Showing posts with label atkins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label atkins. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

A Guide to the Atkins Nutritional Approach

The Atkins Nutritional Approach or Atkins diet is a low-carb diet that restricts the amount of carbohydrates as to covert stored fat to energy. This diet restricts digestible carbohydrates or net carbs that impact blood sugar levels. Preferred foods on the atkins low carb diet are unprocessed foods with a low GI. Some foods with a low glycemic index such as black rice should be avoided. The same goes for white bread, sugar, and other high GI products. The list of allowed foods includes most protein-rich foods such as eggs, seafood, and meats. They have no or little carbohydrates. Most types of cheese contain less than 1 gram of carbs per ounce, but it is important to check labels. Some cheeses have more. You can have cream cheese but avoid farmer’s cheese, cottage cheese, and other fresh cheeses. Adequate fat content is important, and Atkins recommends consuming foods that are rich in natural fats. Trans fats should be avoided. Eat plenty of foods such as cold-water fish and other fish meats that contain omega-3 fatty acids.
You can use grapeseed oil, peanut oil, or canola oil for stir-frying, especially those that are expeller-pressed or cold-pressed. Avoid sunflower, safflower, soy, and corn oil or consume in small amounts. Opt for regular full-fat mayonnaise when choosing mayonnaise. Australian mayonnaise, for example, contains thickening agents, citric acid, flavor enhancers, and sugar. It has macadamia nut oil or other healthy oils, but it is low in fat and high in carbohydrates.  The same rules apply when choosing salad dressings. Check labels and watch for added sugars.

Small amounts of lime or lemon juice (2 – 3 tablespoons) are allowed on the Atkins diet. You can have 10 to 20 olives, 1 ounce of sour cream, or 2 – 3 tablespoons of heavy cream. You can also have low-carb snack bars and other controlled-carb convenience foods and half a small avocado.
Finally, you should avoid anything made with grains, including pastries, cakes, and bread. To find the types of foods on the acceptable food list, look for a low carb diet guide with examples of foods, recipes, and meals.

One important question involves the type of diet that is best for you. One way to find out is to use a bmi formula to calculate your body mass index. People with a body mass index over 40 are considered very severely obese, and those with a BMI between 35 and 40 are severely obese.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Sources of Protein on a Low Carb Diet

Low-carb, high-protein diets have been promoted as a quick and effective approach to losing weight. Low-carb dieters receive between 30 and 50 percent of their calories from different protein sources. In contrast, the American Cancer Society, the National Cholesterol Education Program, and the American Heart Association recommend that dieters receive a smaller percentage of calories from protein.

Protein is essential to the repair, maintenance, and building of tissues in the human body. There are different sources of protein on a low carb diet. As a rule, one ounce of fish or meat has 7 grams of protein. Most cuts of beef contain about this amount, and a steak has 42 grams. Other meats to include in a high-protein diet include chicken, pork, and fish. Other high protein foods are nuts and seeds, beans, and cheese. You can choose from different types of cheese such as soft cheeses, hard cheeses, and medium cheeses. Soft cheeses (Camembert, Brie, and Mozzarella) have 6 grams of protein per ounce, and medium cheeses (Swiss, Cheddar) have 7 – 8 grams per ounce. Parmesan and other hard cheeses have approximately 10 grams of protein per ounce.

Nuts and seeds are also good sources of protein for dieters on the atkins diet or another low-carb, high-protein diet. Dieters can consume peanuts, peanut butter, cashews, and seeds such as flax seeds and pumpkin seeds. Other sources of protein include beans and eggs. One large egg has 6 grams of protein, and a cup of cooked soy beans contains 28 grams. Dieters on a high-protein diet can consume soy milk and soy beans and split peas. One cup of soy milk has between 6 and 10 grams of protein.

If you want to correct a health problem or lose a lot of weight, you can have up to 30 grams of carbohydrates a day. Divide this amount throughout the day. You can add up to 55 grams of carbohydrates if you need to lose a couple of pounds. You can choose from a variety of low-carb foods. You can have low-carb vegetables such as green beans, zucchini, peppers, and tomatoes. You may be surprised, but avocado is low in carbs and high in fat. A glass of light beer or wine is OK, but remember to drink plenty of water throughout the day. Artificial sweeteners and diet sodas are permitted in moderation. Read more about good and bad carbs here: http://www.lowcarbfoods.org/

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

How To Stick To A Low Carb Diet FAQ

Sticking to a low carb diet is not as difficult if you can deal with cravings and are familiar with the basics of the plan.

