The slow-carb diet has emerged as another contender in the weight loss arena, sharing similarities with the ketogenic diet in its emphasis on minimizing carbohydrate intake and foods that encourage fat storage. Popularized by Tim Ferriss in his book "The 4-Hour Body," this diet promises rapid weight loss by focusing on foods that stabilize blood sugar and eliminating fast-digesting carbohydrates. But what are the actual results one can expect? What are the rules? Are there any drawbacks? This article dives deep into the slow-carb diet, providing a structured overview to help you make an informed decision.
What is the Slow-Carb Diet?
The slow-carb diet operates on the principle of achieving maximum results with minimal effort. It involves adhering to a specific set of rules and a limited list of allowed foods for six days a week, followed by a "cheat day" where you can indulge in anything you desire. The diet emphasizes consuming whole, unprocessed foods and spacing meals strategically throughout the day.
Tim Ferriss created the slow carb diet in 2010 and wrote about it in his book The 4-Hour Body. The book was a New York Times bestseller, and the slow carb diet took off. The slow-carb diet allows you to eat as much as you want of the allowed foods for six days of the week, four meals per day. For one day of the week, you’re free to eat whatever you want. This diet claims to help weight loss by increasing the breakdown of fats and boosting feelings of fullness.
The Five Rules of the Slow-Carb Diet
The slow-carb diet distinguishes itself with five core rules:
1. Avoid "White" Carbohydrates: This rule eliminates all processed carbohydrates made from refined flour, including bread, pasta, rice, cereals, and other starchy foods such as potatoes. These are considered "fast carbs." The inverse of this rule is to only get your carbs from slow-digesting (or “slow-burning”) sources, like legumes and low-carb vegetables. The diet requires avoiding any “white” carbohydrates, as well as those that can be white.
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2. Eat the Same Few Meals Repeatedly: The diet encourages repetition in meals, especially for breakfast and lunch. This simplifies decision-making and reduces the likelihood of straying from the diet. The idea is to mix and match the allowed foods from each food group to build meals and repeat these meals every day.
3. Don't Drink Calories: The basis of this rule is that beverages provide little to no nutritional value. Followers are encouraged to drink plenty of water, unsweetened tea, coffee, or any other calorie-free beverage. The diet discourages drinks that contain significant calories, though it allows one to two glasses of dry red wine per night. Therefore, the diet suggests that you only obtain your calories from nutritious foods, not drinks.
4. Don't Eat Fruit: This rule stems from the belief that fructose, the sugar in fruits, can hinder weight loss by increasing blood fat levels and decreasing fat-burning capacity. The diet suggests that fruits are not helpful when you’re trying to lose weight.
5. Take One Day Off Per Week: This "cheat day" allows you to eat anything you want without adhering to the other rules. This day serves both psychological and potentially metabolic purposes, preventing the metabolic rate from slowing due to prolonged caloric restriction. On this day, you do not have to follow any of the other rules. As such, this eat-anything day is meant for you to indulge in any food and beverages you might be craving without fear of gaining all the weight back.
Foods You Can Eat on the Slow-Carb Diet
The slow-carb diet revolves around five main food groups:
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- Protein: Eggs (especially egg whites, with 1-2 whole eggs), chicken (breast or thigh), grass-fed beef, fish, pork, lamb, and lactose-free, unflavored whey protein powder.
- Legumes: Lentils, black beans, pinto beans, red beans, and soybeans.
- Vegetables: Spinach, mixed vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, or any other cruciferous vegetables), sauerkraut, kimchi, asparagus, peas, and green beans.
- Fats: Butter, olive oil (for cooking), grapeseed or macadamia oil (for cooking), nuts, ghee, and dairy-free creamer (up to 2 teaspoons a day).
- Spices: Salt, garlic salt, white truffle sea salt, and herbs.
The diet recommends building your diet around these foods: You should also avoid refined carbohydrates, fruits, and high-calorie drinks on the diet. Each meal should focus on animal protein, vegetables, and legumes, and you can have as much of these as you’d like.
Foods to Avoid
The slow-carb diet requires avoiding certain foods:
- Fruits: That includes both fruit and fruit juices. (However, you can have these on the cheat day, if you want.)
- Dairy products: While butter and ghee is allowed, traditional dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt are not.
- Fried Foods: The slow-carb diet does not allow any fried foods to be consumed on the diet days.
- Refined carbohydrates: Ferriss refers to these as “white” carbs, which includes bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, and grains.
The Cheat Day: Indulge Responsibly
The cheat day is an integral part of the slow-carb diet. During this day, Ferriss says you can have whatever you want. He suggests picking one day a week to do this to “go nuts.” His recommendation is Saturday.
The slow-carb cheat day is used for its psychological benefits, as well as its influence on hormonal changes that can continue to promote weight loss. Interestingly, there is evidence that cheat days or “refeeds” may benefit weight loss. A “refeed” refers to a short period during which caloric intake is higher than usual. Some evidence shows that refeeds could stimulate metabolic rate and increase blood levels of the hormone leptin, which may reduce hunger. What’s more, it seems that eating more carbs during refeeds could further boost leptin levels.
