The diets of the early 2000s are nothing compared to what is considered a low carb diet by today's standards. The lower-carb diets of today focus more on establishing a healthy lifestyle that is easy to maintain. If you need to overhaul your diet to get healthy or reach some fitness goals, we can help. At Naples Vitality in Naples, FL, we offer several different diet plans that are not only easy to maintain long-term but will energize you and help you feel amazing.

What Are the Benefits of a Low Carb Diet?

Many people associate a low carb diet with a lack of energy, but the exact opposite is true. Low carb diets have multifaceted benefits that can positively affect you mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Increased Energy

When you switch to a low carb diet, you will experience increased energy. It may take your body a little time to adjust, but once it gets used to a diet that focuses on healthy fats, vegetables, and lean proteins, it will begin to use fat for energy, not carbohydrates.

Stable Blood Sugar

Eating a diet high in complex or simple carbohydrates affects your blood sugar. When your blood sugar is constantly rising and falling throughout the day, it doesn't have the chance to achieve a stable baseline. This affects your mood, your energy levels, and how you feel physically. When your blood sugar rises, you get a burst of energy, but when it crashes shortly after, you feel drained and sluggish, a feeling many people have deemed as the mid-day slump.

When you switch to a diet that focuses on more vegetables, proteins, and healthy fats, you can avoid the constant rise and fall of your blood sugar, and your skin, your mood, and your energy levels will thank you for it.

Fewer Cravings

A diet that focuses on lower net carbs also focuses on lower sugars by default. Sugar is addictive, so addictive it is often likened to many addictive drugs. The more sugar you eat, the more your body craves it. When you give up sugar, your body may go through a short period of withdrawal, as it would weaning off any other drug.

However, once your body realizes that it's not getting any more sugar, it will adjust, and your cravings will go away. Natural sugars found in fruits will taste that much sweeter when you stop eating simple processed sugars high in carbohydrates. You'll feel balanced and your mood and skin will improve.

A Flatter Stomach

Anyone with a history in nutrition or exercise science will confidently tell you that you cannot spot-treat fat with a diet or with exercise. However, studies have shown that a diet low in carbs can help your body target abdominal fat. Abdominal fat can be dangerous, especially if you qualify as obese because harmful fat types can develop in this area and surround your organs.

Diets that focus on low-carb foods can help you lose more abdominal fat than other diets can. When your body begins to burn abdominal fat, you'll get a flatter and slimmer midsection, and if you've been working out to any degree, that six-pack can shine through.

Reduced Appetite

One of the worst side effects of any diet is hunger. Cutting calories almost always leads to an increased appetite, making you feel irritable and like giving up. The benefit of a diet that focuses on eating lower carbs is that it also focuses on eating more proteins and more fats.

The combination of increasing healthy fats and proteins results in a reduced appetite. You won't constantly be reaching for unhealthy foods or extra calories that will sabotage your goals.

Healthy Weight Loss

When you follow a diet that's low in carbs, you'll experience a significant amount of weight loss up-front. The body responds well to these types of diets, which is why you can lose two to three times the amount of weight you would lose on any other diet. Your body will also steadily lose weight the longer you commit to a diet that's low in carbs, and you'll get the type of results you're looking for that much faster.

Improved Cholesterol Levels

Many people with high cholesterol want to avoid taking medications to lower their cholesterol due to the many side effects. Another benefit of following a diet that's low in carbs is that it can lower your cholesterol. Any lifestyle change that lowers your cholesterol naturally without the need for medications is a benefit, and that's what following this kind of diet can do.

Better Skin

Many of our patients find that once they begin a diet that focuses on eating low carbs, they see an immediate improvement in the quality and appearance of their skin. Carbohydrates break down into sugars, which forces the body to create more insulin to digest and process these sugars.

When you eat fewer carbs, your body doesn't have to work as hard; the result is less inflammation. Inflammation and skin health work contrary to one another, which is why cutting your carbs will improve your skin immediately.

A Leaner Physique

When it comes to diet and fitness, one of the best things you can do is shock your body. Your body can fall into a rut, and as a result, you'll plateau. When you change your diet and remove carbohydrates for the most part and replace them with proteins and healthy fats, your body will respond positively, and you'll look and feel leaner due to the change.

