Introduction
In this post, you will get the information about https://www.agresi.my.id/2022/01/the-atkins-diet-is-low-carb-high.html – The Atkins diet is a low-carb, high-fat, and high-protein diet that relies on ketogenesis for weight loss. The diet plan was created in the 1970s and has been popular ever since. It has also been demonized in the media repeatedly, although current research shows that it can be safe, and numerous studies have found that it is more effective than a low-fat diet.
By restricting your carbohydrate intake (while eating as much fat and proteins as you like) per serving, you should push your body into burning stored fat for energy rather than carbohydrates, thus reducing your overall body fat. Eating low-carb foods in this way can be effective for weight loss when conducted healthily.
On the Atkins diet, the low-carb diet is just one stage. Gradually, you will re-introduce more complex carbs to your diet without gaining weight and maintaining optimal health (so you won’t be stuck eating chicken salad forever more).
The Four Phases of the Atkins Diet
Phase 1—Induction
The most crucial stage of the Atkins diet is the induction phase, which lasts for two weeks. During this period, you must keep your carbohydrate intake below 20 grams daily. Since the average person consumes 250 grams of carbs daily, the induction period is also the most challenging part of this program.
At this stage, your food intake should come from allowed vegetables, meats, poultry, fish, and shellfish. It would help if you also increase your water consumption. (4) As the induction phase is the most restrictive aspect of the Atkins diet, you are not allowed to eat high-carb vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, carrots, peas, and others), high-carb fruits (bananas, oranges, apples, grapes, and pears), as well as legumes (chickpeas, beans, and lentils).
Because of dietary limitations, most dieters lose significant weight during the induction phase. You can lose an average of 2.5–5 kilograms (5–10 lbs) or more with the help of exercise. For information you can login https://www.agresi.my.id/2022/01/the-atkins-diet-is-low-carb-high.html
Phase 2—Balancing
Also known as the Ongoing Weight Loss Phase, the Balancing stage is where you slowly add more carbs to your diet. The number of carbohydrates you add should be low enough that you can continue to lose weight.
Every individual’s tolerance to carbs is different, so during this period, your goal is to find the maximum amount of carbohydrates you can consume daily while still losing around 1–3 lbs. per week. For information you can login https://www.agresi.my.id/2022/01/the-atkins-diet-is-low-carb-high.html
The length of the Balancing phase depends on your current weight and weight loss goals, but generally, it lasts until you only have between 5 to 10 lbs. left to lose. For some, it takes two months, and for others, two years.
Phase 3—Fine-Tuning
This phase of the Atkins diet is the Fine-Tuning stage, where your intake of carbohydrates is increased by 10 grams per week. You can eat pasta, bread, and other starchy foods during this period, but the amount should be kept way below the average level. The Fine-Tuning phase lasts until your weight loss decreases to 1 lb per week.
Phase 4—Maintenance
As the name indicates, the Maintenance phase is when you maintain healthy lifestyle changes in your weight and eating habits. At this stage, you can start adding more carbohydrates to your diet but go for healthy, complex carbs and avoid simple, processed carbs. You can return to phase 3 if you start gaining weight again.
Pros and Cons of Atkins Diet
There’s a reason why the Atkins diet is still one of the most popular regimens for weight management, but it doesn’t work for everyone.
Pros
- It puts the body in ketosis, which burns its stored fats instead of carbohydrates for energy. Unlike other diet regimens, it means you won’t feel hunger pangs.
- It is flexible because you can add carbohydrates to your diet once you reach a certain tolerance level.
- It can improve your body’s lipid and cholesterol levels, which is helpful for weight loss and lowering the risk of heart attacks and other diseases related to high cholesterol.
- It is ideal for meat lovers because the list of allowable foods contains many types of meat that are low in fat and high in energy.
Cons
- Carbohydrate depletion can keep you from sleeping soundly during the initial stages of dieting.
- It can lead to stones and other kidney-related diseases in people with pre-existing conditions affecting their kidneys.
- It can cause constipation, especially in the early phase, because the diet is low in fiber.
