The recent rise in popularity of a low-carb diet has been hard to miss, mainly due to its undeniable effectiveness in quick weight loss. Actually, there exists no such thing as one low-carb diet but the term rather embraces a whole variety of different approaches which have one thing in common - low carbohydrate intake. So, what is the big deal about it?
Scientifically speaking, there are a few theories which explain why low-carb diets have such high success rates. The first one is called „the insulin theory” - namely, the less sugars you eat, the less insulin is produced post-meal. Since insulin is an anabolic, fat-storing hormone, it is a natural course of events that lower insulin means more fat loss. Simultaneously, such an effect has been proven to increase satiety what makes calory intake much easier to control. On the other hand, less carbs available equals more fat to burn for energy purposes - this one forms a solid foundation of the popular keto diet. Whatever the mechanism, in 6-12 months you will surely see stunning results.
Nonetheless, something has to make up for the lost sugar calories in a low-carb diet - that is fat and protein. One of the best foods you can eat in this scenario, which provides both of the mentioned nutrient groups, is peanut butter. It teems with anti-inflammatory unsaturated lipids, all necessary amino acids, vitamins as well as powerful antioxidants including resveratrol, phenolic acids, phytosterols and flavonoids. What more could you want? Besides, it is delish.
At the same time, remember that peanut butter, setting aside its wonderful health benefits, should not be the only nutritious food to fill up your calory intake. A low-carb diet is a fat-reducing diet, nevertheless make it a balanced, variable one.
Reference: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537084/
This article was written by Green Wellness Malaysia's Founder and Managing Director, Datin Dorph Peng.
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