diet is the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism. The word diet often implies the use of specific intake of nutrition for health or weight-management reasons so it is not only aimed at weight loss(or more accurately fat loss).
The Atkins Diet is a popular low carbohydrate eating plan developed in the 1960s by cardiologist Robert C. Atkins. The Atkins Diet restricts carbs (carbohydrates) while emphasizing protein and fats. According to Dr. Atkins, the main reason for fat gain is the consumption of refined carbohydrates, or carbs, especially sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and flour.
The Atkins Diet says its approach to carbs will burn off your body’s fat stores, regulate your blood sugar and help you achieve optimal health, while not leaving you feeling hungry or deprived. Once you’re at your goal weight, the Atkins Diet also says it will help you identify your personal carbohydrate tolerance — the number of grams of net carbs you can eat each day without gaining or losing weight.
The main dietary focus of the Atkins Diet is eating the right balance of carbohydrates, protein and fats for optimal weight loss and health(it is not super low carbs). According to the Atkins Diet, obesity and related health problems, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease, are the fault of the typical low-fat, high-carbohydrate American diet. The Atkins Diet says that you don’t need to avoid fatty cuts of meat or trim off excess fat. Rather, controlling carbs is what’s important.
The Atkins diet is the predecessor of ketogenic diet, but there are few differences. Carb intake is higher and fat intake is lower in Atkins compared to keto.
The Atkins diet is predominantly used for fat loss and aims to help a person lose weight by limiting carbohydrates and controlling insulin levels.
Most people can lose weight on almost any diet plan that restricts calories — at least in the short term. Over the long term, though, studies show that low-carb diets like the Atkins Diet are no more effective for weight loss than are standard weight-loss diets and that most people regain the weight they lost regardless of diet plan.
This diet was also created with the aim of laying a permanent foundation for disease prevention.
glycemic index (GI) is a scale that ranks carbohydrates, or carbs, from 0 to 100, depending on how quickly they increase blood sugar levels after consumption, and by how much.
Refined carbs, such as white bread and candy, contain high levels of glucose. These foods have high GI scores, as their carbs enter the blood rapidly, causing a glucose spike.
Other types of carbs, such as beans, do not affect blood glucose levels so quickly or severely. They have a low glycemic load and score lower on the glycemic index.
According to the American Dietetic Association, low-carbohydrate diets trigger short-term weight loss through a process called ketosis. This process kicks in when your body is in short supply of carbohydrates, a prime source of energy for the entire body, but especially for the brain, which operates exclusively on carbohydrates.
During ketosis, your carbohydrate-depleted body grabs other sources, including ketones from stored fat or protein from muscle, to satisfy daily energy needs. This can lead to ketoacidosis, a state similar to that of diabetes. This type of diet can trigger weight loss, but it can have the kinds of negative long-term effects on health that Barnard mentions.
what are Net carbs?
The Atkins Diet doesn’t require calorie counting or portion control. It does require you to track your carbs, though. It uses a system called net carbs, which is the total carbohydrate content of an item minus its fiber content. For example, a half-cup (4 ounces) of raw broccoli has 2.3 grams of total carbs and 1.3 grams of fiber, putting its net carb value at 1 gram.
Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber and sugar alcohols. Sugar alcohols have a minimal effect on blood sugar levels. According to Dr. Atkins, the best carbs are those with a low glycemic load.
Fruits and grains are high in carbs, and a person on the Atkins diet restricts these, especially in the early stages. However, these foods are also good sources of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants.
The main reason why low-carb diets are so effective for weight loss is that a reduction in carbs and increased protein intake lead to reduced appetite, making you eat fewer calories without having to think about it.
Atkins promoters claim that you can lose weight while eating as much protein and fat as you want, as long as you avoid foods high in carbs. Although the health effects are highly debated.
Meanwhile, The Atkins Diet claims its eating plan can prevent or improve serious health conditions, such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. In fact, almost any diet that helps you shed excess weight can reduce or even reverse risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
most weight-loss diets — not just low-carb diets — may improve blood cholesterol or blood sugar levels, at least temporarily. One study showed that people who followed the Atkins Diet had improved triglycerides, suggesting better heart health. But there have been no major studies to show whether such benefits hold up for the long term or increase how long you live. When glucose levels are low, insulin levels are also low, and ketosis occurs. In other words, when glucose levels are low, the body switches to using its fat stores, as well as dietary fat, for energy. In theory, this can help a person lose body fat and weight.
Some health experts believe that eating a large amount of fat and protein from animal sources, as allowed on the Atkins Diet, can increase your risk of heart disease or some cancers. However, it’s not known what risks, if any, the Atkins Diet may pose over the long term because most of the studies about it have lasted for two years or less.
