LCHF for Beginners

Updated 1/6/2014

Do you want to eat real food (as much as you like) and improve your health and
weight? It may sound too good to be true, but LCHF (Low Carb, High Fat) is a
method that has been used for 150 years. Now, modern science backs it up
with proof that it works.
There is no weighing your food, no counting, no bizarre meal replacements, no
pills. There is just real food and common sense. And all the advice here is 100

percent free.

Contents
1.

Introduction

2.

Dietary advice (in 26 languages)

3.

Theory

4.

Tips and recipes

5.

Cookbooks and more

6.

Frequently asked questions

Introduction
A LCHF diet means you eat less carbohydrates and a higher proportion of fat. Most
importantly you minimize your intake of sugar and starches. You can eat other
delicious foods until you are satisfied and still lose weight.
A number of recent high-quality scientific studies shows that LCHF makes it easier
both to lose weight and to control your blood sugar. And thats just the beginning.

The basics

Eat: Meat, fish, eggs, vegetables growing above ground and natural fats (like
butter).

Avoid: Sugar and starchy foods (like bread, pasta, rice and potatoes).

Eat when youre hungry until you are satisfied. Its that simple. You do not need to
count calories or weigh your food. And just forget about industrially produced low fat
products.

Real food. Add some good fat (like butter).

There are solid scientific reasons why LCHF works. When you avoid sugar and
starches your blood sugar stabilizes and the levels of insulin, the fat storing
hormone, drops. This increases your fat burning and makes you feel more satiated.

Note for diabetics

Avoiding the carbohydrates that raise your blood sugar decreases your need
for medication to lower it. Taking the same pre-low-carb diet dose of insulin might
result in hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). You need to test your blood sugar
frequently when starting this diet and adapt (lower) your medication. This should
ideally be done with the assistance of a knowledgeable physician. If youre healthy
or a diabetic treated either by diet alone or just with Metformin there is no risk of
hypoglycemia.

Dietary Advice
Eat all you like

Meat: Any type, including beef, pork, game meat, chicken, etc. Feel free to
eat the fat on the meat as well as the skin on the chicken. If possible try to choose
organic or grass fed meat.

Fish and Shellfish: All kinds: Fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel or herring
are great. Avoid breading.

Eggs: All kinds: Boiled, fried, omelettes, etc. Preferably choose organic eggs.

Natural Fat, High-Fat Sauces: Using butter and cream when you cook can
make your food taste better and make you feel more satiated. Try a Barnaise or
Hollandaise sauce, check the ingredients or make it yourself. Coconut oil and olive oil
are also good options.

Vegetables that Grow Above Ground: All kinds of cabbage, such as

cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts. Asparagus, zucchini, eggplant,
olives, spinach, mushrooms, cucumber, lettuce, avocado, onions, peppers, tomatoes
etc.

Dairy products: Always select full-fat options like real butter, cream (40%
fat), sour cream, Greek/Turkish yogurt and high-fat cheeses. Be careful with regular
milk and skim milk as they contain a lot of milk sugar. Avoid flavored, sugary and
low-fat products.

Nuts: Good to eat instead of candy in front of the television (preferably in

moderation).

Berries: Okay in moderation, if you are not a super strict or sensitive. Good
with whipped cream.

Basic tip
for beginners: Maximum 5 grams of carbohydrate (excluding fiber) per 100 grams of
food

Avoid if you can

Sugar: The worst. Soft drinks, candy, juice, sports drinks, chocolate, cakes,
buns, pastries, ice cream, breakfast cereals. Preferably avoid sweeteners as well.

Starch: Bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, French fries, potato chips, porridge,
muesli and so on. Wholegrain products are just less bad. Moderate amounts of
root vegetables may be OK (unless youre eating extremely low carb).

Margarine: Industrially imitated butter with unnaturally high content of

omega-6 fat. Has no health benefits, tastes bad. Statistically linked to asthma,
allergies and other inflammatory diseases.

Beer: Liquid bread. Full of rapidly absorbed carbs, unfortunately.

Fruit: Very sweet, lots of sugar. Eat once in a while. Treat fruit as a natural
form of candy.

Once in a while
You decide when the time is right. Your weight loss may slow down a bit.

Alcohol: Dry wine (regular red or dry white wine), whisky, brandy, vodka and
cocktails without sugar.

