Today I am beginning a 30-day challenge with the Atkins group, based on Dr. Eric Westman’s book, The New Atkins for a New You. Now that I have my migraines and Dawn Phenomenon under better control, I think I can do this! Plus, I just discovered that Dr. Westman uses Net Carbs and I’m so used to calculating total carbs, that this should be a breeze! The main challenges for me will be giving up drinking 1/2 cup of half-and-half twice a day to swallow my pills with. And no cottage cheese, yogurt, nuts, or berries (with exception of the unsweetened almond milk).
I really love this Atkins approach since it is so appropriate for diabetics and accommodates all dietary lifestyles, from vegan and vegetarian to Adventist non-vegetarian. Contrary to popular misinformation, Atkins is not “high protein” or “all about meat.” It is low-carb, moderate-protein, and high-healthy-fat. In fact, the basis of the diet is “Foundation Vegetables”–a list of 50-100 cooked and uncooked vegetables that are nutrient-dense and low in carbohydrates. I have my menus planned for this first day and the total is 19.7 grams of carbs.
One of the rules of this group’s challenge is to do some kind of exercise every day. If walking, the final goal is to get up to 5,000 steps/day by the end of the month. I am already one week into The 30-day Richard Osborn Challenge with the Adventist Vegetarian Diabetics group and yesterday I did 6,145 steps, which I think may be my limit since I am having leg muscle twitches at night which (according to Google) is “because lactic acid accumulates in the muscles used during exercise.”
I so need both of these challenges this month of May. For my healing.
