Low carbohydrate diets have been known for a long time and are used not only in dietetics, but also for medical purposes. The carbohydrate-free diet menu is varied; the table of permitted products (vegetables, fruits, cereals, etc.) includes a large number of items and dishes.
What is a carbohydrate-free diet (keto diet)
A carbohydrate-free diet is a nutritional system, aimed at limiting the intake of carbohydrates into the body, and the use of mainly protein foods with a small amount of fats, mainly of vegetable origin.
Benefits of a carbohydrate-free diet
Carbohydrate-free diet, compared with similar dietary restrictions for weight loss, has the following advantages:
- significant rate of weight loss;
- moderation of hunger;
- normalization of blood sugar;
- beneficial effects on the brain;
- low effect on the heart and blood vessels;
- reducing the risk of developing cancerous tumors.
The advantages of the technique are associated with a decrease or almost complete elimination of glucose from the daily diet. Glucose, or other molecules that can be converted to glucose, are found in all carbohydrate foods, be they grains, legumes, starchy vegetables, fruits, sweeteners, as well as nuts, seeds, and vegetables.
Diet stages
Due to the course of ketosis in the body, this nutritional method is also called the keto diet.... For the process to start completely, and active fat burning begins, 4 stages must go through:
| Stage | Features: |
| 1st | Carbohydrates enter the body only in the morning in the amount of 20 g, and in the remaining time to provide energy, it will absorb glucose from its own reserves. |
| 2nd | The body is no longer replenished with glucose and begins to consume glycogen contained in the muscles and liver. After 2-3 days, the fat burning process will accelerate as the lack of carbohydrates will be felt more and more, the body will more actively consume alternative energy stores. |
| 3rd | The stage begins in 3-4 days, when carbohydrates are almost depleted. Energy is generated by burning fat first and then protein. In the first week, the menu should contain a large amount of protein food (up to 3-4 g per 1 kg of human weight). |
| 4th | Starts in a week. The goal is to consolidate the results obtained. The body is already accustomed to a lack of carbohydrates and provides itself with energy due to increased fat burning. The ketosis process is fully started only with the onset of the 4th stage. |
What to eat and how to create a menu?