Dark chocolate: Above 70 % cocoa, preferably just a bit.

Drink most days

Water

Coffee: Try it with full-fat cream

Tea

More healthy tips

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Advice on LCHF in other languages

Arabic

Bulgarian (pdf) (another version)

Croatian

Czech

Danish (Word)

Dutch

Estonian

Finnish

French

German

Greek

Hebrew

Hungarian (pdf)

Indonesian

Italian

Norwegian

Polish (pdf)

Portuguese

Romanian

Russian

Slovak

Spanish (Word)

Swahili

Swedish

Turkish
Do you have another translation or a significant improvement of one of the earlier
ones?E-mail me (more info).

The Theory Behind LCHF

What are you designed to eat?
Humans evolved over millions of years as hunter-gatherers, without eating large
amounts of carbohydrates. We ate the food available to us in nature by hunting,
fishing and gathering all the edible foods we could find. These foods did not include
pure starch in the form of bread, pasta, rice or potatoes. We have only eaten these
starchy foods for 5 10 000 years, since the development of agriculture. Just a
limited adaptation of our genes takes place in such a relatively short time.
With the Industrial Revolution, 100 200 years ago, we got factories that could
manufacture large amounts of pure sugar and white flour. Rapidly digested pure
carbohydrates. Weve hardly had time to genetically adapt to these processed foods.
In the 80s, the fear of fat gripped the western world. Low-fat products popped up
everywhere. But if you eat less fat you need to eat more carbohydrates to feel
satiated. And its at this time in history that our disastrous epidemics of obesity and
diabetes started. The most fat-phobic country in the world, the USA, was hit the
hardest and is now the worlds most obese country.
Today, its clear that the fear of real food with natural fat contents has been a big
mistake.

The problem with sugar and starch

All digestible carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugars in the intestines.
The sugar is then absorbed into the blood, raising the blood glucose levels. This
increases the production of the hormone insulin, our fat storing hormone.

Insulin is produced in the pancreas (pictured to the right). In large amounts insulin
prevents fat burning and stores surplus nutrients in the fat cells. After some time (a
few hours or less) this may result in a shortage of nutrients in the blood, creating
feelings of hunger and cravings for something sweet. Usually at that point people eat
again. This starts the process again: A vicious cycle leading to weight gain.
On the other hand, a low intake of carbs gives you a lower, more stable blood
glucose, and lower amounts of insulin. This increases the release of fat from your fat
stores and increases the fat burning. This usually leads to fat loss, especially around
the belly in abdominally obese individuals.

Weight loss without hunger

A LCHF diet makes it easier for the body to use its fat reserves, as their release is no
longer blocked by high insulin levels. This may be one reason why eating fat gives a
longer feeling of satiety than carbohydrates. Its been shown in a number of
studies: When people eat all they want on a low carb diet caloric intake typically
drops
So, no counting or food weighing is necessary. You can forget about the calories and
trust your feelings of hunger and satiety. Most people dont need to count or weigh
their food any more than they need to count their breathing. If you dont believe it,
just try for a couple of weeks and see for yourself.

Health as a bonus
No animals in nature need the assistance of nutritional expertise or calorie charts to
eat. And still, as long as they eat the food they are designed to eat they stay at a
normal weight and they avoid caries, diabetes and heart disease. Why would
humans be an exception? Why would you be an exception?
In scientific studies not only is the weight improved on a low carb diet the blood
pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol profile (HDL, triglycerides) are also improved.
A calm stomach and less cravings for sweet food are also common experiences.

Initial side effects

If you stop eating sugar and starch cold turkey (recommended) you may experience
some side effects as your body adjusts. For most people these side effects tend to
be mild and last a just few days. There are also ways to minimize them.
Common during the first week:

Headache

Fatigue

Dizziness

Heart palpitations

Irritability
The side effects rapidly subside as your body adapts and your fat burning increases.
They can be minimized by drinking some extra fluids and by temporarily increasing
your salt intake a bit. A good option is to drink some broth every few hours.
Alternatively, drink a few extra glasses of water and put extra salt on your food.
The reason for this is that carbohydrate-rich foods may increase the water retention
in your body. When you stop eating high-carb foods youll lose excess water through
your kidneys. This can result in dehydration and lack of salt during the first week,
before the body has adapted.
Some people prefer to decrease their intake of carbohydrates slowly, over a few
weeks, to minimize the side effects. But the Nike way (Just Do It) is probably the
best choice for most people. Removing most sugar and starch often results in
several pounds lost on the scale within a few days. It may be mostly fluids but its
great for the motivation.

