5 Ways Low Carb Improves Health

dieting low carb mindset tips May 23, 2025

As most of you know, we are all about health.

There is a fine line between toxic diet culture and changing behaviours to improve health.

At its heart, diet culture promotes weight loss at any cost. In other words, it doesn't matter how you get there as long as you lose weight. Subtext: “thin people are better than fat people”.

This is profoundly wrong on so many levels.

Your worth as a human is not tied to your external appearance, despite what society and commercialism tell us.

Our favourite acronym is HOTI- Healthy On The Inside, is the foundation on which we build all our programs.

Healthy over skinny.

You can improve your metabolic health with powerful lifestyle interventions including lowering carbohydrates

Here are 5 ways lowering carbs can improve health:

#1 Improved Insulin Resistance

Insulin resistance is a core feature of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Research consistently shows that reducing carbohydrate intake improves insulin sensitivity. Studies demonstrate that even short-term reduction in carbohydrates can lower insulin resistance by over 30% in healthy adults, and longer interventions lead to improvements in insulin-resistant dyslipoproteinaemia and other metabolic markers. These changes are observed independently of weight loss and can occur rapidly after switching to a low carbohydrate diet.

#2 Better Blood Sugar Control in Diabetes

Cutting back on carbohydrates can significantly improve blood glucose management for people with type 2 diabetes. Meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials show that low carbohydrate diets lower HbA1c and fasting plasma glucose, reduce triglycerides, and increase HDL cholesterol. These improvements are seen alongside weight loss and reductions in medication requirements, making this approach a valuable option for diabetes management.

#3 Lower Blood Pressure

Low carbohydrate diets are associated with meaningful reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. A systematic review and meta-analysis found that people following a low carbohydrate approach experienced greater drops in blood pressure compared to those on other diets, which is beneficial for heart and vascular health.

#4 Effective Weight Loss

Low carbohydrate diets consistently lead to greater weight loss, especially in the first 6–12 months, compared to low fat or other dietary approaches. This effect is linked to reduced hunger, increased satiety, and metabolic changes that favour fat loss.

#5 Reduced Symptoms of Carb Addiction

Some individuals develop addictive-like symptoms with ultra-processed or high glycaemic index carbohydrates. Clinical studies and practitioner audits show that reducing carbohydrates can help lessen food addiction symptoms, binge eating, and related behaviours, supporting better mental and metabolic health.

Low carbohydrate and psychoeducational programs show promise for the treatment of ultra-processed food addiction

With love and great health

Dr Lucy and Dr Mary XX

Dr Mary Barson and Dr Lucy are the founders of Real Life Medicine. They help women who have been on every diet under the sun, optimise their health and achieve long lasting weight loss without feeling miserable or deprived.

They do this with their 3 step framework that

Improves metabolism
Develops mindset skills
Provides tools to implement it easily into busy lives

With this comes increased energy, vitality and confidence.

You can avoid chronic disease and stop living life on the sidelines!