Atkins vs. Mediterranean Diet

Each and every person wants a life which is very fit and healthy. But not all can achieve them. It requires a lot of hard work and dedication and most important of all the attention towards one’s diet, creating a diet plan and religiously following it. A diet plan is not only meant to be such up on the wall as plaque. They needed to be strictly followed and adhered to. Only then the desired effects can be achieved. There are a lot of different types of diets available in the market and it is totally dependent upon the person as to which diet to follow.

The main problem lies in the fact that we have changed our lifestyles and these lifestyle changes are definitely causing a lot of diet pattern changes in our body. We, therefore, need to follow a strict diet regime which can be of immense help to us. Depending on our need and the requirement we need to follow different types of diet plans and each diet plan comes with its own set of restrictions and leverages.

There are some diet plans which restrict carbohydrates, some of them which are a combination two i.e proteins and carbo hydrates and some of them are such which concentrate on protein consumption. There are a lot of factors which determine the food intake in our body due to which we have to follow a certain type of diet. There are most importantly three types of diets that we need to follow. The Paleo diet, the Mediterranean diet and the Atkins diet. Today we are going to discuss in detail about the Atkins diet and the Mediterranean diet.

The Atkins Diet

Suggested by Dr. Atkins, the Atkins diet is a very controversial diet and has a lot of doubts and concerns in the mind of the diet followers. Many of them argue that the Atkins diet is one of the major causes of the heart attack.

Isn’t this very strange to believe?

The main feature of the Atkins diet is to consume food which was high in calorie content, ample fat content and too much of protein consumption along with very less carbohydrate consumption. Which different food items are included in the Atkins diet?

Which different food items are included in the Atkins diet?

• Vegetables- not all of them are advantageous, only some of them- ideally only thirteen to fifteen grams per day.
• Cheese – there are different types of cheeses available in the market like cream cheese, cottage cheese, farmer’s cheese which has less carbohydrates and more fats. However, cream cheese is more preferable.
• Fat content in food–People strictly following the Atkins’s diet plan require to consume more of fats. This can be very surprising but this is the truth. A person following this sort of diet plan requires more fats in his body and that is the reason. This can be ensured by the consumption of the cold water fish, olive oil, butter, salad dressings with added sugars and other saturated fats are permissible.
• Consumption of water and soda–Again very surprising, but the Atkins diet allows the consumption of soda or flavored soda. In an idealistic situation before trying to eat to curb your hunger, go ahead and consume more water. You may at times be not able to identify the difference between your thirst and hunger.
• Consuming saccharine or splenda which are considered to be good substitutes for sugar is also allowed on the Atkins diet.

How is the Atkins diet beneficial?

The main objective of following the Atkins diet is the reduction of consumption of carbohydrates in your body. Reduction in carbohydrates will cause the body to enter a bodily process called ketosis. In this stage what happens is that the body uses all the fats as a fuel and as a result, the body will not crave for any carbohydrate consumption and automatically it will lessen.

But, even after thirty years of the introduction of the Atkins diet regime, still, there has been no evidence in its genuineness.

Most dieters are familiar with commercial plans such as Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig — both of which continue to make the magazine’s list for top diets. But a range of options offer fresh approaches, including the MIND diet, the Eco-Atkins diet (a plant-based, Atkins-style diet) and the Ornish diet — which is ranked top for heart health.

The annual rankings list includes 38 different diets, all of which have been evaluated by a panel of doctors, nutritionists and other health professionals. “Each profile is an exhaustive look at what it’s like to be on each plan,” says Angela Haupt, assistant managing editor for health at U.S. News.

The diets are ranked in categories, from “easiest diets to follow” to “best diets overall” to “fastest weight loss.”

The Eco-Atkins diet makes the cut in the fastest weight-loss category. The diet was developed by a nutrition scientist at the University of Toronto. “It’s a plant-based spin on the Atkins diet. It calls for 31 percent of daily calories to come from plant proteins, 43 percent from plant fats and 26 percent from carbs,” explains Haupt. – npr.org

Source: http://medifastcalifornia.com/diet-trends-years-infographic/

The Mediterranean Diet

This form of diet is highly acceptable by people in Italy, Greece and France. This is the easiest diet to follow and brings with it a host of advantages and positive changes in the body for weight loss. Slowly and gradually the entire world started to follow it. Owing to its simplicity in following the Mediterranean diet has acquired immense popularity. It mainly focuses the consumption of fruits and vegetables.

What are the different food items preferred in Mediterranean diet?

• As mentioned fruits and vegetables are extremely important.
• Sea food
• Moderate amounts of non-vegeterian food like chicken and mutton
• Moderate consumption of red wine.
• Ample of water.

How is Mediterranean diet beneficial?

All the meals which are made keeping in mind the Mediterranean diet are very good for health and do not in any cause the body to gain weight. It is a fact that the food would be delicious and at the same time tasty and powerful.

The Mediterranean diet retains a top spot as well. As the reviewers explain in the diet’s profile: “There isn’t ‘a’ Mediterranean diet. Greeks eat differently from Italians, who eat differently from the French and Spanish. But they share many common understandings.”

A consumer-friendly Mediterranean diet pyramid was developed by Oldways, a nonprofit in Boston, working with researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health. The U.S News reviewers point out: “The not-so-surprising secret [of a Mediterranean diet] is an active lifestyle, weight control, and a diet low in red meat, sugar and saturated fat and high in produce, nuts and other healthful foods.” Another bonus: A little red wine with meals is not frowned upon.

Source: https://authoritynutrition.com/mediterranean-diet-meal-plan/

 

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