- You can be at risk of weight gain relapse if you don’t strictly follow the regimen. This is why following the Atkins diet often requires making several lifestyle changes.
7 Foods to Avoid in Atkins Diet
Following is the list of foods and drinks you must avoid following the Atkins Diet.
- Sugar: Soft drinks, fruit juices, cakes, candy, ice cream, etc.
- Grains: Wheat, spelled, rye, barley, rice.
- Vegetable Oils: Soybean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, etc.
- Trans fats: Usually found in processed foods with the word “hydrogenated” on the ingredients list.
- “Diet” and “low-fat” foods are usually very high in sugar.
- High-carb vegetables: Carrots, turnips, etc. (Induction phase only).
- High-carb fruits: Bananas, apples, oranges, pears, grapes (Induction phase only)
- Starches: Potatoes, sweet potatoes (Induction phase only).
- Legumes: Lentils, beans, chickpeas, etc. (Induction phase only).
Food To Eat In Atkins Diet
You must base your diet around these foods while on the Atkins diet:
- Meats: pork, lamb, chicken, bacon, and others
- Fatty fish and shellfish: Salmon, trout, sardines, and mackerel
- Eggs: Omega-3-enriched or pasture-raised: High in nutrients (16)
- Low-Carb Vegetables: Spinach, broccoli, asparagus, and others
- Full-fat dairy: Butter, cheese, cream, full-fat yogurt
- Nuts and seeds: macadamia nuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds
- Healthy fats: Extra virgin olive oil, avocado, and avocado oil
Build your meals around a high-fat protein source with lots of vegetables, nuts, and healthy fats. For information you can login https://www.agresi.my.id/2022/01/the-atkins-diet-is-low-carb-high.html
Can Vegetarians and Vegans Follow the Atkins Diet?
Yes, vegetarians and vegans can follow the Atkins diet. However, protein goals will be more difficult to meet because many protein sources, such as fish and meat (and dairy for vegans), are off-limits.
Knowing this, researchers in Toronto developed the Eco Atkins diet.31% of calories needed to come from protein (soy protein shakes, nuts, and veggie burgers for vegans, and eggs, cheese, and tofu for vegetarians), 43% from fat (olive oil, avocado, and nuts) and 26 percent carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, and whole grains).
A study published in 2014 found that participants lost about 15 pounds after six months on a vegetarian version of the Eco Atkins diet. For information you can login https://www.agresi.my.id/2022/01/the-atkins-diet-is-low-carb-high.html
Vegetarians and vegans on the Atkins diet should take a multivitamin and a fish oil supplement (or flaxseed oil for vegans) to ensure they get enough nutrients. It is also recommended that those on the Echo Atkins version of the diet go directly to Atkins 20 Phase 2 or Atkins 40 because the induction phase can be challenging.
What are the Side Effects of the Atkins Diet
This diet tells that cutting carbs too quickly on the program can cause some side effects, including:
- Headache
- Dizziness
- weakness
- Tiredness
- constipation
Some very low-carb diets also limit carbs so much that you don’t have enough nutrients or fiber, leading to health problems like constipation, diarrhea, and nausea. However, eating high-fiber, whole-grain, nutrient-dense carbohydrates may improve the health profile of programs such as the Atkins diet. For information you can login https://www.agresi.my.id/2022/01/the-atkins-diet-is-low-carb-high.html
It’s also likely that restricting carbohydrates to less than 20 grams per day, the level recommended for Phase 1 of the diet, could lead to ketosis. Ketosis happens when you don’t have enough carbohydrates to break down into sugar (glucose) for energy. So your body breaks down stored fat, and this causes ketones to form in your body. Side effects of ketosis can include nausea, headache, mental fatigue, and bad breath.
Conclusion
The primary purpose of this diet is to change your eating ways to help you lose weight and keep it off. The Atkins diet is also said to be a healthy approach to eating for life. He says it’s a healthy approach if you want to lose weight, increase your energy, or improve health problems like high blood pressure or metabolic syndrome. For information you can login https://www.agresi.my.id/2022/01/the-atkins-diet-is-low-carb-high.html