Low Carb in the UK

How to Start...

Got this e-mail to the list the other day (Yes, my list inspires me to write!lol):

"From: Nicola Atkins

Hey everybody!

My name is Niki, i want to loose weight the low carb weight - anybody got any information?

Thanks!"

So, I wrote her this reply, and then thought that there must be other people looking for this sort of advice... So, here is My reply to Niki! (I have expanded this a *tad* with Links I thought about after)

"Welcome on board...

Start researching and then ask questions is the best information I can give!

My Website's Links page and low-carb FAQ page may be a good place to start.

You also need to pick a Low-carb plan, there are Various flavours, again, my website has Details on all the major books, via Amazon.

Low-carb is based on eating naturally, with as little refinement as possible, so very general guidlines are...

We DO NOT count calories. Saying that, you should be eating *at least* 1500 per day. 2000 (or even 2500 if you are very overweight) is much more realistic as you start low-carbing. This stops your body thinking there is a famine, and holding onto your body fat.

DO NOT be afraid to eat FAT! Fat is your friend, and you need to eat fat to lose body fat. Aim for *at least* 65-70% of your daily calorific intake being "good" Fats, ie Butter, Cream, Olive and Nut oils and Lard. Do not trim fat from meat, do not use Vegetable/Sunflour oils if you can help it, and NO Margerine or other processes fat spread at all !!!

You should be aiming to eat High Monounsaturates, Medium Saturates, Low Polyunsaturates and NO transfats. Cook using Lard or Butter, Butter and/or Olive and Nut oils on Veggies and Salads. Lashings of Cream with either Sugar free Jelly, Mascapone cheese or a few strawberries. Making Hot Chocolate wit Cream, Cocoa, water and some artificial sweetener is good as well...

Margerine and Other Processed spreads are made with Hydrogenated Oil. The Hydrogenation process causes Transfats. It is the Transfats that cause the heart disease and aterialsclrosis (sp), NOT saturates. Saturates have a bad rap, and there is no proof that they cause the ills that the Government (note, not the scientists) say they do. Transfats are also why we cook with Lard and butter and not with Oils, as Heat situations will cause oils to break down into Transfats.

See this Link From Science Magazine and this link from Barry Groves' site exploding the Cholesterol myth, if that is what is scaring you about the amount of fat you are suddently going to be eating...

Meat, Fish, Game, Fowl, Eggs, Nuts, Seeds and Cheese are the Basic Protein groups you are going to be eating. These should make up around 20-25% of your calories

Eat moderate amounts of good "Green" Non-starchy Veggies (a portion with each meal is what you are aiming for) and small amounts of low sugar fruits. Around 5-10% of your calorie intake.

Avoid Chemical additives as much as you can... It is nigh on impossible to cut them completely, (and using Artificial sweetener makes the transistion to no sugar easier) but you can try...

Cut out all refined and other Starches and Sugars. ie Table Sugar, High Sugar Fruits, Honey, Flour, Bread, Potatoes, Rice and Pasta. Some plans do allow very small amounts of Whole grains, but digestivly speaking, they are unnecessary for Human Animals.

Good luck!

L&s
Nikki
(list owner)
http://www.low-carb.org.uk "