The daily calorie content of meals on a carbohydrate-free weight loss system should be 1200 kcal for women, and no more than 2100 kcal for men. The diet should include meat, fish, seafood, milk, dairy products, cheeses, nuts, cereals.To balance carbohydrates, you need to add small amounts of vegetables, beans, citrus fruits, fruits, tea without sugar. The menu for the week can be compiled based on the table of allowed products.
Carbohydrate and Calorie Table
| Product | Carbohydrates | Fats | Proteins | Calories |
| Sun-dried roach | 0,0 | 5,5 | 46,4 | 235,1 |
| Salmon caviar | 0,0 | 13,8 | 31,6 | 250,6 |
| Sturgeon caviar | 0,0 | 9,7 | 28,9 | 202,9 |
| Turkey breast fillet | 0,0 | 0,8 | 24,4 | 104,8 |
| Tuna fillet | 0,0 | 4,3 | 24,4 | 136,3 |
| Dutch cheese | 0,0 | 30,5 | 23,7 | 369,3 |
| Maasdam cheese | 0,0 | 30,5 | 23,7 | 369,3 |
| Canned salmon | 0,0 | 6,6 | 23,5 | 153,4 |
| Atlantic mackerel | 0,0 | 6,4 | 23,4 | 151,2 |
| Marble Cheese | 0,0 | 29,0 | 23,0 | 353,0 |
| Processed Cheese Smoked Sausage | 0,0 | 19,0 | 23,0 | 263,0 |
| Russian cheese | 0,0 | 29,0 | 23,0 | 353,0 |
| Canned tuna | 0,0 | 0,7 | 22,5 | 96,3 |
| Salted pink salmon | 0,0 | 9,0 | 22,1 | 169,4 |
| Processed Cheese Russian | 0,0 | 27,0 | 22,0 | 331,0 |
| Fresh pink salmon | 0,0 | 7,0 | 21,0 | 147,0 |
| Canned pink salmon | 0,0 | 5,8 | 20,9 | 135,8 |
| Beef Pulp | 0,0 | 2,6 | 20,3 | 104,6 |
| Beef tenderloin | 0,0 | 2,8 | 20,2 | 106,0 |
| Fresh salmon | 0,0 | 11,0 | 20,2 | 179,8 |
| Salted salmon | 0,0 | 11,0 | 20,2 | 179,8 |
| Salted salmon | 0,0 | 11,0 | 20,2 | 179,8 |
| Roquefort cheese | 0,0 | 28,0 | 20,0 | 332,0 |
| Veal category 1 | 0,0 | 2,0 | 19,7 | 96,8 |
| Whole turkey (carcass 1 category) | 0,0 | 22,0 | 19,5 | 276,0 |
| Pork tenderloin | 0,0 | 7,1 | 19,4 | 141,5 |
| River perch | 0,0 | 0,9 | 18,5 | 82,1 |
| Pike perch fillet with skin | 0,0 | 1,1 | 18,4 | 83,5 |
| Whole pike perch | 0,0 | 1,1 | 18,4 | 83,5 |
| Cod fillet | 0,0 | 1,1 | 18,4 | 83,5 |
| Pike | 0,0 | 1,1 | 18,4 | 83,5 |
| Flounder | 0,0 | 1,3 | 18,2 | 84,5 |
| Beef liver | 0,0 | 3,7 | 17,9 | 104,9 |
| River carp | 0,0 | 1,8 | 17,7 | 87,0 |
| Herring s / m | 0,0 | 19,5 | 17,7 | 246,3 |
| Baltic sprat, salted | 0,0 | 7,6 | 17,1 | 136,8 |
| Fresh uncut bream | 0,0 | 4,1 | 17,1 | 105,3 |
| Lamb Pulp | 0,0 | 14,4 | 17,0 | 197,6 |
| Lamb hind leg on the bone | 0,0 | 14,4 | 17,0 | 197,6 |
| Medium salted herring | 0,0 | 8,5 | 17,0 | 144,5 |
| Sea scallop s / m | 0,0 | 1,1 | 16,7 | 76,7 |
| Head gutted sturgeon | 0,0 | 10,9 | 16,4 | 163,7 |
| Sturgeon fillet with skin without cartilage | 0,0 | 10,9 | 16,4 | 163,7 |
| Chicken eggs (yolk) | 0,0 | 30,5 | 16,1 | 338,9 |
| Beef heart | 0,0 | 3,5 | 16,0 | 95,5 |
| Kamchatka crab | 0,0 | 3,6 | 16,0 | 96,4 |
