Tim Noakes Low Carb Diet

Tim Noakes LCHF Diet

Is Prof Noakes’ LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) diet, also known as the Tim Noakes Banting diet, a load of crock or the real deal to losing weight, improving your health and dodging diabetes?

William Banting, become famous for limiting the consumption of carbohydrates, especially refined simple carbs, which he did to successfully combat his obesity.

This way of eating was suggested by his physician at the time, Dr Dr. William Harvey, who had learned of the direct relationship between carbohydrate and diabetes.

Anyway back to the Tim Noakes Banting diet also known as the LCHF diet in South Africa…

For anyone who doesn’t know, Tim Noakes’ published views on how carbohydrates contribute to obesity, diabetes, heart disease and poor health and how cutting them out of your diet can lead to significant weight loss as well as improved health, has lead to one of the biggest scientific/nutritional controversies ever seen in South Africa.

So what made a highly respected Professor and sports scientist do a complete U-turn on his previous views of following a diet high in carbohydrates?

What Triggered Noakes’ Low Carb Diet Obsession?

According to Tim Noakes it all started by witnessing the deteriorating health of his father who had developed type-2 diabetes.

He saw first hand how this disease, and being forced to eat a high-carb low-fat diet, made him increasingly more ill and eventually claimed both of his legs before he ultimately died of diabetes.

The scary thing was that years later Noakes saw himself going the same way in terms of his weight and health despite following the “healthy” diet of the time being one rich in carbs and low in fat and despite being very active – he was a veteran of more than 70 marathons & ultra marathons.

If you’re tired of feeling listless & overweight then this guide to the LCHF Paleo diet will have you eating a healthy wholesome diet which could help you lose significant amounts of weight naturally & feel more energetic…

His energy levels were becoming lower and he eventually struggled to just go out jogging without feeling awful until one day he received one of those emails you usually delete without a second thought.

It said “Lose six kilos in six weeks – without hunger”

Intrigued by the “without hunger” part (as we are conditioned to think that weight loss cannot be achieved without being hungry) he saw that the email was promoting a dietary book by 3 scientists whose research he respected.

Furthermore, part of their research had involved putting Paul Newby-Fraser (8 times IronMan world champion) on a high fat diet who went on to say that the dietary advice she had been given was the determining factor in the success of her athletic achievements.

Anyway after purchasing the book that day, Noakes cut carbohydrates out of his diet on that very day and he goes on to say that in the following weeks & months the weight just melted off him and his strength returned.

Because I had more energy, I started training properly and suddenly I realised I was enjoying it, in fact I felt amazing – Prof Tim Noakes

This Is What His Adversaries Have Been Saying About His LCHF Diet

Many of his colleagues & contemporaries are vehemently opposed to his views on what constitutes healthy nutrition and the dietary advice he now dishes out to those looking for natural weight loss and improved health.

In fact some dieticians, medical professionals and organisations such as the Health Professions Council Of SA, The Heart Foundation Of SA as well as The Sports Sceince Institute Of SA have been opposed to a high fat, low carb diet. Ironically Noakes was the co-founder of the 2 last mentioned organisations.

Noakes even admits that going public with his new “evidence” of the benefits of the LCHF diet was an extremely difficult decision.

He goes on to say that the first article he wrote for the Discovery Health magazine was to be “the most contentious article I will ever write“.

In Support Of the Low Carb, High Fat Diet

Firstly I am not a dietician or scientist and therefore I am not qualified to advocate any specific diet or eating plan even though I am a staunch supporter of the LCHF diet.

So, whilst I have had really encouraging results from the low carb, high fat styled Paleo diet, I will argue that no one should be allowed to advocate a certain diet or give nutritional advice before reading the following, highly relevant & important books;

• The Diet Delusion by Gary Taubes
• Bad Science by Ben Goldacre
• The Real Meal Revolution by Tim Noakes (actually this one is more for your own interest and the wonderful LCHF recipes)

After reading the first 2 books above I will be amazed if your views on what you should be eating aren’t changed forever.

You will learn that everyone has different dietary needs, which is exactly what Tim Noakes says.  Noakes has also never said that high carb diets (low fat) are dangerous for everyone and goes to great pains to say that cutting carbs right out of your diet is beneficial specifically for those who are CR (Carb Resistant) or diabetics.

Whilst there are plenty of resources available to do your own research and form your own opinion you are well advised to look for referenced scientific back up when outrageous claims are made by so called dieticians & nutritionists.

Real scientists usually respond to issues without scientific proof with measured caution whereas non-creditable sources often quote opinions with something like “recent studies show……” or subjective anecdotal evidence of “clinical trials have shown that low carb diets can be harmful…” without being able to provide a reference to the so called clinical trials they refer to.

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So it would be wise to listen to scientists and registered dieticians who say some thing like “We advise caution when embarking on any new diet, however the evidence available shows promising results when it comes to eating a low carb high fat diet. You are advised to consult your medical practioner if in doubt” and not someone who denounces it outright without providing scientific evidence or reference to clinical studies.