Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Low Carb Vegetarian Diet


It's pretty much common sense that carbs shouldn't really be a concern for vegetarians who are eating a lot of grains, fresh veggies, fruits, beans and other good sources and variety of proteins, and of course, enough water. However, if you are over-weight a low carb vegetarian diet may do some good for you.

The traditional low carb diets, such as the “Atkins Diet”, have been known to be effective in weight loss. These diets help reduce blood sugar and insulin production, enabling your body to make use of stored fat in order to create energy.

The high animal protein and fat consumption, however, causes cholesterol levels to rise, increasing risk of heart diseases. That's where the Eco-Atkins Diet comes in.

Researchers have carried out a study comparing the vegetarian version of the diet (replacing meat with vegetable protein like soy), against a conventional low fat diet.

According to Jonny Bowden (author, nutritionist and weight loss coach)
Participants on the 'Eco-Atkins' diet not only lost weight, but their LDL cholesterol (the so-called 'bad' cholesterol) dropped like a rock.

In this diet, about 31% of the total calories comes from protein sources such as soy, nuts and gluten. The majority of the fat (about 43%) consistis of vegetable oils, nuts, avocado and soy products. The rest (26%) are carbs, mostly from vegetables, fruits and some types of cereals. Items like potatoes, rice, bread and baked food need to be eliminated.

Foods recommended in the Low Carb Vegetarian Diet


High-protein vegetables and grains, including soybeans, couscous, pearled barley, white beans, and lentils. Go crazy on soy burgers, veggie bacon, breakfast links. Nuts are also recommended. You can try peanuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios, cashews, pine nuts, and walnuts.

Other types of food included are soluble fiber, like barley, fresh fruit and oats. Avocado, almonds and macadamia nuts are also recommended, along with other foods that contain the so called “good-fats”. This is a vegan diet, and does not allow diary such as cheese and milk.

Some big no-nos are starch, pasta, rice, sugar, cereal, bread, potatoes, cakes, and some fruits.

More resources on low carb vegetarian diet:

2 comments:

  1. [...]There are plenty of information and tips about the low carb diet recipes. No matter what sources of information or tips you choose you need to always keep in your mind that the low carb diet recipes should consist of healthy and match with your diet plan[...]

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  2. Great article! I've been vegetarian for nearly 15 years, and discovered low-carb a few years ago. I hadn't heard the term "eco-atkins" before, but it sounds extremely interesting. Will definitely look that up!
    http://www.lowcarbvegetarianliving.com is also a great resource :)

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