The Atkins Diet Plan Review

Written by Diet Bites

Atkins Diet, 20 or Less Carbohydrate Grams Daily

The Atkins Diet has a huge following and is based on no more than 20 grams of carbohydrates per day.

List of Allowed Foods

The following foods may be eaten on this diet because they contain no or minimal carbohydrates:

Beef, pork, lamb, bacon, venison, veal, ham, lamb, chicken, turkey, quail, duck, goose, Cornish hen, pheasant, oysters, tuna, salmon, mussels, clams, squid, shrimp, crab, lobster, herring, sole, trout, flounder, sardines, scrambled eggs, fried eggs, poached eggs, boiled eggs, deviled eggs, fresh/aged cheese, goat cheese, cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, cream cheese, cottage cheese.

A quick view lets us see that this weight loss plan places the focus on protein grams rather than the official food groups.

This fad plan allows eating up to 3 cups of the following foods:

Celery, peppers, cucumber, radishes, lettuce, escarole, olives, mushrooms, bokchoy, endive, parsley, Alfalfa sprouts, jicama, fennel, mache, sorrel, chicory.

The Atkins Diet Plan allows eating up to 1 cup of the following vegetables:

Leeks, scallions, onions, tomatoes, cauliflower, rhubarb, kale, eggplant, chard, asparagus, beans, okra, pumpkin, hearts of palm, brussel sprouts, broccoli, snow pea pods, bean sprouts, squash, Dandelion greens.

Foods to Avoid on Atkins Diet

The plan instructs dieters to avoid the followings foods and beverages:

Beer and other alcoholic spirits, bread, grains, juice, chips, potatoes, flour, sugar, rice, pasta and cereals.

Our Recommendation

Because Diet Bites is based on the Food Pyramid, we cannot recommend the Atkins Diet Plan as it restricts certain foods within the Food Pyramid.

As a footnote, many individuals have achieved great weight loss success using this mode for weight loss and while it's an excellent idea to avoid simple carbs - such as donuts, anyone considering a low carbohydrate diet of any type should first meet with their physician to discuss at length.

Potential Side Effects of the Atkins Diet

This weight loss mode can prove fatal for some individuals. If you currently have a health condition - please do not attempt a carbohydrate restricted diet plan without speaking to your doctor.

The trouble however, with this situation - is that many individuals may not know they have a health condition as it may be hidden. Low carbohydrate diets are particularly dangerous to those who have a heart condition or diabetes.

Because the Atkins Diet Plan is high in protein grams, it greatly impacts kidney functioning. Foods high in protein grams encourage the body to release water. Electrolytes - calcium, potassium and sodium, can quickly become out of balance.

This restricted carbohydrate method for weight loss is considered a fad diet - but as with a few of these types of diets, there are very good points to the weight loss plan that can be used to produce weight loss. It's always a great idea to limit simple carbohydrates and embrace whole grain complex carbohydrate choices - but the official food pyramid already recommends such.

Eliminating natural healthy foods from the daily diet such as potatoes which are mined with healthy potassium content, is a bit off the chart.

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