Can you live with zero carbs? The quick answer is yes you can! If your body needs carbs it can make its own. So learn which are the nearly zero carb foods. These carb- free foods will help you to achieve your goals on the keto diet.
There is zero reason to be worried about going too low on your carbs. There is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate.
The only exception to this are people who have the genetic defect glycogen storage disease type 1. This is an inherited rare disease which would have been diagnosed in infancy.
People with this condition need carbohydrates. The absence of dietary carbohydrates causes abnormalities that are resolved when they supplement carbohydrates.
Therefore, in the general population, the human body is able to endogenously synthesize carbohydrates, and does not show signs of deficiency in the absence of dietary carbohydrates.(1)
That isn’t to say that your body neither uses nor needs carbs. Certain functions depend on the glucose derived from carbs to be able to function properly.
However, when there is a lack of carbs, your body is able to convert amino acids into glucose so that these bodily processes can continue.
Further, the standard American Diet is very carb heavy, and there is a lot of evidence that this diet is one of the major causes of obesity and rising numbers of many serious diseases.
The Nearly Zero Carb Foods
Nearly zero carb foods are those foods that contain less than one gram of carbohydrate per serving. At this level, it is legal for food to be labeled as Zero Carbs.
Nearly Zero Carb : Vegetables and Fruit
- Spinach
- Asparagus
- Lettuce
- Avocado
- Coconut
- Radish
- Celery
- Cauliflower
- Mushrooms
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Cucumber
- Yellow Squash
- Zucchini
- Raspberries
- Blackberries
All of these are assuming an average portion size of approximately half a cup.
Nearly Zero Carb: Sauces
- Salt
- Pepper
- Cinnamon
- Yellow Mustard
- Hot Sauce
If you’re buying a ready-made sauce you’ll need to check the label. Sauces are often places where you’ll find hidden sugars.
Nearly Zero Carb Drinks
- Black Coffee
- Black Tea
- Diet Soda
- Sparkling Water
- Water
Nearly Zero Carb : Other foods
- Eggs
- Hard cheeses such as cheddar
- Cream
Further, there is a long and delicious list of foods that are zero carb, and you could eat these until you feel full.
These are:
ZERO Carb: meats
- Beef
- Lamb
- Pork
- Beal
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Duck
- Goose
Also in the list are all organ meats and all game meats.
Zero Carb : Fish
All fish could be considered to be zero carb. You could pay particular attention to these:
- Cod
- Trout
- Tuna
- Salmon
- Haddock
- Halibut
- Sole
- Bass
Zero Carb: Oils and fats
In this list are only the healthy zero carb oils. You should be avoiding unhealthy seed oils. They may be zero carb, but there are multiple health issues associated with seed oils.
- Olive oil
- Avocado Oil
- Coconut oil
- Butter
- Lard
- MCT Oil
Summary:
There are many foods that are zero or nearly zero for you to choose from.
If you’re following a low carb or keto diet you can find a list of foods here complete with their nutritional values.
Further, here is no need to go zero carb if you’re using the keto diet. This diet allows you to eat up to 20g net carbs each day.
However, if you’d like to go lower than the 20 net gram level, there is no reason why you should not.
Although the keto diet is low enough for you to reach all your health and weight loss goals, you certainly don’t have to hit that 20g level every day.
It’s always best to find a level of carbohydrates that feels right for you, and as long as you stay low you’ll be improving not only your weight, but your health too.
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