What is it all about?
We generally use diets to help us to lose weight, change overall eating habits and enjoy the type and the amount of food used in low-carb diets.
The following blog gives you ideas on how a low-carb/high-fibre diet could be beneficial for you and your health and as an additional bonus, it can be very efficient in aiding weight loss.
A low-carb diet limits carbohydrates often called carbs — such as those found in grains, starchy vegetables and fruit. The diet focuses on the intake of foods high in protein and fat. There are many types of low-carb diets, which have varying limits on the type and amount of carbs you can eat.
People on a low-carb eating plan often find it effective at reducing hunger and aiding weight loss. Some low-carb diets may have health benefits beyond weight loss. In addition, reducing your carb intake and adding high-fibre foods can help you to maintain stable energy levels, regulate your blood sugar and give a helping hand to your digestion.
Eating a low-carb diet means cutting down on the amount of carbohydrates (carbs) you eat to less than 130g a day.
Take note and in this blog, low-carb eating is not 'no-carb' eating.
Some carbohydrate foods contain essential vitamins, minerals and fibre, which form an important part of a healthy diet.
To put this into context, a medium-sized slice of bread is about 15 to 20g of carbs, which is about the same as a regular apple. On the other hand, a large jacket potato could have as much as 90g of carbs, as does one litre of orange juice (most of the carbs in orange juice are provided in the form of sugar). Sometimes the important thing is to choose the ‘better’ carb such as brown rice instead white and sweet potato instead of normal potatoes or having a glass of water instead of orange juice.
How is a low-carb diet helpful
in losing weight?
The body uses carbs as its main energy source. During digestion, complex carbs are broken down into simple sugars, also called glucose, and released into your blood. This is called blood glucose. Insulin is released to help glucose enter the body's cells, where it can be used for energy. Extra glucose is stored in the liver and in the muscles. Some are changed to body fat. A low-carb diet is meant to cause the body to burn stored fat for energy, which leads to weight loss.
How does fibre help in weight loss?
Certain types of fibre can help you lose weight by reducing your appetite. Dietary fibre is split into two broad categories based on its water solubility: 1. Soluble fibre: dissolves in water and can be metabolised by the “good” bacteria in the gut (prebiotic). 2. Insoluble fibre: does not dissolve in water. Perhaps a more helpful way to categorize fibre is as fermentable versus non-fermentable, which refers to whether friendly gut bacteria can use it or not. Health authorities recommend that men and women eat 38gr and 25gr of fibre per day, respectively.
Insoluble fibres function mostly as a natural bulking agent, adding content to your stool. In contrast, certain types of soluble fibre can significantly affect health and metabolism — as well as your weight.
In fact, some studies show that increasing dietary fibre can cause weight loss by inevitably reducing calorie intake. Fibre can soak up water in the intestine, slowing the absorption of nutrients and increasing feelings of fullness. However, this depends on the type of fibre as some types have no effect on weight.
Growing evidence shows that adequate fibre intake may benefit your digestion and reduce your risk of chronic disease. Many of these benefits are mediated by your gut microbiota — the millions of bacteria that live in your digestive system. Put simply, dietary fibre is a non-digestible carbohydrate found in foods.
In addition to this high fibre (soluble), diet can reduce cholesterol, which then has a benefit on your cardiovascular health, lowering cholesterol makes you more likely to have heart problems or a stroke. A review of 67 controlled studies found that consuming 2–10 grams of soluble fibre per day reduced total cholesterol by only 1.7 mg/dl and LDL (bad) cholesterol by 2.2 mg/dl, on average (24Trusted Source).
As well as helping you to lose weight, a diet high in fibre also feeds (fermented fibre) your gut bacteria. High dietary fibre consumption is associated with increased gut microbiota diversity and lower long-term weight gain. Fermentable fibre forms short-chain fatty acids, which have anti-inflammatory, immune boosting, anti-obesity, liver and neuroprotective activities as well as nourishing your colon by being the main source of energy for the cells lining your colon.
For this reason, they play an important role in your health.
Additionally, viscous, soluble fibre may reduce your appetite, lower your cholesterol levels, and decrease the rise in blood sugar after high-carb meals.
If you’re aiming for a healthy lifestyle as well as weight loss, try to get a variety of fibre types from whole fruits, vegetables, and grains.
The Green Herbalist Clinic uses
low-carb and high-fibre dietary approaches
as part of its treatment plans.
It is always important to note that high fibre and low-carb dietary approach does not suit everybody and can be harmful in certain health conditions. Consult your GP (health professional) regarding which dietary practice fits your health conditions.