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5 Low-Carb Alternatives Cont.

Low-carb doesn’t have to be boring.

As mentioned in last week’s Greenville gym post, there are many creative low-carb substitutes for carb-heavy classics.

Rest assured, you don’t have to vow to ban bread from your diet for the rest of your existence. It’s all about balance. Flexible dieting is the most sustainable dieting route, meaning that you should structure in “bad” eating bouts to satisfy carb cravings. Suffice it to say, cheat day is a must!

Non-cheat days, however, stick to structured, mindful eating. This doesn’t mean Plain Jane eating. You can still enjoy your favorite, flavor-packed meals, but with a waistline-friendly twist!

  1. Swap cauliflower for mash potatoes.
    Steam some fresh or frozen cauliflower. Add some butter or a butter substitute (ghee is highly recommended!). Add a little sea salt. Then, puree in a food processor or blender. To make it even better, try adding roasted garlic. Yum!
  2. Swap squash for hash browns.
    Breakfast isn’t breakfast without this classic side dish. Summer squash (the football-shaped yellow kind) mocks the taste of potatoes when cooked, but is light on the carbs. Grate the squash, mix in an egg as a binder, shape into patties, and fry them in olive oil.
  3. Swap oatmeal and cottage cheese for pancake mix.
    Mix together half a cup of old-fashioned oatmeal, a quarter cup of low-fat cottage cheese, two eggs, and a dash of vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whip up in a blender until smooth. Cook the mixture like a regular pancake. Bam!
  4. Swap mixed vegetables and/or black beans for pasta salad.
    Try black beans (or other legumes), diced tomatoes, and chunks of ham, tuna, chicken, or hard-boiled eggs for a protein rich, carb-light pasta salad rendition.
  5. Swap kale chips for ALL chips.
    There’s a plethora of kale chip recipes out there. Satisfy the craving for something crisp and crunchy with this healthy, nutrient-rich snack.

What are your favorite low-carb substitutes?

Need help finding a suitable, balanced diet plan? Greenville health club offers nutritional and weight loss counseling from certified experts that can help you create a complete nutrition program to complement your Greenville athletic club fitness and weight loss goals.

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5 Low-Carb Alternatives

Most people don’t go low- or slow-carb because they don’t know how to go low- or slow-carb. People are unaware of the creative food options and alternatives, which are – better believe it – plentiful! Then, there’s the follow-up objection and it has to do with taste. People are scared that in giving up carb-heavy foods they’re giving up good tasting foods as well.

News flash: That’s so not the case. Just because you go low- or slow-carb doesn’t mean you have to give up on flavorful, substance-packed foods.

All that’s required of you is…one word: awareness.

If you want to shed excess fat and see the numbers on the scale take a meaningful drop, here’s the reality: carbs (not fats) are the mean, fat-producing culprits; specifically, high glycemic carbs. All those breaded, sweetened, and fried delights are the source of your health, fitness, and weight-maintaining demise. It doesn’t matter how much you workout at the Greenville athletic club. If you’re consuming these foods on the regular, you aren’t setting yourself up for the best results.

Fortunately, the solution is simple. Start cutting these culprits from your diet, but in moderation of course. Going cold turkey is never the solution. Everyone is deserving of a cheat day. Saturday, otherwise known as Faturday, is a wonderful opportunity to take a rest day from the Greenville health center and enjoy your fill of these fatty foods.

On non-cheat days, however, it serves you to stick to a structured, balanced diet alongside your typical Greenville sports club routine. This means lots of protein, lots of good fats, lots of water (hydration is so, so vital), lots of leafy greens, and lots of low glycemic carbs (beans, berries, broccoli, etc.). But don’t worry. This doesn’t mean you have to cut out some of your staple week-day meals. You can still enjoy your burgers, tacos, and french fries…but with a low-carb friendly twist!

Here’s how. Turn to these 5 low-carb substitutes to satisfy classic cravings.

  1. Swap leafy greens for taco shells. Just about any sandwich can be wrapped up in a lettuce wrap to cut out carb-laden bread or shells. It’s an easy alternative and way more nutrient dense!
  2. Swap portobello mushrooms for hamburger buns. Get your protein fix, plus a hefty dose of  potassium courtesy of the mushrooms.
  3. Swap sliced eggplant for crackers/bread. This is great for spreads, hummus – you name it!
  4. Swap butternut squash, carrots, and roasted turnips for french fries. Bet you haven’t heard of this awesome trick! Get your crunchy cravings satisfied without consequences to your waistline. Suggestion: Pair these with your portobello hamburger for a filling, low-carb meal.
  5. Swap zucchini or eggplant for pasta. Craving lasagna? Spaghetti? Use zucchini or eggplant for lasagna or spiralized zucchini for noodles.

