If you're starting a diet, you have most likely heard of the Atkins Diet approach, which cuts most forms of carbohydrates from your diet in an effort to jump-start fat-burning. But you might be surprised to learn that you can't have milk on the Atkins program, since it has a high carbohydrate content. You can, however, substitute cream.
Significance
The Atkins Diet aims to force your body to lose weight by changing your metabolism so that it burns fat instead of sugar as fuel, according to the Atkins Diet program website. The diet severely restricts carbohydrates in your diet, starting with 20 carbs per day and building up as you progress through the stages of the diet. Initially, you're allowed to have carbs only in the form of green leafy vegetables.
Features
Although many people think of milk as mainly a source of protein and calcium, it actually has a fair amount of carbohydrate in it. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, or NHLBI, both whole milk and nonfat milk contain 12 grams of carbohydrate. Therefore, if you consumed two cups of skim milk each day, you'd consume 24 grams of carbohydrate, above the 20 grams allowed in the first phase of the Atkins Diet.
Function
Instead of drinking milk on the Atkins Diet, the program allows you to use cream in your coffee and even to drink, although few people would want to do so. According to the NHLBI, a tablespoon of heavy cream contains a little less than half a gram of carbohydrate, while a tablespoon of light cream contains a little more than half a gram of carbs.
Types
Although you're not allowed to have milk on the Atkins Diet, you still can incorporate numerous milk products into your diet plan. For example, the diet allows numerous types of cheeses, ranging from bleu cheese to feta, starting with Phase One of the diet. In Phase Two, you can add cottage cheese and ricotta cheese, and by the end of the program you can consume any cheese you wish.
Considerations
Since many people get needed vitamin D and calcium from milk, Atkins followers will need to get these from other foods or take a supplement. Adherents to the diet also might face deficiencies in other important nutrients, according to Vanderbilt University. If you plan to try the Atkins approach, you should speak to your doctor to make certain you get proper nutrition.
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