RICH MAN'S DIET? THE HIGH COST OF ATKINS IS YET ANOTHER MYTH FAR REMOVED FROM FACT

A variety of options makes the Atkins lifestyle adaptable for any budget, new "Atkins Shopping Guide" makes it even easier


New York, May 20 - For millions of Americans, the Atkins Nutritional Approach(tm) (ANA) has proven to not only help lose and maintain weight, but also to reduce the risk parameters for certain diseases and aid in a healthier way of living. And the Atkins lifestyle is flexible enough for anyone to follow regardless of their weekly food budget.

"We think it's wonderful that people are coming back to consuming whole foods and are cutting out carb-laden processed and refined foods with so much added sugar," says Colette Heimowitz, Vice President of Education and Research, Atkins Health and Medical Information Services. "One of the best aspects of the ANA is that it is a program that can fit into almost any budget. It is incorrect and damaging to characterize eating whole foods as a luxury only the rich can afford. While this notion plays into the pockets of manufacturers of processed foods, it couldn't be further from the truth. Unfortunately, by perpetuating this myth about whole foods, those parties responsible support unhealthy long-term eating habits."

So how does someone adapt a controlled-carbohydrate lifestyle to their personal income? There are endless ways says Heimowitz.

Costs can easily be controlled by incorporating a variety of protein choices into daily meals. Lower priced cuts of meat and poultry can be substituted in dishes and offer the same nutritional value for consumers following the ANA as more expensive prime cuts. Canned fish and less pricey selections such as cod and catfish are alternate protein types that help individuals control their carbs even on a budget.

Tofu is a valuable source of protein that can bring diversity to your meals while staying on a budget. Mixing tofu with chili and low-glycemic legumes and vegetables creates eclectic vegetarian dishes that add variety.

Frozen vegetables and fruits that have no added sugars can also be less expensive and still provide the same dietary value as fresh produce. Options like frozen broccoli, spinach, and berries can add flavor to any dish and still be low in carbohydrates.

Hearty stews and casseroles that include protein choices like chicken or beef along with vegetables such as squash, zucchini and eggplant can feed the whole family without spending time and money on intricate dishes.

"Resources like The Atkins Shopping Guide are invaluable in helping consumers figure out how to shop in grocery and convenience stores while staying on their personal budget," says Christine Senft, Executive Editor, Atkins Health & Medical Information Services. "Learning what to buy and what to avoid is helpful for anyone, and the Shopping Guide puts this information in an easy-to-follow format."

How consumers shop also helps control grocery bills. Buying in bulk when possible and freezing leftovers can ensure consumers get the most for their money.

"It is important for people to realize that with a little ingenuity and creativity in the grocery store and kitchen, they can reap tremendous health benefits from whole foods without the necessity of preparing elaborate gourmet meals," says Heimowitz.

The Atkins Nutritional Approach(tm) (ANA) is a scientifically validated strategy for weight control and good health based upon controlling carbohydrates. The ANA stresses nutrient-dense carbohydrates as part of a balanced eating plan that includes protein and balance of good fats, while restricting carbohydrates with the greatest impact on blood sugar. The ANA provides each person with the knowledge and tools, including the four phases of Atkins, to optimize their health and find the individual level of carbohydrate intake below which weight loss is achieved and above which weight gain occurs.

Greetings!

I'm a brand-new member, but I beg to differ with the article about the High Cost Of Atkins being a Myth. Those who are considering following a high-protein regimen need to know that they WILL be spending considerably more on groceries each week.


I've been following a high-protein/low-carb regimen since 2001 & there's no way around it -- your grocery bills are definitely be 30-50% higher on a high-protein diet. My personal regimen differs from Atkins because I avoid all fake, processed foods, regardless of their carb count. And I cook primarily with coconut oil, extra-virgin olive oil or butter from grassfed cows. (No soy, canola or corn oils EVER). The coconut oil & special butter are pretty pricey, but the health benefits are worth it.


