The DASH Diet vs. The Atkins Diet Which Is Right for You
No matter your health goals, it’s likely you’ve heard of the low-carb Atkins diet and the high-carb DASH diet at some point in your life. But which diet will work better for you? To help you decide, we’ve put together this guide on the DASH diet vs. The Atkins diet to help you figure out what each approach has to offer – and why one might be better suited to your unique lifestyle than the other!
What is the DASH Diet?
The DASH diet is a heart-healthy diet that includes lots of vegetables and fruit, whole grains, lean meats, and low-fat dairy products. It's also high in magnesium, potassium, and calcium to maintain healthy blood pressure levels; iron to help prevent anemia, and protein to promote healthy weight loss. The acronym stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH).
The Atkins Diet is a low-carbohydrate fad diet that doesn't limit protein or fat intake. Adherents are allowed to eat as much bacon, eggs and cheese as they want while they avoid all sweets (even dark chocolate), fruit, starchy veggies like potatoes and corn, soy products, rice milk, nuts, and seeds. They're only permitted five daily servings of carbohydrates (dairy excluded), which include things like bread, cereals, and pasta. They can eat net carbs, which subtract the number of sugar alcohols from the total carbohydrate count per serving.
What’s Wrong With the Atkins Diet? : The first problem with the Atkins diet is its very low number of servings per day—most nutritionists agree that eating five servings a day at a minimum ensures you'll get enough micronutrients each day. Secondly, there isn't any emphasis on plant-based foods—it's simply meat, meat, and more meat! Eating this way can lead to constipation because animal proteins don’t provide sufficient fiber for your body to keep things moving along smoothly.
What is the Atkins Diet?
The Atkins Diet is a weight loss plan that allows dieters to eat fatty foods, like bacon and butter, without counting calories or carbs (which are what most other diets limit). It's based on the premise that when you cut back on carbs, your body will turn to fat for energy instead of carbs because it doesn't have enough glucose in the bloodstream.
This is why you're allowed to eat as much as you want of these kinds of food while still losing weight.
Atkins recommends eating six small meals per day—three meals and three snacks—to keep blood sugar levels even and avoid hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Carbohydrates should be limited to 10-15 grams at each meal, which includes 1-2 cups of vegetables; one piece of fruit; or a serving size of low-fat dairy, nuts, or beans. Protein intake should be about 20-25% of your daily calories 60% from fats and 30% from carbohydrates (mostly from vegetables). The diet also requires limiting salt intake to less than 2 grams per day and alcohol intake to no more than 2 drinks per week. For some people who can't tolerate high protein levels, Dr. Atkins suggests increasing carbohydrates gradually over two weeks to weight loss slows down and then cutting them out again for two weeks before repeating the process.
The Pros and Cons of Each Diet
The DASH diet was created to help lower blood pressure, and it has been proven to be effective in doing so. However, if you're looking for a weight loss plan, the Atkins diet might be more your style.
*Advantages of the DASH Diet*
- Has been proven to reduce blood pressure
- Low in fat and high in protein
- Lower risk of heart disease than other diets
- Does not require counting calories or limiting portions
*Disadvantages of the DASH Diet*
- Doesn't offer a variety of food options like some other diets do - May cause headaches, lightheadedness, and dizziness in some people
- Difficult to maintain
- Requires buying expensive foods that may not always be readily available
Which Diet is Right for You?
There are two very popular diets that are often compared to each other, the DASH diet and the Atkins diet. They have a lot of similarities, such as both being low-carb diets. But what does that mean? It means that both require you to restrict your carbohydrate intake so your body burns fat instead of carbs for fuel.
But there are also some important differences between these two diets too! For example, unlike the Atkins diet, which is designed to be followed for an extended period of time (up to six months), the DASH diet is meant to be followed in shorter intervals (typically 14 days). Furthermore, while there is no set guideline on how many carbohydrates one should eat on this plan at any given meal or snack, a typical serving size might be 15 grams or less. On the other hand, according to official guidelines from his camp followers - who promote high-protein foods like meat - an official serving size might be up to 45 grams of protein in one sitting!
Conclusion
The Atkins Diet is a low-carb, high-protein diet that allows you to eat all the bacon, eggs, and butter you want in order to lose weight. The DASH diet is a low-fat diet that emphasizes a balanced diet of produce, whole grains, and lean protein in order to reduce high blood pressure. Both diets are high in protein and low in sugar, which can cause rapid weight loss, but also be unhealthy if not done properly. Overall the DASH diet is more proven to be successful for long-term weight loss which can cause fewer health problems than the Atkins Diet. The best diet is one you can stick with because it will lead to better results. So next time someone asks about your New Year's resolution, go ahead and tell them about your desire to improve your heart health by sticking with a healthy diet!