JUNE 2016 MUSCLE & FITNESS 69VERY SERIOUS LIFTER KNOWS
that one of the best ways to shed body fat is
to cut carbs while consuming foods high in
protein and essential fats. What you may not
know is that there are many diferent low-
carb programs, and although they all work a
little diferently, they share one common trait:
the ability to help you reduce body fat quickly
while sparing muscle mass.
Cutting carbs helps prevent insulin from
spiking and encourages your body to release
d fat that can then be burned as fuel. Initially,
ver, it takes body fat much longer to be converted
sable fuel than the carbs you consume. That’s why
people initially feel like their energy levels nose-
when training on a low-carb diet.
ence continues to show that low-carb diets are
ficial for burning body fat compared with diets equal
ories but much higher in carbs. Part of the reason for
s that taking in sucient fats and plenty of protein
stoke your internal furnace – your metabolic rate,
mount of calories you naturally burn at rest – which
urages additional release of body fat to be used as fuel.
’ve highlighted three diferent low-carb diets – a
lithic diet, a ketogenic strategy and a carb-rotating- that can help you lean out fast. Some of the diets are
what controversial and there are experts who take
with these claims, but what’s important is that any
se programs will help you shed body fat.
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ofthTHE PALEOLITHIC DIET
Philosophy
You’ll be shocked to find out
that our ancient ancestors
didn’t have access to farmers’
markets, convenience stores
or fast-food joints. They were
limited to consuming the
plants and animals they could
hunt or gather. This meant
that the bulk of their diet
consisted of large amounts of
meat, but only when it was
available, plants – wild
berries and certain greens- and often bugs (although
bugs aren’t an emphasised
part of the contemporary
Paleo diet). What was absent
from our ancestors’ diets
were grains and large
amounts of sugar and
processed starches.
Based on this, proponents
of the Paleo diet argue that
our bodies are genetically
adapted to process the foods
we’ve been eating for millions
of years rather than those
that have been added since
the advent of agriculture and
modern food processing. So
consuming these ancient
foods should lead to better
health, muscle growth and
reduced body fat.Proponents
of the Paleo diet
argue that our bodies
are adapted to process
the foods we’ve been
eating for eons rather
than those that have
been added since
the advent of
agriculture.