The slow-carb diet centers on eating much protein and relatively few carbs. Proponents believe that it boosts your metabolism and inhibits fat accumulation.
The slow-carb diet was created in 2010 by Timothy Ferriss, author of The 4-Hour Body.
Ferriss argues that it is effective for quick weight loss and that you may decrease body fat by optimizing any of these three factors: food, activity, or supplement regimen.
Like the ketogenic diet, the slow-carb diet focuses on consuming relatively few carbs.
The plan is based on five essential guidelines for the diet’s core components. It generally entails eating a restricted number of items for six days, with one free day every week.
This article will explain all you need to know about the slow-carb diet.
What Is the Slow-Carb Diet?
The slow-carb diet is based on five criteria the author believes are simple.
This diet’s ease of use is based on the lowest effective dosage (MED), “the smallest dose that will produce the desired outcome.”
In other words, the goal is to achieve the best results with the least effort. As a result, this diet focuses on adhering to a few principles that claim to assist the body maximize its capacity to burn fat and lose weight.
You can only eat things from the diet’s list for six consecutive days. Then, you get one day every week to eat anything you want.
You should only eat four meals daily and avoid refined carbohydrates, fruits, and high-calorie drinks during the diet.
The slow-carb diet has only five major food groups: animal protein, vegetables, legumes, fats, and spices. Each meal includes unlimited amounts of the first three food categories and tiny portions of the remaining two.
Furthermore, the strategy recommends using dietary supplements to aid in weight loss. However, this is not essential.
The slow-carb diet, like the ketogenic diet, appears to be founded on the idea that eating a lot of protein and very low carbohydrates might help you lose weight by boosting the breakdown of fat for energy, increasing feelings of fullness, and lowering fat reserves (1 ,2).
Rules of the Slow-Carb Diet
The slow-carb diet is based on 4 straightforward rules.
Rule #1: Avoid “White” Carbohydrates
This diet entails eliminating all “white” carbs.
These include all processed carbs derived from refined flour, such as pasta, bread, and cereal.
You may eat these items within 30 minutes of completing a resistance-training activity to gain strength. However, it would help if you avoided them altogether on diet days to reduce weight.
Rule #2: Eat the Same Few Meals Over and Over Again
The developer of this diet claims that while hundreds of meals are accessible, just a few will not cause you to gain weight.
The goal is to mix and match the permissible foods from each food category to create meals that can be repeated daily.
Rule #3: Don’t Drink Calories
This diet suggests drinking enough water throughout the day. Other recommended beverages include unsweetened tea, coffee, or calorie-free liquid.
This regulation is based on the fact that beverages have little or no nutritional benefit. As a result, the diet recommends consuming all your calories from healthful meals rather than drinks.
Rule #4: Don’t Eat Fruit
Although fruits are theoretically part of a balanced diet, the slow-carb diet argues that they are ineffective when attempting to reduce weight.
This theory is based on the fact that fructose, the sugar found in fruits, may slow the weight reduction process by raising blood fat levels and lowering fat-burning ability.
Rule #5: Take One Day off per Week
The slow-carb diet allows you to have one day every week where you may eat whatever you want.
On this day, you are not required to obey any other regulations. As a result, this eat-anything day is designed to allow you to indulge in any foods and beverages you like without worrying about regaining weight.
What Foods Can You Eat?
This diet has five dietary groups: protein, legumes, vegetables, fats, and spices.
Within those categories, the diet only lists a few permitted items. The diet designer believes that the more alternatives you have, the more likely you are to divert from or stop following the diet.
The following foods are allowed on the slow-carb diet:
Protein
- Egg whites with 1–2 whole eggs
- Chicken breast or thigh
- Beef, preferably grass-fed
- Fish
- Pork
- Lactose-free, unflavored whey protein powder
Legumes
- Lentils
- Black beans
- Pinto beans
- Red beans
- Soybeans
Vegetables
- Spinach
- Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and kale
- Sauerkraut and kimchi
- Asparagus
- Peas
- Green beans
Fats
- Butter
- Olive oil for low-heat cooking
- Grapeseed or macadamia oil for high-heat cooking
- Nuts such as almonds
- Ghee
- Creamer — dairy-free and only 1–2 teaspoons (5–10 ml) per day
Spices
- Salt
- Garlic salt
- White truffle sea salt
- Herbs
What Foods Should You Avoid?
