Lose
weight ? Live longer ? Maybe your mom was right when she told you to eat
your vegetables. Fortunately, vegetables are an important component of
the Atkins Nutritional Approach. Even in Induction, 12 to 15 grams daily
of Net Carbs should come from up to six cups of salad and up to two
cups of cooked vegetables (depending on which vegetables you choose).
Your choices become even more plentiful as you move through subsequent
phases of Atkins. Read on for more reasons why you need to eat your
vegetables.
1) Vegetables help keep you full for longer.
The fiber and water in vegetables fill you up way more efficiently than
eating processed carbs that are deficient in fiber. Combining
vegetables with protein and healthy fats will keep you satisfied until
it’s time for your next meal.
2) Vegetables help prevent dips and spikes in your energy levels.
Once again, the fiber in vegetables helps regulate your blood sugar. If
you’re eating all your allotted vegetables each day, you shouldn’t
experience that late-afternoon energy slump (and cravings for sugar)
that you may encounter when eating processed carbohydrates.
3) Vegetables help you live longer.
Numerous studies show that a diet rich in a variety of vegetables may
help decrease the hardening of arteries, help lower cholesterol levels
and help prevent inflammation, a component of many degenerative diseases
including obesity, diabetes, heart disease and Alzheimer’s. Researchers
believe the antioxidants (vitamins C and E, plus selenium and the
carotenoids) may be partly responsible for this effect.
4) Vegetables are the ultimate food replacement. You
can’t go wrong when you replace junk food and processed carbohydrates,
which are typically full of unhealthy fats and deficient in nutrients,
with nutrient-dense foods like vegetables, which contain fiber,
antioxidants and vitamins.
5) Vegetables help you lose weight.
Vegetables tend to be lower in calories, yet pack a way more powerful
punch when it comes to keeping you healthy and full for longer. This all
means you may tend to eat fewer calories, while still feeling
satisfied, if not more satisfied, than when you rely on packaged foods
and foods devoid of nutrients.
