Dec

16

What Not To Eat On A No-Carb Diet?

Filed Under How To's, Low Carb Diet, Low carb foods, Weight Loss | Leave a Comment

Low carbohydrate diets have been popular for a number of years and have recently shown a marked increase in popularity. Part of that popularity has been extended to what are now being called “no-carb diets.” Knowing what types of foods to avoid involves understanding what the diet is about.

It is virtually impossible to avoid carbohydrates entirely in your diet, and it would be unhealthy to do so. Your body does need some carbohydrates. A “no carb” diet is actually a very low carb diet. One example of a no-carb diet is the induction phase of the Atkins plan. There are other diets out there that keep carbs low as a permanent part of the plan. Either way, what foods should a person on one of these diets avoid?

Breads and pastries are the easiest things to identify as being high in carbohydrates. Bread, muffins, crackers and bagels are on the list of things to avoid on low carb diets while no carb diets rule them out altogether. A basic rule is that if it is made with flour, it is not on your diet plan. Pastas fit this rule as well.

Potatoes in all their forms (fried, baked, mashed, etc.) are to be avoided on low and no carb diets. Pastas such as gnocchi and potato breads are similarly to be avoided.

Another food to avoid is rice. Brown and whole-grain rices are okay in later stages of low carb diets, but are not on a no carb diet (or the first stages of low-carb diets for that matter). Both of these types of diets recommend avoiding white rices.

Cereals are another food to avoid. This includes not only cold cereals that you pour milk over and serve but also hot cereals such as oatmeal and cream of wheat.

Beans such as black beans, kidney beans and pinto beans are to be avoided as they are high in carbs. Corn and carrots are other vegetables to avoid as both are high in sugar and carbohydrates.

Fruits to avoid include (but may not be limited to) apricots, bananas, blueberries, dates, grapefruits and figs.

Milk has carbohydrates in the form of lactose sugar. Many of those sugars get taken out of milk in the process of making cheese, but watch out for plain milk and cream. Those sugars are still in there.

Another good rule of thumb on no-carb diets is to avoid all processed and packaged food. Invariably, they are loaded up with sugary and carb-heavy ingredients in an effort to compensate for the loss of taste inherent in the preservation and packaging processes. This is especially true of so-called reduced fat foods. They are even higher in sugars and carbs than their higher fat counterparts.

Lastly, avoid sweets. High sugar foods are also high in carbohydrates. Avoid cakes, candies and other sweets. Following all of these rules will help you stick to your no carb diet.

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Nov

25

Atkins Diet - Is it as Effective as they say?

Filed Under Atkins, Diets, How To's, Low carb foods, Weight Loss | Leave a Comment

Even though it has been several decades since the late Dr. Robert Atkins created his self-named low carbohydrate diet, it was only in the late 1990s and early 2000s that the Atkins diet took the weight loss world by storm.

Millions of people rode on the low carb bandwagon and nutrition experts were appalled. The uproar over the diet is understandable; after all, it went against all the principles of the medically accepted and traditional low fat regimen, which had been the norm for years.

Simply put, going on the Atkins diet - or “doing Atkins” - means that a person has to drastically cut down on his or her intake of carbohydrates, especially those found in starchy foods.

People find that this can be difficult, especially those who have become accustomed to consuming food like bread, potatoes, cakes, cereals, and pasta regularly for years. On the up side, protein-rich foods are not only allowed on this low carb diet, they are actually encouraged. So there’s no need to give up mayonnaise, butter, pork, beef, fried food, and many others that are off-limits in low fat diets.

There are four phases in this diet. The first stage, called Induction, requires the dieter to reduce his or her carb intake to 20 grams per day for two weeks. Carbohydrates should be acquired from vegetables, so the usual starchy baked products and fruits are forbidden during this period.

After the induction phase, you are allowed to gradually increase your intake of carbohydrates until you reach your carb threshold, or the amount of carbs you can safely eat without gaining weight.

For many adults, 60 to 90 grams of carbs per day is the limit. With this diet, you count carbs, not calories.

The Atkins premise is that carbohydrates, which our bodies use for fuel, are the culprits responsible for weight gain. Excess carbohydrates increase blood sugar levels, which in turn make us feel hungry in a short amount of time after a meal. An increase in your blood sugar can also trigger the pancreas to create more insulin, which in turn influences how the body converts carbs to fats, which are manifested in that paunch or those love handles.

This extra weight can lead to many health problems, including diabetes and heart disease.

In addition to helping a person lose a significant amount of weight in a short period of time, a number of clinical studies have shown the Atkins diet to be beneficial in the reduction of the so-called “bad cholesterol” that can lead to heart disease.

In addition, other studies suggest that the diet has at least a positive short-term effect on diabetics, and anecdotal evidence states that it is also instrumental in relieving the symptoms of disorders such as polycystic ovarian syndrome.

One thing that the critics praise about the Atkins low carb diet is its education of people about being picky about foods; to avoid junk food and those that contain nothing but sugar and empty calories.