The slow-carb diet recommends only a few foods, which you can have as much and as frequently as you choose. However, it does specify specific items to avoid during and after weight reduction.
This diet proposes that you quit consuming the following foods:
1. Fruits
According to rule four, fruits are prohibited on the slow-carb diet.
According to the slow-carb diet, fruits include fructose, a simple sugar that can raise blood fat.
Additionally, the diet reveals that fructose can improve iron absorption in people while decreasing levels of other elements, such as copper.
As a result, the plan suggests that you avoid eating fruit or drinking fruit juice on diet days. However, you can still eat them on your cheat day.
2. Dairy
Dairy is not suggested on the slow-carb diet.
This diet argues that, although having a low glycemic index, dairy products raise your insulin levels, which appears to be adverse to weight reduction.
According to the diet, dairy causes an insulin increase equal to that of white bread. As a result, the plan recommends avoiding dairy on diet days.
However, cottage cheese is permitted on the slow-carb diet. The author argues that the diet contains more casein protein and less lactose than other dairy products.
3. Fried Foods
On slow-carb diet days, no fried foods are allowed.
Fried dishes are occasionally prepared using breadcrumbs, which is not permitted on the diet. Furthermore, fried meals are abundant in calories but generally lack nutritious content.
The Cheat Day
On the slow-carb diet, the “cheat day” is intended to alleviate the mental tension that typically accompanies dieting.
Furthermore, the theory is that taking a day off from a rigorous diet and eating anything you want may help prevent your metabolic rate from dropping. Long-term calorie restriction can cause this adverse effect.
Today, you should not check calories or care about what you consume, especially alcoholic beverages.
Interestingly, there is evidence that cheat days or “refeeds” might aid in weight reduction.
A “refeed” is a short period of increased calorie consumption than usual (3).
Some research suggests that refeeding can raise metabolic rate and blood levels of the hormone leptin, which may lessen hunger (3, 4).
Furthermore, consuming more carbohydrates during refeeds increases leptin levels (5, 6).
The research found that three days of carbohydrate overfeeding increased leptin concentrations by 28% and energy expenditure by 7% (5).
The slow-carb cheat day is employed for both psychological and hormonal effects, which can continue to support weight loss.
Supporting Supplements
The slow-carb diet recommends that participants take certain dietary supplements.
Given that this diet may induce significant water loss, it is suggested that you restore lost electrolytes using the following supplements.
- Potassium: 99 mg tablets with each meal
- Magnesium: 400 mg per day, plus 500 mg before bed to improve sleep
- Calcium: 1,000 mg per day
The slow-carb diet recommends four extra nutrients to help in the weight loss process:
- Policosanol: 20–25 mg
- Alpha-lipoic acid: 100–300 mg
- Green tea flavanols (decaffeinated) Should contain at least 325 mg of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)
- Garlic extract: At least 200 mg
This intake regimen is advised six days weekly, with one week off every two months.
The daily dose regimen looks as follows:
- Before breakfast: Alpha-lipoic acid, green tea flavanols, and garlic extract
- Before lunch: Alpha-lipoic acid, green tea flavanols, and garlic extract
- Before dinner: Alpha-lipoic acid, green tea flavanols, and garlic extract
- Before bed: Policosanol, alpha-lipoic acid, and garlic extract
The following is a quick description of why certain supplements may be beneficial when following this diet.
Policosanol
Policosanol is an alcohol extract from plant waxes such as sugarcane, beeswax, cereals, and others (7).
This supplement has been demonstrated to considerably raise “good” HDL and total cholesterol levels. Furthermore, the research found that policosanol can reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol levels by roughly 23% (8).
Policosanol was likewise shown to be safe and well-accepted by research participants (8).
Alpha-Lipoic Acid
Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) is an effective antioxidant for weight loss (9, 10).
The slow-carb diet proposes that ALA aids in weight reduction by increasing carbohydrate absorption into the muscles and liver, where they would otherwise be turned into fat.
The research found that 360 obese persons dropped considerable amounts of body weight after taking 1,200-1,800 mg of ALA daily for 20 weeks (11).
Green Tea Flavanols
Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is green tea’s most prevalent and significant antioxidant.
