Low Carb or High Carb | Life Change or Fad Dieting?

Is Eating Low Carb Considered Fad Dieting?

Are you thinking about starting a diet or learning how to eat Atkins, Paleo, Low Fat, Low Carb, Vegan, Fruitarian, etc. Anyone of these diets can work if you stick to it, yet it's no fun taking on a change in diet that you know that you cannot stick with nor feels good for your body. This is especially true for those who have diabetes, hypertension or other health issues to consider when making food choices. If any of those ways of eating has made you healthier according to your doctor and suits you forever (real lifestyle change), then I am delighted for you. If you have not been successful with any type of fad diet, then here is some advice from a health professional that I met while networking online. It has stuck with me over the months and probably will forever ...

"You can lose weight by limiting your carbs (under 100 a day) and eating 5 small meals a day! Focus on lean meats and low starch veggies."

How can you go wrong when it is stated as simply as that?

Limiting the carbohydrates might be confusing to some of us, so here is a guideline for what are white starches (carbohydrates to avoid because they are just not good for us - never):

white bread, white noodles, white rice, white flour, white sugar, etc. (other foods to avoid) and some would consider processed wheat as part of this list.

List of Low Starch Vegetables That Are Good For You

Here is a list of for all vegetables that are so low in starch that you almost consider them no starch vegetables. In fact, you can eat most as freely as you want especially anything green on this list rather freely depending on whether you are using butter or olive oil; salt is another seasoning to take into consideration (including season salt). Although our bodies need a certain amount of good fats these do increase calories; sodium is necessary for cellular function, though it depends on how active your body and too much is dangerous for your health.

Amaranth
Artichokes
Asparagus
Baby corn
Bamboo shoots
Beans
- Green Beans
- Wax Beans
- Italian Beans
Bean sprouts
Beets
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage: bok choy, Chinese, green
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Chayote
Cucumber
Eggplant
Green Onions
Greens
- Collard Greens
- Kale Greens
- Leaf Lettuces
- Mustard Greens
- Swiss Chard
- Turnip Greens
Jicama
Kohlrabi
Leeks
Mung bean sprouts
Mushrooms
Okra
Onions
Peppers
Radishes
Rutabaga
Sauerkraut
Scallions
Spinach
Sprouts
Sugar Snap Peas
Summer Squash
Tomatoes
Turnips
Water Chestnuts
Zucchini

Now, if you are vegan, have no health issues that require watching sugars like Hypoglycemia, or are highly active, then medium to high carb vegetables like sweet potatoes, white potatoes, winter squash, carrots, etc. are high in potassium and vitamins; they are suggested as part of a high carb diet. This blog post is to highlight low carb / low starch food options that are natural (not processed) and can help you lose weight and keep it off when eat lean meats, low carbs and low sugar fruits as a part of a healthy lifestyle change ... NOT FAT DIET!