How low to go?

The less carbohydrate you eat the more pronounced the effect on your weight and
blood sugar will be. I recommend following the dietary advice as strict as you can.
When youre happy with your weight and health you may gradually try eating more
liberally (if you want to).

The Food Revolution

This presentation I gave at the Ancestral Health Symposium 2011 summarizes the
history and science behind the ongoing LCHF revolution.

More theory and practice

Here four of the worlds biggest experts on the subject explain the theory and
practice of carb restriction:

Tips and recipes

Breakfast suggestions

Eggs and bacon

Omelet

Leftovers from last nights dinner

Coffee with cream

A can of mackerel and boiled eggs

Boiled egg with mayonnaise or butter

Avocado, salmon and crme fraiche

Sandwich on Oopsie-bread

A piece of very thin hard bread with lots of butter, cheese, ham, etc.

Cheese with butter on it

Boiled eggs mashed with butter, chopped chives, salt and pepper

A piece of brie cheese and some ham or salami

High-fat yoghurt with nuts and seeds (and maybe berries)

Lunch and dinner

Meat, fish or chicken dishes with vegetables and a rich full-fat sauce. There
are many alternatives to potatoes, such as mashed cauliflower.

Stews, soups or casseroles with low-carb ingredients.

You can use most recipes in cookbooks if you avoid the carbohydrate-rich
ingredients. Its often a good idea to add fat (e.g. butter, cream) to the recipe.

Drink water with your meal or (occasionally) a glass of wine.

Snacks
When you eat a low-carbohydrate diet with more fat and a bit more protein you will
probably not need to eat as often. Dont be surprised if you no longer need to
snack. Many people do well on two or three meals per day. If you need a snack:

Rolled-up cheese or ham with a vegetable (some people even spread butter
on cheese)

Olives

Nuts

A piece of cheese

A boiled egg from the refrigerator

Canned mackerel in tomato sauce

Olives and nuts can replace potato chips in front of the TV. If you always get hungry
between meals youre probably not eating enough fat. Dont fear fat. Eat more fat
until you feel satisfied.

Dining out or meals with friends

Restaurants: Usually not a big problem. You can ask to have potatoes/fries
switched for a salad. With meat dishes, ask for extra butter.

Fast food: Kebab can be a decent option (preferably avoid the bread). In
hamburger chains the hamburgers are usually the least bad option. Avoid soft drinks
and fries, obviously. Drink water. Pizza toppings are usually OK, and the stricter you
are the less of the pizza crust you will eat.

If you eat strictly everyday its less of a problem to make a few exceptions
when you are invited out. If youre not sure what will be served you can eat
something at home before you leave.

Nuts or cheese is good emergency food when there are no other adequate
options to be found.

Shopping list for beginners

Print this list and bring it to the store:

Butter

Heavy cream (40% fat)

Sour cream (34% fat)

Eggs

Bacon

Meat (minced, steaks, stew pieces, fillets, etc.)

Fish (preferably fatty fish like salmon or mackerel)

Cheese (preferably high-fat)

Turkish yoghurt (10% fat)

Cabbage (cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, etc.)

Other vegetables that grow above ground

Frozen vegetables (broccoli, wok vegetables, etc.)

Avocados

Olives

Olive oil

Nuts

Clean out your pantry

Want to maximize your chances of success? Especially if you have difficulty with
cravings / sugar addiction, it is smart to throw out (or give away) sugary and
starchy foods, light products, etc. These include:

Candy

Potato chips

Soft drinks and juices

Margarine

Sugar in all forms

Bread

Pasta

Rice

Potatoes

Breakfast cereals

Everything that says low fat or no fat

Ice cream

Cookies
Why not do it now?

The Serpent in Paradise

Be very skeptical of special low-carb products such as pasta or chocolate.
Unfortunately these products usually stink. They have prevented the weight loss for
loads of people. Theyre usually full of carbs once you see through their creative
marketing.

