The
Daily
Fix
Rest
Japanese Curry Beef Bowl
Effects of a low carbohydrate diet on energy expenditure during weight loss maintenance
Rest day
Beef simmered in a spiced Japanese-style curry sauce with veggies, served over buttery cauliflower rice.
High-carb diets resulted in a metabolic slow-down compared to low-carb
Enjoy the recovery time, or make-up anything you missed from last week.
Ingredients
For the Curry Beef:
6 oz beef sirloin or chuck, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp ghee or butter
¼ cup onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup zucchini or daikon radish, diced (instead of potato)
¼ cup carrot, finely chopped (optional, minimal carb impact)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp curry powder (Japanese style or mild madras)
½ tsp turmeric
1 cup beef broth (no sugar added)
1 tsp coconut aminos
Salt and pepper, to taste
For the Cauliflower Rice:
1 cup cauliflower rice
1 Tbsp butter
Salt, to taste
Optional Garnish:
Sliced scallions or pickled ginger
Macronutrients
Protein: 42g
Fat: 40g
Carbs: 10g
Preparation
In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add cauliflower rice and a pinch of salt. Cook 5–6 minutes until tender and lightly golden. Set aside.
In another pan, heat ghee or butter. Add beef and season with salt and pepper. Sear for 3–4 minutes until browned. Remove and set aside.
In the same pan, add onion, garlic, and ginger. Sauté 2–3 minutes. Add zucchini and carrots. Cook for 4–5 minutes.
Add curry powder, turmeric, and coconut aminos. Stir, then pour in beef broth. Simmer for 5–7 minutes until sauce reduces and thickens slightly.
Add seared beef back to the pan. Simmer 1–2 minutes more to warm through.
Spoon curry beef and sauce over cauliflower rice. Garnish with scallions or pickled ginger if desired.
In this randomized controlled trial, adults first lost about 10–12% of their body weight on a calorie-restricted diet and were then assigned to low-, moderate-, or high-carbohydrate diets for 20 weeks while calories and protein were adjusted to maintain weight. Total daily energy expenditure was measured using doubly labeled water. Those consuming the high-carbohydrate diet showed a significantly greater reduction in energy expenditure than those eating low-carbohydrate diets.
Participants assigned to the low-carbohydrate diet burned hundreds more calories per day than those on the high-carbohydrate diet during weight-loss maintenance, indicating less adaptive metabolic slowdown. The effect was strongest in individuals with higher insulin secretion, suggesting that diet composition—not just calories—can meaningfully influence how the body responds metabolically after weight loss.
TUESDAY 260106