If I want pasta, then every once in a while I'll make myself a plate of linguine from a good-quality dried pasta. The low-carb pastas & pizza doughs are overpriced, loaded with chemicals & nearly always made from soy flour -- & s they're not very tastyr. So I don't miss them.


After 5 months on Atkins I had lost the 30 lbs. I wanted to get rid of (this was in 2001) & I moved on to the Maintenance phase. I started buying the packaged pasta & pizza products & even though I limited them to twice-a-week, I immediately began gaining weight! I checked the ingredients & saw that all those processed bread/pizza/pasta products were made predominately from soy flour. So I got online & started researching soy.


I found TONS of studies about the dangers of soy products that haven't been properly fermented prior to consumption -- despite the fact that every third tv commercial you see is touting soymilk or soy supplements or soy-based skincare products. In fact, there's a preponderance of evidence out there that soy supresses thyroid function (which slows metabolism & leads to weight gain) & screws up your endocrine system. So it's the WORST thing a menopausal woman can consume, despite the commercials pitching soy to older women!


I quickly dropped the fake bread & pasta products & eliminated all soy from my diet other than fermented soy products (i.e. good-quality soy sauce or miso, as seasonings). And the pounds I regained disappeared, along with other annoying symptoms (irregular menstruation, breast tenderness & irritability before my periods, general lack of energy & ACNE!) that began when I started eating soy products regularly. Soy oil was the worst culprit -- I cooked with it every day but didn't realize it because the label said 'Vegetable Oil'. (Soy was only listed in the fine print.) Yes, soy is cheap source of protein -- but the money I was saving wasn't worth the health problems it caused.


My concern is that a site like this one is recommending soy products as an inexpensive protein source without advising people than soy can be even more harmful to your health than sugar! Ditto for suggesting that people use canned or frozen veggies. Vegetables are some of the most delicate foods on the planet in terms of their nutritional value. Processing them through canning or freezing reduces the nutrients & vitamins you're eating veggies to get in the first place. Fresh vegetables do cost more, but they should -- they're healthier for you. And everyone should be advised to seek out organically-grown fruits & vegetables whenever possible. Again, they cost more but will not contain pesticides & other harmful chemicals. Ditto for fish -- canned costs less, but if you're buying salmon, you'd better splurge on the wild Canadian or Irish varieties. Farm-raised salmon has been shown to contain high levels carcinogens like dioxin & PBCs -- & nearly all canned fish is farm rasied. Once again, the cheapest choice is not the healthiest for low-carb dieters.


The same goes for meat & dairy products. Grassfed (pastured) beef, pork & lamb, as well as cheese from grassfed dairy cows, are 100 times healthier than the traditional grain-fed varieties. (Even meats raised on organic grain aren't as good for you as grassfed meats.) I splurge on raw-milk cheeses from grassfed cows when I can find them, but I'm too poor to afford grassfed meats. However, I know they're worth the extra money.

I'll be moving back east soon & hope to be able to find grassfed meats in a local supermarket rather than having to order them on the internet. But the Omega 3 fatty acid & CLA contents are so much higher when animals are raised on pastured grassland, eating the vegetation God intended for them to eat, rather than being stuffed with an unnatural diet of corn & soy.


My concern for low-carb dieters is that our Omega 6-to-Omega 3 fatty acids ratios will be completely out of whack because we're consuming so much grainfed red meat & we will begin to get sick because of this imbalance. The proper ratio should be as close to 1:1 as possible, but no more than 4:1 Omega 6 to Omega 3. Grains like corn & soy are loaded with Omega 6 fatty acids, so eating beef, pork & lamb rasied on grain means we're headed towards an Omega 3 deficiency coupled with an Omega 6 overload -- which leads to all kinds of health problems, even though we're losing weight.


I knowthat Dr. Atkins (may he RIP) never addressed these kinds of nutritional issues. But he was a good scientist & remains My Hero & I'm confident that if he had lived a bit longer, in time he would have realized that the quality of the meats & vegetables we consume is just as important to our health as the fact that they will enable us to lose weight.


