Why low carb veg style?

Whyever Would A Vegetarian Do Such A Thing?

Shortest answer: it works.

If you are an overweight vegetarian and would like to lose body fat, a low-carb diet will likely help you do so at a good rate and without the kind of hunger that often accompanies low-fat weight loss plans. Transforming a veg diet from its typical high-carb low-protein profile to a low-carb higher-protein variant may seem daunting, but it's actually not difficult. You just acquire a fun new set of recipes to prepare and go on about your life as you always have.

What do you have to lose? If you despise it, you can always turn your back on the diet and find another path. But please don't think it's impossible to do this just because you don't eat meat. It's no more time-consuming than weighing, measuring, and logging for Weight Watchers--and it's a whole lot tastier! I assure you: a vegetarian low-carb diet is not only feasible, it's enjoyable. Do not be afraid of leaving your favorite carbs behind. I tell you truthfully: after a very short while they won't be missed.

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Whyever Would An Omnivore Do Such A Thing?

I would be remiss if I didn't allow for the possibility of ominivorous low-carb visitors investigating the practicality of shrugging off meat. For you, I repeat what I stated above: a veg low carb meal plan is workable and can be delicious. If you're looking at meatless options for ethical reasons or because you'd like to avoid some of the pollutants that can bioaccumulate up the food chain, veg low-carbing may be what you're seeking.

If, however, you are toying with vegetarianism because you believe it's inherently more healthful than an omnivorous diet, I would encourage you to read Dr Michael Eades' blog. Sad as it makes me, I am persuaded that our biology is likely better-suited to a diet with ample animal protein and far less vegetable-based fat and carbohydrate than nutritionists currently advise. Western culture has a tendency to romanticize nature, imagining gentle gardens and sun-ripened spreads of fruit in our distant past. Spending a few hours watching Animal Planet may disabuse you of some of the quainter notions you hold about the, ehhh, peaceful dietary nature of primates. The reality is that our species likely evolved our keen brains when we began including ample amounts of DHA-laden fish in our diets. Furthermore, when we hunted and gathered food, very little of the plant matter consumed would have resembled nutritionally the high-carb staples that make up the bulk of our diet today.

This post by cardiologist Dr William Davis pretty much sums up my own sad resignation to the truth: humans better thrive when they include animals in their diet and miss out on significant health benefits if they avoid eating animals.

If you're interested in human dietary history, there are many online resources, but one I found especially enlightening--if dismaying--is this one by Ward Nicholson. I'm not telling you not to become a vegetarian. If your heart tells you it is the right ethical choice for you, by all means embrace it. But please don't adopt vegetarianism because you believe it's healthier or more natural for your body. If that is what you seek, you might be more interested in organic dieting options that closely resemble what our evolving ancestors likely consumed.