The Different Low Carb Diets

Many different diet plans cut carbs to help you get results, but at Naples Vitality, we've narrowed it down to a select few that will help you lose weight, reach your body goals, and feel satisfied. These diets are easy to maintain and won't leave you feeling deprived like other diets. When you make them a lifestyle, you won't feel the need to stop them and end up regaining the weight.

The Paleo Diet

By now, you've probably heard of the Paleo diet. This diet is so popular that many different people have devoted entire websites to promoting its benefits and developing Paleo-friendly recipes, so you always have meal planning options. This diet focuses on eating lean proteins like lean meats and fish. It also places a strong emphasis on eating plenty of fruits and vegetables and nuts and seeds.

The Paleo diet was born of an interest in the benefits of eating the same way that individuals who lived in the Paleolithic era ate. During that time, certain foods were unavailable, and those same foods are off-limits in the diet plan. These include dairy products, grains, and legumes. By following this diet, you focus on eating foods that are easy for the body to digest. You'll see a change in your body composition and weight by adding Paleo-based practices to your diet.

The Autoimmune Protocol Diet

The autoimmune protocol diet was designed to help those who suffer from autoimmune disorders. This disorder is one where the immune system attacks the body mistakenly. Some common autoimmune diseases include rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and psoriasis. This diet focuses on eating anti-inflammatory foods to help alleviate inflammation caused by these disorders. The foods included within this diet are similar to the food groups of the Paleo diet.

Acceptable foods include different kinds of fish, lean meats, vegetables, and nuts, and seeds. All of the foods in this diet are rich in nutrients and are specifically chosen to help reduce inflammation and prevent or reduce leaky gut syndrome. If you suffer from any of these disorders, we can customize your diet plan to help reduce your symptoms and help minimize your immune system's attack on the body.

The Keto Diet

The Keto diet is another diet that has gained popularity in recent years. Many people mistake the keto diet for the Atkins diet, but Keto focuses on a healthier and more balanced approach than the Atkins diet did back in the 90s. This diet involves eating foods that are high in fat and low in carbs to stimulate ketosis. Ketosis is a metabolic process that forces the body to burn body fat for energy instead of carbohydrates.

Not only is the Keto diet an effective way to lose weight, but it also has many health benefits. Studies have shown that following this diet can help protect you from Alzheimer's disease, different cancers, epilepsy, and even diabetes.

The Plant-Based Diet

The plant-based diet has helped many people change their lifestyle and improve their health. Plant-based foods focus on fresh, whole foods instead of processed ones. Adding more plants to your diet will increase your total vitamin and nutrient intake dramatically. A plant-based diet can also positively affect your hormones and your energy levels.

Those who are vegetarian, vegan, and even pescatarian all consider themselves advocates and followers of a plant-based diet. Many plants provide significant sources of protein and healthy fats, both of which are essential when reducing carbohydrates to improve health, lose weight, and achieve a more balanced lifestyle.

Which Diet Is Right for Me?

If you're ready to experience all the benefits that come from following a diet that's low in carbohydrates, we can help you find the one that's right for you. During an initial consultation with one of our expert nutritionists, we will review your health history, discuss any medical concerns, and learn more about your lifestyle and your ultimate health and wellness goals.

Then, we can help you learn more about these diets and determine which one is right for you. We will give you the guidance you need and the accountability necessary to stay committed to your low carb diet and, eventually, your new lifestyle. Most patients see such an improvement in their health and well-being that sticking to one of these diets becomes second nature.

When Your Diet Isn't a Diet

Most diets make you feel terrible, which is why so many people end up regaining most of the weight that they lost while on that diet. They're not manageable, they wreak havoc on your blood sugar levels, and make you feel drained and cranky. The diets we advocate are different. Once you notice the difference in how you look and feel, you'll never want to go back to your former habits.

Transform Your Lifestyle Today

You don't have to wait until the beginning of next week, next month, or even next year to make a lifestyle change. The sooner you're able to add one of these diets to your lifestyle, the sooner you'll experience all of the benefits and positive changes that come from investing in yourself and your health and wellness. Contact us today at Naples Vitality in Naples, FL, to schedule an initial consultation with one of our nutrition experts to learn more.