Here are links to 2 sites I've found to be great resources in terms of providing scientific facts about the benefits of low-carb eating, grassfed meats & the importance of Omega 3 fatty acids in the human diet. And no, I am not affiliated with them or receiving any kickbacks for referring people to these sites. When I find good info, I simply like to pass it on.


Knowledge Is Power -- Go Learn Something New! :jump:


http://www.westonaprice.org
http://www.texasgrassfedbeef.com/



- RC

Rc

I've read your post over and over, and you raise some good points:
However, I do disagree with others.
Grass-fed meat and meat that is antibiotic/hormone free and free-range has been shown to have better lipid and omega-3 profiles than grain-fed, hormone and antibiotic laden meats. I know it tastes great because I've ordered it in the past. And I know it's very expensive. Not something I can afford to do but once a year or so.
I applaud you for avoiding all fake, processed foods. That's something lots of us strive for. We advise newbies all the time to 'eat clean'. I even agree that soy warrants more studying re: its thyroid suppressant effects.
That said, I do think one can eat healthy, low carb, and inexpensively. Can you eat grass-fed meats and dairy products, wild salmon, and all-organic fresh veggies cheaply? No, probably not. Even you admit you can't afford the good stuff all the time. Me neither.
So...we do the best we can. We go to farmers' markets or our local supermarket for fresh veggies. Sometimes we do buy canned or frozen foods. What would be worse: Eating frozen broccoli because I can inexpensively, conveniently, prepare it, or not eating broccoli at all because I couldn't spare the time or expense needed to prepare it? Given that choice, I'd choose the frozen broccoli. I take a multivitamin supplement to, well, supplement the vitamins and minerals I may be missing in my diet. Would I rather get all my required daily nutrients from my food? Sure. Is it possible? No way, not if I want to get anything done other than shopping for, and preparing my daily meals. And I'm single. How 'bout people with families?
How about meat and chicken? I buy the regular stuff from the store most times due to time and money constraints. I also take essential oil supplements, because most people do not consume enough Omega 3's through diet. What's worse: no protein, because I can't afford to order grass-fed meat but once a year? Or the protein sources I can afford, supplemented with essential oil supplements? I tend to agree that soy in large qauntities can be detrimental to my health. Do I still consume it? Yep. Just not every day. Have you considered that you may have an intolerance to soy products? Because that is certainly what the symptoms you are describing sound like. I get similar symptoms when I eat starch or sugar now.
Which brings me to my real bone of contention: That's fine, for you, if it doesn't cause cravings and send you into a carb bender for 3 days. Because that is what it would do to me and lots of others. Is that healthy?
I guess what I'm saying is, yes, I agree with some of your main points. We should strive for clean, quality foods to put into our bodies. Failing that, however, we have to do what we can, time-wise and money-wise and low-carb-wise. There was an initial expense when I started eating low-carb, for special ingredients and staples. However, I have found that my routine shopping bills have actually gone down, due to avoiding the expensive processed stuff in the inner aisles of the store.

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"Live strong." ~ Lance Armstrong
SLEEP BE DAMNED! GET THY BUTT TO THE GYM!
Start Atkins 9.1.03
225/198/130ish

Tara - mine too (shopping gone down in cost).

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Suzanne (Atkins - 1/9/04)
195/168/145

Mine settled downward, then hubby bought a new gas grill. That, not my WOE - has definitely driven up our food bill. But he's having fun.

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Mary Kay
2009 WW - 228 / 199

I want a Christmas Onederland!!

"That's fine, for you, if it doesn't cause cravings and send you into a carb bender for 3 days. Because that is what it would do to me and lots of others. Is that healthy?"

The only thing that triggers mad carb cravings in me are things with High Fructose Corn Syrup in them. And croissants - those I only eat once a year, literally. But because I recognize what a carb craving is now, I can stop myself after one serving, since I know even 3 more servings isn't going to make me feel any different. But a nice bowl of pasta with alfredo sauce once a month or so keeps me satisfied.

"However, I have found that my routine shopping bills have actually gone down, due to avoiding the expensive processed stuff in the inner aisles of the store."

