by admin · April 25, 2016
Sources of Protein
Ask for fattier cuts of meat because they contain less protein and more fat, which makes them better. Look for organic meat from grass fed animals and organic eggs in order to reduce the intake of bacteria, antibiotics and steroid hormones. The following proteins are the best for low carb food list:
- Meat: lamb, veal, beef, goat and wild game. Look for grass fed meat because it contains better fatty acid profile
- Pork: pork loin, Boston butt, pork chops, ham. Avoid hams that contain sugar.
- Poultry: turkey, quail, chicken, Cornish hen, duck, goose, pheasant. Always look for free range
- Fish or seafood: always look for wild caught: calamari, catfish, anchovies, cod, flounder, halibut, herring, mackerel, mahi-mahi, salmon, sardines, scrod, sole, snapper, trout and tuna
- You can eat canned tuna and salmon, but always look for the labels for sugars or fillers included.
- Shellfish: crab, lobster, clams, scallops, shrimp, squid, mussels and oysters. Avoid imitation crab meat since it includes sugar, gluten and other additives.
- Whole eggs: they can be prepared in many different ways: fried, hard-boiled, deviled, poached, omelets, scrambled or soft-boiled
- Bacon and sausage: always pay attention to the labels and don’t buy those with sugar or additives like soy or wheat. You can find sugar-free bacon in most of the healthy food stores.
- Protein can be found in peanut butter and soy products like tempeh, tofu and edamame. Keep in mind that they are rich in carbohydrate, which means that you should be careful.
- Whey protein powders, rice, pea, hemp or other vegetable protein powders. Keep in mind that whey protein could cause an insulin spike in the organism. If you have difficulties while trying to lower your weight, you should restrict or completely avoid whey
Fresh Vegetables
Majority of the non-starch vegetables contain low amounts of carbs. Look for organic vegetables or even better, grow your own vegetables in order to avoid pesticide exposure. Stay away from starchy vegetables like corn, peas, potatoes, sweet potatoes and winter squash. Restrict sweeter vegetables like carrots, peppers, tomatoes and summer squashes. The following list is by no means comprehensive and if you are a fan of some vegetable that is included in the list, you can freely add it.
- Alfalfa Sprouts
- All leafy green vegetable
- Asparagus
- Avocado
- Bamboo Shoots
- Bean Sprouts
- Beet Greens
- Bell peppers*
- Bok choy
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage
- Carrots*
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Celery root
- Chard
- Chives
- Collard greens
- Cucumbers
- Dandelion greens
- Dill pickles
- Garlic
- Kale
- Leeks
- Lettuces and salad greens (arugula, Boston lettuce, chicory, endive, escarole, fennel, mache, radicchio, romaine, sorrel.)
- Mushrooms
- Olives
- Onions*
- Radishes
- Sauerkraut (watch for added sugar)
- Scallions
- Shallots
- Snow Peas
- Spinach
- Sprouts
- Summer squash*
- Swiss chard
- Tomatoes*
- Turnips
- Water chestnuts
* Restrict amounts of these vegetables, because they are rich in carbs.
Raw milk products are recommended; if you cannot find raw products, ask for organic. Keep in mind that dairy proteins like whey and casein could cause insulin spike in the organism, so in case you cannot lower your weight or getting into ketosis, restrict the intake or avoid them completely. I also recommend avoiding products that have whey protein included since whey could cause insulin spike
- Heavy whipping cream
- Full fat sour cream (pay attention to the label for any fillers or additives. Ask for brands like Daisy which are pure cream without milk; contains low levels of carbs and protein
- Full fat cottage cheese
- All hard and soft cheeses: (1 ounce portion is equal to 1 carb)
- Cream cheese (1 ounce portion is equal to 1 carb)
- Unsweetened whole milk yogurt (restrict intake as it is a little richer in carb)
- Mascarpone cheese
Nuts and Seeds
In order to eliminate the anti-nutrients, you should soak and roast the nuts and seeds. They are rich in calories and carbs per serving. Eating a handful of nuts and doesn’t even know how much carb it contains is very easy. In case you have difficulties to lower weight or get into ketosis, avoid or decrease the intake of nuts.
- Nuts: macadamias, pecans, almonds and walnuts are the lowest in net carbs and can be consumed in moderate amounts. Cashews, pistachios and chestnuts are rich in carb, so eat in small amounts to prevent going over carb limits.
- Nut flours, like almond flour. I think that low carb food list shouldn’t fully eliminate baking. Almond flour is a perfect flour alternative.
- Peanuts are legumes and contain high levels of protein and are also rich in Omega 6 fats, so eat them in moderate quantities and add protein grams in daily totals.
- Seeds like pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, etc. also contain high levels of Omega 6 fats. You should eat them in moderate amounts.
- The nuts are rich source of Omega 6 fats, which promotes inflammation in the body, so nuts shouldn’t be your main source of proteins. Personally, when I eat too many nuts in few days, I feel stiff and sore and my mood is very changeable. I blame the omega 6 fats for this. I attribute this to the Omega 6 fats.
Beverages
- Clear broth, bone broth
- Decaf coffee (caffeine can increase blood sugar levels)
- Decaf tea (sugar-free)
- Herbal tea (sugar-free)
- Water
- Flavored seltzer water (sugar-free)
- Lemon and lime juice in moderate amounts
- Almond milk (sugar-free)
- Coconut milk (sugar-free, can or carton)
- Soy milk (sugar-free, count protein grams as well)
Sweeteners
If you avoid sweetened foods for some time, you will reset your taste buds. Anyway, if you have cravings for sweet, I recommend you the following sweet alternatives. Keep in mind that powdered forms of the unnatural sweeteners contain maltodextrin, dextrose or other sugars, so I recommend you to use liquid products instead.
- Stevia, use the liquid form since the powdered normally includes maltodextrin
- Erythritol
- Xylitol (your dogs mustn’t reach the foods that contain this sweetener)
- Splenda*, use the liquid form since the powdered normally includes maltodextrin
- Lo Han Guo
- Monk Fruit
- Inulin and Chicory Root
*Some readers expressed worrying about my recommending of Splenda. You should know that I did a research in the medical literature and I read the studies that have been made on sucralose (splenda).
I didn’t find any gold standard, clinically regulated human study which proves convincible that sucralose leads to human health problems. I think that consuming sugar, honey and other nutritive sweeteners leaves negative blood sugar impacts which are far worse than those that could be related with consummation of small amounts of Splenda.
Some people tolerate Splenda, while others don’t. The same thing is for sugar alcohols and other sweeteners like chicory root and insulin.
Fruit/Miscellaneous
- Berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries) can be consumed occasionally in moderate quantities, because they are very low in carbohydrates. Avoid other types of fruit because majority of them are very rich in carb and can bother the ketosis.
- Japanese Shirataki noodles
- Pork Rinds (they are perfect with dip, or as a alternative for bread whits, but keep in mind that they are also rich in protein, so eat them in moderate amounts)
Spices
Spices include carbs, so you should count them before you incorporate them in your meals with the help of this low carb food list. Most of the spice mixes such as steak seasoning include sugar. Choose sea salt over commercial salt, which normally is a form of powdered dextrose.
Source: www.naturalmedicinebox.net
