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.)
Instead of counting total
carbs on this diet, you count "net carbs," which you compute by
subtracting the grams of fiber from the grams of carbs. Net carbs are the
important number, the book says, because fiber doesn’t affect blood sugar levels.
Initially, most carbs in this diet
come from high-fiber vegetables (you eat 2 cups cooked non-starchy vegetables
plus 6 cups of leafy greens per day).In later phases, you can gradually
increase net carbs from a list that includes low-sugar fruits, tomato juice,
high-carb vegetables, and legumes.
Forbidden on the New
Atkins for a New You diet are most grains, dried fruits, foods with added
sugar, refined carbs, juices, most snacks and sweets. Carb-free snacks, like
pork rinds, are allowed.
Dieters avoid alcohol
during the first phase, but a cocktail (without juice or sweetened mixers) or
glass of wine can be added in later phases.
The book recommends taking
a daily multivitamin and mineral with an omega-3 fatty acid supplement.
The New Atkins for a New You Diet: How It Works
The plan has four phases --
induction, ongoing weight loss, pre-maintenance, and lifetime maintenance.
Dieters' intake of fats and protein remains relatively steady during all
these phases. But carb intakes vary from a low of 20 grams per day during
induction to roughly 70 grams in the final phases.
Most dieters will follow
the induction phase -- the most restrictive -- for at least two weeks. (You can
skip this phase if you don’t have much weight to lose.)
As carbs are slowly
increased in the later phases, dieters use their weight, energy level, and the
absence or presence of cravings to determine whether they're at the right carb
threshold.
The book suggests that
women get 1,500-1,800 calories per day and men 1,800-2,200 calories. Eating too
much protein and fat could lead to excess calorie intake and thwart weight
loss.
Dieters are urged to drink
plenty of fluids because a low-carb diet acts like a diuretic, releasing
cellular fluids that contain the essential minerals sodium and potassium.
No exercise is
required, at least initially. Since your body will be adapting to burning fat
for fuel, the authors suggest you wait to engage in regular physical activity
until the later phases.
And during the adaptation
to fat burning, the book warns, you should be prepared for unpleasant symptoms
such as tiredness, leg cramps, and weakness.
The New Atkins
for a New You Diet: What the Experts Say
The new Atkins diet's
warnings of dizziness,
tiredness, leg cramps, and more should be a red flag, says American Dietetic
Association spokesperson Joan Salge Blake, MS, RD.
Protein and high-fiber
vegetables are important components of any healthy weight loss plan, she says,
but eliminating healthy carbs goes against a wealth of scientific
evidence.
"This plan is a drastic departure from a
healthy diet and chances are it will be so monotonous that dieters won’t be
able to sustain it," she says.
At the end of the day, calories count, no matter
where they come from. When you eat a low-carb, high-fat diet, experts
say, it suppresses appetite. And weight loss on the new Atkins diet could
simply be the result of getting fewer calories because you're less hungry, says
Salge Blake, an assistant professor at Boston University.
She recommends diets that don't eliminate any
healthy food groups. A healthy diet, she says, includes satisfying foods
like lean and low-fat protein (not high-fat protein) as well as high-fiber
whole grains, healthy fats, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and low-fat dairy. Not
only will such a diet help with weight loss, it's also heart-healthy and helps
protect against chronic disease.
The New Atkins for
a New You Diet: Food for Thought
While scientific evidence has shown that successful
weight loss diets can vary widely - and the jury may still be out on saturated
fat's role in the diet -- many experts still believe that a high-fat diet is
contradictory to good health.
Following a low-carb diet like Atkins may be an
option for people who have not been successful on traditional calorie-cutting,
moderate-carb plans. The diet may be suited for people who don’t metabolize or
tolerate carbs well, such as those with metabolic syndrome and insulin
resistance, says Volek.
