieving good skin, the low-carb lifestyle is a natural way to achieve it! Once you shift your focus from carbs onto healthy fats like avocado, nuts, fatty fish and olive oil, your skin will naturally enjoy increased nutrition, omega-6, and omega-3 and increased blood flow. Plus, high carbs cause inflammation, which doesn’t bode well for your complexion! Say hello to radiant skin!

Goodbye Hunger Pangs

The saying is that ‘bread sticks to your bones’ and its because you don’t really get satiated with carbs. If you do, it is short-lived and sooner than later your belly is grumbling and you’re looking for your next simple carb. Eating feer carbohydrates and replacing your snacks with healthier, higher protein and healthy fat-based snacks like fruit and nut bars, can help satiate you for longer and tide you over until your next meal without dips in your energy or hunger stabs in your gut.

Weight Loss

Let’s not kid ourselves – we would all prefer the type of diet or eating regiment that would help us keep the weight off, and shed excess fat. Well, it is no secret that reducing carbohydrate intake reduces the waistline and limiting your carbs to two ounces a day can actually help you shed up to a pound and a half every week! Of course, you have to stick to it!

Bye-Bye Bloat

If you’re not sure why you frequently struggle with the discomfort of bloating, it is likely a result of a diet high in simple carbohydrates, which leads to water retention and an irritated gut. Your body is designed to store excess carbohydrates as glycogen for your body to burn off as fuel when you are low on energy. But glycogen loves water and so the more carbs you store, the more bloat you experience.

Crush Your Sugar Crashes

The body naturally produces dopamine, serotonin and relaxing endorphins in your brain whenever you consume sugary foods and high-carbohydrate snacks or items. These brain chemicals have the effect of making you more likely to crave these foods often. This is why a carbohydrate-heavy diet causes cyclic cravings, which leads to overeating. Cutting back on carbs will have your crashes disappear as well, meaning you rely less on sweets and sugar throughout the day.

Max Out In the Gym

There’s plenty of science to support that loading up on your protein does wonders for your muscle development and regeneration. Of course, the fewer carbs you consume, the more room you have to load up on protein! Eating protein more often will increase your body’s fat-burning efficiency and rev up your metabolism as well, helping you slay through those extra pounds and carve out a toned and trim physique.

So the choice is yours – will you really stick to a complex plan that involves many numbers and counting? We know we would ditch it in a couple of months, at most. The low-carb lifestyle means implementing a single change in mindset and reaping all of these benefits. It’s natural, and it’s easy!