High Fat Low Carb Diet (HFLC)

What is High Fat Low Carb Diet ?

HFLC diet is nothing but, minimizing or reducing the carbohydrates intake (between 25 – 40 grams per day for normal Adult) and increasing the dietary fat along with adequate amount of protein intake.  Note : The current recommendations from the most of the national dietary associations are about 300-350 grams of carbohydrates per day, for a normal Adult. 

The known/proven benefits of HFLC are weight reduction, complete cure from diabetic, hypertension, Poly Cystic Ovarian Disease or Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOD/PCOS), Non-Alcoholic fatty liver, Inflammation, Improved lipid profile (lower Triglyceride, Improved HDL and large and puffy LDL) thus reduced risk of cardio vascular disease and Coronary artery disease.

Apart from the above, there are numerous health benefits like, improved kidney, liver and brain function. As well as, relief from auto immune diseases.

The important aspect of HFLC is there is no calorie counting thus no portion control. This means there is no starvation! You are allowed to eat till you feel full and satisfied. (starvation is the major cause of giving up the any weight reduction diet and it’s no more an issue with HFLC) 

How does it works………………….

To know more about HFLC diet, it’s important to know about the hormone called Insulin and Glucagon.

We know, insulin is the hormone that keeps the blood sugar in control. Let’s see how it controls.

When we eat carb high food, its further broken down into glucose (simple sugar) and absorbed by the blood stream and the glucose/sugar level in the blood start to rise. So, the pancreases secrete the hormone called insulin.

The insulin is the key to “push” the glucose into all the cells in our body (for cell metabolism) also initiate the formation of triglyceride and store in the fat cell for future (long term) energy needs.

Once, all the cells were fed with glucose/sugar (with the help of insulin) the remaining blood glucose (if any) processed and converted into glycogen by the liver and stored for future (short term) energy needs.

Thus the blood glucose/sugar comes to normal level or range. If there is no Insulin, there is no blood sugar control. Also, Insulin is the signal to store the energy into cell. That’s why it’s called as growth hormone. 

All carb (simple, complex, refined, all forms of sugar) rich foods are the major cause blood sugar spike, resulting insulin secretion. In a normal (high carb) diet, blood sugar spike and crash (“roller coaster”) happens 3 to 5 times a day (depends on your food habits) and 24 x 7 x 365 !

This is how the body continuously stores the energy in the form of glycogen and fat. Glycogen can’t be stored beyond certain limit and used for short term energy needs. But, fat can be stored under the Adipose tissue as well around organs and without any limits as its for long term energy reserve.
 

Thus we store more and more fat without spending or burning. Note : Insulin not only enables the storage, also prevent the fat to burn or use as fuel.

In HFLC carb diet, by restricting the carb’s, the blood sugar remains in normal range throughout the day, hence, the insulin release comes under complete control and enable the body to have an access to the fat storage and start using the fat as its fuel. Once, the fat storages starts to deplete, you lose weight, blood sugar and hypertension comes into control.

How do we access the fat storage ? As long as insulin is present, No way to use the fat as an energy. To cut the insulin, need to cut or restrict the carb’s. 

Once, your blood sugar hits the lower normal limit, (not crashes) this had been sensed by the pancreases and releases the hormone called Glucagon. (Reverse effect of Insulin)

Glucagon, converts the stored glycogens into glucose and observed by blood stream. Thus the blood sugar comes to normal (not spikes). Also, the glucagon breaks the triglycerides into fatty acid and body uses for its energy needs.

In HFLC, the body switches from carbohydrate metabolism to Fat metabolism. In other words, body switches its fuel from carb to fat. Resulting, weights lose along with other numerous health benefits.

Let’s see more details in the future post about the role of Insulin, Glucagon, Effect of Carbohydrate vs Fat metabolism and why fat is out enemy and fat is our friend.

So, what should be eaten and what shouldn’t in HFLC.

To eat list : Whole Egg, Meat from Animals and Birds with skin (no lean cut), Organs of Animals, Sea Food (all), Full fat Milk, Full fat Cheese, Butter , Clarified Butter (Ghee), Fresh Vegetables, Coconut, Walnuts, Almond, Brazil nuts, Melon seeds, Pumpkin seeds, Flaxes seeds, Coconut oil (for cooking), Olive oil(for dressing), All Kinds of Berries, Lemon, Avocado.

Not to eat : All kinds of Cereals and Grains, (Rice, Wheat, Oats, Corn etc), All kind of Sugar (any form), All kind of Fruits, All kind of Vegetable oil and Vegetable fat (in any form), Low fat or skimmed Milk / low fat cheese, All kind of Legumes (Beans, peanut and Pulses), Potato (all kind)