Phase 1 Foods

The Atkins low carb diet, by nature, works by restricting carbohydrates. Because the body breaks down carbs much slower than other fuels, the Atkins low carb diet plan uses other methods of fuel that aren’t in the form of carbs – so you can lose weight quickly and painlessly. In simple terms, the Atkins low carb diet plan changes your body from one that uses carbohydrates as a main source of fuel to one that uses fats for fuel. Therefore, the body’s natural storage of fat becomes the body’s main energy source. On the Atkins low carb diet plan, the body uses sugars as fuel. But, to turn sugars into fuel your body must use the naturally occurring hormone insulin. Insulin allows our cells to turn carbs into glucose (energy) by controlling the amount of sugar in our blood. Insulin causes the sugar we don’t use as fuel to be stored as fat and it also keeps the body from burning stored fat. Because the insulin adds stored fats to our bodies, we’re in a perpetual argument with our hormones when we’re losing weight. On the other hand, the Atkins low carb diet plan allows your body to release less insulin. According to Atkins, when your insulin levels are normal, you body begins to burn the stored fat as its fuel instead of looking for new fuels. The resulting effect not only burns body fat, but it also leads to less hunger and fewer cravings. In short, the diet controls insulin levels by controlling the amount of carbs you intake.

The Atkins low carb diet plan consists of four phases of eating. The foods you eat depend on what phase you’re in and your own metabolism. The phases include:

1. Introduction: This is the most restrictive phase, where you can only eat 20 grams of carbs daily. These carbs can only come in the form of non-starchy vegetables.

2. Ongoing Weight Loss: Phase two allows you to increase your carbs to 25 grams daily, and each week thereafter you can increase the number of carbs by five grams. You continue to add five grams of carbs to your diet until you no longer lose weight, then you subtract five grams of carbs to allow you to maintain your weight.

3. Pre-Maintenance – This phase allows you to transition from weight loss to maintenance. You can add 10 grams of carbs weekly as long as you continue to keep the weight off.

4. Lifetime Maintenance: This phase allows you to select from a variety of foods while still maintaining a healthy amount of carbs. It’s the least restrictive of all phases.

As you can see, the Atkins low carb diet plan is a rigid plan that many people use to great success. By limiting the amount of carbohydrates you intake in your system, you’re allowing your body to use the stored fats in your body as energy. This, therefore, promotes a healthy weight loss and if you maintain the diet through all four stages, you’ll be healthy for years to come!

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The Diabetic Food Pyramid, designed by the American Diabetic Association and the American Diabetic Association. Unlike the United States Department of Agriculture (or USDA)’s food guide pyramid, the diabetic food pyramid guides users through groups of foods based on their carbohydrate and protein levels.

Carbohydrates and proteins affect the blood glucose levels; this is the primary concern when eating foods as a diabetic. You’ll find the major differences in the pyramid are associated with foods like potatoes and grains in place of the grains, beans and other similar starchy vegetables in the vegetables group, and cheese included in the meat instead of the milk group. Also of notable difference is the servings of pasta – which is one third of a cup in the diabetic food pyramid as opposed to the one half cup portion in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Guide Pyramid.

Grains and starches are situated at the base of the diabetic food pyramid, and these foods are considered mostly carbohydrates. Bread, cereal, rice, pasta, wheat, rye, oats, potatoes, corn, peas, and dry beans are all in this very starchy group. They are all in this bottom part of the diabetic food pyramid because they have a lot of starchy carbohydrates and they affect the blood glucose in the same way. The recommended serving of the grain and starches category is six to eleven servings daily.

Vegetables are on the next ‘rung’ of the diabetic food pyramid. Because they’re full of naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, and fiber all of them are low in fats. Always try to eat fresh or frozen vegetables that are dark green or deep yellow in color, such as spinach, kale, broccoli, romaine lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, chilies, and peppers. Recommended servings are three to five per day.

