Atiks diet

The Atkins diet, also known as the protein diet, was created by American cardiologist Dr. Robert Atkins, and is based on restricting carbohydrate consumption and increasing consumption of proteins and fats throughout the day.

According to the doctor, with this strategy the body starts to use the accumulated fat to produce energy for the cells, which leads to weight loss and better control of blood glucose and cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood.

Allowed foods

The foods allowed in the Atkins diet are those that do not have carbohydrates or that have a very low amount of this nutrient, such as egg, meat, fish, chicken, cheese, butter, olive oil, nuts and seeds, for example.

In this diet, the daily consumption of carbohydrates varies according to the phases of the weight loss process, starting with just 20 g per day. Carbohydrates are present, especially in foods such as bread, pasta, rice, crackers, vegetables and fruits, for example. See the full list of carbohydrate-rich foods.

Phases of the Atkins Diet

The Atkins diet consists of 4 phases, as shown below:

Phase 1: Induction

This phase lasts for two weeks, with a maximum consumption of just 20 grams of carbohydrates per day. Protein-rich foods, such as meat and eggs, and fat-rich foods, such as olive oil, butter, cheese, coconut milk and vegetables such as lettuce, arugula, turnip, cucumber, cabbage, ginger, endive, radish, mushrooms, are released. chives, parsley, celery and chicory.

During this phase, a more accelerated initial weight loss is expected to occur.

Phase 2 - Continuous Weight Loss

In the second phase it is allowed to consume 40 to 60 grams of carbohydrate per day, and this increase should be only 5 grams per week. Phase 2 must be followed until the desired weight is reached, and some fruits and vegetables can be added to the menu.

Thus, in addition to meats and fats, the following foods can also be included in the diet: mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, curd, blueberry, raspberry, melon, strawberry, almonds, chestnuts, seeds, macadamia, pistachios and nuts.

Phase 3 - Pre-Maintenance

In phase 3 it is allowed to consume up to 70 grams of carbohydrate per day, it is important to observe whether or not weight gain occurs during this period. If you notice an increase in weight when you consume 70 g of carbohydrate per day, you should reduce that amount to 65 g or 60 g, for example, until you find the balance point of your body, when you can move on to phase 4.

At this stage the following foods can be introduced: pumpkin, carrot, potato, sweet potato, yam, cassava, beans, chickpeas, lentils, oats, oat bran, rice and fruits such as apples, bananas, cherries, grapes, kiwi, guava, mango, peach, plum and watermelon.

Phase 4 - Maintenance

The amount of carbohydrate to be consumed will be that which keeps the weight stable, which was discovered in phase 3 of the process. At this stage, the diet has already become a lifestyle, which should always be followed for good weight and health maintenance.

Atkins diet menu

The following table provides an example menu for each phase of the diet:

Meal	Phase 1	Level 2	Phase 3	Phase 4
Breakfast	Unsweetened coffee + 2 fried eggs with parmesan cheese	2 scrambled eggs with curd and bacon	1 slice of brown bread with cheese + unsweetened coffee	1 slice of brown bread with cheese and egg + coffee
Morning snack	diet jelly	1 small bowl of blueberries and raspberries	1 slice of watermelon + 5 cashew nuts	2 slices of melon
Lunch dinner	Green salad with olive oil + 150 g of meat or grilled chicken	zucchini and ground beef pasta + salad with olives and olive oil	roasted chicken + 3 col of pumpkin puree + green salad with olive oil	2 col of rice soup + 2 col of beans + grilled fish and salad
Afternoon snack	1/2 avocado with a drizzle of sour cream	6 strawberries with sour cream	2 scrambled eggs with tomato and oregano + coffee	1 plain yogurt + 5 cashew nuts