| Pollock | 0,0 | 0,9 | 15,9 | 71,7 |
| Duck (carcass 1 category) | 0,0 | 38,0 | 15,8 | 405,2 |
| Lamb lung | 0,0 | 2,3 | 15,6 | 83,1 |
| Beef Light | 0,0 | 4,7 | 15,2 | 103,1 |
| Beef kidney | 0,0 | 2,8 | 15,2 | 86,0 |
| Whole goose (processed carcass of the 1st category) | 0,0 | 39,0 | 15,2 | 411,8 |
| Fresh capelin | 0,0 | 7,1 | 13,1 | 116,3 |
| Smoked carbonate (raw smoked loin) | 0,0 | 47,4 | 10,5 | 468,6 |
| Chicken eggs (protein) | 0,0 | 0,0 | 9,0 | 36,0 |
| Seaweed | 0,0 | 0,2 | 0,9 | 5,4 |
| chicken broth | 0,0 | 0,0 | 0,0 | 0,0 |
| Meat broth | 0,0 | 0,0 | 0,0 | 0,0 |
| Broth meat - bone | 0,0 | 0,0 | 0,0 | 0,0 |
| Fish broth | 0,0 | 0,0 | 0,0 | 0,0 |
| Unrefined peanut butter | 0,0 | 92,0 | 0,0 | 828,0 |
| Walnut oil, unrefined | 0,0 | 92,0 | 0,0 | 828,0 |
| Unrefined sesame oil | 0,0 | 92,0 | 0,0 | 828,0 |
| Extra Virgin Olive Oil | 0,0 | 92,0 | 0,0 | 828,0 |
| Refined olive oil | 0,0 | 99,9 | 0,0 | 899,1 |
| Olive oil with truffle aroma | 0,0 | 92,0 | 0,0 | 828,0 |
| Unrefined sunflower oil | 0,0 | 92,0 | 0,0 | 828,0 |
| Refined sunflower oil | 0,0 | 99,9 | 0,0 | 899,1 |
| Chickens Boneless Pulp | 0,1 | 11,0 | 21,3 | 184,6 |
| Chickens Legs | 0,1 | 11,0 | 21,3 | 184,6 |
| Chickens wings | 0,1 | 11,0 | 21,3 | 184,6 |
| Minced chicken from legs | 0,1 | 11,0 | 21,3 | 184,6 |
| Fresh butter mushrooms | 0,5 | 0,7 | 2,4 | 17,9 |
| Fresh mushrooms Honey mushrooms | 0,5 | 1,2 | 2,2 | 21,6 |
| Fresh mushrooms | 0,5 | 0,8 | 1,8 | 16,4 |
| Quail eggs | 0,6 | 13,1 | 11,9 | 167,9 |
| Chicken eggs | 0,7 | 11,5 | 12,7 | 157,1 |
| Chees Feta | 1,5 | 20,2 | 15,6 | 250,2 |
| Low-fat cottage cheese | 1,8 | 0,6 | 18,0 | 84,6 |
| Broccoli | 1,8 | 0,9 | 4,4 | 32,9 |
| Greens Salad | 2,3 | 0,2 | 1,5 | 17,0 |
| Cucumbers | 2,6 | 0,1 | 0,8 | 14,5 |
| Fat cottage cheese | 2,8 | 18,0 | 14,0 | 229,2 |
| Lemon | 3,0 | 0,1 | 0,9 | 16,5 |
| Asparagus | 3,2 | 0,1 | 1,9 | 21,3 |
| Walnut Walnut kernel | 3,3 | 68,5 | 14,7 | 688,5 |
| Shallot | 3,3 | 0,2 | 1,5 | 21,0 |
| Sunflower (seeds) | 3,4 | 52,9 | 20,7 | 572,5 |
| Pumpkin seeds | 3,4 | 52,9 | 20,7 | 572,5 |
| Yogurt 1.5% fat | 3,5 | 1,5 | 5,0 | 47,5 |
| Low-fat kefir | 3,8 | 0,1 | 3,0 | 27,7 |
| Radish | 3,8 | 0,1 | 1,2 | 20,9 |
| Tomatoes | 3,8 | 0,2 | 1,1 | 21,4 |
| Walnut Cedar kernel | 4,0 | 68,6 | 14,0 | 689,4 |
| Ryazhenka 6% fat | 4,1 | 6,0 | 3,0 | 82,4 |
| Greens Dill | 4,1 | 0,5 | 2,5 | 30,9 |
| Sauerkraut | 4,5 | 0,1 | 1,7 | 25,6 |
| Cauliflower | 4,5 | 0,3 | 2,5 | 30,7 |
What foods need to be excluded from the diet
High-carb foods include soda, cakes, and candy. They should be excluded without fail.
