Atkins Diet
The Atkins diet was created by cardiologist Robert Atkins in the 70s of the XX century. With the help of this diet, show business stars - Jennifer Lopez, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Jennifer Aniston lost weight.
When developing a diet, Atkins was based on natural metabolic processes: with a decrease in the proportion of carbohydrates in the diet, the body is forced to spend fat reserves (ketosis).
Dr. Atkins' diet has four phases.
The first phase is induction, which triggers the ketosis process. This is the main phase of the diet, which lasts 14 days. Weight loss - 2-6 kg per week.
First phase principles:
- fats and carbohydrates are consumed in moderation, with no more than 20 g of carbohydrates per day;
- the number of meals - from three to five per day at intervals of no more than six hours;
- you need to drink at least eight glasses of pure non-carbonated water a day;
- if constipation occurs, increase the amount of plant foods in the diet and take dietary fiber supplements.
The second phase is further weight loss. The duration of this phase for each losing weight is individual and ranges from two weeks to several years. It lasts until 3-5 extra pounds remain. In the second phase, weight loss is 500 g per week. The body gets used to ketosis.
Phase two principles:
- the consumption of carbohydrates every week increases by 5 g until the moment when the weight does not stop decreasing. If weight loss stops too quickly, you need to return to the previous amount of carbohydrates in the diet;
- the variety of the menu is increasing.
The third phase is transitional to weight maintenance. It starts from the moment you reach the desired weight. The purpose of this phase is to determine the balance between the amount of food and the needs of the body, to choose a diet.
Phase Three Principles:
- the amount of carbohydrates in the diet gradually increases - by 10 g per week. If the weight grows, you need to return to the previous amount of carbohydrates;
- the result of the use of newly introduced products is monitored;
- eat protein and moderate fat.
The fourth phase is weight maintenance. This phase is ideally lifelong.
Phase Four Principles:
- adhere to an individual critical level of carbohydrate intake;
- do not allow a set of more than 3 kg of excess weight;
- do not forget about regular physical activity.
Benefits of the Atkins diet
The Atkins diet is individual: weight loss is gradual, and a person learns to control appetite, select suitable foods and determine the critical level of carbohydrates.
Thanks to the body's burning of its own fats, weight loss begins literally from the first days of the diet.
The ketone bodies formed during metabolism block appetite, so the diet is easily tolerated.
According to the author of the diet, the general condition of the body improves as a result of the elimination of toxins with the loss of fat reserves. In addition, Dr. Atkins argued that protein foods normalize blood sugar levels, so the diet prevents headaches, muscle and joint pain, fatigue, and depression.
The presence of animal protein in the diet helps to prevent sagging and sagging skin during weight loss.
Disadvantages and contraindications of the Atkins diet
The Atkins diet is only suitable for healthy people. Official medicine treats this nutritional system ambiguously, since prolonged ketosis can lead to acidification of body tissues, exacerbation of chronic diseases and even coma.
The diet is contraindicated for endocrine diseases, kidney and pancreas diseases, diabetes mellitus, as well as during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Before starting a diet, you should consult your doctor.
What foods are allowed?
The list of permitted foods depends on the phase of the diet.
First phase:
- meat, poultry, fish;
- lobsters, shrimps, crabs, oysters;
- cheeses, eggs (boiled, fried, baked);
- vegetables and herbs (two to three cups a day) - preferred are celery, bell peppers, sorrel, radishes, parsley and dill, watercress, tsikorny salad, escariole salad, chicory, cucumbers; artichokes, turnips, tomatoes, carrots, kohlrabi, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts, broccoli, eggplant, pumpkin, onions, leeks, spinach, green legumes, asparagus are acceptable;
- thyme, rosemary, ginger, black and red chillies, garlic, basil;
- broth, herbal teas, black and green tea, coffee, lemon juice;
- sunflower, sesame, grape and soybean oil.
Second phase. To the products of the first phase, you can add (daily rate):
- heavy cream (1/2 cup);
- avocado (1/2);
- nuts and seeds - cashews (9 pcs.), roasted peanuts (26 pcs.), unpeeled sunflower seeds (3 tablespoons), pecans (31 pcs.), almonds (24 pcs.), walnuts (14 halves);
- melon (3/4 cup), strawberry (1/2 cup), raspberries (1/4 cup), blueberries (1/2 cup);
- tomato juice (100 ml).
Third phase. The following are added to previously authorized products (daily rate):
- carrots (1/2 cup), split peas (1/2 cup), beets (1/2 cup), potatoes (1/2 cup)
- apple (1/2), mango (1/3), banana (1/3), plum (1 pc.), watermelon (cup), kiwi (1 pc.), grapes (12 berries), peach (1 pc.).), cherry (12 pcs.);
- beans (1/4 cup), lentils (1/4 cup);
- rice, oats, barley (1/4 cup);
- nuts and seeds - almonds and pine nuts (1/2 cup), roasted peanuts and sunflower seeds (50 g), pecans and walnuts (3/4 cup), sesame seeds (1/3 cup), cashews (1/4 cup).
What foods are prohibited?
In the first phase of the Atkins diet, it is forbidden to eat bread and flour products, vegetables containing starch, nuts and seeds, and sugar.
In the subsequent phases of the diet, the list of prohibited foods is compiled individually for each losing weight. If a food is causing weight gain, increased appetite, or fluid retention (edema), the food should be removed from the diet.
Atkins diet menu
Since the list of permitted foods is extensive, the menu is compiled arbitrarily, taking into account the principles of diet.
Source: depositphotos.com
An example of the Atkins diet menu (second and third phases):
Option 1: low-fat cottage cheese (yogurt) and tea.
Option 2: scrambled eggs and bacon and green tea.
Option 1: boiled fish with rice, tea.
Option 2: ear, rye bread slice, tomato, orange, tea.
Option 3: baked veal, wild rice garnish, cucumber salad, tea.
Option 4: a slice of cheese, one cutlet.
Option 1: baked chicken, seafood salad, grapefruit.
Option 2: baked fish, vegetable and egg salad.
Option 3: boiled veal, stewed cauliflower.
Option 4: broth, beef liver, vegetable salad, tea.
Useful Tips
Advice 1. While following the Atkins diet, it is advisable to take a vitamin-mineral complex.
Tip 2. To avoid health problems, reduce weight gradually.
Tip 3. In the list of products, the volume is indicated in cups. This means that vegetables, herbs or fruits are chopped raw or after boiling, and then the required portion is separated.
Tip 4. If you smell acetone from the mouth, skin, urine, slow down the rate of weight loss and introduce additional carbohydrates into the diet.
3.5 out of 5
Low-carbohydrate diet based on metabolic changes: when the amount of carbohydrates from food is limited, the fat accumulated in the body is broken down and a person loses weight.
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