1. Atkins Diet in a Nutshell
For those of you who haven't been paying attention, the Atkins diet is a wildly popular low carb diet. The diet stresses low carb and high protein eating. The diet limits the amount of vegetables and fruits because of their high carbohydrate content, especially during the initial phase. Because of the reduced intake of fresh fruit and vegetables, vitamins and minerals need to be supplemented while on the Atkins diet, from the very first day.
2. Atkins Diet Induction Phase
The induction phase of the Atkins diet is by far the most restrictive part of the diet. During the induction phase, carbohydrates are restricted to 20 grams a day, 15 of which must come from salad greens. The induction phase lasts a minimum of two weeks, depending on your particular needs and progress. In addition to a good multi-vitamin, the Atkins diet recommends adding the minerals potassium, calcium and magnesium but no iron. The multi-vitamin and minerals assure that your vitamins and minerals will be balanced during the induction phase. Because the Atkins low carb diet is high in protein and meat, your need for iron is greatly reduced.
3. Supplements for Balance on the Atkins Diet
As long as you stay on the Atkins diet, you need to take additional vitamin and mineral supplements to stay in balance. The Atkins low carb diet recommends a good multi-vitamin supplement that contains the minerals of magnesium, calcium and potassium. As long as you continue to eat a diet high in protein from meats, you do not need to add iron. The Atkins diet recommends antioxidants that will help you lose weight and maintain the weight loss. Biotin is a B vitamin that helps drop blood sugar levels in diabetics and will keep your blood sugar levels more stable. Pantethine is another B vitamin that reduces cholesterol, produces the "good" bacteria we need in our intestines and helps support the adrenal glands. Vanadium helps the body process blood sugar more efficiently and may decrease the need for insulin. The antioxidant selenium may give added nutritional support to diabetics and pre-diabetics, while chromium helps your body use insulin more efficiently. Chromium also helps to lower cholesterol, decrease body fat and build lean muscle mass. By eating healthy vegetables that are naturally low carb and by taking supplements with vitamins and minerals, your Atkins diet becomes balanced and healthy.
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