Foods prohibited and restricted for the carbohydrate-free diet menu are included in the following table:
| Cereal products
| With a carbohydrate-free diet, you need to exclude any option for bakery products, be it buns, bagels, cookies, pies. All of these products are rich in carbohydrates. This also applies to whole grain breads and products made from refined flour. Most grains are also high in carbohydrates and are prohibited for a carbohydrate-free diet. These include rice and oats. |
| Sweet fruit | Most fruits should not be eaten on a carbohydrate-free diet. The optimal daily serving is a cup. For example, just one apple fruit contains 21 g of carbohydrates. And the sweeter the fruit, the more carbohydrates. |
| Starchy vegetables | Vegetables are a source of fiber. Its properties are such that it, like a brush, cleans out all toxins, food debris from the intestines, due to which excess weight is lost and sugar is normalized. However, vegetables contain not only fiber, but also starch, which is unacceptable on a carbohydrate-free diet, they should be excluded from the menu. |
| Pasta | There are 44 g of carbohydrates in one serving of ready-made pasta, of which fiber is 4 g. |
| Beer | Beer is not high in carbohydrates enough to skip it altogether. But you can't abuse it either, because even 1 can of light beer contains 6 g of carbohydrates. |
| Sweetened yogurt | Homemade yogurt contains few carbohydrates, but this is only true if you do not add sugar to it.If we talk about commercial sweetened yogurt, then such a product contains as many carbohydrates as the sweet dessert does. For example, fruit yogurt contains about 49 g of carbohydrates, even ice cream with the same amount of carbohydrates is less. |
| Beans | They are rich in both fiber and carbohydrates. |
| Honey or sugar in any form | A lot of sugar is found in biscuits, candies and cakes. In addition to being high in sugar, they provide almost no benefit to the body. |
| Dry snacks | Carbohydrates found in chips and crackers can quickly build up as excess weight. 1 pack. chips = 19 grams of carbohydrates. In addition, chips and other similar foods are usually consumed in large quantities. |
| Soft drinks | Soft drinks are made with added sugar and have few nutrients. |
It is important to choose foods that are nutritious, protein-rich, but low in carbohydrates.
Approved Products Table
| List of recommended product groups | Food |
| Meat | Any type: beef, pork, lamb, game, poultry. You can eat meat fat, chicken skin. |
| Eggs | Boiled, fried, scrambled, omelettes - in any form. |
| Fish and seafood | All types of oily fish, both river and sea fish, are eaten. But it is necessary to avoid breading food when cooking. |
| Natural fat | Adding butter and cream will help make dishes from the everyday menu tastier. The use of coconut and olive oil is also encouraged. |
| Aboveground vegetables | All types of cabbage, rose hips, bok choy, spinach, asparagus, zucchini, eggplant, olives, spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes. |
| Milk products | This includes real butter, cream (40% fat), yoghurts and sour cream, cheese. Care should be taken to include reduced fat milk in the menu, as these products contain a large amount of milk sugar. |
| Berries | Any berries will be appropriate to replace the usual sweets. |
| Nuts | You can substitute almonds and cashews for popcorn, candy, or chips, without overuse. |
| Mushrooms | It is a source of protein. Mushrooms meet all the requirements of the described diet. |
How long can you go on a carbohydrate-free diet?
A carbohydrate-free diet should have a purely individual application period. You need to be guided by well-being, health status, weight. It happens that after a week of dietary nutrition, a significant loss of strength is felt, in this case, many switch to the usual good nutrition, and do not achieve the desired results in losing weight.
Others, after several months of dieting, not only achieve the desired results, but also surpass them. Moreover, their well-being is not suitable throughout the diet.
The average duration of a restricted carb diet is 4 to 8 weeks.
