The New Atkins Made Easy (41 page)

PER SERVING: Net Carbs: 3 grams; Total Carbs: 4 grams; Fiber: 1 gram; Protein: 1 gram; Fat: 12 grams; Calories: 118; Foundation Vegetables Net Carbs: 0 grams

• Instead of cinnamon, add
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teaspoon almond extract or a pinch of cayenne.

• Phases 2–4: Add
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cup bourbon or whiskey.

Devil's Food Panna Cotta

Italian for “cooked cream,” panna cotta is a dessert made in heaven for Atkins followers. Be sure the water in which you place the gelatin is cold or the gelatin won't “bloom.”

4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin

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cup half-and-half

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon acceptable sweetener

1 teaspoon instant coffee

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Place four 3
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-ounce ramekins on a large plate. Refrigerate while you prepare the panna cotta.

2. Place
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cup cold water in a small saucepan. Sprinkle with gelatin; let stand until gelatin has softened, about 5 minutes. Do not stir. Place over low heat and cook 1 minute, stirring well until the gelatin dissolves. Pour into a blender.

3. Add the half-and-half, cocoa powder, sweetener, coffee, and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth.

4. Pour mixture into chilled ramekins. Refrigerate on the plate until set, about 2 hours. Store up to 3 days, covered, in the fridge.

PER SERVING: Net Carbs: 3 grams; Total Carbs: 4 grams; Fiber: 1 gram; Protein: 4 grams; Fat: 6 grams; Calories: 77; Foundation Vegetables Net Carbs: 0 grams

• Top with 1 tablespoon unsweetened whipped cream or drizzle with sugar-free chocolate or vanilla syrup.

• After two weeks in Phase 1: Top with 1 tablespoon toasted and chopped hazelnuts or walnuts.

Tiramisu Pudding

Our low-carb spin on this classic Italian dessert eliminates the ladyfingers but keeps the complex flavor. Be sure the soy milk–gelatin mixture is cool; otherwise the fat in the mascarpone will solidify and the pudding will separate. Torani and Walnut Acres make sugar-free chocolate syrup.

2 teaspoons instant coffee

1 tablespoon acceptable sweetener

8 teaspoons sugar-free chocolate syrup

1 cup plain unsweetened soy milk, divided

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

1 cup mascarpone cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1. Place 2 teaspoons water in a small bowl with instant coffee and sweetener. Whisk well to combine. Stir in the chocolate syrup. Divide the mixture among 4 ramekins or parfait glasses.

2. Place
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cup soy milk in a small saucepan. Sprinkle with gelatin; let stand until gelatin has softened, about 5 minutes. Do not stir. Place over low heat and cook 1 minute, stirring well, until the gelatin dissolves.

3. Turn off the heat and stir in the sweetener. Cool soy-gelatin mixture 5 minutes or until it reaches room temperature. Whisk in the remaining soy milk, mascarpone cheese, and vanilla until smooth.

4. Divide the mascarpone mixture among the 4 glasses; the syrup mixture creates a swirl as you pour. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 2 hours. Sprinkle
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teaspoon cocoa over each pudding and serve. Or store, covered, for up to 3 days in the fridge.

PER SERVING: Net Carbs: 3 grams; Total Carbs: 4 grams; Fiber: 1 gram; Protein: 7 grams; Fat: 25 grams; Calories: 273; Foundation Vegetables Net Carbs: 0 grams

• Instead of refrigerating in ramekins, freeze the pudding mixture in ice pop molds.

• Instead of soy milk, use plain no-sugar-added almond milk or coconut milk beverage.

• Instead of sugar-free chocolate syrup, use hazelnut, caramel, or raspberry syrup.

• Top with shaved sugar-free dark chocolate.

• Phases 2–4: Stir in a few raspberries.

Lemon Crêpes

Crêpes use more liquid and eggs than pancakes do, making them thinner and less dense. Since the batter doesn't freeze well, make all the crêpes and keep leftovers for up to four days in the fridge.

