LC Plans
<There are many low-carb plans circulating the net these days. One only has to mention low carb and can be flooded with several different options. The key to making it work is finding a plan you feel you can live with. Your health is a lifetime commitment and so is your eating plan. Pick the one that fits your lifestyle the best, read it from cover to cover, and be sure you understand the how’s and why’s to reap the most benefits from your plan.
Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution (DANDR)
This plan is probably the most famous (or should we say infamous?) low carb plan around. This plan falls under the ketogenic category and is a good plan for those who feel they are completely out of control and need strict guidance. Here is a quick summary of the Atkins program from their site.
A quote from the Protein Power site: “The Protein Power plan is a nutritional strategy involving lower carbohydrate, adequate protein and healthy fat choices. The plan is divided into three main stages: Phase I, Phase II and Maintenance levels. It is designed to lower and control insulin levels by decreasing the intake of starchy and sweet carbohydrates.”This plan is a little more liberal than Dr. Atkins plan and stresses the importance of knowing your protien intake. It does not focus on achieving ketosis. Here is a the overview of this plan from their web site.
A quote from the web site: “Neanderthin advocates a Low Carb, High Protein diet while taking into account our best scientific understanding of the human body and its health issues. A Neanderthin Balanced diet provides all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals the human body needs.”Here is the closest thing to a summary I could find.
In searching their web site I found no simple summary of the plan so I will do my
best to explain it myself. This plan allows for two lower carbohydrate meals and one higher carbohydrate meal per day. This high carb meal is called a “reward meal” but is not a free-for-all carb fest. It is to be balanced, which they explain further in their book. We’ve included the link to their “Lifespan” book instead of the older carb addicts diet book because they say the older book is outdated. From their site:”The Carbohydrate Addict’s LifeSpan Program focuses on health and weight-loss in a jump-start program for those in their 40′s, 50′s, 60′s and beyond (those it is also an excellent program for those under 40 as well).”
The Zone is a lower-fat, low carbohydrate plan. Here is the summary and quick summary from their site. I did find this tidbit of information under “food block guides”: “Most women should choose 3 selections of protein, carbohydrates and fats for each meal. Most men should choose 4 selections of protein, carbohydrates and fat for each meal. Then choose 1 of each for mid-afternoon a pre-bedtime snacks.”
A quote from the site: “Sugar Busters! involves eating high fiber vegetables and whole grains. The fiber in both of these food products has a beneficial effect on your digestive process and overall health. Fruits are encouraged on Sugar Busters! and are excellent as snacks. Meats are an important source of protein but should be lean and trimmed. Sugar Busters! is cautious about fat. We encourage reduced fat products when choosing milk and cheese and strongly advocate careful attention to saturated fats.” Here is the summary page they have, from which the above quote was taken.
The South Beach plan claims that it is not low carb or low fat.”The South Beach diet teaches you to rely on the right carbs and the right fats to enable you live quite happily without the bad carbs and bad fats.” In order to see the summary of this plan click the South Beach link above and then click “Learn about the 3 phase diet” on the right hand side of the screen. (Sorry, I can’t link to it.. it opens a pop up window with no url.)
The Hamptons Diet takes the best of the Mediterranean Diet and the best of controlled carbohydrate eating and puts them together. It consists of whole foods (organic whenever possible), minimally processed, nothing artificial, and minimal use of sugar alcohols. This diet was formed by Fred Pescatore, M.D., who worked very closey with Dr. Atkins at the Atkins Center. A quote from the site:”The Hamptons Diet can be summed up in one key sentence: Eat more vegetables, fish, and omega-3 fatty acids and consume most of your fats in the form of monounsaturates.” The Hamptons How To page will give you a quick summary for this plan.
Did I fail to list a low carb plan here? Please e-mail me and let me know! Interested in finding some great low carb cookbooks to go with your chosen plan? Check out our low carb products page!
