It is not recommended as a regular diet if you are healthy, but it can be therapeutically useful for diseases such as diabetes or overweight.
Since the Atkins diet became fashionable in the 70s, dietary
patterns that resort to the elimination of carbohydrates from the diet have
been repeated. These are approaches that we can often classify as "miracle
diets", dedicated above all to weight loss.
This is also the case of other high-protein diets that have
become very popular. However, leaving aside ill-conceived approaches, the truth
is that a "low carb" or low-carbohydrate diet can be used in diet
therapy and is a good tool in the treatment of certain pathologies.
The Low-Carbohydrate Diet Is Advisable for
Metabolic Disorders
Low carb diets have been shown to be effective in patients
with type 2 diabetes mellitus, insulin resistance, polycystic ovary syndrome or
dyslipidemia, and can also be very useful in some patients with obesity,
metabolic syndrome or both.
In a well-planned "low carb" diet, vegetables will
never be omitted, fruit and legumes can be included, protein sources will be of
high quality and fat sources as well.
We are talking about a therapeutic dietary approach, so its
use should be justified. Like any other treatment, it requires supervision by a
dietician-nutritionist who will also adapt the guideline to our specific needs.
It will be done with a different objective than losing weight
for aesthetic reasons and will be individualized according to the needs of each
person. That is to say, not everything is valid, nor does it work for everyone.
Nothing to do, therefore, with diets based on shakes or bars, or with the
excessive consumption of animal foods.
Now, is it possible to follow this style of diet if you have
a vegan diet? Yes, it is possible. Although it is somewhat more complicated,
with a good approach it is perfectly possible to carry it out, if it is
justified.
How Is The "Low Carb" Diet
In the "low carb" diet, between 60 and l00 g of
carbohydrates are consumed per day. The amount can vary according to our sex,
age, size, weight and physical activity. For example: a medium banana, about 40
g of whole wheat bread, 100 g of cooked lentils, together with normal amounts
of vegetables, would be around 60-65 g of carbohydrates.
The "low carb" should not be confused with the
ketogenic diet. In a ketogenic diet (indicated in diet therapy for some
disorders) the daily consumption of carbohydrates is below 50-60 g and forces
the body into a state of ketosis. Thus, fats are burned as a source of energy
and ketone bodies are produced.
In the "low carb" diet, foods particularly rich in
carbohydrates such as fruits, cereals and their by-products and, of course,
sweets are limited. But "limiting" does not mean "eliminating
completely".
It simply means controlling the portions of these foods in
order to apply the appropriate therapeutic guideline for each individual case.
Is a "low carb" diet sustainable in the long term?
It can be. There are people who habitually follow this type of diet. But it is
true that adherence is more complicated and that in vegans the options are very
limited, especially when eating outside the home. The sensible thing to do is
to use this strategy correctly.
Carbohydrates, Proteins and Fats
It is possible to cover protein needs without overdoing it
with carbohydrates. There are vegetables rich in protein and low in
carbohydrates such as tofu, natto or textured soybeans. Seitan, nuts and
legumes are also suitable in moderation. It can be completed with vegetable
protein powder.
For example: 200 g tofu, 100 g cooked chickpeas, 25 g
textured soybeans, 30 g nuts and a soy yogurt contain 55-56 g protein and 50-51
g carbohydrates. Without reaching the low limit of 60 g, we have protein to
cover the needs of a 56 kg woman.
If it is a man or someone with higher requirements, the
portions will also be increased, making the protein intake higher. And also,
the margin will be raised in the amount of carbohydrates adequate for these
higher needs without leaving the "low carb".
We have talked about carbohydrates and proteins, but what about fat? The fat intake does not have to suffer any variation in terms of healthy sources: olive oil, nuts, avocado, seeds... The amount can be increased somewhat without negative effects, since it compensates energetically part of the carbohydrates.