Think I've got confused about low carbing

[fiona35]

I think I have automatically presumed that low carbing means high protein but this isn't necessarily true I don't think?

I take it that even though your carbs are reducing you don't have to increase your protein portions which is where I've got confused.

I confess to having done the Atkins diet in the past but due to horrendous tummy pains and thinking I had appendicitus when it was just constipation I am a little reluctant to be in the same position when a Dr ordered me to stop the silly diet and go back to eating a more sensible one.

So I think the question I am trying to ask is when you are low carbing you can still eat fruit + veggies but just no bread/crackers/pasta/rice/potatoes and you don't have to have massive amounts of protein?

 

[l0vaduck]

It depends. If you eat the same amount of total calories, then they have to come from somewhere, so if you drop carbs, you either have to increase protein or fat. However if you don't replace the calories from the carbs because you want to lose weight, then you don't need to eat more protein, no.

 

[timo2]

Hello fiona35,

The calorie shortfall from carb reduction will obviously require some extra protein, but will
also rely on an increase of dietary fats.

With the exception of bananas, grapes and starchy vegetables like potatoes, most fruit and
vegetables have a low glycemic load. This means they do contain sugar, but in relatively
small amounts per portion size. You're really looking to get the maximum nutrient density
from any carbohydrate that you do choose to eat.

All the best,
timo.

 

[fergus]

Hi Fiona35,

No, low carb doesn't ncessarily mean high protein or high fat. There is no precise definition, which I guess is why confusion reigns at times!
If you reduce your carbs, but don't reduce your calories, you will inevitably eat more protein, more fat, or more of both. At the same time, you could eat a diet predominantly of vegetables which would be mostly carbohydrate, but still a low-carb diet compared to standard NHS advice. Confused? :shock:
I reckon most people on a low carb diet would either severely restrict or completely eliminate foods like breads, crackers, pasta, rice and potatoes. I certainly do because otherwise it is impossible for me to maintain stable, non-diabetic blood sugars.
That is probably the best definition of low carb - a diet sufficiently reduced in refined carbohydrates to enable consistent non-diabetic blood glucose levels. Quite what that means is down to the individual in the end.
All the best,

fergus

 

[fiona35]

Hey Guys, the pennie I think has finally dropped!!

So B'fast tomorrow could be scrambled eggs with some mushrooms and a tomato
Lunch is a feta cheese salad and some strawberries
Dinner - don't know yet but quite likely fish and some veggies followed with some blueberries.

Is it still okay to have milk or is this a no no?

 

[fergus]

Careful with the coo juice there Fiona - it's high in lactose (milk sugar). Whole milk is better than semi-skimmed and if it's coffee, cream is better still.
Otherwise, go for it!

All the best,

fergus

 

[crafteclaire]

Can anyone tell me the carb content of sweet potatoes please? I'm told that its a lot lower then potato, but still has some carbs. Any idea on carbs to weight ratio?

Do you know, since starting low carbing, I feel like a newly diagnosed diabetic again - learning from scratch, virtually. Not a 31 years veteran, which is what I always thought I was!

 

[DiabeticGeek]

I think the trick to making a low carb diet viable is to "dilute" the protein and fat with lots of vegetables. For non-diabetics, fruit is also very good but diabetics have to be careful - the natural sugar in most fruit mean that you have to go easy on them.

Since your energy comes entirely from carbohydrates, protein and fat then obviously if you reduce carbohydrates you will have to be getting more from protein and fat. If you are trying to loose weight, then reducing your overall energy intake might not be a bad idea but if you are already at a sensible weight then you will be eating more fat and protein. However, this doesn't have to be a bad thing. People who have problems with Atkins are usually either following the early versions of the diet (he later revised it to incorporate a lot more vegetables), or else they aren't following it carefully enough. The idea of it is that initially you go on an extremely low carbohydrate induction period for two weeks, after which you add carbohydrates back in, until you find a diet that works for you. Where people get into trouble is when they either stay on the induction diet for longer than recommended, or else they aren't careful enough about how they add carbohydrates back in.

For diabetes management you don't need anything as stringent as Atkins. So long as you have plenty of vitamins and minerals and a reasonable amount of fibre, then it is possible to live quite comfortably on a very low carbohydrate diet - many people do so. Any major change in your diet can cause transient discomfort - but the human body is very adaptable, and if you stick with it then you will probably get used to it within a few weeks.

 

[Dennis]

Can anyone tell me the carb content of sweet potatoes please? I'm told that its a lot lower then potato, but still has some carbs. Any idea on carbs to weight ratio?

Hi Claire,
100g of sweet potato contains 23.7g of carbs

You might find this website useful - its American but it covers just about every food you could possibly want to know about (e.g. for sweet potato it gives values for raw, boiled, canned, fried, in various baby foods, etc).
http://www.nutritiondata.com/