The Atkins diet is a specially designed power supply system, which is designed to quickly reduce the weight to the optimum value and to maintain it for a long time.
Creator of the power system is an American cardiologist, MD, Robert Coleman Atkins. He developed in the last century 60-70e diet takes into account the basic provisions of the concept of innovative nutritional treatment of obesity, suggested Walter Lyons Bloom and Gordon Azar. It is noteworthy that the first person who experienced the effectiveness of this diet, he became Robert Atkins, who managed to lose 28 kg.
The Atkins diet is classified as low-carbohydrate diets, allowing you to quickly achieve weight loss without a significant reduction in calorie diet. Biochemical essence of this diet is to change the source of energy in the body, to force him to burn accumulated in the subcutaneous adipose tissue fat instead of glucose.
With sufficient supply of glucose from food, the human body uses it as a primary energy source. If the supply of glucose in the body decreases dramatically, he has to use to cover its energy needs another source of energy - fat. The process of splitting fat is more energy-intensive, that is, the body, except that cleaves deferred "in reserve" triglycerides, spends this extra energy, which, in turn, is extracted from fat.
The undeniable advantage enjoyed by the Atkins diet is to maintain the usual calorie diet, so there is no feeling of hunger, which is difficult for many to stick to a specific diet for a long time. In addition, adhering to the Atkins diet, a man with no major changes in the habitual diet achieves this goal - losing weight.
Unlike other diets, Atkins diet eliminates the loss of muscle mass, due to sufficient amount of protein in the diet. As a result, retained harmony and relief body, which is especially important for the fair sex.
Losing weight on the Atkins developed the system, you can not worry about that initial weight back at the slightest deviation from the recommended menu. Since the breakdown of fats occurs as a result of physiological biochemical processes in the body and is not associated with stress, the body does not seek to replenish these stocks at the first opportunity.
It should be noted that the ketone bodies, formed by an altered metabolism of the body, a certain influence on a person's mood, causing a state of joy and euphoria.
That is, the Atkins diet is not only effective from the very first days, but does not require exhausting physical exercises to reduce weight, allows you to keep your muscle mass, provides an important human sense of fullness and improves his emotional state.
Pleasant "side effect" of this diet are to reduce blood glucose levels to normal values, often to the lower limit of normal, the formation of healthy eating habits, allowing to continue to be in perfect physical shape.
Duration actual ketogenic diet is fourteen days and is often called the induction phase of Atkins. During this phase, there is a reorganization of the basic biochemical processes in the body, which in future will provide the best way of mastering the essential nutrients needed by the human body.
To make your body move to ketosis-liposomes, to be observed set of rules developed by Dr. Atkins especially for the first phase of its system of power.
The only serious limitation of the first two weeks is to reduce the intake of carbohydrates to 20 grams per day. This is achieved by a complete failure for the specified time of flour and bakery products rich in starch vegetables, seeds and nuts. It is also desirable to limit the consumption of beverages and foods that contain caffeine and aspartame, as they lead to a significant decrease in blood sugar levels.
During the first two weeks of the power system Atkins advised to avoid gaps between meals, more than six hours. Optimally eat three times a day or in small portions 4-5 times a day, getting up from the table with a sense of pleasure from food, but not soporific sensation of satiety.
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Weekly menu can include any kind of meat, fish, seafood, cheese (150 grams), eggs, vegetable oils and animal fats, vegetables such as mushrooms, sweet peppers, sorrel, radishes, green leaf lettuce, cucumbers, celery, parsley, dill.
Not more than once a day can be eaten one vegetable from the proposed list below:
- turnips,
- tomatoes,
- carrot,
- such as the kinds of cabbage kohlrabi, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts,
- eggplant,
- pumpkin,
- onions, leeks.
In this phase the permissible use of spices and seasonings, vinegar and lemon juice. Restriction is imposed only on sugar.
It is important to eat every day at least eight glasses of spring or purified drinking water. Also it is not forbidden to drink herbal teas, decaffeinated coffee and lemon juice.
Even in the most "difficult" first phase of the Atkins diet menu to be varied, to use familiar products that do not break the established culinary traditions.
The most difficult days in the induction phase of the diet are the first two that immediately there is a sharp decrease in blood glucose and insulin levels, triggering ketosis-liposomes. During this period, a slight decrease in mental and physical activity, the emergence of a general malaise. But on the third day after the start of the diet mood and the general condition improved dramatically, reflecting the completion of the change of the biochemical mechanism of energy release in the body.
It should be noted that already in the first weeks of this diet is an intensive weight loss. After the completion of the induction phase is recommended to continue to adhere to the system power Atkins to achieve ideal weight and keep it as long as possible.
Individual approach
Atkins Diet allows everyone to develop their ideal nutrition program that ensures the maintenance of optimal physical shape and will not allow overweight again. In order to create a personalized menu for himself, taking into account personal capabilities and eating habits after a successful induction phase must gradually increase the amount of carbohydrate consumed, but not more than 5 g per week. It is recommended to expand the list of products containing carbohydrates, by adding in the daily menu ½ cup fresh fruit or ½ cup of fresh berries. Also, the introduction of a small number of permissible nuts and seeds.
It is important to monitor the weight, because an increase of carbohydrates in the diet may last only as long as the weight continues to decrease. As soon as it ceases to occur, it can be assumed that the critical consumption write containing carbohydrates reached.
In the future, should be a weekly menu so as not to exceed the established empirically individual critical level of carbohydrate intake. This figure is influenced by factors such as hormonal status, physical activity level, age, heredity, receiving medication and others.
Atkins made the system a part of your life, you can indefinitely maintain the ideal weight by eating delicious and receiving from each meal fun.
Before you go on a low-carb diet, you should consult with your doctor, because, despite a number of benefits that guarantee this body ketogenic diet, there is a list of contraindications to its use.
First of all, this diet is contraindicated in pregnant and nursing women, people with liver disease, kidney disease, diabetes, and high cholesterol in the blood.
It is mandatory after six weeks of power for the system should be investigated Atkins basic biochemical blood test for glucose tolerance of the body to. And only when all indicators are normal, it is possible to continue feeding on the system.
