The New Atkins for a New You Diet: What It Is
Ever since it was introduced in the 1970s, the Atkins diet has been controversial. Critics say there's too little evidence that a low-carb diet is effective, and that a diet so high in fat is unhealthy. Still, the diet has survived through several revisions, including the latest, The New Atkins for a New You.
This new Atkins diet is a more flexible approach that includes more vegetables, plus limited amounts of healthy carbs in its final phases. But it's still basically a low-carb, high-protein, high-fat diet. This version includes more than 50 research papers that shed a positive light on the safety of low-carb diets (some of these studies were funded by the Atkins Foundation).
Refined carbs -- and too many carbs -- may be to blame for our national weight problem, says co-author Jeff Volek, PhD, researcher and associate professor at University of Connecticut. Fats, on the other hand, are your friend, he says.
He explains: Fat is a more stable energy source than carbs. Carbs increase the production of insulin, which shuts down your body’s ability to burn fat, he says. So when you limit carbs, you reduce insulin levels and allow for more fat-burning.
"Studies show that a low-carb, high-fat plan can help you lose weight and reduce the risk for diabetes, heart disease, and metabolic syndrome along with improving triglycerides, insulin, glucose and HDL ('good' cholesterol)," says Volek.
The New Atkins for a New You Diet: What You Can Eat
On the New Atkins for a New You diet, you can forget most carbs. Butter, bacon, cream, meat, seafood, eggs, cheese, avocados, olives, olive oil, greens, and non-starchy vegetables make up the majority of your daily meals.
Here's a sample menu for the Induction phase of the diet:
- Breakfast : 2 eggs, sausages, steamed spinach
- Snack: String cheese, half an avocado
- Lunch: Roast beef on 4 cups mixed salad, 1/2 cup mung bean sprouts, 5 black olives, onions and 2 tablespoons vinaigrette
- Snack: 10 green olives, 1 slice cheddar cheese
- Dinner: Salmon with 2 tablespoons garlic mayonnaise, 6 asparagus spears, 2 cups arugula, 5 cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup sliced cucumbers, 2 tablespoons Italian dressing
You eat mostly monounsaturated fats (olive oil, olives, avocado and salad dressings) but saturated fats from animal products are fine, too. Approximately 65% of your daily calories will come from fat (the Institute of Medicine's Dietary Reference Intake recommends 20%-35%).
For protein, you choose from a variety of animal foods, like eggs, meat, fish, poultry, shellfish, and cheese - and there's no need to worry about choosing lean cuts, trimming the fat, or removing the skin. Some low-carb yogurts, nuts, and seeds are allowed in the second phase.
The book states that the new Atkins diet is not a high-protein diet. But it advises that the average woman get 16 ounces of protein (112 grams, equal to a pound of meat) each day, and the average man get 18 ounces (126 grams). (The Dietary Reference Intake recommendations are far lower -- 46 grams for women and 56 grams for men.)
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