A low carb diet is essentially, what it sounds like; a diet that limits carbohydrates and their
sources. A low carb diet is often a better option, and many people choose to follow this diet for several reasons.
Firstly, it helps with weight loss, many experts agree that carbohydrates are a major culprit in the obesity epidemic in the United States, so lowering the amount you eat can help to prevent weight gain and also help you to lose weight.
Secondly, some people choose the low carb diet for medical reasons. This may be doctor
suggested, for those with diabetes or prediabetes or it may simply be because you have found that you react to carbohydrates in a negative way, such as suffering with bloating. Either way, a low carb diet can be beneficial, but can also be hard to follow at the same time.
There are some side effects of switching to a low carb diet, such as fatigue, dizziness, and headaches. Thankfully, most of these tend to go away after a couple of weeks, as it is simply the body reacting to a change in diet. Moreover, not everyone will experience these side effects.
Lack Of Energy And Fatigue
One side effect reported is a lack of energy and fatigue. This could be for several reasons but luckily, there are different and varied solutions to this problem.
It is essential that you eat the right food when going low carb and change your focus to better energy sources than carbs because not doing so will increase your levels of fatigue.
Fats Are Your Friend
One solution to this is to ensure you eat high amounts of good fats as they provide the energy that you would normally get from carbohydrates.
Remember that in the ketogenic diet (low carb), the body is induced into a state of ketosis,
where it begins to burn fat for energy instead of dietary carbs. This is the magic of the weight loss process and also means than fat becomes your go-to energy source.
Contrary to all the hype about fat, replacing sugar and starch carbs with healthy fats actually does result in weight loss, as shown by many studies. It also true that low-carb diets have been shown to result in more weight lost and a larger reduction in cholesterol levels than low fat diets.
Remember, the goal of fat is to provide satiety, increase metabolism and to boost energy levels.
Recommended Fats On Low Carb Diets
- Eggs
- Grass fed butter
- Heavy cream
- Olive oil
- Real natural cheese
- Red meat, chicken with skin and fatty fish
- ½ an avocado or 10 olives daily
- 1 to 2 ounces of nuts or seeds (depending on your ketotic state and as long as they do not take you out of ketosis)
- Canola, peanut and grapeseed oils
- Full fat mayonnaise
- Coconut oil contains
- MCT oil supplements
These foods will give you the energy boost that you need.
Exercise
Another option to help you to increase your energy levels is engaging in moderate exercise
Exercise, can help to boost your mood and energy levels, as well as being good for your general health.
Brisk walking, cycling, and swimming are all good choices that will boost heart rate, increase blood circulation, and boost energy levels.
Supplements
As well as eating specific foods and engaging in moderate exercise, there are supplements that can help. When engaging in a low carb diet it is important to ensure you keep your levels of B12 to a sufficient level. It is worth considering taking regular supplements such as B12, fiber and magnesium as these can help your overall health and will make you feel much better.
All these additions to your low carb diet can really make a huge difference to your energy levels.