Low Carb Diet for Sluggish Metabolism

A slow metabolism is a harbinger of constant and progressive fat gain coupled with low energy levels, all caused by genetics or a medical condition. For individuals with a slow metabolism, dieting is a torturous process as the body must be fought tooth and nail to convince it to drop unwanted pounds. It is almost enough to make one give up hope entirely. Do not be so hasty, however--if you are plagued with a slow metabolism, this is the diet for you.

The 7 Habits Diet

The 7 Habits Diet is a natural, low-carb diet invented by Canadian nutritionist and biochemist Dr. John Berardi. Dr. Berardi works with clients ranging from professional athletes to stay-at-home mothers, and the one thing that every client's nutritional plan has in common is strict compliance with the 7 Habits. In fact, for a fair number of his clients, following the 7 Habits by itself will lead the dieter directly to his ideal physique.

For individuals suffering from a slow metabolism, the 7 Habits diet can be the perfect beginning to rev up the metabolic "engine." Dr. Berardi notes that metabolic set-point is never a stagnant figure. One's metabolism can be directly impacted by the quality and quantity of nutritional intake. This is good news for those with a less-than-stellar natural metabolic process. It means that there is hope, so long as one can be reasonably diligent in adhering to a system of diet and exercise.

The 7 Habits

The 7 Habits are, in no particular order:

Consume small meals every two to three hours, for a total of five to eight meals per day.
Consume lean protein with each meal--meat, chicken, eggs or fish.
Consume fruit AND veggies with every meal.
Only consume carbs from fruit and veggies.
Consume at least 25 percent of your daily calories from fats, such as animal fats, natural fats (for instance, fat from avocados or coconuts) and oils (flax, fish, olive, coconut and macadamia nut).
Drink only zero calorie beverages--preferably only water and green tea.
Consume only solid meals--no liquid nutrition.

How the 7 Habits Help Metabolism

The 7 Habits diet is brilliant for speeding up a lagging metabolism, owing to a number of different factors. First of all, the small, frequent feedings will increase overall caloric intake for the day, forcing one's metabolism to burn at a more constant pace. In conjunction with Berardi's rule that "metabolism chases intake," this will have a net result of increasing one's metabolism over baseline. Second, the higher protein content of the diet will increase metabolic process and caloric expenditure through manipulating the thermic effect of food. The thermic effect of food represents the fact that the body must actually expend calories to digest food. Out of the three macronutrients (protein, carbs and fat), processing protein "costs" the body more calories. Thus, the high protein content of the 7 Habits will jumpstart metabolism on its own, as the body will have to race to handle the quantity of protein being consumed. Finally, some of the recommended foodstuffs for the diet (coconut oil, for example) have the effect of increasing one's thyroid process, which also boosts metabolism indirectly.

The longer you follow the 7 Habits diet principles, the more the diet will work for you to correct your metabolic dysfunction.