LCHF stabilizes your blood sugar, which results in a lower secretion of insulin. This will, for the vast majority of people, lead to weight loss and a greatly improved health. It works because it is a natural way of eating, and the fact that we are eating what evolution has told us, not the food industry.
Does the brain need carbohydrates to function?
The answer is no. The brain needs some glucose, yes, and if provided with it through food, it will use up to 100g per 24 hours, but if not, your body is of course brilliant enough to use something else as fuel!
The liver can produce about 20 g of glucose itself, and for the rest of the energy need the body will produce ketones from fat, which is a much better fuel!
So, in reality, the machine that is your body, is not in need of any carbohydrates for survival.
Can I exercise if I’m eating LCHF?
Of course! And, you will probably do a lot better in terms of training compared to what you did before, now that you are a ‘fat-burner’ instead of a ‘sugar-burner’. A lot of people experience increased energy and an urge to exercise once they start with LCHF, even though they were not training before. The facts that athletes and people that train a lot should carb load etc, is a myth, and is only harmful for the body, especially if done with pasta or bread.
If you are training extremely hard however, you should add some good quality, gluten free carbs before and after training.
Does LCHF suit everyone?
I want to say yes, but of course some more than others. Obese, overweight, diabetics, sugar addicts etc – definitely yes, and a strict version of LCHF. Normal weight, well people will also of course benefit greatly from eating LCHF, but can allow themselves more vegetables and dairy for example. But it is a fact that the majority of people that dramatically cut their carb intake feel a lot better. The simple reason for this is that it is natural food that we are eating, that does not affect your blood sugar considerably.
Are there any side effects?
When you start with LCHF there will be a period that your body needs to adapt, and you might experience withdrawal symptoms. The symptoms include:
- Tiredness
- Headaches
- Weakness
- Dizziness
- Sweating
- Rapid heartbeat
- Bad breath
How can I lose weight by eating fewer carbohydrates and more fat?
Eating fat stimulates fat burning. The more fat we eat, the more fat we burn. It is important that we do not eat sugar at the same time as fat. If you combine fat and sugar, you will gain weight.
But all the doctors say we become fat and unhealthy by eating saturated fats?
It is true that many doctors believe that man is like a steam engine – calories in and calories out and thus the answer to weight loss is to count and reduce calories. They have been taught this during their training and that is why they find it difficult to help their obese patients.
Does food high in cholesterol like eggs cause illness?
No. In fact, the liver produces cholesterol itself in large quantities, and ingesting cholesterol means only that the liver itself does not need to produce as much. Cholesterol is useful and neccesary for your body. If you want to know more about cholesterol, you should read THE GREAT CHOLESTEROL CON by Dr Malcolm Kendrick.
Does the LCHF diet increase the risk of Cardiovascular Disease?
No, it’s actually just the opposite. There are studies to confirm this.
I have just started the LCHF diet and I feel lousy. Is this normal?
You may have jumped right into a ‘strict’ version of the diet and your brain is screaming for sugar. Join the LCHF with US program. A gradual transition is much less difficult.
How long does it take to lose weight?
It depends on how much weight you need and want to lose. If you need to loose (50 kg), it will take about a year to regain your healthy weight
Can I eat Dairy? How much is too much?
For those who are not lactose intolerant, dairy (full cream) is fine. However, we have found that some people are losing dramatically more weight if they omit dairy. Others can consume dairy without it having an effect on their weight loss goals. We have left dairy on the green list, but you will need to monitor your weight loss levels and your dairy intake. If you find that you are not losing enough weight and are consuming dairy, then try cutting out dairy. Unfortunately, dairy is unique to every person as lactose is a form of carb that everyone responds to differently.
Is LCHF the same as Atkins?
No, but some aspects of it is very similar. Both LCHF and Atkins promotes a greatly reduced amount of carbs, and an increased intake of fats, as this has shown to be the best way to lose weight and to improve health.
The differences are that on Atkins you only stay on the very low carb version for a few weeks and then you gradually add carbs and fruits back into your diet. With LCHF there are no phases and adding or removing certain things, it just is the natural way of eating and should ideally be kept for the rest of your life, if you can.
Atkins also allows a lot of low carb products, that the Atkins company sell themselves, that are not always the best choice, as many of them can contain gluten, sweeteners and other additives. LCHF on the other hand promotes only natural products that you can see what they are and you can understand the ingredients of.
