The New Atkins Made Easy by Colette Heimowitz, MS

I promised two books for your last minute Christmas wish list or shopping list. Here is the second book! And what a book it is.

When Kim at MWW.com (the guys who do PR for Atkins Nutritionals, Inc.) sent me an advance copy of Colette Heimowitz’s latest book, THE NEW ATKINS MADE EASY, and asked for a review—I jumped at the opportunity for a couple of reasons:

1. It’s almost New Year’s and everyone who’s anyone knows, you always begin anew on January 1. So the book was timely. I feel the annual drive to return to my 14-year low carb roots by beginning 2 weeks of Atkins Induction, beginning January 1, 2014.

2. I’ve read every book ever published by either Dr. Robert Atkins or Atkins Nutritionals during my 14 year journey in low carb living, and continue to apply the intense knowledge of low carb nutrition and health taught in these very same books. So I do confess bias right now. I’m a firm believer in the “Atkins way” or Atkins lifestyle.

Now understand, many old-timers who have traveled the low carb continuum from hedonist to saint tend to criticize the newer Atkins books/program because of what they describe as a “disproportionate emphasis on frankenfoods” aka pre-packaged foods and snacks that may contain chemicals, artificial sweeteners, fibers, gums, etc…and to be fair, the Atkins books have evolved as nutritional science has evolved, and include more prepared foods and convenience items than the original ’72 Atkins. Cuz let’s face it, there weren’t many opportunities for low carb convenience foods back in 1972, when the first Atkins book came out.

As nutritional research evolved, the Atkins Program also shifted to emphasize core or foundation vegetables, in addition to good sources of protein and healthy fats. I particularly appreciate this because as a post-meno woman recovering from breast cancer, on several medicines that make weight loss imperative but terribly difficult and slow, I want to be certain to eat plenty of these vitamin, mineral, and fiber-rich foods. I want to ensure I eat healthy fats, not junk fats high in Omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) or transfats. I want to make every effort to get superior nutrition while being calorie conscious—simply because I’m one of the minority, where calories (in addition to carb reduction) do make a difference in individual weight loss results. THE NEW ATKINS MADE EASY makes healthy eating simple and gives so many practical tools, tips and advice. It’s like having your own personal nutritionist by your side!

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THE NEW ATKINS MADE EASY is a joy to read and sure to extinguish old criticisms. Colette Heimowitz, has streamlined the Atkins program—Induction > OWL (On-going Weight Loss) > Pre-Maintenance > Maintenance; and answered many questions about how to correctly apply the Atkins lifestyle at each level. She troubleshoots and gives actionable advice about breaking through weight plateaus, knowing when to move-on to the next level, and gives many steps for successful low carb living. She adds convenience to the Atkins Program including recipes, meal plans and handy shopping lists. Speaking of recipes, there are also several recipes I just can’t wait to try, like the breakfast casserole from p. 275!

In NAME (THE NEW ATKINS MADE EASY), you get great examples of proper portion sizes and guidance about portion control along with easy visual cues to help you “eyeball” portions. When I first began Atkins living in 2000, I had soooo many questions about how to measure carbs! Was I supposed to loosely pack the lettuce in the cup? Was I supposed to measure the veggies cooked or raw? Why did the carb counts on veggies differ with the cooking method? And so forth and so on...

There are also great sample meal plans made for hedonists and saints alike! Let’s face it. Not everyone is at the same place in their low carb journey. Those who are just beginning to exchange the SAD (Standard American Diet) for a healthy, low carb, Atkins lifestyle may need a few stair-steps to make the transition easier and Atkins products make for smoother transitions and offer great convenience along with superior nutrition. If you have a delicious, low carb alternative at the ready, why cheat? But, if you are hard-core, 100% product free, there are sample meal plans made just for you, too! The book offers something for everyone. Even after all these years, I still yearn for convenience and great tasting comfort foods/treats. I'd much rather have an Atkins product than either go off plan and eat something high carb or eat another product from a company that may not really be what it claims (remember Julian bread?).

I highly recommend THE NEW ATKINS MADE EASY by Colette Heimowitz, MS, and hope you buy it now on pre-order at Amazon.com. It will be available on bookshelves December 27, 2013, just in time for your New Year’s resolutions.

THE NEW ATKINS MADE EASY

So ask yourself, isn’t it time to get back to basics? To get back to the low carb foundations and plans that helped improve your health and lose weight? Buy the book now. You can click through for that perfect Christmas gift and start Atkins Induction with me January 1, 2014. With the exception of January 1, I will attempt to eat from the meal plans listed in the book, just to make things fun!

Of course, those of you who know me know I can’t deviate from the standard Southern New Year’s Day Meal:

Bone-In Pork Loin Roast from
New Year's Day 2012

Pork Roast with Cauli-Rice and Low Carb Brown Gravy- (cuz we always ate pork roast on New Year’s Day growin' up)
Greens with Neckbones or Bacon or Ham (Turnip Greens)-(for money crossing our palms)
Black Eyed Peas with Bacon and Onions-(for luck)
Low Carb Jalapeno Cheese Cornbread-(just cuz it tastes so fantastic!)

Will you join me for 2 weeks of Atkins Induction from THE NEW ATKINS MADE EASY? I will try to take photos of as many meals as possible and post daily or as close to daily as possible Leave me a comment and let me know if you’re game to go!!!

(Disclaimer: By clicking through and purchasing The New Atkins Made Easy, Fluffy Chix Cook does receive a very small spiff from Amazon which helps support the FCC website.)

New York Times Bestselling Author of THE NEW ATKINS FOR A NEW YOU COOKBOOK, Colette Heimowitz, MS, is the vice president of nutrition and education at Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. With more than 20 years of experience as a nutritionist, she is the spokesperson for Atkins Nutritionals, Inc, and has appeared on CNN, Fox News Channel, and MSNBC. Learn more at Atkins.com.