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![]() Low carb diets need greens and vegetables to be healthy. Photo © Nick Lobeck Nutrition Glossary TermsQ. Are low-carb diets such as the Atkins Diet good for you?About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board
A. I think that low carb diets can be either unhealthy or healthy, depending on the foods you choose. Low carb doesn't mean "all meat, eggs and cheese, but no fruits or vegetables" although some people approach these diets that way. In fact, even in the induction phase of low carb diets, you still need to eat vegetables like leafy greens, peppers and bok choy. Vegetables are important for phytonutrients and fiber. The Atkins diet suggests that you eat 12 - 15 grams of carbohydrates per day from greens and also some very low carb green vegetables during the induction phase. Here are some healthy foods for a low carb diet:
Source: Halton TL, Willett WC, Liu S et al. "Low-carbohydrate-diet score and the risk of coronary heart disease in women." N Engl J Med 2006; 355:1991-2002. Updated: February 12, 2008 Nutrition Glossary Terms |
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