Sample menu for the day
Sample menu for a week
| Days of the week | Carbohydrate menu |
| Monday | Breakfast: bake eggs with two slices of bacon and one tomato and serve with herbs and unsweetened tea. Lunch: cream soup with Brussels sprouts and parmesan cheese (200 g), salad with tuna and cucumber, water with lemon zest. Afternoon snack: a couple of apricots with homemade yogurt, tea with mint. Dinner: salad of quail eggs and chicken breast with iceberg lettuce, tea with blueberries. |
| Tuesday | Breakfast: boiled chicken with sliced cucumber instead of bread, steamed omelet with cheddar. Lunch: seafood cocktail cream soup and beetroot salad with sesame seeds, unsweetened tea. Afternoon snack: a handful of currants with low-fat kefir. Dinner: fish rolls with soy sauce, herbal tea. |
| Wednesday | Breakfast: bacon (2 minutes in the microwave, covered with kitchen paper). Microwave omelet with cheese (mix 2 eggs, cheese, milk - stand for 1 minute) Lunch: veal steaks on a fennel and mushroom pillow with chicory. Afternoon snack: sardines with cucumber. Dinner: chicken breasts wrapped in bacon with cream cheese sauce, mineral water. |
| Thursday | Breakfast: scrambled eggs with spinach, unsweetened coffee. Lunch: cream soup made from carrots and green peas, stewed veal curry, tea. Afternoon snack: sour cream with a handful of blueberries or lingonberries. Dinner: salad with grated carrots and mushrooms with a piece of hard cheese, tea. |
| Friday | Breakfast: fermented baked milk with cubes of hard cheese and a handful of nuts, warm unsweetened green tea. Lunch: cabbage soup with a piece of meat and spinach salad, coffee. Afternoon snack: cheese or pate on a slice of cucumber instead of crackers Dinner: Brussels sprouts and brie cheese salad, tea. |
| Saturday | Breakfast: an omelet of two eggs with herbs, tea with lemon zest. Lunch: lasagna with zucchini, herring with beets, tea. Afternoon snack: homemade yogurt and a handful of cherries, water. Dinner: stewed rabbit with fennel, cucumbers with quail eggs in a salad. |
| Sunday | Breakfast: liver pate and a slice of avocado with lettuce, coffee. Lunch: rutabaga cream soup, chicken breast with cheddar cheese, tea. Afternoon snack: cucumber slices with pate and mint tea. Dinner: baked fish with spinach and grated cheese salad with a handful of flaxseeds, tea. |
Menu compilation rules
The carbohydrate-free diet menu should be designed so that it does not use foods that are not included in the approved table - this is a basic requirement.
Nutritionist recommendations to follow:
- Baked goods, cakes, cookies, brownies - all have high levels of carbohydrates and bad fats. You need to learn to avoid beige foods.
- Sodas, fruit juice, flavored milk, and energy drinks are liquid sugar in a bottle.
- Cream soup is a good substitute for common soups and broths.
- A lot of meat dishes on the menu are good, but only if they are made from natural and fresh meat.
- Fish day is the key to success in the fight against weight.
- A slice of dark chocolate once a week will improve your mood.
What and how much to drink on a carbohydrate-free diet
The carbohydrate-free diet menu includes drinks. Selecting them, according to the table of products, it is necessary to determine what effect they have on sugar levels and what their calorie content is.
- Water... It is responsible for water-salt metabolism, it contains zero carbohydrates and zero calories.
- Milk... It contains a moderate amount of carbohydrates, but they must be taken into account if you drink about 100 ml of milk or more daily. In general, milk is healthy because is a source of energy for people who want to control their weight. Skim milk has half the calories of whole milk.
- Fruit juice... Despite the high carbohydrate level, fruit juice should not be completely eliminated from the menu. It can be drunk during periods of intense exercise as exercise will help balance blood sugar levels. But it's important that it is a natural and unsweetened fruit juice.
- Sugary soft drinks... Sugary soft drinks have no nutritional value, they contain nothing but a huge amount of sugar. They should only be drunk for the one and only time when blood glucose levels need to be raised, such as before, during, or after exercise.
- Diet soft drinks... Diet soft drinks contain artificial sweeteners and other artificial aids for sweetness, flavor, and color. While soft drinks are considered safe to consume, research is not as straightforward.
A carbohydrate-free diet (see the menu and food table above) allows for the consumption of tea in moderation. Studies have shown that tea is beneficial to health by increasing insulin sensitivity and maintaining blood pressure.
Those who like to drink tea with milk will be disappointed to learn that all the beneficial properties are neutralized when milk is added to tea.
Coffee... You can drink unsweetened coffee as an addition to breakfast.But milk coffee like latte is a high-calorie drink that should be avoided.
Alcoholic drinks... When drinking alcohol, consider:
- how the drink affects blood sugar levels;
- the calorie content of the drink;
- whether alcohol will interact with medication that is being taken for health reasons.
Alcoholic beverages can be responsible for raising and lowering blood glucose levels, so it is helpful to understand how different alcoholic beverages can affect sugar levels. Alcohol is a significant source of calories. For example, a bottle of regular beer contains 200 calories, which is equal to two eclairs.
