Low Carb Atkins Diet

Would you like to immediately start to lose weight and / or feel fitter and more energetic? Start today with Atkins low-carb diet!

1. Enjoy more variety with delicious low carb recipes for you.

2. Gradually add more healthy carbohydrates as you go through the phases of Atkins.

3. Sugar cravings disappear and you can eat the delicious Atkins products.

4. Guidance and support, all for free!

What is a low-carbohydrate diet?

A low-carb diet is a diet where you limit your intake of carbohydrates. The word diet suggests that you do this for a short period so we prefer to call Atkins a low carb lifestyle. Eating low carbs is not only for people who want to lose weight, but also for people who want to eat a healthy and varied diet. The daily carbohydrate intake we advise you depends on your goal and your personal carb balance.

What is Atkins and low-carb?

To switch to a low-carb lifestyle it's important to know what are carbohydrates, what they do and what foods contain carbohydrates. 

Carbohydrates are an important source of energy for our body. Protein and fat can also provide energy. Carbohydrates, fats and proteins are also referred to as the three macronutrients.

Even on a low carb diet you don't cut out carbohydrates completely, you just limit your intake. It is not healthy to completely remove one of the three macronutrients.

When following a low carbohydrate diet, you limit your intake of carbohydrates and your body will use protein and fat as a primary fuel. By limiting carbohydrates your body will use bodyfat as an energy source. This process, switching from burning carbohydrates to burning fat, is called ketosis.

See the video below to understand how ketosis works.

 
The movie shows that we used to have a different diet with fewer processed foods and foods that are full of sugar such as candy, cookies, soda and pizza. These types of foods are a major cause of obesity and have an impact on our health'.

Yet our ancestors certainly ate carbohydrates. However they didn't eat refined carbohydrates, contained in candy or cake, but complex carbohydrates found in vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds.
But what exactly is the difference between the two carbohydrates?

simple carbohydrates

Simple carbohydrates are absorbed quickly by the body and therefore provide energy quickly. These carbohydrates are therefore also called fast acting carbohydrates as they provide a rapid energy boost however this is soon followed by a crash in energy levels. This is caused by significant fluctuations in your blood sugar.

But what do these fluctuations have to do with obesity?

That's a pretty technical story but we will still try to explain it as simply as possible.

The blood sugar level indicates the amount of glucose in our blood. When blood sugar is spiked,the hormone insulin is produced in the pancreas. This insulin causes the body to use glucose as an energy source. The abundance of simple carbohydrates in the "normal" Western diet provides many fluctuations in your blood sugar so your body may eventually becomes resistant to insulin.

Cells are then less sensitive to insulin and therefore do not clear the glucose properly anymore. The glucose is stored by your body as body fat. This results in obesity and an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes, in the long term.

In addition, simple carbohydrates also contain almost no other nutrients and are much less filling than foods with protein, fat and complex carbohydrates. As a result, you're more likely to eat more of the foods with simple sugars.

For foods such as candy, cookies, soft drinks, juices and sauces, we give an estimated amount of carbohydrates and this applies to all types of biscuits, sweets, soft drinks, and sauces. When in doubt, always read the nutrition label of the product.

complex carbohydrates

The slower absorbed, complex carbohydrates are healthy carbs which are slowly absorbed into the blood and can therefore be used as a sustained source of energy. They do not lead to high spikes in blood sugar like simple carbohydrates. 

Read all the details about the differences between simple and complex carbohydrates.

Phase 2 - the phase where you continue to lose weight

You can start in Phase 2 if you don't have much weight to lose. You start with 25 grams of carbohydrates per day and increasing this number weekly by 5g by adding more foods, until you are about 6kg from your goal weight. In this phase, add foods such as nuts, seeds, dairy and some fruit. The following products are a good choice to add to your shopping list.

Read all about phase 2

Phase 4 - Lifetime Maintenace

Now that you have found your personal carbohydrate balance is important to stick to it to keep the weight off. This balance varies by person and also depends on how much exercise you do every day. Phase 4 is similar to Phase 3 but you carry on for the rest of your life.

Read all about phase 4

Low carb meal plan

To make thing easier, it's good to follow a low carbohydrate meal plan which gives you an idea of what to eat each day and plan ahead. If you don't have the time or inspiration to put your own meal plan together, don't worry, our nutritionists have already compiled some delicious low carb menus. They are absolutely free and you are guaranteed to get all the nutrients you'll need! Below is a low carbohydrate diet weekly menu and schedule with 25 grams of carbohydrates per day.