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10 golden rules of Banting

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The low carb, high fat diet rules
The low carb, high fat diet rules

Tim Noakes' eating plan was first prescribed in 1861 by a Harley Street surgeon Mr William Harvey with great success to a corpulent London undertaker, Mr William Banting, thus it is more appropriately named the Harvey/Banting diet. 

In time the term to 'bant' was introduced into the English language. It referred to the use of this low carbohydrate diet for weight loss. 

Indeed 'Banting' was the standard treatment for weight loss in all the major European and North American medical schools for nearly 100 years until it suddenly went out of fashion after 1959 when it was written out of all the major medical and nutritional textbooks, to be replaced with its polar opposite, the currently popular low fat, high carbohydrate, 'heart healthy' diet.

Dr Robert Atkins
 re-discovered “banting” in 1974 and his name is now incorrectly used as if he was the first to describe this eating plan.  

Read all about it in Lose It

In the launch edition of Lose It (April 2014), they explored the Banting diet from a dozen different angles. Here we republish an extract on the rules of Banting.

10 golden rules of Banting 

1. Remember: this is not a high protein diet. It's a high fat, medium protein, low carb way of eating

2. Choose real foods that look like what they are, and cook them from scratch

3. Fat is not the enemy. Enjoy it!

4. Eat only when you are hungry; eat until you are satisfied - then stop

5. Don't eat when you're not hungry. You won't die if you occasionally skip a meal you don't feel like eating.

6. Stop snacking. You won't need to - it's just a habit.

7. No sugar. It's an addiction, and it's probably best to go cold turkey. But if you need to make it a transition, substitute with Stevia, Zylitol or Erythritol - NOT artificial sweeteners.

8. No grains of any kind

9. No (or very, very little) fruit. Think of it as a sweet rather than a health snack.

10. Embrace eggs. They're healthy, satisfying and very good for you. 

New take: Tim Noakes backtracks on dairy

What Tim Noakes eats

Health24 asked Prof Noakes to give us an idea of what one can eat on the Banting diet.

"I eat eggs, bacon, sausage for breakfast OR cheese, yoghurt and the previous night's fat/protein meal.

For lunch I will snack on cheese, nuts, biltong and for dinner one of the delicious meals from Real Meal Revolution with lots of vegetables/salads.

Once you get the addictive sugar/carbs out of your diet, your brain will automatically regulate the number of calories that you need so that your body weight eventually becomes the weight it is meant to be.

Read:

Why some people don't get fat while eating carbohydrates

What people think about the Tim Noakes diet

It is the carbs that drive overconsumption of calories and once they are removed from the diet, the brain of most people will normally adjust very quickly and their weight loss will begin very quickly.

Some people do less well on a high protein diet than on a high fat diet but for some a higher protein diet is better. So one has to find out for oneself. I think the high fat diet is probably better."

Some people experience what's known as "low carb flu" which could include lethargy, brain fog, nausea, upset stomach and headaches.

Prof Noakes explains that these symptoms are usually due to withdrawal of the sugar addiction and that it will go with time. Usually people notice very quickly that their energy levels go right up and they start feeling great.

Read more:

Pro low-carb diets:
Tim Noakes speaks out on the ‘Banting for babies' hearing
Tim Noakes to defend Banting for babies
Tim Noakes on how it works and why this is a lifestyle more than a diet
Tim Noakes diet is put to the test
Video: why a low-carb diet is good for you
A scheduled high-fat diet may curb obesity
Video: Tim Noakes talks about his book The Real Meal Revolution
Carb and sugar addiction is fuelling SA's obesity epidemic
Tim Noakes says refined carbs may be toxic
Tim Noakes: the heart disease theory 'has failed'
Tim Noakes: poor children should eat animal organs
Is the Tim Noakes Diet affecting your hair, skin and nails?


Anti low-carb diets
:
Pregnant moms on the high-fat diet may be putting their offspring's life at risk
Why a high-fat diet is bad for the body clock
A high-fat diet could up the risk of pancreatic cancer
High protein diets increase your chances of developing kidney disease
DietDoc asks: why are we always chasing quick-fix diets?
Warning issued regarding HFLC and high protein diets
Too much, too soon, Tim Noakes!
Banting/Noakes diet discriminates against women
Noakes slammed by UCT professors
Patrick Holford: banting is dangerous
Heart Foundation's open letter to Tim Noakes
Experts warn against Noakes diet
We debate Tim Noakes on which diet will save the world
Tim Noakes hearing: we need clarity, says Claire Julsing-Strydom
Noakes committee comes under the spotlight
Noakes' 'real food' may not be kid friendly

TIP: Visit our partner site Food24 for some excellent LCHF recipes.



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