EGCG has been demonstrated to assist in weight reduction by boosting the body’s ability to burn calories through thermogenesis (12, 13).
Skeletal muscles rely on glucose for energy, and EGCG appears to improve this process. EGCG has been demonstrated to increase the quantity of glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT-4) molecules in cells that transfer glucose into them (14).
Furthermore, EGCG has been demonstrated to trigger fat cell death, which aids in weight reduction (15).
Garlic Extract
Garlic extract has two components contributing to its health benefits: allicin and s-allyl cysteine (SAC). SAC is more stable and easily absorbed by the body than allicin (16, 17, 18).
Garlic extract is a potent antioxidant capable of lowering cholesterol and blood sugar levels (18, 19).
The slow-carb diet also indicates that using garlic extract during the program might aid you in regaining weight.
A study suggests that garlic extract, especially aged garlic extract, might help decrease weight and prevent body fat rise when paired with a 12-week exercise plan (20).
Recommendations
Throughout The 4-Hour Body book, Ferriss offers several pieces of advice to help readers adhere to the regimen and achieve long-term results.
It also answers frequent difficulties and questions you may encounter along the road.
On Foods That Are Allowed
- Fill up on vegetables like spinach, broccoli, and asparagus.
- Consume healthy fats to increase your diet’s fat content. This may reduce blood sugar levels.
- Small quantities of diet soft drinks are acceptable: Although high-calorie beverages are not encouraged, the diet permits up to 16 ounces (450 ml) of diet soda daily.
- The diet allows for up to two glasses of red wine each day, ideally dry.
- Cheat day allows for unlimited use of alcoholic drinks.
- Frozen or canned meals are acceptable: Both methods of food preservation are proper.
- Ovo-lacto vegetarians can follow the diet without consuming meat. Meat is encouraged but not essential.
On Foods That Aren’t Allowed
- No fruits are permitted except tomatoes and avocados. Limit avocado consumption to one cup (150 grams) or one meal daily.
- Snacks are unnecessary if you consume adequate quantities of the diet’s four meals daily. Eat a light dinner with protein or veggies if you still need a snack.
- Dairy is not permitted; however, cottage cheese is an exemption.
A Few Special Foods
- If you’re hungry before bed, consume 1-2 teaspoons (15-30 ml) of almond or peanut butter. Choose items that include solely almonds or peanuts and have no additives.
- Try freshly squeezed lemon juice before meals. This may assist to reduce your blood sugar levels. Avoid buying store-bought lemon juice, which has additional sugars and preservatives.
- Adding Saigon cinnamon to your meals might help reduce blood sugar levels after eating.
- Beans can induce gastrointestinal discomfort, including flatulence. To prevent this, the diet recommends draining all water from canned beans. Soak dried beans in water overnight before cooking.
Tips on Eating
- The slow-carb diet recommends eating breakfast within an hour after waking. After breakfast, meals should be spaced out about four hours apart. However, this depends on your sleep routine.
- Avoid high-calorie foods that may lead to overeating. Although nuts, nut butter, and hummus are permitted on the slow-carb diet, they are sometimes consumed excessively, resulting in needless calories. As a result, they should be restricted to the greatest extent feasible.
- Consume at least 20 grams of protein daily, including 30 grams for breakfast.
- Eat a protein-rich breakfast, even on cheat days: Although you may eat anything you want on your cheat day, it’s still advisable to have 30 grams of protein for breakfast.
- The plan recommends eating slowly and finishing your meals at least 30 minutes. This reduces your glycemic reaction to eating.
- Avoid counting calories and instead eat till satisfied. Instead, eat till full.
- Go for vegetables and legumes over carbohydrates such as rice and pasta when dining out.
Lifestyle Recommendations
When time is of the essence, keep things simple. Simple ingredients like eggs, canned tuna, frozen vegetables, and canned beans can easily be transformed into fast dinners.
To prepare for travel, consider packing to-go meals like tuna pouches, almonds, or protein powder with water. Again, try to keep things basic. The plan recommends prioritizing hunger above dietary violation if no approved items are available.
Although regular physical activity has been related to weight reduction, it’s important not to overdo it. This diet shows that eating the correct meals can lead to two to three 30-minute workouts each week.
