Keto vs Atkins – Which is Better?
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The Keto diet and the Atkins diet are two popular diets that share some similarities yet involve specific differences that can impact your decision as to which diet to adopt. When followed according to their guidelines, you can lose weight with either of these diets. To increase your chances of obtaining your target weight, it’s a good idea to explore both of these diets to determine which dietary plan you believe you can remain dedicated to.
A ketogenic diet focuses on limiting your carbohydrate intake. Your body typically uses carbohydrates for energy. When you reduce the amount of carbohydrates in your diet, your body will begin burning fats and using protein for energy. When comparing the Keto diet to the Atkins diet, the keto diet focuses on eating less carbohydrates over an extended period of time while the Atkins diet is designed so that you can begin reintroducing carbohydrates into your meal plans once the induction phase is completed.
The Atkins diet does not focus on counting calories as some other diets do. Its main focus is eliminating high carbohydrate foods from your diet. It encourages the consumption of foods high in healthy fats and protein. The Atkins diet has four phases. The first phase is the most restrictive and requires that you limit your carbohydrate intake to less than 20 grams a day. This extreme restriction is what puts your body into ketosis. Ketosis is what causes weight loss. Phase two is referred to as the balancing phase. During this phase, you are permitted to begin consuming slightly more carbs than you could have in phase one. Phase three allows you to further increase your carbohydrate intake with phase four being a maintenance phase. When you reach phase four, you are in a position to include carbohydrates in your meal and snack plan based on how many you can tolerate without gaining weight.
The keto diet doesn’t focus calories but rather on the grams of carbohydrates in your diet. No refined carbohydrates are permitted on this diet. That means foods such as breads, pasta, cereal, starchy vegetables such as potatoes, beans and legumes and most fruits cannot be eaten while on the Keto diet. The Keto diet doesn’t involve phases. Once you adopt a Keto diet, you simply develop a new style of eating and remain dedicated to it until you reach your weight loss goal. Your food options are relatively diverse with the Keto diet. Meats, eggs, leafy greens, high-fat dairy nuts and seeds and a variety of vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and green beans can be included in your meal plan.
In addition to the benefits associated with weight loss, supporters of the Atkins diet credit the diet with preventing and managing diabetes, helping control and maintain healthy blood pressure and supporting cardiovascular health. Eating the foods acceptable on the Atkins diet can help raise beneficial HDL cholesterol and lower LDL cholesterol and also lower high triglycerides. This can be beneficial in reducing the risk of heart disease and heart attacks. Low carbohydrate diets are credited with helping prevent cognitive diseases such as dementia. This benefit is believed to be connected to the reduction in inflammation, improved circulation to the brain and the reduction in sugar intake that accompanies the Atkins diet plan.
The Keto diet is highly effective as a weight loss diet, but it is also credited with providing a variety of other health benefits. The Keto diet helps reduce inflammation and helps increase cognitive function and mental sharpness. It is believed to have anti-aging benefits, support healthy skin and provide an increase in energy. Following a Keto diet may also reduce your risk of developing chronic diseases. Consuming too much sugar has negative effects on your overall health. Some of those effects include weight gain, elevated blood sugar and high blood pressure. A Keto diet helps reduce your cravings for sugar thereby encouraging you to make healthier food choices.
Both the Keto and Atkins diet are effective methods of weight loss. They each have multiple health benefits. When deciding which diet is best, the answer may lie more with which diet you feel you can remain dedicated to. That decision may require you to evaluate exactly what your overall goal is. Are your focused solely on losing weight or are you wanting to make a dietary change that you can remain dedicated to for an extended period of time? Are you likely to follow a diet that involves multiple stages or would a diet that focuses on an overall reduction in carbs be more conducive to your lifestyle?
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