Learn about the Atkins diet

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The low-carb Atkins diet is often recommended for weight loss. This diet claims that it is possible to lose weight while eating as much protein and fat as you like, as long as you avoid starchy foods.

1. Atkins diet

Previously, about 20 studies have shown that low-carb diets without counting calories are effective for weight loss and can lead to various health improvements.
The Atkins diet was once considered unhealthy by mainstream health authorities, mainly because of the high content of foods including saturated fat. However, after being studied, saturated fat was found to be harmless. The Atkins diet has been shown to lead to more weight loss and greater improvements in blood sugar, HDL cholesterol. Despite being high in fat, it did not increase bad LDL cholesterol on average, and this occurred in a small group of individuals.
The main reason why low-carb diets are effective for weight loss is that reducing carbs and increasing protein intake leads to reduced cravings.

2. The Atkins Diet Plan

The Atkins diet is divided into 4 different phases:
Phase 1 (beginning): Less than 20 grams of carbs per day for 2 weeks. Stick to high-fat, high-protein foods, with low-carb vegetables like leafy greens. Set the stage for weight loss. Phase 2 (balanced): Add low-carb vegetables, seeds, and a small amount of fruit to your diet. Phase 3 (fine-tuning): Once you're close to reaching your goal weight, add more carbs to your diet until weight loss slows. Phase 4 (maintenance): You can eat as many healthy carbs as your body can tolerate without gaining weight.

3. Foods to Avoid on the Atkins Diet

Foods to avoid on the Atkins diet include:
Sugar: Soft drinks, juices, cakes, candy, ice cream, etc. Grains: Wheat, wheat, rye, barley, rice. Seed oils: Soybean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, rapeseed oil and others. Trans fats Diet and low-fat foods often contain a lot of sugar. High-carb vegetables: Carrots, turnips, etc. High-carb fruits: Bananas, apples, oranges, pears, grapes (induction only). Starch in tubers: Potatoes, sweet potatoes Legumes: peas, beans, lentils...

4. Foods to use in the Atkins diet

Experts say the foods we can eat when following the Atkins diet include:
Meats: Beef, pork, lamb, chicken, bacon and other meats ... Fish and seafood that are high in healthy fats: salmon, trout, sardines, etc. Eggs: high in omega-3 fats Low carb vegetables: Kale, spinach, broccoli, asparagus and others. Full-fat dairy: Butter, cheese, cream, full-fat yogurt. Almonds, macadamia nuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, etc. Healthy fats from plants: Extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, avocado and avocado oil. In addition, some beverages are acceptable on the Atkins diet.
Add filtered water Coffee has a good role for health because there are many antioxidants Green tea contains many antioxidants that are very good for health. Alcohol in small amounts is fine. Choose dry wines with no added sugar and avoid high-carb drinks like beer. The Atkins diet is quite flexible. In the warm-up phase that can last up to 2 weeks, it is necessary to reduce the carb content of the body. Once the process is over, you can slowly add in healthy carbs like: vegetables, fruits, berries, potatoes, legumes, and healthier whole grains like oats and rice. However, you may have to maintain your carbs throughout your life, even after you've reached your weight loss goal. If you start eating the same foods again in the same amount as before, your body will gain back the weight.

5. Vegetarians with the Atkins Diet

It is possible to do the Atkins diet as a vegetarian and even a vegan but it is very difficult. You can use soy foods for protein and eat plenty of nuts. Olive oil and coconut oil are great sources of vegetable fats. Lacto-ovo vegetarians can also eat eggs, cheese, butter, cream, and other high-fat dairy foods.

6. Health Benefits of the Atkins Diet

The Atkins diet can prevent or improve serious health conditions, such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease. In fact, almost any healthy diet that helps you lose weight can reduce or even reverse your risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Weight loss diets are not only low carb diets, but they can also improve blood cholesterol or blood sugar levels, at least temporarily. One study found that people who followed the Atkins diet had improved triglycerides, indicating better heart health. But there are no large studies to show if those benefits hold up or increase your life time.
Some health professionals believe that eating large amounts of fat and protein from animal sources, in the Atkins diet, may increase the risk of heart-related disease or certain cancers. However, it is not known what risks, if any, the Atkins diet may pose long-term risks.

7. Some risks may appear when applying the Atkins diet

The Atkins Diet acknowledges that drastically cutting carbs in the early stages of the program can lead to a number of side effects, including:
Headache Dizziness Weakness Fatigue Constipation In addition, Some very low-carb healthy diets restrict carbohydrates to the point of leading to nutritional deficiencies or insufficient fiber, which can cause health problems such as: constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea.
However, eating high-fiber carbs, whole grains, and nutrients can improve the health status of programs like the Atkins Diet. Additionally, the Atkins diet has changed over time to help prevent health problems and now recommends adding a small amount of salt, along with vitamins or supplements.
It is also possible to limit carbohydrates to less than 20 grams per day recommended for phase 1 of the diet, because of the risk of ketosis. Ketosis occurs when you don't have enough sugar (glucose) for energy, so your body breaks down stored fat, causing ketones to build up in your body. Side effects of ketosis can include nausea, headaches, mental fatigue, and bad breath.
Also, the Atkins diet is not suitable for everyone. For example, the Atkins Diet recommends that you consult your doctor before starting the diet if you take diuretics, insulin, or oral diabetes medications. In addition, people with severe kidney disease should not follow the diet, and the weight loss phases of the Atkins diet are not suitable for pregnant or lactating women.

With the benefits that the Atkins diet brings, you should consider, depending on your current health status and weight, should you apply it or not? If necessary, you can consult with doctors and nutritionists at Vinmec International General Hospital for appropriate indications.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.

Reference source: atkins.com - healthline.com - mayoclinic.org