There may still be misconceptions about the Atkins diet which was launched in 1972 and wherein one could eat unlimited protein sources and limited vegetables. But the chief nutritionist for the New Atkins Nutritional Approach, Linda O’Byrne, says the new diet is much healthier.

“The New Atkins Nutritional Approach is much more balanced. There are recommendations for the amount of protein and fat you can consume and it’s a requirement that you get 12-15g of carbohydrates from vegetables alone [eight to 10 servings a day]. Far from being a ‘bacon and eggs’ diet, which it was once viewed as, we now recommend healthy sources of fat such as oily fish like salmon, avocado and olive oil, as well as varied protein sources,” she says.

The diet is easy to follow. There are free meal plans for each phase available on the website (www.atkins.com). One does not need to calculate calories or ratios of protein versus fat versus carbs. Instead one has to keep carbs below 20g (on phase one) and then gradually add in 5g until one finds the level where the weight keeps dropping off.

The nutrionist says that followers of the diet do not feel hungry and deprived because one can eat a variety of foods that will keep one satisfied. Besides weight loss, O’Byrne says that the approach has the added benefits of increasing one’s energy levels and improving skin tone and texture.

The New Atkins Nutritional Approach range of low carbohydrates and low-sugar products are the result of thorough scientific formulation, using the best ingredients possible.

New Atkins has been scientifically proven to improve heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, inflammation and epilepsy and to decrease obesity in adults, children and adolescents.