Yeah - the cereal aisle is prolly the most expensive aisle you can walk through, excluding the designer ice cream in frozen foods!

I just want the new low-carbers to understand that they're going to be spending more money when they start out, so they can budget properly when they go shopping. When I started eating high-protein back in 2001, I couldn't figure out why I kept running out of food before the week was up. Unitl I relaized that what I used to spend for 2 weeks worth of high-carb meals like pasta & rice & beans was now being spent on a week's worth of meat & veggies & cheese. I had to adjust my budget to be able to keep the refrigerator full -- but skipping the after-work drinks on Friday nights was all it took to get me squared away. :fork:

- RC

Well it seems that we agree more than disagree A good debate is always welcome here

__________________
"Live strong." ~ Lance Armstrong
SLEEP BE DAMNED! GET THY BUTT TO THE GYM!
Start Atkins 9.1.03
225/198/130ish

Can you believe the Atkins article failed to mention eggs as a nutritous and inexpensive food? Maybe they were afraid if they mentioned eggs someone would interpret it as "eat only bacon, and lots of it". haha

It seems that whether the grocery bill goes up or down when switching to LC depends largely on how you were eating before. For people who ate mostly pasta, beans, and rice, I imagine there would be quite an increase in cost.

I ate a lot of cheap "filler" things like instant mashed potatoes, but most often I had lunch at some place like Burger King (generally $8-9), and I was a regular at KFC, where I'd get the "serves 4" dinners or a bucket of chicken with two large sides. At the grocery store, a typical week's cart might contain Hungry Man TV dinners, pot pies (they're not too expensive, but I'd eat 6 at a time), Banquet fried chicken, all kinds of crackers, chips, cheesy dips, ice cream treats, cookies, cereal, milk, and a 12-pack of beer. I shudder to think about it now - it's a wonder the sodium alone didn't kill me!

So for me, buying lean meat, chicken, fish, cheese, eggs, fresh or frozen veggies, nuts, berries, and an occasional bottle of red wine saves me money, and saves me in just about every other way, too.

Sky
Atkins since 8/02
196/144/under 150

I, too, have seen a decrease in our food budget. We buy meat, cheese, forzen veggies, fish and shellfish, nuts and other semi-perishable products in bulk, and the get our fresh produce at the store. We rarely buy soda, low carb treats, etc., and we limit the snacky things we get for the kids to a bag of chips a month or so, bananas and yogurt (they pretty much eat like we do). Generally, for a family of four plus dog, we average about $500 a month (and that includes cleaning products, TP and dog food). With the prices how they are in the northeast that isn't too bad. I know that before we ate this way, out food bills were much higher - and on top of that we ate fast food a lot and ate our much more than we do now.

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Jen



179/179/120

I think that it is the certainty that this woe will cost you more that is the myth. It is a very individual thing, in my view, as to how your food costs change. But in general, I feel it depends on how you ate before. If you lived on pasta and rice, then of course your costs will increase.

But, for me, the change is very small. I always bought fresh veggies, herbs and cheese, and our meat consumption is about the same. I make the same dishes I did before, only now they have been adjusted to fit a lc lifestyle (spaghetti squash, cauliflower "potatoes" and "rice", etc.) We eat eggs more often, which are inexpensive, and the high-carb snacks I used to buy stay on the shelves.

Yes, almond flour is more expensive, and macadamias are a high-priced treat, but I also no longer pay $30.00 a month for acid reflux medication, or shell out untold dollars for pain killers for my knees and fibromyalgia. I don't throw that candy bar on the counter when I gas up my car, and I pay less for my clothes than I used to, since I can find them on sale much more often. I used to think nothing of paying $4.00 for a package of cookies, but now I buy cheese with that money, and I'm healthier and happier. Great deal, if you ask me.