Fruits are the next rung of the diabetic food pyramid. Included on this rung are blackberries, grapefruit and tangerines, cantaloupe, strawberries, oranges, apples, bananas, peaches, pears, and apricots. You should have two to four servings of fruit per day.

Next on the diabetic food pyramid is the milk category, because milk products contain a lot of calcium as well as other vitamins. You should try to choose low-fat or nonfat milk items, and you should consume about two to three servings daily.

Meats are next on the food pyramid. Included in this group are beef, chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, tofu, dried beans, cheese, cottage cheese, and peanut butter. Nutritionists generally limit your servings of meat to two to three servings daily.

Finally, the diabetic food pyramid lists sweets, fats, and alcohol. It’s smart for diabetics to avoid these foods altogether, and that’s why they’re at the top of the pyramid. Sugary foods such as candy and cookies can give you quick energy, but aren’t very nutritious and have lots of calories. Consume these items sparingly to avoid huge spikes in your blood glucose.

Pasta with Greens and Tomato Sauce

For those who are trying the Atkins’s diet, low carb pasta provides a way to enjoy the pasta we love and crave, which would otherwise be forbidden on this particular diet. In fact if it weren’t for the many new low carbohydrate dining options that are taking the market by storm, many people would never even attempt this particular diet because of all the sacrifices that must be made. Leading a healthier lifestyle does require sacrifice, but many feel that giving up all carbohydrates is a little too much to ask for the sake of a few dropped pounds. Thankfully, we are seeing many new products that make the sacrifice easier to endure.

While low carb pasta is noticeably different than traditional pastas, this is a way of having your cake, well pasta at any rate, and eating it too. While I could easily stand a diet that cut out all meat, I must admit that giving up pastas and breads for me is almost as horrible as the thought of giving up chocolate. Thankfully, in addition to the wonderful selection of low carb pasta and low carb bread, we are also seeing an infusion into the marketplace of low carb chocolate products as well.

I must admit I was more than a little skeptical when approached about trying low carb pasta for the first time. I felt that this new creation was going to be about as palatable as cardboard. While it wasn’t as satisfying as traditional pastas it did ease the craving my carb deprived body was having for all those forbidden goodies on this particular diet. That is after all, an important function of a product such as this. Our bodies need carbohydrates. If you have any doubt, check out the biggest level of the food pyramid. Filling the need we have for those carbs, even in lower dosages and smaller portions is an important component in overall weight loss and fitness.

If your body doesn’t have the fuel it needs in order to properly function, it won’t really matter how much weight you loose, as your body won’t be able to perform some necessary tasks. Balance is important in the weight loss and fitness process. Low carb pasta is a great way to get the carbs you need in a smaller amount and in proper portion sizes. This is another common area where people fail in their diet plans. We fail to understand proper portion size and are doomed not to succeed in our weight loss goals until we take the time to understand this important concept. In addition to eating foods such as low carb pasta, it is very important that you also properly portion the pasta and the sauce as well.

Whether you are planning to lose a substantial amount of weight or a few simple vanity pounds, a low carbohydrate diet can help you achieve your goal. Be careful that you find a proper balance between what is required by the diet and what your body needs. Low carb pasta is a great way to meet certain needs while accommodating the limitations of this particular diet.