Supplements to Consider
While not mandatory, Ferriss suggests certain dietary supplements to fill nutritional gaps and support weight loss:
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- Potassium: 99 mg with each meal
- Magnesium: 400 mg per day, plus 500 mg before bed
- Calcium: 1,000 mg per day
- Policosanol: 20-25 mg
- Alpha-lipoic acid: 100-300 mg
- Green tea flavanols (decaffeinated): Containing at least 325 mg of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)
- Garlic extract: At least 200 mg
The slow-carb diet suggests four additional supplements that can aid the weight loss process: This intake regimen is recommended six days a week, with a week off every two months.
These supplements are believed to aid in electrolyte replenishment, antioxidant activity, and enhancing carbohydrate absorption into muscles and the liver.
Potential Benefits of the Slow-Carb Diet
The slow-carb diet offers several potential benefits:
- Weight Loss: Eliminating "white" carbohydrates can reduce calorie intake and stabilize blood sugar levels, leading to weight loss.
- Simplicity: The limited food choices can simplify meal planning and adherence to the diet, especially in the initial stages.
- Nutrient-Rich Foods: The diet encourages the consumption of vegetables and legumes, which are packed with essential nutrients.
- Muscle Preservation: An emphasis on unprocessed, high-protein foods may help some people feel fuller and more satisfied while promoting muscle preservation, Keatley says.
Potential Drawbacks
Despite its potential benefits, the slow-carb diet has drawbacks:
- Nutrient Deficiencies: Eliminating entire food groups like fruits and dairy may lead to vitamin deficiencies, particularly in vitamins C, potassium, and calcium.
- Restrictive Nature: The diet's restrictive nature may not be sustainable long-term and can lead to cravings and rebellion.
- Overly Simplistic: This approach is overly simplistic and risks demonizing nutrient-dense foods like fruit and dairy, which provide essential vitamins, minerals, and other health benefits,” Keatley says.
- Fatigue: Some people report low energy, brain fog, and irritability in the early stages of the diet.
- Social Challenges: Adhering to the diet can be challenging in social situations due to its restrictions.
Sample Meal Plan
There is no calorie counting on the slow carb diet, and Ferriss says you should eat as much as you’d like. However, he recommends picking three to four meals and repeating them for at least the first two weeks. Sample meals he suggests:
- Breakfast: Three scrambled whole eggs, lentils, and spinach
- Lunch: Grass-fed organic beef, pinto beans, mixed vegetables, and extra guacamole
- Dinner: Salmon, asparagus (or lentils), and coconut cauliflower curry mash
Is the Slow-Carb Diet Safe?
In the short term, the diet can be safe. But dietitians have concerns about long-term healthy while following the slow carb diet. “For most individuals, the slow carb diet is not a sustainable or optimal approach to weight loss,” Keatley says. “While it may deliver short-term results, its restrictive nature and reliance on supplements make it less appealing compared to balanced dietary patterns that include a variety of nutrient-dense foods.”
Gans also doesn’t recommend trying this diet. “Far better, less restrictive, healthier options are available that will promote weight loss and keep a person’s sanity,” she says.
Real-World Results and Success Stories
Many individuals have reported significant weight loss and health improvements on the slow-carb diet. For example, Maria Rider lost 125 pounds, dropping from 247 pounds to 122 pounds. Ricardo A. lost more than 150 pounds on the SCD. Jana Comer shed 110 pounds, dropping 2 pounds in her best weeks.
These success stories highlight the diet's potential for dramatic transformations.
The Science Behind Slow Carbs
The slow-carb movement is also finding new fans in the gluten-free community since many, but not all, slow carbs are gluten-free. The slow-carb diet is based on very low carbohydrates and high protein consumption. Proponents claim that it helps increase your metabolic rate and prevents fat storage.
Choosing the right type of carbohydrates can help you lose more weight than ever before-even more than on a carb-deprivation diet. When eating carbohydrates as part of a balanced diet, focus on filling your plate with slow carbs. And because they aren’t highly processed, they don’t cause blood sugar spikes. Slow carbs are rooted in ancient nutrition (think: sprouted grains, fermented sourdough breads and old-fashioned steel-cut oats.) But their modern appeal evolved from Tim Ferriss’ book The 4-Hour Body.
Making the Slow-Carb Diet Work for You
The first step will always be to experiment with something that you think will fit with your lifestyle, your health goals, and your preferences.
According to the slow carb diet guidelines, it is best to stick to the slow-carb food list above for best results. Since eating more eggs on a slow carb diet is associated with better results, this recipe will be an excellent staple for your weekly rotation. And don’t forget about the tomatoes! Whether you experiment with slow carb, keto, paleo, or a more lenient low carb approach, each one has the potential to improve health and boost fat loss.