Answers to Everyday Questions : How do you eat low-carb on a vegetarian diet?

How do you eat low-carb on a vegetarian diet?

6 Responses to “How do you eat low-carb on a vegetarian diet?”

1. Huckleberry Sin said :
   November 26th, 2010 at 3:01 am

   What do medicines and pills have to do with low-carb dieting?
   Here’s some links for you:

   http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/vegetarian/Vegetarian_Low_Carb_Resources.htm

   http://www.e-clipse.com/articles_psteer_0303.htm

   http://www.immuneweb.org/lowcarb/

   Think lean proteins like low fat cheese and cottage cheese, tofu and soy burgers and ommitting starchy carbs and vegetables like potatoes.

   P.s. Don’t listen to people who tell you you can’t do a low carb diet as a veg. While I don’t condone low carb anymore, I can tell your from experience that it is very possible to be a vegetarian and do low carb- I once lost a dress size in 11 days this way. Of course, I put the weight back on, but that’s what happens with low carb 🙂
2. Cliff said :
   November 26th, 2010 at 3:06 am

   By eating lean meat. You cannot eat a vegetarian diet and expect it to be low-carb.
3. Mini Lover said :
   November 26th, 2010 at 3:41 am

   It can be difficult because I am also a low carb vegetarian–for sandwiches try Roman Meal which tends to be low carb and Lightlife soy deli meats have lots of protein and few carbs, tofu is great too in stir frys, crumbled in pasta sauce, and with taco sauce.Watch out–lots of fake meats have tons of carbs. Vegetable-wise go with leafy veggies, broccolli, edamame is good and avoid starchy veggies like corn, beans, and peas.Dreamfields makes great pasta–you can’t even tell its low carb. If you are looking for sweets look for sugar free stuff–there are some great cookies and candies.
4. indiechick said :
   November 26th, 2010 at 3:41 am

   It’s pretty tough. In Atkin’s book he says that you really can’t successfully do a low carb diet without eating meat. You can do a lower carb diet, but you can’t get into lipolysis without eating meat. You can still lose weight, but it’s not quite the same. The true atkins diet limits dairy and vegetables. And you really shouldn’t eat that much dairy anyway, if you ask me. It’s very irritating to your body and is one of the top allergens. Even if you aren’t allergic to it, it causes a lot of health problems (sinus troubles, acne, asthma, etc.). I think if you ate a diet high in low gi (glycemic index) fruits and vegetables, some low carb dairy (like cheese instead of milk or yogurt), a small amount of whole grains like brown rice or quinoa, you will lose weight.

   I suggest cutting out gluten. It’s one of those foods that is really bad about causing weight gain. Think about the foods that you turn to when you’re feeling down. It usually involves either flour or dairy doesn’t it? It’s because those foods have opioid like properties, that’s why you crave them. Gluten also can inhibit the absorption of vitamins and minerals, which your body interprets as starvation and cranks up your appetite and lowers your metabolism. Stay away from gluten and you will probably find it easier to lose weight.

   But no, you really can’t get into low carb lipolysis without eating meat. Find another diet.
5. Hannibal The Cannibal said :
   November 26th, 2010 at 4:17 am

   A lot of vegetables, dairy, eggs, and tofu.
6. ♥ٌ♥ٌMå®♥ٌ♥ٌ said :
   November 26th, 2010 at 4:43 am

   When you choose to follow a Vegetarian LOW CARB (LC) diet, you have to make sure that you are getting enough “Complete Proteins”. Even if your morality says that killing things to eat them is wrong, this does not negate your body’s need for the spectrum of Amino Acids from complete protein sources to make it healthy, and to drive your metabolism. So, Protein is always the first piece of your meal that you plan.

   In a healthy Protein Adequate LC diet, Protein must be around 30% of the Caloric Value that you ingest, and Eggs, Cheese, Soy, and Quorn are the best (i.e. “complete”) Vegetarian protein sources.

   (NB: If you have a Thyroid Problem, I would advise you to steer well clear of unfermented Soy products, as these have been proven to slow the thyroid. Soy On Line Service for more information)

   I just want to stop and really praise eggs here, There are hands down the best protein source you are going to be eating. The complete spectrum of amino acids, eggs are high quality protein, they also have the right amount and quality of fats, (and lecithin to aid in emulsifying it) and every mineral and vitamin you are going to need to live thrive and survive, bar Vitamin C, (Chickens can make their own!) in perfect proportion, in the perfect delivery system for our body to use it.

   Nuts and Seitan (a meat-texture substitute, prepared from Gluten) are good too, but are incomplete, so you have to work these in with other things, to make sure that the protein is complete when eaten. (Although some say that you can just make sure that you eat the right amino acids over the day… I haven’t found enough evidence either way on that, and as a meat eater, not something I needed to research.)

   Next, Fats. This should be at least 60% of your Caloric intake. When eating Low Carb, you derive your energy from fat. You cannot use Protein as an energy source easily. If you try, the body protests, with symptoms of shakiness, and rolling blackouts.

   I also want to make the point that Saturated Fatty Acids (SFA) and Cholesterol are good for you. Think about it, your Body fat is saturated, and you use both SFA and Cholesterol to make hormones and to build your cell walls. If you have low cholesterol, you are more likely to have depression. The Medics don’t tell you that one!

   There is no point in eating a Low Cholesterol diet as the liver makes 80% of the Cholesterol that is needed. If we eat less, the Liver just ramps up production, but unfortunately it tends to make more LDL, rather than HDL, which isn’t helpful!

   Dairy Products (Butter, Cream, Cheese and Eggs) and coconut oil are the main veggie sources of Saturates. In fact if you are Vegan, Coconut Oil is the only SFA available to you. NB: Cocoa butter is also a SFA, but it is very difficult to get hold of in Isolation, and this fact is not a good excuse to eat tonnes of high% cocoa solid choc! Even if it does taste nice 😉

   By the way, Coconut oil is the best sources of short-chain saturates, which is one of the best muscle-fuels going.

   If you can, always fry in a SFA. SFA don’t oxidize, hence, no dangerous aging free radicals are produced when you use them.

   Monounsaturated Fatty Acids (MFA), Olive and Nut oils. These are wonderful for you, and taste really good as well. Use in abundance over salads and in baking, but don’t subject them to high heat, such as frying, if you can help it. Being partially unsaturated, they oxidize quite easily, and those horrid free-radicals are produced.

   What you have to avoid are Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PFA) and Transfats. Although we do need a very small percentage of PFA in our diet, (Flaxseed and Starflower(Borage) Oils being the best Vegetarian source of the PFA we need) PFA oxidize really easily, which significantly contributes to the aging process. Frying in Sunflower oil? Nothing worse for you! Stop it right now!

   Also, in a diet high in PFA, when the body incorporates them into cell walls instead of cholesterol, the membranes become softer, and break more easily, again, aging you before you time.

   Trans-fats. This is a term from Sterio-Chemistry. Molecules are considered either “cis” or “trans” depending on which way they rotate. All natural fats (apart from CLA, a naturally Saturated Fat that helps you burn off body fat, mostly found in grass-fed animal fats) are in the “cis” configuration. However, when a Liquid oil is hydrogenated, to product a solid (and cheap) fat, the molecules are predominately “trans”. Our bodies have no mechanism for excreting them, and so, will incorporate them in the cell wall in preference to real, “cis” fats (Silly body!).

   The cell walls can then break down really easily, another cause of premature aging. Transfats are the real cause of arteriosclerosis and heart problems.

   The less natural the food, the worse it is for you. Think about it, what would you rather have? Butter, which is just cream, churned until it goes solid, with a little salt added,