Begin by making tiny changes to your food and lifestyle to avoid overwhelming yourself. For instance, aim to have a protein-rich breakfast within 30 minutes of waking. As you get more comfortable, gradually add additional guidelines to your regimen.
Benefits of the Diet
The slow-carb diet may be straightforward because it only requires a few food items and has five fundamental guidelines.
Proponents of the program argue that eliminating items that increase fat accumulation is a practical approach to losing weight quickly.
The diet also includes tactics for increasing metabolic rate and fat-burning ability. For example, it suggests consuming a protein-rich breakfast within an hour of waking up.
Some data shows that having a protein-rich breakfast can help you lose weight by avoiding fat accumulation, improving feelings of fullness, and lowering your calorie consumption throughout the day. It may also help improve blood sugar levels in persons with type 2 diabetes (21, 22).
The slow-carb diet is similar to the ketogenic diet, which calls for deficient carbohydrate consumption and increased protein intake. These diets require the body to adapt to utilizing fat as its primary energy source, which aids in fat reduction (1, 2).
Furthermore, high-protein diets have been found to boost energy expenditure, preserve lean body mass, and prevent weight gain (23, 24).
Furthermore, restricting the types of foods allowed throughout a weight reduction plan may help people eat fewer calories and maintain long-term weight loss (25).
The slow-carb diet also restricts the intake of sugary foods. Limiting sugar consumption, particularly sugary beverages, may help lower calorie intake and reduce weight (26, 27).
Furthermore, having a weekly free day to boost your calorie intake might help you burn more fat and regulate your appetite (3, 4).
In principle, the slow-carb diet is founded on practical approaches that have been proven to aid weight loss, boost fat burning, and improve sensations of fullness.
Downsides of the Slow-Carb Diet
The slow-carb diet has no notable adverse effects.
However, for some people, the decreased meal frequency may result in a lack of energy and an increased hunger. This may be avoided by consuming adequate protein at each meal and drinking lots of water.
Furthermore, because the slow-carb diet suggests skipping all fruits and vegetables, it may limit your intake of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients such as antioxidants (28).
Similarly, not eating fruits and fibrous vegetables regularly may reduce fiber intake, resulting in constipation in some people (28).
Furthermore, eating a lot of animal protein and restricting carbohydrate-rich meals may cause excess water excretion and disturb your electrolyte balance (28).
As a result, the diet recommends restoring electrolyte levels by taking calcium, magnesium, and potassium supplements or eating meals rich in these minerals.
Sample Meals
The slow-carb diet proposes that you repeat your meals as often as possible.
Staying from the basics may reduce your chances of succeeding in the diet.
Here are some meal ideas that may be repeated or combined.
Breakfast
- Two medium eggs, 1/2 cup (86 g) black beans, two tbsp (30 ml) chunky salsa and half an avocado
- A shake with 30 g of protein powder and water
- 3 eggs and two slices of turkey bacon
Lunch
- Salad created with one avocado, two hard-boiled eggs, one medium-sized tomato, two cooked pieces of bacon, and the juice of one lemon wedge
- Tuna salad with spinach and other vegetables.
- Fajita Salad with Guacamole and Black Beans
Dinner
- Grilled fish with steaming vegetables and lima beans.
- Rotisserie chicken with a dish of spicy cauliflower and black beans.
- Pork loin with broccoli and lentils
Should You Try the Slow-Carb Diet?
Proponents of the slow-carb diet argue that it is helpful for weight reduction. It is based on five criteria that propose boosting your metabolic rate and avoiding fat storage.
The diet suggests eliminating carbohydrates such as sweets and grains in favor of a large consumption of protein, veggies, and legumes.
It also promotes one weekly free day to eat anything you want.
In general, this diet is simple for people seeking to lose weight and eat healthier, as it prescribes a restricted number of foods and simple meals.
Furthermore, the practical approaches in this diet have been proven to boost weight reduction, increase fat burning, and improve satiety.
The diet’s most significant disadvantage is limiting two exceptionally nutrient-dense food groups: fruits and dairy. As a result, it may not be suitable for persons with high nutritional requirements, such as athletes.
Overall, the slow-carb diet does not cause significant adverse effects. As a result, if you believe you can adhere to the plan over time, this diet might be a straightforward approach to losing weight.
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