Another aspect of the diet that meets with expert approval is its encouragement of exercise. It still follows the basic tenet that if you take in more than you burn, you will still gain weight, no matter what diet you are on.

One relative difficulty that reduced-carbohydrate dieters complain about is food boredom. Perhaps this was a problem in the early days, but not so anymore.

Today, there are plenty of “mock” foods patterned after regular dishes like pancakes, mashed potatoes, cheesecake, muffins, and the like - but without the carbohydrates and sugar. If you have a craving for something sweet, you can still eat candy bars, cakes, and chocolate products that are sweetened not with sugar but with sucralose.

Weight loss on this low carb diet is quicker than that observed on low-fat diets, but remember that you should not shed pounds too rapidly - 2 to four pounds a week is the average.

And to make sure to take the necessary dietary supplements to make sure that you are getting all the nutrients you need to stay healthy while losing weight. You should also remember to drink plenty of water.

This will help flush waste from your body and assist it in the burning of fat as the major source of fuel.

Going on the Atkins diet can help you in your weight loss efforts if you follow the basic tenets: don’t overeat (eat only until you feel satisfied);

don’t under-eat (eat whenever you feel hungry);

exercise; be realistic. You should not aspire to be razor thin. Rather, aim for your ideal body weight and stay
healthy on your way there.

About the author:
Carb-club.com provides you with information on all kinds of issues like the Atkins diet and diets like the South Beach diet, the Zone diet, and more. Come take a look at http://www.carb-club.com/

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Nov

19

Are you the right person to follow the Atkins Diet?

Filed Under Atkins, Diets, Healthy Diets, How To's, Low carb foods, Weight Loss | Leave a Comment

What Type of Person Will Follow the Atkins Diet?

That would be a person totally committed to losing weight.  Let’s face it, dieting is not fun. Suddenly, doughnuts, pies, cakes, cookies, potato chips, and Mac Donald’s take on a whole new appeal. It seems that when we’re deprived of something, it becomes essential that we have it.
Are you the type of person that can follow the Atkins Diet?  Let’s find out. Look in the mirror. Do you like what you see?  If you do, read no further.  If you don’t, read on.
The Atkins Diet asks 10 questions to see if this diet is for you. These are the 10 questions.

1.  Are you overweight, even if you feel you don’t eat that much?

2. Do you follow weight-loss plans to the letter and make no headway or get stuck on a weight loss plateau?

3. Do you notice many slim people consume more food and calories than you?

4. Are you always hungry on low calorie diets?

5. Are you still hungry when you finish a “balanced meal”?

6. Do you continually lose and gain the same 10 to 15 pounds?

7. Do you gain weight while eating low-fat foods?

8. Do you often blame it on your metabolism?

9. Do you constantly crave sweets and other high-carbohydrate foods?

10. Do you have a strong desire to eat again within two hours of eating a filling meal?

If you answered yes to most of these questions, you are the type of person that will follow the Atkins Diet.  You are probably addicted to refined carbohydrates or your body does not process them normally.

These highly processed carbs break down rapidly into glucose in your bloodstream. Your blood sugar then goes on a roller coaster ride, causing you to want to eat even more.

Eating too many bad carbs can cause an inability to lose or maintain weight loss.  It leaves you in a constant state of hunger.  Anyone tired of this diet roller coaster, and looking for a better way of losing weight, is the type of person that will follow the Atkins Diet.

Ask yourself if you’re looking for a program that diminishes cravings, reduces appetite, and eliminates addictive food patterns.  Do you want a diet that recommends some of the best and healthiest foods, is flexible, and let’s you eat delicious foods at home or out?

Is a diet that does not require you to buy expensive pre-made meals the right one for you? Do you want one that helps you reach your weight loss goals and keep it off for the long run? How about minimizing risk factors for certain health issues?  We all want to look great and feel more confident.  The Atkins Diet claims to be able to do that. It is also backed by science.

If this sounds like what you have been looking for, then you are the type of person that will follow the Atkins Diet.

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Nov

15

What Percentage of the Atkins Diet is Fat?

Filed Under Atkins, Diets, Healthy Diets, Low carb foods, Main Content, Weight Loss | Leave a Comment

The Atkins Diet focuses on protein and carbohydrates. They don’t adhere to any particular percentage of fat. They do recommend that none of it be trans fat.

Atkins knows that the right kinds of fats in the diet are essential. They are a vital energy source, help slow digestion, and keep you feeling full and satisfied longer. The right kinds of fat help your body absorb vitamins such as, A, D, E, and K.

The Atkins Diet shows you that it is not healthy to try to banish all fats from your diet. They will help you determine good fats from bad so you won’t have to worry about the percentage.

Monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, and omega-3 fatty acids are all heart healthy fats. The rule of thumb is that good fats are liquid at room temperature and may thicken when refrigerated.

