The most well known low carb diet is the Atkins diet. The creator of this diet, Dr. Robert Atkins first wrote about his well publicized diet in the 1970s and over the years has refined the diet to what it is today. The diet has come under some scrutiny which is why the diet has been revamped over the last 7 years and is now being referred to as the New Atkins Diet. Here we will look at both the original and new Atkins diet.
The original Atkins diet is a very controlled diet with specific instructions that must be adhered to. There are four fundamental phases that the dieter goes through and the major focus of the diet rests on very low carbohydrate intake. Here is a deeper look at the phases:
- PHASE I: this phase can last up to two weeks were the intake of carbohydrates is limited to 20 grams. Carbohydrates are the normal source of energy but if the body does not have many carbohydrates to burn as a source of fuel, the body will look for another. The first phase of the Atkins diet is to switch the body over to a Ketosis state where the body burns off body fat instead of carbohydrates.
- PHASE II: This part of the diet is where you add fibrous carbohydrates in the form of vegetables in order to reach a certain carbohydrate level which is optimum for losing weight. These carb intakes are carefully monitored until you reach this level.
- PHASE III: This is a maintenance stage where you can increase the amount of carbohydrates that you consume while still maintaining your weight.
- PHASE IV: This is also another maintenance stage where you stick to the critical carbohydrate level for maintenance and only consume unrefined and unprocessed carbohydrates.
The new Atkins Diet has a different approach to dieting as there is more emphasis on counting calories and eating more healthily such as eating wholesome foods. There is also a great stress on eating healthy fats and why they are important to the bodily system. Even vegetarians and diabetics have their own special section where the diet goes into more depth. Exercise is also a new component that the new Atkins diet stresses.
Results with the Atkins diet can occur very quickly. Since the Atkins diet is so popular, finding food is not as difficult as it was before with even restaurants having low carb options so that you can continue to go out without having to stress about what to eat. Grocery stores also carry Atkin’s approved diet snacks and meals. This is a demanding diet but it is well worth the health and appearance benefits.