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Trina

Vice-President of the Intergalactic Order of Brussels Sprouts Haters

[font='Times New Roman', Times, Serif, serif][/font]

Mine went up a little because DH and I started to buy more organic produce and we only buy organic meats now. It sounds like RC and I are pretty similar in outlook except for the fact that I still use frozen veggies. Most "fresh" veggies in the store have come a long way on trucks and nutrients get lost the older the veggie is before it hits the produce section of your local store. This varies by locality, though, as those who live close to areas where the produce is grown will have fresher items in the store. And let's not forget, a lot of produce comes from countries other than the U.S. My dad worked for the USDA as an inspector on the Arizona border, checking the produce that came through from Mexico.

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>^..^<
Esther

I spend about the same amount I always have--but it is proportioned a bit differently! Organic would be great but it is pricey and I don't buy it very often--BUT--I have stopped with the processed foods and we eat out FAR less often. I find the budget sits around 300-350 a month for food--just like before and that includes cleaning products, tissue, cat food, litter and the like. . .I might spend a bit more on meat than I did before--but not much and probably less on things like chips, crackers and I haven't bought a package of cookies since I started--at 3-4 a box cereal ahs been a huge savings too! Not spending $100 a week eating out has helped too! Almost never do I drive through McDonalds or Burger King anymore--Wendy's, Sonic, hwerever--seldom do we eat there either.

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Lori

232/190/130
My other journal http://www.lowcarbeating.com/bb/showthread.php?t=1130

I just think the article was trying to open eyes to those of us on the lower economic end that LC doesn't have to be out of our price range. Tuna, eggs, lettuce, they're all cheaper than hamburger helper, fast food, and the like. Our budget has significantly been helped by LC. I am no longer so tired by the end of the day that I hit the drive thru (where it was usually 2 meals for each of us). Instead I have a menu plan. We hit Costco every three months or so to stock up on staple meats. If I've taken something out to thaw, I refuse to let it go to waist because I would rather not cook. I've also streamlined my cooking process down to about three veggie dishes we both like for weeknights, and those take 10 minutes from fridge to plate. That and grilled meat, call it dinner! To be honest, I've come to realize that not only do we eat healthier, but it is quicker for me to cook up dinner than detour over to the drive thru, wait in line, and drive home. We do splurge on weekends, but with salads at every drive thru now it's a lot easier to keep DH happy and myself on track. We are down to 2 meals out a week from at least 5-6 a week. $10 spend on fast food can be a weeks worth of salad greens!

We spend on average $400-500 a month at the store, about another $200 every three months at Costco. Again, that includes all the household and pet products as well. I've taken to ordering groceries on line as well. For a $7 service fee, it's worth it in regards to my time, being able to price compare, and not to mention the lack of picking up impulse items! If the total gets over $100, I start to scrutinize what I've ordered and usually find some extra crap I don't really need anyway (I've avoided picking up an abundance of LC treats by realizing before I buy the impact on the budget).

It's just about knowing what choices can fit your life. LC is not out of the reach of anyone, except maybe those living on top ramen (been there). Just my .02!

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LC since 4/22/03

"Can't Means Won't"
"No matter where you go, there you are..."

(266)257/200.5/125
Preggo/Due May 7, 2005
Gained alot when I quit smoking
Preggo at 236.6/current 241.6--11 weeks

I definitely spend less, but that's because I know what I need to buy and I don't eat out as frequently as I used to (like... every night).

It helps if you have a big refrigerator. That way you can buy things in bulk and keep them frozen. Sadly, most of the food items on this diet require refrigeration. If you have a small fridge, you're going to have to buy things more frequently in smaller portions and throw away portions that go bad.

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"And so, in my State of the—my State of the Union—or state—my speech to the nation, whatever you want to call it, speech to the nation—I asked Americans to give 4,000 years—4,000 hours over the next—the rest of your life—of service to America. That's what I asked—4,000 hours."

I'm pretty sure I'm spending less than I used to. Processed foods are VERY expensive. I also am happy to say that I am no longer eating ANYTHING with hydrogenated oils in it. If it labels that, I put it back. I think hydrogenated ANYTHING is more of a culprit in the declining health issues here in the States. I refuse to buy anything with high fructose or hydrogenates. Soy doesn't bother me one bit...........so I don't mind eating it.

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