Atkins Diet
Atkins Diet
The Atkins diet is a well-liked diet that emphasizes a high fat, high protein, and low carb approach. The diet promises that you will not be hungry, you will lose weight, and have better health and wellness benefits that are in no other diet. The Atkins diet is based on the opinion that overweight people consume too many carbohydrates and by lowering these carbs and eating more protein and fats, our bodies will burn fat better.
The Atkins program allows you to eat foods that most dieters would love. This diet allows you to eat eggs, meat, cheese, bacon, cheddar cheese omelets, and even steaks. On Atkins, traditional carb sources like white flour, white rice, sugar, and even milk must be avoided. Atkins sets a "twenty grams of carbs daily" rule that should come from fibrous rich food sources like vegetables. As for quick loss of weight results, the low-carbohydrate option is the way to go.
Studies have shown that increased protein consumption without enough carbs can cause severe kidney problems. Another problem with the Atkins diet is that an increased fat intake can lead to high cholesterol levels, leading to an increased risk of a heart attack. At last count, it had been reprinted 28 times and sold more than 10 million copies worldwide.
Origins
Robert C. Atkins, a cardiologist and internist, developed the Atkins diet in the early 1970s. It first became popular in 1972 with the publication of Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution. It quickly became a runaway success but unlike most other trendy nutrition books, this one has remained popular. At last count, it had been reprinted 28 times and sold more than 10 million copies worldwide.
Benefits
The main advantage of the diet is rapid and substantial loss of weight. By cutting down on carbs, the body will burn more fat stored in the body. Since there are no limits on the number of calories or quantities of foods allowed on the diet, there is not much hunger between meals. According to Atkins, the diet can get rid of symptoms of conditions such as fatigue, irritability, headaches, depression, and various kinds of joint and muscle pain.
Description
The program is a low-carb, or ketogenic diet, characterized by initial rapid weight loss, usually due to water loss. Drastically reducing the amount of carb intake causes liver and muscle glycogen loss, which has a strong but not long lasting diuretic effect. Long-term loss of weight occurs because with a low amount of carb intake, the body burns stored fat for energy.
There is a two-week induction program created to rebalance an person's metabolism. Unlimited amounts of fat and protein are allowed but carbohydrate intake is restricted to 15-20 grams per day. You can eat include butter, oil, meat, poultry, fish, eggs, cheese, and cream. The daily amount of carbohydrates allowed equals about 3 cups of salad vegetables, like lettuce, cucumbers, and celery.
The second stage is for ongoing loss of weight. It allows 15-40 grams of carbs a day. When the individual is about 10 pounds from their goal, they begin the pre-maintenance phase. This gradually adds one to three servings a week of high carbohydrate foods, like a piece of fruit or slice of whole-wheat bread. When the goal weight is reached, the maintenance stage begins. It allows 40-60 grams of carbs per day.
Preparations
It is wise to talk to a doctor and to have a physical evaluation before first such a nutritional regimen. The evaluation should include blood tests to determine levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, insulin, and uric acid. A glucose tolerance test is also recommended.
Precautions
Adherence to the Atkins diet can result in vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Atkins recommends a variety of vitamins.
The diet is not recommended for lacto-ovo vegetarians, since it cannot be done as successfully without protein derived from animal products. Also, vegans cannot follow this diet, since a vegan diet is too high in carbohydrates, according to Atkins. Instead, he recommends vegetarians with a serious weight problem give up vegetarianism, or at least include fish in their diet.
Side effects
According to Atkins, the diet causes no adverse side effects. Many doctors disagree. Complications may include: ketosis, dehydration, electrolyte loss, calcium depletion, weakness, nausea, and kidney problems.
People with diabetes taking insulin are at risk of becoming hypoglycemic if they do not eat the right amount of carbs. Also, persons who work out regularly may experience lower energy and muscle fatigue from low carb intake.
Research and general acceptance
Opinion from the general medical community remains mixed on the Atkins diet, but is not very good. There have been no significant long-term scientific studies on the diet. Much of the opposition is because the diet is lacking in some vitamins and nutrients, and because it is high-fat.
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