Stay tuned for next week’s Greenville gym post where we’ll offer 5 additional creative, yummy alternatives to classic, carb-heavy foods.

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A Paleo Resource Worth Exploring

If you stick to a Paleo, low carb, or slow carb diet, you are going to dig this online resource. If you don’t, this might be your inspiration to start some Paleo exploration.

I recently discovered The Foodee Project – an online collaboration of Paleo friendly recipes from various Paleo friendly bloggers. So far, I have found this comprehensive recipe site incredibly awesome. As a Paleo/slow carb enthusiast, I am always jazzed to discover collaborative efforts and communities preaching the Paleo way.

But that’s not the only reason this website is so cool.

With a free subscription, The Foodee Project has the ability to put together your weekly grocery list organized by isle and customized by serving size. How convenient is that? Instead of aimlessly walking around the grocery store and wasting precious minutes you could be spending at the Pivotal Fitness Greenville gym, you now have a super useful (and FREE) tool to craft your grocery list for you. With this grocery list in hand, you are less likely to stray over to the junk food. When you get smart and make a list, you are more likely to select quality foods and stay on track.

Furthermore, the Foodee recipes are highly accessible. I’m not one to attempt recipes with loads of ingredients. That’s too overwhelming and time intensive. These easy-to-master recipes are chalk-full of flavor while being light on the ingredients. So far, I have found the recipes simple to prepare, yet satiating.

What’s more, the site specifies Whole30 approved recipes. Whole30 approved recipes are devoid of added sugars (real or artificial), grains, legumes, dairy, and aren’t “Paleo-ified” renditions of desserts or treats.

These Whole30 recipes are designed for the Whole30 program. This program is a commitment to eat Paleo for 30 days. Many people have experienced incredible life and health transformation via this program. Learn more about it here.

What I love about Paleo is that it’s not restrictive or boring. Plus, the benefits are astounding. Eat Paleo to:

  • Feel satisfied and full
  • Boost your energy
  • Fuel your athletic performance at the Pivotal Fitness Greenville gym
  • Regulate your sugar levels
  • Reduce inflammation
  • Shed pounds
  • Reduce risk of metabolic disease
  • Excite your palate

Build a healthier, happier body so you can rock your workouts at the Pivotal Fitness Greenville gym and better meet your fitness goals.

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One Big Tall Tale of Mainstream Nutrition

Tall Tale: Low-Carb /Slow-Carb diets are dangerous and bad for you.

Slow-carb and low-carb diets are totally criticized by (uneducated) nutritionists and the media. As a slow-carb enthusiast myself, I am constantly being challenged by friends and family as to whether or not my way of eating is healthy. They consider me an extremist or some sort of obsessed health nut. I assure you, I’m not.

Truth is, low-carb or slow-carb eating is not extreme or obsessive at all. It is merely a basic, clean, and conscious way of eating. In fact, it’s the same way primitive humans ate. Evolutionary speaking, humans are designed to eat a low-carb, high-fat, and high-protein diet. Yes, it’s true. Unfortunately, the opposite is usually recommended: high-carb and low-fat. That combo is no good. In fact, this carb craze is the reason for obesity and other western world health epidemics.

If evolution is not enough to convince you, let’s turn to science. Science has consistently shown that low-carb/slow-carb diets have the potential to cure most of the Western world’s major health concerns and reduce fat.

Low-carb/slow-carb diets have been shown to…

  • Reduce body fat way more than calorie restricted diets (you know, the ones that never work out anyways). Low-carb eaters can eat as much as they want of low-carb foods and still cut fat. No restriction? Sounds good to me.
  • Decrease blood pressure significantly
  • Decrease blood sugar levels and alleviate symptoms of diabetes
  • Increase good cholesterol (HDL)
  • Decrease triglycerides (way more than a low-fat diet!)

What’s more, low-carb/slow-carb lifestyles are easier to stick to because they don’t involve calorie restriction. Plus, they provide adequate and substantial nutrients. It’s a scientific fact that low-carb or slow-carb diets have the greatest potential to ward off common health concerns, promote fat loss, and reverse metabolic disease.

So, the low-fat, high-carb dogma that is circulating around is complete nonsense. It’s not fat that’s going to make you fat. Science has shown that high carb diets are the diets that promote fat gain. Sugar is the fat-inducing culprit. Not fat. So, if you really want to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, low-carb or slow-carb is the way to go.

If you want to boost your fat loss and fitness goals you must pair your Pivotal Fitness Greenville gym workouts with a balanced, clean, and effective diet. Low-carb or slow-carb will not only promote fat loss. Being high in protein, it will also boost your workout performance at Pivotal fitness Greenville gym. Yet another reason to cut the carbs, up the fat, and up the protein!

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