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Atkins diet

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The Atkins diet, officially called the Atkins Nutritional Approach, is a low-carbohydrate diet created by Robert Atkins from a research paper he read in the Journal of the American Medical Association published by Gordon Azar and Walter Lyons Bloom. Atkins stated that he used the study to resolve his own overweight condition. He later popularized it in a series of books, starting with Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution in 1972. In his second book, Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution, he modified or changed parts of the diet but did not alter the original concepts. (wikipedia.org).

 

The basic principle remains to train your body to burn more fat by cutting back on sugars and other refined carbohydrates. Dieters count carbs, not calories. The diet is based on the theory that overweight people eat too many carbohydrates. Our bodies burn both fat and carbohydrates for energy, but carbs are used first. By drastically reducing carbs and eating more protein and fat, our bodies naturally lose weight by burning stored body fat more efficiently.

 

How it works: By restricting carbohydrates drastically to a mere fraction of that found in the typical American diet, the body goes into a state of ketosis, which means it burns its own fat for fuel. As a result, your body changes from a carbohydrate-burning engine into a fat-burning engine. the Atkins theory, if the body keeps on making "too much" insulin -- as it tries to deal with the "excess" sugar -- it may become less responsive to insulin and eventually may develop the metabolic disorder, diabetes. The Atkins theory states that this should properly be called "unstable blood sugar" since the blood sugar level rises and then drops quickly.

 

At first, to get started on the Atkins Diet you should learn all about it.

 

	The New Atkins for a New You by Eric Westman, Stephan Phinney, and Jeff Volek (2010)
	Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution by Robert Atkins, MD
	Atkins for Life: The Complete Controlled Carb Program for Permanent Weight Loss by Robert Atkins, MD
	Atkins for Life Low Carb Cookbook by Veronica Atkins

Foods typically allowed in Atkins Diet
	Steak
	Bacon (limited to two slices)
	Pork chops
	Fish
	Lamb
	Chicken
	Nuts and seeds (1 to 2 ounces)
	Eggs
	Cheese (limited to 3 ounces)
	Regular high-fat salad dressing
	Olive oil and other vegetable oils
	Butter
	Three to four cups of vegetables such as lettuces (endive, radicchio), asparagus, snow peas, broccoli, spinach, cauliflower and peppers
	Beverages such as water, club soda, cream (limited to 2 or 3 tablespoons a day), decaffeinated coffee or tea
	Fruits such as strawberries, raspberries, mlons and peaches

 

 

Foods Eliminated in Atkins Diet
	Sweets (candy, cake, cookies)
	Potatoes
	Rice
	Pasta
	Cereals
	Crackers
	Breads (whole grains, French)
	Some vegetables such as peas and corn
	Fruits such as bananas, apples, raisins, figs and papayas

 

 

Atkins Diet Tips to Help You Lose Weight
	If what you are eating has less than 1 carb, count it as 1 carb just to be sure.
	Eat adequately and regularly. While portion sizes and calories do matter, it is necessary that you do eat enough. Atkins devotees should aim to eat three main meals a day, alongside two snacks.
	Totally avoid caffeine at least for the first two weeks on the program.
	Drink a MINIMUM of 8 glasses of plain water or seltzer daily. Intake of adequate water is important as it assists in digestion.
	Eat vegetables ! Atkins diet isn’t a ‘no carb’ diet, but a ‘low carb’ diet. While veggies do have carbs, they also contain fiber and other important nutrients. A cup of raw crudités with low-fat cottage cheese or guacamole is a great Atkins snack. However, steer clear of carrots and, instead, opt for broccoli, cauliflower, celery, courgette and radishes.
	Almost every diet is incomplete without exercise and the same goes for Atkins.
	Curb your calories !The Atkins Diet is not an excuse to consume more calories. Like many other diets, women should aim to eat no more than 1,800 calories per day.
	Make sure you're taking a daily multivitamin with potassium, magnesium and calcium, but without iron. Also, a daily helping of Omega 3 and 6 is a must.
	If you do fancy a drink, clear spirits like vodka, tequila and gin have low carb counts, and should be mixed with soda rather than fruit juice. A martini is your perfect Atkins-friendly cocktail and, if you must drink wine, white is lower in carbs than red.
	Many people believe fruit, with its high natural sugar content, is banned on the Atkins diet. Not so. Most varieties of melon, alongside raspberries, strawberries and blueberries have low carb contents. However, avoid dried fruit at all costs.
	Don't weigh yourself more than once a week.
	Take starting measurements as well as weight - sometimes you'll lose inches before pounds.
	Avoid any type of "low carb" sweetener for the first two weeks.
	Do check the labels of packed food that you buy (even meat products) as they can have hidden sugar.
	Stress often has a negative effect on weight loss programs.
	Sleep well as it affects our well being. As per research, less than 7 hours sleep each night makes weight loss a harder process.
	Don't compare your loss to someone else's - this is a YMMV thing (your milage may vary).
	While cheese is something that you can eat, do not overdo it. Your cheese intake should not exceed more than a couple of ounces everyday.
	Dessert can include low carb fruits. You can still eat pudding with Atkins. Try a cheesecake with a crust of crushed pine nuts and macadamia nuts and a topping of cream cheese, vanilla extract, grated lemon zest and blueberries. Click on the link below for the full recipe.
	If you follow your plan closely and don't lose any weight, consider Candida as a possibility and avoid vinegar, cheese, mushrooms and any other fermented food.
	Try and avoid a barrage of artificially sweetened food. This can result in ‘food cravings’.
	Cholesterol can be elevated in the first few weeks til your body adjusts - make sure your doctor knows that you're doing low carb and when you started.
	Don't blame the diet if you don't read your plan book -- blame the diet if you don't read the labels -- Don't blame the diet if you don't follow the diet.

 

Atkins Diet Induction Phase sample recipes and menus
 

  These meal plans contain no more than 20 grams of Net Carbs per day. Dress salad greens only with oils and vinegar unless otherwise specified.
 

Atkins Diet Ongoing Weight Loss Phase sample recipes and menus
 

  These meal plans contain no more than 45 grams of Net Carbs per day. Remember your own Critical Carbohydrate level for losing may be higher or lower.
 

Atkins Diet Lifetime Maintenance Phase sample recipes and menus

  These meal plans contain no more than 75 grams of Net Carbs per day.

 

 

 

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