Swollen ankles, painful knees and hips, pain in your lower back when you stand for more than a few minutes, lack of energy, grossly obese, type two diabetes, does this sound like it describes you, well it did me just before Christmas 2012. Hi, my name is Trevor and I live in North London, UK, I am just sixty five years old, and I have had a serious weight problem now for over ten years. How did I get into this condition, well that’s simple, gradually. About fifteen years ago, my work changed, and instead of being out and about every day, I was spending more and more time behind my desk, and started putting on some weight, but I am over six feet tall and quite broad so it didn’t really show much. Working at a desk all day allowed me to smoke more, and I started to get a bad chest, so my doctor recommended that I stopped smoking altogether, and that I did with very little trouble. I was so pleased with the way I had stopped smoking, and the money I was saving, that I felt I deserved a few little treats, but as I had given up regular drinking years before, it only left food, well more to the point cakes, and rich creamy ones at that. More weight went on, but I was totally in control so I wasn’t worried, and my friends were saying, you’re not fat it’s just a bit of middle age spread, you should see the chap up the road, now he’s fat. The problem with friends is they never want to think they are being offensive, but sometimes it takes someone saying “wow what’s happened to you, you’ve put on a lot of weight” for you to take a proper look at yourself. Another disadvantage I personally have is living alone, and being able to cook rather well, when you make something nice that will do for two nights, and you enjoy it so much that you have a bit more, then realize that what’s left is not enough to keep, so you finish it off, and put more weight on. On and on it went, until December last year 2012, and I dropped a letter I was going to post, and I couldn’t pick it up, I could no longer reach the floor, in the end I got it with great difficulty but I knew it was time for a serious reality check. My scales had not seen any use for years, so I put new batteries in turned them on, stood on them and to my surprise they went straight to reset, because they only go up to 22 Stone or 140KG, so I went to my doctor who has much heavier scales and I was 159.1KG, 25 stone and she was not impressed.

That is basically how I got to where I was, so what have I done about it so far, well I can say nothing extreme or very drastic, but I have made some changes to my life style. The first thing I did was to accept the fact that something needed to be done, and then see how much weight I needed to lose, and I did have some help in that direction, as a big love in my life has been flying gliders, and now being semi retired I will have more time but I need to get under 18stone, and that is my aim for next year. In the past I have tried various fads, but they don’t seem to work long term, well not for me anyway. I think when you start talking about a diet it congers up all the wrong images, and anyway portion size I think is more important. The old saying if you are overweight just eat less and do more is very true in most cases, I know some people have medical reasons for being obese, but in most cases it’s too many burgers and chips, and no exercise. I knew for me exercise would be playing a big part, but straight away I was in trouble, because my weight was putting a strain on my legs, and I would get tired very quickly. A friend of mine who has been involved in fitness for many years suggested a simple exercise with an armless hard back chair, keeping my arms by my side just stand up and sit down 25 times at least once a day, just using your leg muscles, and it really worked and after a few days I could do it really slowly and put quite a strain on my legs. The other problem I had was walking, because of my shape I had far too much weight hanging out in front, which was causing pain in my lower back, and again my friend suggested a pair of walking poles, which really helped by taking some of the weight through my arms and off my back. I walk for at least 30 minutes every day and sometimes longer, and I have a lot more energy, and even taking time out to walk I still get far more done in a day, which is an added bonus. Food wise I have made some changes, but nothing drastic, just common sense really, the full English Breakfast with a fried slice, has been replaced with serial and a banana, with a cup of coffee, no sugar of course, my main meals I have really cut back on portion size, plus I have found by eating slowly I seem to get full with much less food, I do eat more vegetables and have cut right back on red meat and pork, and I do now eat more fruit.  Some other things I have cut right back on are, bread, biscuits, cakes, but I still have a cake sometimes, and when I do I take my time and really enjoy it, so I will never say never about anything.

So where am I now, well we are half way through July 2013, and I just feel so much fitter, my energy levels are higher than I can remember, and my scales are trying to work and I think they will next week which mean I will have lost 3stone, that’s 42LBS or just over 19KG, there is a long way to go, but I know I am well on course to be under 18stone next spring, and it does get easier. I have achieved this without any drastic measures, just making relatively small changes, and sticking with it, and it took years to put on, so it is unrealistic to expect to be able to take it off in a few weeks, just stick with it and you will win. One last point, if you are going to walk for your exercise, do make sure you have a really comfortable pair of walking shoes, because nothing will put you off more than painful feet. Good luck with your weight loss, and I hope you have as much or more success than I have had.                                                                                                                                If you require more information on Walking Poles CLICK HERE                                            For more information on Walking Shoes CLICK HERE