Before a person eats, their glucose levels are low, so their insulin levels are also low. When that person eats, their glucose levels rise, and the body produces more insulin to help it use glucose.
In the summer of 2002, both Time magazine and The Sunday New York Times Magazine have published much-talked-about stories that say Atkins may not be as bad for heart health as previously believed. These stories were sparked in part by a recent study from researchers at Duke University showing most people who ate a high-protein, low-carb diet for six months lost 20 pounds.
what foods you should avoid in atkins diets?
You should avoid these foods on the Atkins diet:
• Sugar: Soft drinks, fruit juices, cakes, candy, ice cream, etc.
• Grains: Wheat, spelt, rye, barley, rice.
• Vegetable oils: Soybean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, canola oil and a few others.
• Trans fats: Usually found in processed foods with the word “hydrogenated” on the ingredients list.
• “Diet” and “low-fat” foods: These are usually very high in sugar.
• High-carb vegetables: Carrots, turnips, etc (induction only).
• High-carb fruits: Bananas, apples, oranges, pears, grapes (induction only).
• Starches: Potatoes, sweet potatoes (induction only).
• Legumes: Lentils, beans, chickpeas, etc. (induction only).
what foods you should eat in atkins diets?
You should base your diet around these healthy foods.
• Meats: Beef, chicken, lamb, pork, bacon.
• Fatty fish: Salmon, trout, etc.
• Shrimp and shellfish.
• Eggs.
• Dairy: Greek yogurt, heavy cream, butter, cheese.
• Vegetables: Spinach, kale, lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, onions, etc.
• Berries: Blueberries, strawberries, etc.
• Nuts: Almonds, macadamia nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, etc.
• Seeds: Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.
• Fruits: Apples, pears, oranges.
• Coconut oil.
• Olives.
• Extra virgin olive oil.
• Dark chocolate.
• Avocados.
• Condiments: Sea salt, pepper, turmeric, cinnamon, garlic, parsley, etc.
the Atkins diet is quite flexible.
It’s only during the two-week induction phase that you need to minimize your intake of carb sources.
After induction is over, you can slowly add back healthier carbs such as higher-carb vegetables, fruits, berries, potatoes, legumes and healthier grains like oats and rice.
However, chances are that you will need to stay moderately low-carb for life, even if you reach your weight loss goals.
If you start eating the same old foods again in the same amounts as before, you will gain back the weight. This is true of any weight loss diet.
Phases of the Atkins Diet
The Atkins Diet has four phases. Depending on your weight-loss goals, you can start at any of the first three phases.
• Phase 1: Induction. A person consumes less than 20 grams (g) of carbs each day. At this stage, carbs come mainly from salad and vegetables, which are low in starch. The dieter eats high fat, high protein food with low carb vegetables, such as leafy greens.
You should eat protein, such as fish and shellfish, poultry, meat, eggs, and cheese, at every meal. You don’t need to restrict oils and fats, but you can’t have most fruits, sugary baked goods, breads, pastas, grains, nuts or alcohol. You should drink eight glasses of water a day. You stay in this phase for at least two weeks, depending on your weight loss.
• Phase 2: Balancing. In this phase, you continue to eat a minimum of 12 to 15 grams of net carbs as foundation vegetables. You also continue to avoid foods with added sugar. You can slowly add back in some nutrient-rich carbs, such as more vegetables and berries, nuts, and seeds, as you continue to lose weight. You stay in this phase until you’re about 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms) from your goal weight.
• Phase 3: Pre-maintenance. In this phase, you continue to gradually increase the range of foods you can eat, including fruits, starchy vegetables and whole grains. You can add about 10 grams of carbs to your diet each week, but you must cut back if your weight loss stops. You stay in this phase until you reach your goal weight.
• Phase 4: Lifetime maintenance. The dieter starts adding a wider range of carbs sources, while carefully monitoring their weight to ensure it does not go up.
When you’re overweight, shedding pounds can improve your health, and we know the Atkins diet works. But it’s still unclear how the higher amounts of animal protein and fat in the Atkins diet affect long-term health.
Recent research suggests that people on the Atkins diet who chose foods rich in plant fat and protein did better with their health than those who went with the diet rich in animal fat and protein.
If you have diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, or high cholesterol, talk to your doctor before starting this diet to make sure the balance of carbs, fat, and protein is right for you.
The Atkins diet has never been evaluated in a large, randomized controlled trial — the only type of study that convinces doctors that something works, or doesn’t — until now. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine is funding such a study. Gary Foster, PhD, a psychologist with the University of Pennsylvania’s Eating Disorders Clinic is heading this new study to assess the short-term and long-term effects of the Atkins diet in 360 obese men and women.