|
The
Atkins Diet Plan
Atkins diet
foods are easy to find and available everywhere. There are many
varieties to choose from, whether you pick prepackaged low-carb diet
foods or make your own meals. No matter how you want to do the Atkins
plan, there is a solution out there for you.
You’ll need to keep the Atkins food pyramid in mind when you make food
choices. The Atkins pyramid looks much different than the USDA Food
Guide Pyramid. The base of the pyramid consists of protein sources such
as eggs, fish, beef, chicken and tofu. On a daily basis, your diet
should consist primarily of these foods. The second tier has low
glycemic vegetables like salad greens, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus
and spinach.
The third tier is made up of berries and avocado. Fruits should be used
on an occasional basis after the initial stages of the Atkins diet.
Vegetable and seed oils, cheese, dairy, nuts and legumes are used
sparingly and in appropriate portions. While the FDA pyramid has oils
and fats at the top peak, the Atkins pyramid places whole grain foods
in this spot. Whole grain foods should be used very occasionally and
don’t make up the mainstay of the Atkins diet.
When you start the Atkins plan, you’ll need to make sure you understand
which foods are acceptable for your stage of the program. The Induction
phase is the most restrictive, but it only lasts two weeks.
Anything that isn’t on the acceptable food list is forbidden during the
Induction phase. Don’t be tempted to just have “one bite.” Your one
bite may turn into two, and then before you know it you’ll end up
ruining your diet.
Remember to adjust the quantity of acceptable foods to suit your
appetite. At the beginning of the Induction phase, you may find
yourself eating much, much more than you will toward the end of the
phase. As your body breaks its addiction to sugar and carbohydrates,
you will be less hungry throughout the day. When this starts to happen,
make sure to eat only what you need. Eat until you are satisfied and
not overly stuffed.
Always read the labels of packaged products, even if they claim they
are “carb free.” You may find that some products have hidden
carbohydrates. The law allows manufacturers to round off to zero if a
product has fewer than .5 grams of carbohydrates. Look at the list of
ingredients for manufactured products to determine if there are hidden
carbs. You’ll also need to watch out for hidden carbohydrates when you
eat out. There are small carbohydrate amounts in gravies, sauces and
salad dressings. The best bet is to eat your meat without sauce and eat
your salad with olive oil and vinegar dressing.
Remember to drink 8 eight-ounce glasses of water, in addition to
anything else you might drink. This will keep your body hydrated and
help you avoid constipation. You’ll also be able to flush out the
by-products created by fat burning.
This
information is
not presented by a medical practitioner and is for educational and
informational purposes only
|
