Atkins diet foods to eat
Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution book was first published in 1979. And since then, many people have turned to the Atkins diet because of the foods they can eat, and as a result, there has been a lot of hype. It is a good alternative to all the low fat diets that are so hard to follow. But what are the basic principles of the Atkins diet?
The Atkins diet is based on the answer of good doctors to the question why do we get fat? According to Dr. Atkins, it’s too many carbohydrates and simple sugars in the modern diet that increase body fat. The way your body burns the carbohydrates you eat has more influence on your waistline than the amount of fat or calories you eat. In his book, Atkins offers something he calls “insulin resistance.”
Too many carbohydrates and sugar raise blood sugar levels. The body produces insulin in the pancreas and stores sugar in the form of glycogen in the liver and muscle tissue. When your body reaches its glycogen storage limit, it turns the rest of the carbs into fat. Excess insulin is toxic, so the body becomes resistant to it over time, so the balance tips from glycogen production to fat production.
Some people are more resistant to insulin than others and these are the ones who gain the most weight. The carbohydrates we eat are converted to fat instead of being stored as energy.
The Atkins diet is a low carbohydrate diet. Even carbohydrates that traditional wisdom says make us healthy are eliminated on the Atkins diet, such as oatmeal, brown rice, and whole wheat bread, are restricted on this diet.
On this diet you should reduce your carbohydrate intake to less than 40 grams per day. This will put your body in a state of ketosis. Ketosis allows your body to burn fat for fuel. According to Dr. Atkins’ research, being in ketosis will also affect insulin production and prevent more fat from being formed.
It starts converting stored fat into energy and thus you start losing weight. One of the main benefits of ketosis is that your body won’t crave carbs like it used to. If you’ve been eating a lot of carbs, you may be forming an addiction of sorts. With carb restriction and ketosis comes a reduction in carb cravings. People who have followed the Atkins diet for a long time report that they no longer need carbohydrates like they used to.
The Atkins diet foods to eat vary in four stages. What you can eat will differ slightly at each stage. As you progress through the stages, you are allowed more and more carbohydrates, but they should consist primarily of high-fiber carbohydrates, such as leafy greens and certain vegetables. White rice, white bread, potatoes, and pasta made with “white” or processed flour will remain “no no” for as long as you’re on the Atkins plan.