An In-Depth Look Into The Atkins Diet

For the most part, dieting and having a proper and healthy diet is something that a lot of people in Malaysia tend to focus on. Also, a lot of people are getting on the train of developing a low carb diet in Malaysia.

In this article, we will be taking a closer and better look at a diet which fits this criteria perfect, the Atkins diet. For the people out there who are unaware of this, the Atkins diet is basically a low carb diet, one that is usually recommended for aiding you in weight loss. Proponents of this particular type of diet claim that you can lose weight despite eating as much protein and fat as you would wish to, this rule applies as long as you avoid foods which are high in carbs. In the past couple of years, an exuberant amount of studies conducted has shown that low carb diets without the need for calorie counting are still effective for your weight loss and may lead to various and different health improvements.

The Atkins diet was initially promoted by the well-known physician Dr. Robert C. Atkins, who wrote a bestselling book about this in 1972. Ever since, the Atkins diet has been very popular all across the world with many more books having been written about this. This diet was originally considered to be unhealthy and demonized by the mainstream health authorities, mainly due to the high saturated fat content. However, newer studies have suggested that saturated fat is actually harmless. Ever since, the diet has been studied thoroughly and has shown to lead to more weight loss and some greater improvements in blood sugar, good HDL cholesterol, triglycerides and also other health markers in comparison to low fat diets.

In spite of this diet being high in fat, it does not increase bad LDL cholesterol on average, though this does tend to happen in a subset of individuals. The primary reason why low carb diets are proven to be so effective for weight loss is that a reduction in carbs and increased protein intake leads to reduced appetite, making you eat even fewer calories without having to bother about it.

THE ATKINS DIET IS A 4 PHASED PLAN
The Atkins diet can be separated into 4 different phases which eventually help you to lose weight by following and sticking to a certain criteria. The phase 1 is the induction process where you have to consume less than 20 grams of carbs in a day for a minimum of 2 weeks. Consume high fat, high protein, with low carb vegetables such as leafy greens. This phase will kick start your weight loss. The phase 2 is the balancing where you slowly start to add more nuts, low carb vegetables and also a small amount of fruits back into your diet. The phase 3 is the fine-tuning, this is when you are very close to your ideal weight goal, in this phase you will need to add more carbs to your diet until the weight loss process slows down.

The final phase is the phase 4 which is maintenance, this is where you can have as many healthy carbs as your body can tolerate and absorb without you starting to regain weight. However, some of these phases may be a bit complicated and may not be very necessary for you and your body. You should be able to lose some weight and keep it off as long as you follow the meal plan below. Some people also opt to skip the induction phase altogether and they choose to include plenty of vegetables as well as fruit from the get go. This approach may be pretty effective for you as well. Keep in mind that this comes down to you and your body type.



FOODS TO AVOID
These are the foods that you need to avoid while you are on a Atkins diet plan. Sugar: Such as soft drinks, fruit juices, cakes, candy, ice cream, and so on. Grains: Such as wheat, rye, barley, rice. Vegetable oils: Such as soybean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, canola oil as well as a few others. Trans fats: This can usually be found in processed foods with the word hydrogenated on its ingredients list.

Diet and also low fat foods: Because these may actually be very high in sugar. High carb vegetables: Such as carrots, turnips, and so on, but this is needed for the induction phase only. High carb fruits: Such as bananas, apples, oranges, pears, grapes, this is also needed in the induction phase only. Starches: Such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, this refers to the induction phase as well. Legumes: Such as lentils, beans, chickpeas, and so on. This too is for the induction phase.



FOODS TO CONSUME
Your diet should be based around these particular healthy foods. Meats: Such as beef, pork, lamb, chicken, bacon and also others. Fatty fish and seafood: Such as salmon, trout, sardines, and so on. Eggs: The healthiest eggs you should be consuming are omega 3 enriched or pastured eggs. Low carb vegetables: Such as kale, spinach, broccoli, asparagus and also others. Full fat dairy: Such as butter, cheese, cream, as well as full fat yogurt. Nuts and seeds: Such as almonds, macadamia nuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, and so on. Healthy fats: Such as extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, avocados and as well as avocado oil.

The rule is this, as long as you base your meals around a fatty protein source along with vegetables or nuts and a certain amount of healthy fats, you will begin losing weight. It is that simple. And as for your beverages, water should always be your go to beverage. Coffee is also acceptable as studies have shown that coffee is high in antioxidants and also quite healthy. You should also consider adding in some green tea to your diet as it is a very healthy beverage. Alcohol is also acceptable, but in controlled amounts and make sure that you do not go over the top with the amounts that you consume.

And finally, here are a couple of benefits that the Atkins diet may bring to your journey to losing weight and maintaining that ideal weight goal.

HELPS WITH WEIGHT LOSS
This one is pretty self-explanatory. Unlike many other weight loss diets out there that involve counting your calories and also a strict portion control, the Atkins diet focuses on counting carbs, specifically net carbs, which takes into account how much fiber does a food have. Researches have suggested that for people who lose weight on the diet, it is likely due to consuming lesser calories overall, possibly entering into ketosis, and feeling full due to adequate protein, fat as well as fiber intake when followed religiously.

NORMALIZE TRIGLYCERIDE AND CHOLESTEROL LEVELS
The Atkins diet is higher in fat, especially saturated fats that many people fear that it contributes to heart problems. However, when saturated fat comes from a healthier source, such as grass fed beef or coconut oil, it can actually be good for raising HDL cholesterol levels and decreasing the risk factors for cardiovascular problems. Consuming a balanced, unprocessed diet that results in a healthy way of losing weight can also be vital in lowering your LDL cholesterol and high triglycerides, which are connected to heart diseases and even heart attacks.

HELP PREVENT OR TREAT DIABETES
The Atkins diet replaces foods like processed, high carb or sugar foods that are linked with causing blood sugar swings, insulin resistance and even weight gain which are all causes of diabetes with healthier fats and leaner proteins, particularly from animal proteins, which are no carb foods. As described above, removing foods like fruits, starchy veggies, pasta and bread from your diet can cause your body to release lesser insulin, helping to balance the blood sugar levels and burn stored fat. To be fair, however, Atkins is not the only type of plan to produce these results. Other ways of dieting have also been shown to benefit those with diabetes, such as the other diets, even when additional unprocessed carbs are included.

In a nutshell, the Atkins diet can possibly work wonders for you if done properly and accordingly. This is something which is truly meant for the people who can discipline themselves to follow a routine and to avoid certain types of foods which actually, you may start having back later on, gradually of course.

Thank you.