Choosing to go with a low (at least a low-er) carb diet can have many benefits. In fact, did you realize there have been more than 20 studies in the past decade alone that show low-carb diets are more likely to help you lose weight and improve your overall health than purely cutting fat from your diet?

There aren’t many other diets that can compare if you have type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome or you’re overweight. If you’re reading this then there’s a good chance you or someone in your household fits into one of those three categories, seeing as they’re very prevalent health problems these days.

This study clearly shows that participants eating a low-carb diet had more reduction in hunger than those on a low-fat diet.

If you carry a lot of fat in your mid-sectoin, this is especially dangerous to your health. This deep visceral fat has been highly associated with some of the biggest health problems like heart disease and diabetes (not to mention it isn’t exactly attractive, like we all want to be!). In this study, participants on a low-fat diet lost more weight and burned more fat than those on a low-fat diet – especially around the mid-section. This was a short-term study, but there are many more out there that we’ll dig up for you as we have time.

The benefits of a low carbohydrate diet vs a low-fat diet continue to pile up as more studies are done. But plenty of people just can’t see living without their favorite Italian and pasta dishes. If you love, don’t worry… you won’t be left out on a limb.

What if we told that for less then $40 you could churn out healthy, low-carb, plant based pasta meals as often as you wanted? Yep, thanks to this handy spiral vegetable slicer, you can create pasta noodles from zucchini, eggplant, squash, carrots and more. Simply slice ’em to your preference, saute to your desired tenderness and add your favorite sauce and extras. Voila!

See it in action:

Not ready for something like that? You can still manage a low-car diet without throwing all the pasta out the window. Here’s something to get you started… Pizza lover’s, Spaghetti-Like Squash Casserole!

You Need:
Half pound of Italian sausage (or whatever kind you prefer)
4 c. spaghetti squash (cooked of course)
3 c. of your fave marina
2 eggs
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp oregano
½ tsp sea salt (please use sea salt and not regular!)
2 ½ ounces of pepperoni, more or less to your liking
½ c. parmesan
½ c. mozzarella

Now…
Once you got all your ingredients out and ready to roll, go ahead and set your oven to 350 F.
Get out a medium skillet , a medium bowl and a 9×9 (or similar) baking dish.
In your skillet, brown your sausage over medium-high heat until it’s done.
Put your eggs, marinara, and seasonings into a bowl and stir until well combined.
Put the spaghetti squash in your baking dish and cover with the sausage and marinara mix. Now give it a stir with the squash to create one evenly mixed layer.
Place half of your pepperoni on top.
Add a layer with your parmesean.
Add a layer of your mozzarella.
Lastly, finish off with the rest of your pepperoni.
Bake it for about 20 minutes until it’s heated thoroughly.
Enjoy! One serving of this this equals merely 11g of total carbs, roughly (it can vary according to the specific products you use, so check them). If you go by net carbs, then only about 8g.