Foods that are high in carbohydrates should be avoided as well as products which break down to sugars. This group contains white rice, noodles, and pasta. It will not be difficult to stick to your diet of choice if your menu includes products such as poultry, meat, fish, and eggs. Some foods contain carbohydrates but the amount is low enough, and you can safely include them in your diet. Nuts, seeds, tofu, and cheeses are in this group. You can also consume low-carb vegetables such as broccoli, celery, eggplant, green beans, eggplant, and others.

Despite the wide variety of foods to consume, some dieters still find it hard to stick to a low carb diet. To do that, you may want to remove all carbohydrate-rich foods from your kitchen cabinets. Throw or give away all snacks, pretzels, sugar, potato chips, and pasta. Substitute them with low carb vegetables from the above list. Keep fresh greens and lettuce in your fridge and consume them any time you feel hungry. Buy cheeses and prepare cheese platters and cheeseburgers. Try new recipes and cook meals in different ways so that you have a balanced diet. When you are on a low carb diet, you can use grilling and broiling techniques. Prepare some snacks to have on hand. You can boil a couple of eggs or fry some bacon.

If you are worried that a low carb diet means having no carbohydrates, this is not the case. Your dietary plan should be individual. Some argue that dieters on a low carbohydrate diet are at risk of heart disease. Many studies suggest that cholesterol, blood pressure, triglycerides, and other markers of increased risk of heart disease improve with low carb diets. If you have kidney problems, you may also be concerned about sticking to a low carb diet. It has not been shown that high protein diets damage the kidneys, but you can consult your doctor to be on the safe side.

In order to stick to your no carb diet, think of making some small changes at first. Choose 1 or 2 products to exclude from your diet at a time. It is unwise to make rapid changes. This gradual approach can bring good results. You can choose from a number of low carb diets as well. Choose a diet you are comfortable with. If you don't want to search around, you can try the 'no white diet', which many report to work. Basically, you need to avoid products containing sugar, potatoes, white rice, and flour, including cakes, bread, pasta, and donuts. Remember that foods like tofu, cauliflower, and onions are white-colored, but they are a good addition to a low carb diet.

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Wednesday, September 7, 2011

The Sweet Alternative

Sugar alcohol is an artificial sweetener commonly used in frozen foods and replacement meal supplements as a replacement for table sugar. Sugar alcohols are made up of carbohydrates and part of their ingredients also resembles sugar, and in part also has a resemblance to alcohol. You may recognize some of these names on some sugar free items that you purchase; sorbitol, isomalt and xylitol. Sugar alcohols have fewer calories than sugar and when used in combination with foods and sweets with artificial sweeteners it can change the unpleasant taste of some high intensity sweeteners. When heated Sugar alcohols will not caramelize due to the fact they are not metabolized by oral bacteria.

Sugar free chewing gum is a popular choice for people that are low carb dieters or they are calorie conscious. It does not have any calories and although sweet it will not cause tooth decay. For diabetics, Sugar Alcohols are a safer option in comparison to regular sugar. It is misleading to believe that these alcohol sugars are carb free because they are not. However, they are considerably lower in carbs compared to regular table sugar. Sugar alcohol does not completely absorb into the blood stream through the small intestines which means that it has a result of a lower change in the effect of blood glucose levels. Because the sugar alcohol does not completely absorb while still in the bowel it will hold water creating a diarrhea effect, or lose bowels. Many low carb foods have began using sugar alcohol as alternative sweeteners to accommodate the low carb diets that are so popular. When you eating sugar free gum or candy you may experience a cooling sensation. This is the dissolving of the sugar alcohol taking place when it meets a heating solution. The alcohol sugar in combination with the saliva creates a cooling sensation.

You will be able to locate sugar alcohols on the ingredient label if the item has been prepared with it. Although, most sugar alcohols are not as sweet as regular sugar, therefore more is needed to give the desired sweetness that you may be trying to reach. There are different variations of sweetness among artificial alcohol sweeteners and they each have a different impact on the way they affect blood sugar levels. Most people that have adapted to a healthy eating plan but lowering their carb intake have found sugar alcohol as an alternative to having sweets or eating food that requires sugar as an ingredient. Low carb food along with eating healthy food and maintaining a weight loss program can easily be structured with the use of sugar alcohol. It is important to keep in mind that alcohol sugars alone cannot create a weight loss on any level. It is important to adjust to healthy eating and exercise. Doing that in combination with choosing to eat foods with lower carbs can prove to be beneficial in weight loss.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

How to lose weight fast and eat healthy

For about four decades, the Atkins low carb diet has stood for an effective program to reduce their weight rapidly and healthily. It is based on the principle that the consumption of too many carbohydrates results in getting overweight. The simple reason behind that is that the human body uses carbs and fats to secure the supply of energy but carbs come first. If the body cannot burn all the carbohydrates, it stores them in the form of fat that results in weight gain. Excessive weight usually causes sleepiness, fatigue, poor memory, inability to concentrate, etc. So, in order to avoid or prevent such problems, you should limit the carb intake to less than 40 grams of carbohydrates per day.

