Menu for the Atkins Diet – The temptation of fatty foods can instantly destroy the strict diet efforts that you have been guarding so desperately. It will be more fun if you don’t have to worry about it. Introducing, this is the Atkins diet, the principle that you are allowed to eat fat.
What is?
The Atkins diet is a diet that is high in fat and protein but low in carbohydrates. This diet was initiated by a doctor named Robert C. Atkins in the ’60s.
Robert Atkins created this eating plan with the idea that carbohydrates have a greater impact on your health and weight than fat.
At first glance, a high-fat diet is not suitable for health. Fatty foods themselves are associated with increased cholesterol and the risk of other chronic diseases.
However, more than 20 studies over the past 12 years have suggested the Atkins diet is good for weight loss.
Not all types of fat are bad. The body still needs unsaturated fats to help carry out its normal functions. These fats protect heart health, control blood sugar, and help reduce weight.
Therefore, the Atkins diet food menu is a food source that contains pure protein (low fat), a healthy fat called HDL, and high-fiber vegetables.
In addition, this diet is also low in carbohydrates, so it can increase the body’s metabolic processes by burning more fat stores.
Guide
The Atkins diet is divided into four phases. In each phase, the limits on carbohydrate intake that you are allowed to consume will be looser. Below is the full explanation.
Induction Phase
The induction phase is the period when the body switches its energy sources from carbohydrates to fats. This process is called the state of ketosis.
During this phase, you should not consume more than 20 grams of carbohydrates in 2 weeks. For an even better choice, make vegetables your source of carbohydrates.
You have to multiply foods that contain healthy fats, high protein, and low-carbohydrate green vegetables to accelerate weight loss.
Balancing Phase
The foods you can eat in the second phase of the Atkins diet are not much different from the previous phases. However, you can slowly add nuts, low-carb vegetables, and small amounts of fruit to your diet.
You can consume these foods approximately 15-20 grams per serving. You also still have to avoid foods that contain a lot of sugar.
Fine-tuning Phase
When you are close to your desired weight, add small amounts of carbohydrates to your diet (about 10 grams each week) until you slowly lose weight. These provisions enter the phase of fine-tuning.
You can get a source of carbohydrates from several foods such as brown rice, black rice, oatmeal, or quinoa.
Maintenance Phase
In this phase, you can eat a variety of healthy carbohydrates because your body has tolerated them without increasing your weight.
Some people, especially vegetarians, choose to skip the induction phase of the Atkins diet and start by eating lots of vegetables and fruit. You who are vegetarians can follow this method and still get satisfying results.
But unfortunately, these four phases are a little complicated to do. Luckily, you can lose weight and keep it off as long as you stick to the rules.
What to Avoid and What to Consume
The Atkins diet does not have definite rules about foods that are prohibited or recommended. However, of course, there are some foods that you should avoid and consume while on this diet.
Below are the foods you should avoid while on the Atkins diet.
- Sugar: soft drinks, fruit juices, cakes, candy, ice cream, and so on.
- Whole grains: wheat, spelled, rye, barley, rice.
- Vegetable oils: soybean oil, corn oil, canola oil, and a few others.
- Saturated oil: contained in processed foods with the word “hydrogenated”, in the composition chart.
- Foods labeled “low-fat“: these foods are high in sugar.
- High-carbohydrate vegetables: carrots, and turnips (only during the induction phase).
- High-carbohydrate fruit: bananas, apples, oranges, pears, and grapes (only during the induction phase).
- Starch: potato, sweet potato (only during induction phase).
- Legumes: lentils, chickpeas (only during the induction phase).
Meanwhile, the foods that you may consume while on the Atkins diet include the following.
- Meat: beef, pork, lamb, chicken, bacon, etc.
- Seafood: salmon, sardines, and others.
- Eggs: the healthiest eggs are those that contain omega-3s
- Low-carb vegetables: kale, spinach, broccoli, asparagus.
- Full-fat dairy: butter, cheese, cream, full-fat yogurt.
- Nuts: almonds, macadamia, walnuts, sunflower seeds.
- Healthy fats: extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, avocado, and avocado oil.
Pros and Cons
As long as the basis of your diet is a high-fat protein with vegetables or nuts and some healthy fats, you can lose weight.
In addition to losing weight, when done correctly, the Atkins diet is believed to prevent you from the risk of metabolic syndrome, diabetes, high blood pressure (hypertension), and heart disease.
However, you also have to be careful, because this diet can cause side effects in some people.
Undergoing a diet program with rules of consuming very low carbohydrate intake can make fluids in the body unbalanced and cause symptoms such as dizziness and fatigue.
If it continues, this will lead to constipation (constipation), lack of blood sugar levels, and kidney problems.
Since there are no strict restrictions on the foods you are allowed to eat on the Atkins diet, it can lead you to “lose your mind” and choose unhealthy foods such as processed meats or fast food.
Therefore, if you want to live a healthy diet, consume foods with balanced nutrition.
For those of you who have certain conditions such as disease or have a higher weight, you can consult a doctor and nutritionist to determine the appropriate diet.
Conclusion
Following an Atkins Diet menu can lead to effective weight loss, improved blood sugar control, and reduced risk factors for chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. The diet’s focus on protein and healthy fats helps promote feelings of satiety and can lead to reduced cravings for unhealthy, high-carbohydrate foods.
