If you are reading this for the first time or have been following the Beach Series “What the Fat? challenge” it’s time to see all 10 of your low carb healthy fat (LCHF) rules.
The idea is to eat less carbs, ditch the sugar and embrace fat as a healthy and vital source of energy. You’ll find it easier to stay in shape, and your energy levels will sky rocket.
Here’s all 10 rules and a bonus read which I’ve called our ‘Top-3 FAQ’ – what I get asked most often about LCHF. Enjoy the read, I hope you all have had a great summer. I hope you are inspired to stay fit, eat better and especially embrace fat and get rid of the sugar.
Remember Fat’s IN. Sugar’s OUT!
The 10 Rules
1. Go low
Replace processed foods with stuff that was recently alive – foods low in the human interference (HI) factor. Real, actual food is the foundation of the LCHF lifestyle.
2. Cut the carbs (down, not out)
Sugar and grains are not good for you (yes, that means bread, even if it is wholegrain). Just how low you go depends on your personal tolerance to carbs, or degree of insulin resistance.
3. Virtuous vegetables
Vegetables are good for you. Eat lots of them, at each meal if possible. The good news is you can add fats such as olive oil or butter to make them taste even better.
4. Make fat your friend
Sugar is out, total carbs are low, protein is moderate, and, because you have to get your energy from somewhere, fat is in. We will show you how to overcome fat phobia.
5. Put protein in its place
You need protein for life, but once you have more than your body needs, it gets converted into sugars by the liver. LCHF is not a high-protein diet. Many people stall in their progress because they are overdoing the protein.
6. Eat on cue
The whole point of LCHF is that your body will now be able to send and receive the messages it needs to stay in shape, to tell you when you are full, and to energise you.
7. Sort your support
Other people matter. Surround yourself with helpers, ask for support, and don’t be afraid to request exactly what you want when you are out and about. Yes, it feels odd to order a burger without the bun the first time, but you will be amazed at how much people will help someone on a life mission.
8. Diligence, not effort
Relying on your will power (effort) – like avoiding the chocolate cookies in your pantry – is futile. Instead, rely on being organised and having a ready supply of the right foods around you (diligence) in the first place.
9. Adopt the 3-meal rule
You, like us, are human. Humans make mistakes. We do, and we expect you will fall off the wagon. That’s okay as long as we can help you jump back on again. We run the 3-meal rule: there are 3 meals a day, 21 meals in a week. Let’s get most of them right, knowing that three meals off the wagon a week is okay.
10. It’s not just about the food
News flash from Dr Obvious: other things also affect your health – exercise, booze and cigarettes, drugs, stress, sleep, and much more. We will help you understand how these fit (or don’t fit) into the LCHF lifestyle.
Our top 3 FAQs
1. Will LCHF be bad for my health?
No, the exact opposite. Eating nutrient-dense whole foods with good-quality fats, while reducing nutrient-poor carbohydrate foods, promotes good health and may even reduce or eliminate some existing health issues.
2. Is LCHF a fad diet?
Definitely not. LCHF more closely mimics what humans have been eating the entire time they have been on the planet. It helps work around some of the problems of modern life that cause insulin resistance and then poor health. The real problem diet is the one recommended by the current nutrition guidelines promoting a low-fat, high-carb way of eating that causes more harm than good. Just look at the world’s obesity and diabetes stats.
3. How can a diet that eliminates an entire nutrient be legitimate?
Firstly, we don’t eliminate an entire nutrient. Fat and protein are essential nutrients, meaning the body cannot produce them – without them, we get sick and die. However, carbohydrate is not an essential nutrient and the body produces enough for its needs. So we encourage a reduction in carbs from the massive amount modern humans eat. We definitely include some carb foods, such as fruit, vegetables and dairy products. These foods also provide a rich source of other great nutrients, such as fibre, vitamins and minerals, and are good sources of quality protein and fat. Foods such as pasta, rice, crackers, breads and cereals provide little nutrient value; i.e., very few micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) and minimal protein and fat. These are clearly not the best sources of carbs for the body.
We hope that you’ve enjoyed the ‘What the Fat? Challenge’ this summer!
Prof Grant Schofield, Dr Caryn Zinn, Craig Rodger
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