The Atkins Diet craze comes and goes, but there still seems to be several misconceptions about the diet. Many people think of the Atkins Diet as being a meat-heavy diet with an excuse to eat lots and lots of red meat. This isn’t true! In fact, vegans and vegetarians can actually follow the Atkins Diet with vegan sources of protein like tofu and tempeh. The Atkins Diet emphasizes on high protein and low carbohydrate foods, which is easy to follow whether or not you choose to incorporate meat into the diet.
Aside from avoiding large quantities of carbohydrates, the Atkins Diet also excludes sugar, but does allow artificial sweeteners. However, artificial sweeteners have been proven to actually cause weight gain and other medical issues, so it’s best to stick with stevia as a natural, low carbohydrate sweetener.
There are many unhealthy food choices available for the Atkins Diet, so it is important to choose a healthy approach to the Atkins Diet rather than resorting to processed or unnatural foods that may be high protein and low in carbohydrates. Summer is the perfect time to start the Atkins Diet thanks to the variety of readily available fresh fruits and vegetables. With a little research, you can find fruits and vegetables that are lowest in carbohydrates, such as blackberries, raspberries, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots.
According Atkins Nutritionals, you can follow the Atkins 20 or the Atkins 40. Starting out, the Atkins 20 allows 20 grams of net carbohydrates per day and the Atkins 40 allows 40 grams of net carbohydrates per day. Both diets suggest eating 3-4 ounces of protein per serving, along with 3 servings of added healthy fats per day. Healthy fats include avocados, coconut oil, olive oil, and nuts or seeds.
For the Atkins 20, most carbohydrates should come from vegetables during the first two weeks of the diet. Dairy is also allowed. The Atkins 40 suggests getting carbohydrates from vegetables, whole grains, and fruit.
The standard Atkins Diet doesn’t steer away from processed or fatty foods, so it’s important to do your research to find healthy, whole foods to try before starting the Atkins Diet. While you may lose weight in the short term, your overall health and wellness will decline on a diet filled with processed and fatty foods. Diets high in red meat have also been proven to contribute to heart disease and cardiovascular issues, so it’s important to eat a variety of heart-healthy proteins consisting of fish, beans, poultry, tofu, tempeh, and nuts or seeds.
If you’re looking to start a new diet this summer or are looking to improve your overall health, Premier Health Chiropractors can help. Whether you’re looking for nutritional counseling, massage therapy, or chiropractic adjustments, we can help! Visit one of our five Twin Cities locations today and see what chiropractic care can do for you this summer.