4 large eggs, separated

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teaspoon salt

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cup plain unsweetened soy milk

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cup mascarpone cheese

2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1 tablespoon acceptable sweetener

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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cup coconut-flax flour blend

2 tablespoons plain unsweetened protein powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

Canola or olive oil cooking spray

3 teaspoons canola oil

1. Place the egg whites and salt in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat on high speed until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

2. Place the egg yolks, soy milk, mascarpone, butter, lemon juice and zest, sweetener, and vanilla in another large bowl. Whisk until well combined. Add the coconut-flax flour blend, protein powder, and baking powder. Add
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cup beaten egg whites. Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients and egg white into the mixture until just combined and a sticky mass forms. Add another
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cup egg whites and fold again until the mixture becomes lighter. Fold in the remaining egg mixture. Don't overmix; there will be small lumps.

3. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Place over high heat and add 1 teaspoon canola oil. Using a
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-cup scoop, drop four scant scoops of batter onto the heated pan and spread out with the back of a spoon. Cook until the bottom is firm, about 3–5 minutes. Flip and press lightly with the spatula. Cook another 1–2 minutes, until crêpes are cooked through. Transfer to a plate to cool. Repeat twice with remaining canola oil and crêpe batter. Serve immediately.

PER SERVING: Net Carbs: 2 grams; Total Carbs: 4 grams; Fiber: 2 grams; Protein: 11 grams; Fat: 20 grams; Calories: 243; Foundation Vegetables Net Carbs: 0 grams

• Substitute
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cup finely ground flaxseed for the coconut-flax flour blend.

• Fill each crêpe with 1 tablespoon unsweetened whipped cream, with or without a splash of sugar-free flavored syrup or some grated sugar-free chocolate.

• Phases 2–4: Fill with fresh berries or 1 tablespoon no-sugar-added preserves. Or fill with whipped cream flavored with a bourbon or whiskey.

Green Tea Slushie

If you enjoy green tea ice cream, this slushie will become your new favorite. Target and Costco both sell green tea powder (also called matcha). Bigger supermarkets carry it in the international food section. You can also find it at Asian markets and natural food stores, or order it online. Double the recipe if you wish.

1 cup plain unsweetened soy milk

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cup heavy cream

2 cups ice cubes (about 8)

1 teaspoon acceptable sweetener

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon green tea powder

1. Place all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.

2. Pour into two parfait or other tall glasses and serve immediately.

PER SERVING: Net Carbs: 3 grams; Total Carbs: 4 grams; Fiber: 1 gram; Protein: 4 grams; Fat: 13 grams; Calories: 152; Foundation Vegetables Net Carbs: 0 grams

• Replace soy milk with plain unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk beverage.

• Add
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teaspoon mint extract and 1 tablespoon sugar-free chocolate chips.

• Replace the green tea powder with 1 teaspoon instant coffee.

• Serve with a drizzle of sugar-free chocolate syrup.

Jeff S. Volek, Ph.D., R.D.

I can virtually guarantee that you will be astonished when you hear about the current science supporting Atkins, especially the evolving new lines of research. The New Atkins Diet won't merely help you lose weight; in fact, that's just the tip of the iceberg. This chapter will provide a snapshot of the existing science supporting Atkins, as well as an overview of the emerging research on exciting new applications of a low-carbohydrate lifestyle. I have no doubt that after reading this chapter, you'll be confident that this is the best approach for lifelong health and wellness.

The number one reason the New Atkins Diet works so well is that it targets the fundamental problem most overweight people experience. That problem is insulin resistance. Simply put, if you have insulin resistance, and tens of millions of people in this country do, you don't metabolize dietary carbohydrate in an efficient way. Rather than burn carbohydrate for fuel, you tend to tuck it away as body fat. In fact, you
are intolerant to sugars and starches. If you are carbohydrate intolerant, then it makes sense to limit sugars and starches; this is the cornerstone of the New Atkins Diet. When people who are carb intolerant follow Atkins, they experience amazing improvements in their health. Their metabolism shifts to burning mainly fat, which causes increased circulating levels of specific metabolites called ketones. Ketones are the preferred fuel for the brain and other tissues, and are being studied for a range of therapeutic applications. Running on a fat-burning metabolism is associated with higher energy levels, reduced carb cravings, higher satiety, and nearly effortless weight loss.