You can’t keep a good diet down. Atkins — the famous low-carb, high-protein diet — has been around since the early ’70s, became a national obsession in the ’90s, and was roundly derided for being unhealthy after Dr. Atkins’ passing in 2003. It was thought that he died of a heart attack (in reality, he died of a head injury). With “The New Atkins For a New You,” the doctors who have revised the Atkins plan hope to clear its sullied name.
“I think the more we say we misunderstood it and now it’s OK, people will forget that it had a besmirching, if you will,” says one of the book’s authors, Dr. Eric C. Westman.
The revamped diet requires five foundation vegetables each day. The original diet had allowed for vegetables, but making them a formalized part of the plan helps to break the myth that Atkins is unbalanced.
Westman says the most shocking pillar of the Atkins diet remains unchanged: unlimited proteins and fats during the initial induction phase. What many forget, insists Westman, is that if the diet works, you won’t want to gorge yourself on those fatty foods, anyway.
“You don’t have to watch the portion size because it’s automatic,” he says. “Your appetite goes down and when you get hungry, you get fuller with less food.”