Types of diet
There are many low-carb diets, however, only 3 of them are most popular due to their effectiveness and speed of results.
- Constant diet... The goal is to keep the amount of carbohydrates consumed each day and at each meal remains constant. It is required to regularly count carbohydrates. However, such a diet has a lot of undesirable effects on the body, for example, chronic fatigue and absent-mindedness develop.
- Strength diet... This option will be optimal for athletes: it is recommended to consume a small amount of carbohydrates before training so that there is enough strength in the gym for active workouts. But you will have to devote a lot of time to physical activity, otherwise it is impossible to lose weight.
- Circular option. The most popular option is the circular diet. Its essence is that within 6 days carbohydrates are not consumed (it is allowed to include only a small amount of cereals and vegetables in the diet), and the processing of its own fat reserves is activated. On the 7th day, you can eat carbohydrate food before lunch. Serving sizes are critical no matter which diet a person chooses.
A carbohydrate-free diet using any of these techniques (with the preparation of an individual menu according to the table of products) - ideal for those who want to say goodbye to extra pounds as soon as possible.
Features of a carbohydrate-free diet for diabetes
A carbohydrate-free diet is recommended by nutritionists for diabetic patients. Provided that an individual menu is drawn up, according to the table of permitted foods, such a diet is suitable for normalizing weight and blood sugar levels.
So that the feeling of hunger is not constant, it is recommended to introduce more green vegetables, beets, and tomatoes into the diet. Eating fermented milk products, cheeses and oatmeal will help solve digestive problems.
The diet can be used by people with different types of blood cholesterol problems - high or low cholesterol levels. If you adhere to strict rules, you can normalize metabolism and cholesterol levels without the use of drugs.
Features of the diet for athletes
The low carbohydrate content is compensated by the high consumption of protein products, and since protein has a positive effect on muscle growth and building, the diet can be recommended for athletes involved in strength sports, bodybuilding.
The diet usually starts with consuming a daily serving of sugar, which is about 58% of normal values. The reduction in carbohydrates in the diet should be gradual.
The main problem for athletes on a carbohydrate diet is the need to choose foods rich in protein, but at the same time low in fat and low in carbohydrates. It is recommended to add small portions of brown rice, lentils, flour with bran to the diet.
Eat enough vegetables with slow carbohydrates. These are celery, asparagus, any cabbage, cucumbers, radishes, rhubarb, spinach, tomatoes.
How to get out of the diet correctly
A gradual exit from a carbohydrate-free diet is a guarantee of maintaining the achieved result.You cannot immediately pounce on what was forbidden on the first day - you need to gradually increase the amount of carbohydrates, calculating their amount in the food you eat. If you need to repeat the course of losing weight, then after a week's release you can return to the dietary table.
You should increase the amount of vegetables and fruits, and also follow a dietary drinking regimen. Sweets should be infrequent guests on the table. It is advisable to make it a habit to replace sweet dishes with dried fruits.
In terms of physical activity, it is necessary to visit the gym and pool. For recovery and physical fitness, a contrast shower is useful. Evening walks are also recommended.
Results: photo and before and after, video reviews
Diet cost
The Carbohydrate Table contains common foods that are easy to buy at any time of the year. Most of the products included in the diet menu are meat products that are not cheap, so a week of eating on a carbohydrate-free table costs 2500-5000 rubles.
Contraindications
A low carbohydrate diet is contraindicated in patients with the following health conditions:
- deficiency of pyruvate carboxylase;
- porphyria;
- disorders of fat metabolism.
Possible side effects:
- migraine;
- muscle weakness and fatigue;
- nausea.
Diet menus made up of recommended (approved by nutritionists) foods are generally not recommended for adults with epilepsy. In some cases, low-carb diet options with fewer carbohydrate restrictions are considered more beneficial for teens and adults.
A carbohydrate-free diet helps to improve well-being in metabolic disorders, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and other diseases associated with the heart and blood vessels. An approximate menu and a table of permitted products will help you quickly understand the diet and quickly achieve results in normalizing body weight and improving well-being.
Author of the material: Zxcvbnm88