Cyclic low carb

When on a very low or low carb diet, and depending how adapted to it you are and what type of training you are doing, a cyclic low carb protocol may fit slightly better.

This is simply following your standard low carb diet for which you feel comfertable with, and keeping on this for around 4-7 days. At whatever time at the end of the cycle you start getting real craving for some carbs (not just because you saw a piece of cake in the fridge), you feel really down or low on energy, you have a top up. This is not really a cheat meal and shouldnt be looked at as such or you will just choose all the wrong foods. This is a higher carb day in which you can add more starch and fruits/veges to your meals for the whole day. Keep the options paleo (its NOT a cheat) or you will wind up feeling worse than before with the resulting insulin spike. This can reload your muscles and liver with glycogen and keep you going for another week or so. The exact amount is again going to depend on you and your carb tolerance. What works for one person may be to much for another and just make them drowsy and bloated. Work on around 200-300g total carbs for that day (smaller peaple at lower end of scale) and see how it goes. If you feel better the next day and can continue to work out at a good intensity then keep around that same amount or even try a bit more. If you simply feel bloated, tired and wake up starving the next day then it was to much.
This would easily replicate low carb periods of hunter gatherers with bursts of carb up days when finding a stash of fresh fruit or tubers.

This isnt for everyone and is simply another tool you can use to make YOUR diet work for YOU. Those with a large training volume/intensity or stressful days plus working out may find this useful.

Brett LOVES this idea as it gives him a chance to smash the pasta at the wog-fest every week :-). BSF is flying now!

Happy Christmas all, and remember: a whole turkey/ham (inc' skin) is still low carb paleo