As a chiropractor, “No Carbs For Dinner” has been a consistent
The idea of a carb cutoff, specifically the ‘high-glycemic’ carbs like rice, bread, potatoes, fruit, and pasta, not the healthy carbs like green leafy veggies, works primarily because people use it like a food RULE, as in “I only eat dessert once a week,” or “I make sure to have protein with every meal or snack.” Carbohydrates aren’t any more fattening in the evening than they are at any other time of the day. It is simply that your evening meal used to include them and now it doesn’t. Cut out a portion of rice, a baked potato, or a pile of pasta at any time of the day and you can easily eliminate a major fat producing food source. That’s why the “No Carbs For Dinner” strategy works.
The reason for the carb cutoff success hinges on the idea that the evening meal tends to be the largest. Eliminating starches in the evening might cut out more calories than if you cut carbs at other, typically smaller, meals during the day. And, if you’re replacing those high-glycemic carbs with a bigger pile of vegetables, that’s going to save you a bundle of calories too. Likewise, reducing your carb intake will promote stable blood sugar. This is a proven way to decrease inflammation, reduce fat production, and inhibit cancer cell growth.
Decreasing Inflammation:
The process by which your body breaks down high-glycemic carbohydrates creates inflammatory by-products. These by-products have been linked to inflammatory diseases including: arthritis, irritable bowel disease, certain autoimmune disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases. More research is further linking inflammatory related cancers (lung, breast, colon, etc.) to high levels of inflammation. Reducing your body’s inflammatory levels might be the most important health goal you could set. Healthy amounts of exercise, a clean low glycemic diet, chiropractic adjustments, and the proper amounts of sleep are the best-known ways to reduce your body’s inflammation.
Better Sleep:
Have you ever eaten a large bowl of ice cream before bed and then proceeded to have trouble sleeping that night? Waking up frequently, bad dreams, thoughts racing through your brain are all signs of overstimulation frequently influenced by our diet. One ancillary benefit of avoiding carbohydrates for dinner might possibly be a better night’s sleep. A small and simple dinner requires less digestive energy to process the ingested food. One of the main hormones required for digestion is serotonin; which will decrease to low levels following a meal for several hours. Low serotonin levels can cause insomnia. Eating a small, early, and carbohydrate-free meal can be a key step in improving your natural sleep patterns.
Small, Early, and No Carb Meal Plan:
Planning a small, early, and no carb dinner is easy but does require advanced thought. Early in the week make a small menu for each night that you will be eating dinner at home. “Lean and 
Green” can be an easy reminder as far as what to plan for dinner. Lean protein with a green vegetable is a simple meal plan that delivers fantastic results. Fish, beef, chicken, turkey, or seafood can be the perfect anchor for your simple meal. Pair the lean protein with any green vegetable to round out your dinner plate. Kale chips, green beans, peas, mixed green salad, and steamed asparagus are some of our regular go to sides.
Below is a simple chicken recipe that is big on flavor but easy to prepare. Plate it beside one of the previously suggested green vegetables and you have a simple, early, and no carb dinner that is sure to please.
Lemon Butter Chicken:
Ingredients:
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 cups baby spinach, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Season chicken thighs with paprika, salt and pepper, to taste.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down, and sear both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side; drain excess fat and set aside.
- Melt remaining tablespoon butter in the skillet. Add garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, heavy cream, Parmesan, lemon juice and thyme.
- Bring to a boil; reduce heat, stir in spinach, and simmer until the spinach has wilted and the sauce has slightly thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Return chicken to the skillet.
- Place into oven and roast until completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 175 degrees F, about 25-30 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
The bottom line is, “No Carbs For Dinner” is a behavioral modification strategy. Behavioral modification is the key to changing anything in life. If you are looking to improve your health, you have to change the unhealthy behaviors that have led to your current condition. Any tool that causes you to change your behaviors consistently will eventually produce positive results. If it sounds like a gimmick, so what? If you eat less when you eat with your left hand instead of your usual right, or if you eat less when you eat only one color of food per day it doesn’t matter to me. One of my patients tried this. She gave up when she got to blue! As long as you’re eating a well-balanced diet and meeting your nutrient needs, whatever assistance you use to keep you on track is up to you.
If you are looking for more training on behavioral modification or some of our many other [LivFit] principles, you will want to attend our next [LivFit] seminar coming this fall. Call our Core, Roanoke office at 1-540-344-1055 or stop by for more information.
Look for our early registration special next month and bring a friend with you to the three-week seminar.
It is a life changing event for many and a lot of fun for all!
Dr. Daryl Rich, DC, CSCS