For example, Dreamfields low carb pasta is almost pure starch thats absorbed
more or less like any pasta:

The Dreamfields Pasta Fraud

How about low carb bread? Be careful: if its baked with grains its certainly not low
carb. But some companies still try to sell it to you as a low-carb option. Heres an
example:

Julian Bakerys fake low carb bread

Low-carb chocolate is usually full of sugar alcohols, which the manufacturer does not
count as carbs. But roughly half of these carbs may be absorbed, raising the blood
sugar and insulin. The rest of the carbs ends up in the large intestine, potentially
causing gas and diarrhea. Furthermore any sweeteners can maintain sugar cravings.
If you want to be healthy and slim, eat real food instead.

RECIPES
Easy ways to cook eggs

1.

Place the eggs in cold water and boil 4 minutes for soft-boiled or 8 minutes
for hard-boiled. Eat them with mayo if you like.

2.

Fry eggs in butter on one or both sides. Add salt and pepper.

3.

Melt some butter in the frying pan and add 2 eggs and 2-3 tablespoons of
cream per serving. Add salt and pepper. Stir until done. Add some chives and grated
cheese on top. Serve with fried bacon.

4.

Make an omelet batter with 3 eggs and 3 tablespoons of cream. Add salt and
spices. Melt butter in the frying pan and pour in the batter. When the omelet
solidifies on top you can fill it with something tasty. For example one or several kinds
of cheese, fried bacon, fried mushrooms, good sausage (read the ingredients) or
left-overs from last nights dinner. Fold the omelet in half and serve with a crispy
salad.

Instead of bread
Will you have a hard time living without bread? Ooopsies are a good option. Its a
bread without carbs and can be eaten in a variety of ways.

Oopsies
68 depending on size.
3 eggs
100 grams (3.5 ounces) of cream cheese
a pinch of salt
tablespoon fiberhusk / psyllium seed husks (can be excluded)
teaspoon baking powder (can be excluded)

Separate the eggs, with the egg whites in one bowl and the egg yolks in
another.

Whip the egg whites together with the salt until very stiff. You should be able
to turn the bowl over without the egg whites moving.

Mix the egg yolks and the cream cheese well. If you choose, add the psyllium
seed husk and baking powder (this makes the Oopsie more bread-like).

Gently fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mix try to keep the air in the
egg whites.

Put 6 large or 8 smaller oopsies on a baking tray.

Bake in the middle of the oven at 150 C (300 F) for about 25 minutes
until they turn golden.

You can eat Oopsies as bread or use them as a bun for a hotdog or
hamburger. You can also put different kinds of seeds on them before baking them,
for instance poppy, sesame or sunflower seeds. One big Oopsie can be used for a
swiss roll: Add a generous layer of whipped cream and some berries. Enjoy.
Less strict: some bread
Cant live without real bread? Then have a thin piece of bread and add lots of butter
and toppings. The more butter and toppings the less bread you need to feel
satisfied.

Instead of potatoes, rice, pasta

Mashed cauliflower: Divide the cauliflower into smaller pieces and boil them
with a pinch of salt until soft. Remove the water. Add cream and butter and mash.

Salads made from above-ground vegetables,

perhaps with some kind of cheese. Try out different kinds.

Boiled broccoli, cauliflower or Brussels sprouts.

Vegetables au gratin: Fry squash, aubergine and fennel (or other

vegetables you like) in butter. Add salt and pepper. Put in baking dish and add
grated cheese. Heat at 225 C (450 F) until the cheese melts and turns golden.

Vegetables stewed in cream, e.g. cabbage or spinach.

Cauliflower rice: Grate cauliflower, boil for a minute or two. Great substitute
for rice.

Avocado

Snacks and dessert

Mixed nuts

Sausage: Cut it in pieces, add a piece of cheese and stick a toothpick

through them.

Vegetables with dip, Try cucumber sticks, red, yellow or green peppers,
cauliflower, etc.

Cream cheese rolls: Roll some cream cheese in a piece of salami, air-dried
ham or a long slice of cucumber.

Olives

LCHF chips: On a baking tray, form small piles of grated Parmesan cheese.
Heat in oven at 225 C (450 F). Let them melt and get a nice color (be careful
they burn easily). Serve as chips, perhaps with some dip.