Low Carb Foods

* The list of the most popular low carb vegetables includes: asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cabbage, celery, cucumber, kale, lettuce, onions, pepper, parsley, pumpkin, spinach, tomatoes, and turnip.

* Fruits that are best for the Atkins diet include: apples, bananas, berries, grapefruits, lemons, kiwis, melons, oranges, pears, pineapples, plums, and tangerines.

* Your diet may also include dairy products (butter, cheese and cream), meat (pork, beef, and lamb), poultry (chicken, turkey, etc.), fishes (salmon, sardines, trout, anchovies, etc.) and eggs.

Keep in mind that some of these foods are rich in fats, cholesterol and calories.

* Some herbs, spices, and oils have no carbohydrates. You may consume pepper, oregano, thyme, dill, sage and turmeric aw well as olive oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, corn oil and canola.

* Water, tea and coffee are totally free of carbohydrates.

Remember that you have to exclude all kinds of soft drinks, beer, wine, vodka, etc. when you are on a diet. Some of these drinks contain no carbohydrates but are high in calories. And one more fact: all alcoholic drinks provoke a healthy appetite.

How to Carry out the Atkins Diet Program

The program of the Atkins diet is based on four phases. During the first phase, your carb intake is limited to 20 grams per day, so consuming more salads and other non-starchy vegetables is recommended. During the next phase, you have to add some carbohydrates in the form of fibre-rich foods and increase the carb intake to 25 grams a day the first week. Increase to 30 grams per day during the second week and keep on in the same fashion until you stop losing weight. Then, reduce your daily carb intake with 5 grams so that you start loosing weight again.

The important transition from weight loss to maintaining healthy weight is made during the third phase. You should increase the carb intake in 10-gram increments each week until the moment when the daily weight loss becomes minimal. The final fourth phase builds the foundation for a lifetime of good health. Now, you can choose between various foods while at the same time, you control the carb intake to ensure that you keep your new weight and say healthy.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

How to lose 10 pounds in 1 week?

If you want to learn how to lose 10 pounds in one week you came to the right plaece! It is simple! The key is carbohydrates, or carbs, for short. What are carbohydrates? They are simply sugars, and they are abundant in our eating habits. Many diets center on counting calories or cutting fat grams. By cutting your carbohydrate intake, the pounds just seem to melt away. Losing 10 pounds in one week is possible!

Where do you begin to cut your carbohydrates? If you are truly dedicated to a low carb diet, your main low carb foods will be vegetables and proteins. Forget the bread, rice, and even fruit. All these foods hold a multitude of sugars and starches that cause weight gain. The loss of 10 pounds in one week will be a combination of fat and water loss.

For breakfast, have some eggs with bacon. This may sound odd as a diet, but both are full of protein. Make sure to skip the toast, or get a low carb bread for the toast! For lunch, try a chicken salad or a stir fry, minus the rice. Dinner can be any meat item, such as fish, pork, or beef, and steamed vegetables of your choice. Again, the key to losing 10 pounds in one week is sticking to proteins and vegetables.

For those who are vegetarians, applying the protein portion of the diet can be difficult. Use tofu, a variety of beans, cheese, and eggs to fill your meals. Tofu is extremely versatile since it absorbs any flavor it is cooked with or in. Be creative!

The first couple of days will undoubtedly give you a good loss of weight in the form of water. As the week progresses, the fat will begin to melt away. If you find yourself craving snacks, stock up your kitchen with nuts and seeds. These fantastic foods are full of protein and fiber; a wonderful combination to keep you fuller longer, and stay true to your diet.

After the week is through, take a look at yourself. Those 10 pounds have disappeared! Congratulate yourself and enjoy the results. By applying the low carb diet, losing 10 pounds in a week is truly simple.


Disclaimer: The information provided in this article does not constitute medical advice and should not be used for diagnosis or treatment of any
medical condition. If you have a health problem you should consult a licensed physician.