Most vegetable oils fit in this category. Omega-3 fatty acids come from fatty fish such as, salmon, albacore tuna, herring, and mackerel.  Walnuts, flaxseeds, and flaxseed oil are other good sources.  These are all allowed on the Atkins Diet, but there is no percentage given as they feel none is needed.

Saturated fat is semisolid to solid at room temperature. Animal products are the main sources of saturated fats. Tropical oils and cocoa butter are also high in saturated fat. Smaller amounts are present in some plant foods like olive oil and nuts. The Atkins Diet believes that by substituting healthier fats like olive oil and canola oil for butter, they don’t have to count the percentage. You will still lose weight.

They do not recommend trans fat, however. Trans fat is produced when hydrogen is added to liquid oils to make them solid and extend their shelf life. They are found in packaged products and almost every food that contains shortening. The Atkins Diet helps you avoid trans fat by teaching you to read food labels.

Manufacturers are allowed to claim zero trans fat for any food containing up to one half gram per serving.  Go to the ingredients list where the words hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated are a warning flag that it contains trans fat. The bottom line on the two different types is that unsaturated fats don’t clog your arteries and saturated fats do.

The Atkins Diet relies on the fact that you will concentrate on low carbs and protein and the fat percentage will just fall into place. Of course, you still have to be aware of the type of fat you’re consuming.  The percentage of fat won’t hamper your weight loss efforts if you pay attention to what the Atkins Diet teaches you about healthy eating.

All of the Atkins Diet recipes give the nutrition breakdown and you will know what type and percentage of fat is in each meal.  For those of us who think fat makes food taste better, it’s nice to know that some fats are okay.

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Oct

18

What Foods Do I Eat On the Atkins Diet?

Filed Under Atkins, Diets, Healthy Diets, Low carb foods, Weight Loss | Leave a Comment

The Atkins Diet consists of four phases. There are different foods allowed in each of three phases.  We will go through each phase and some of the allowable foods.
Phase 1 is the induction. It’s a two week long jumpstart phase that supercharges your body’s fat burning power. During this phase, you’ll reduce your carbohydrate intake to 20 net carbs per day.  A net carb is the grams of carbohydrates in a serving, minus the grams of fiber. If something has 20 grams of carbs per serving and 5 grams of fiber, it has 15 net carbs per serving. The first two weeks will certainly be very challenging, but the end result will be worth it.  You’ll rev up your metabolism, eat a variety of foods, say goodbye to bad carbs, and begin to see results.
On phase 1, you may eat all types of fish, including shellfish, all types of poultry, all types of meat (with the exception of processed meat that is cured with sugar), and eggs any way you want to fix them.
Cheese is limited to a few types for the first phase. Vegetables are in two categories. The salad variety, (lettuce, cucumbers, sprouts, mushrooms, celery, peppers, etc), which have very low carb content, All other vegetables have a higher carb content and should be eaten in smaller portions. The starchy vegetables will be added in phase 3.
To make your salads tastier, you may garnish them with crumbled bacon, diced hard-boiled  eggs, and crumbled cheeses. You can eat any prepared salad dressings with no added sugar and no more than 2 net carbs per serving.  All herbs and spices are allowed if they don’t contain sugar.

Fats, oils, mayonnaise, butter and olive oil can be used if the serving size is kept to 1 tablespoon and there is no added sugar and no trans fat.
Interestingly enough, milk has more carbs than cream, so milk is not allowed on the Atkins Diet, but cream is.  Almost any beverage is allowed except caffeinated tea or coffee, tea with barley or fruit sugar, and alcohol. Alcohol will be allowed in moderation in phase 2.
Phase 2 is called ongoing weight loss. It gives you the knowledge and freedom to begin to add variety into your daily diet. You will stay on this phase until you are within 10lbs. of your goal weight. Then you will move to pre-maintenance.
The list of foods you will eat on phase 2, is the same as phase 1, with a few additions. You can add cottage cheese 1%, heavy cream, and ricotta cheese to your dairy foods. You can start adding nuts and seeds, and some fruits, such as, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, cantaloupe and honeydew melon. You can also have lemon, lime, and tomato juices.  Atkins has snack bars and shakes in a variety of flavors that you can eat in phase 2.
Phase 3 is pre-maintenance. This is the phase where you are in total control. You’re enjoying more variety and still losing weight. Now you can add in the rest of foods you will be eating on the Atkins Diet.
It’s time to add starchy vegetables such as, acorn squash, carrots, white potatoes, and yams. Legumes and grains can now be added. You can have all types of beans, oatmeal, whole wheat pasta, and brown rice.

Bread is not allowed in any of the phases. The fruits not allowed in phase 2 can now be added in. You can eat apples, bananas, cherries, grapes, kiwi, mango, peaches, and watermelon.
And finally Phase 4 is where you celebrate the sensible eating plan you’ve mastered, renewed energy, improved health, and the new thinner look. The complete list of allowable foods is on the Atkins Diet website.

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