The
diet is based on the theory that overweight people eat
too many carbohydrates. Our bodies burn both fat and
carbohydrates for energy, but carbs are used first. By
drastically reducing carbs and eating more protein and
fat, our bodies naturally lose weight by burning stored
body fat more efficiently.
Although it's undoubtedly the weight-loss claims -- and
noted success stories -- that are the books, the Center
for Complementary Medicine in New York, which Atkins
founded, claims that most people follow the Atkins diet
for weight maintenance, good health, and disease
prevention.
What Can You
Eat With The Atkins Diet
The
Atkins Diet Plan allows you to eat foods that many
dieters have only dreamed about. Steak with Bearnaise
sauce, eggs, and bacon; cheddar cheese omelettes --
don't hold the yolks; Roquefort dressing and silky
smooth avocado cream soup made with real cream?
These rich foods are allowed as part of the
controversial diet described in Dr. Atkins' New Diet
Revolution. The diet is said to work even if other diets
have left you feeling depressed and deprived. The Atkins
diet at a glance:
Sets few limits on the amount of food you eat but
instead severely restricts the kinds of food allowed on
your plate: no refined sugar, milk, white rice, or white
flour
Allows you to eat foods traditionally regarded as
"rich": meat, eggs, cheese, and more
Claims to reduce your appetite in the process.
On the Atkins diet, you're eating almost pure protein
and fat. You can consume red meat, fish (including
shellfish), fowl, and regular cheese (not "diet" cheese,
cheese spreads, or whey cheeses). You can cook with
butter, have mayo with your tuna, and put olive oil on
your salads.
On
the other hand, carbs are severely restricted (less than
20 grams per day) in the first two weeks, which
translates to no more than three cups of loosely packed
salad or two cups of salad with two-thirds cup of
certain cooked vegetables each day.
There are no exceptions to these rules during the first
two weeks because low-carb consumption (no fruits and
only a few leafy green vegetables) is supposed to
jump-start the weight-loss biochemical activity of the
Atkins diet. You're not counting calories (in fact, you
may be eating more calories than you were before).
Later, the carb allowance is increased in the form of
fiber-rich foods, but you do not return to eating
refined sugar (by the teaspoonful or in desserts), milk,
white rice, white bread, white potatoes or pasta made
with the dreaded white flour. Those remain on a lifelong
list of forbidden pleasures.
The
Atkins diet does allow for adding fruits, vegetables,
and whole-grain foods after the two-week induction
period. Then, over time, the transition from weight loss
to weight maintenance is made by gradually increasing
carbs so long as gradual weight loss is maintained.
How The Atkins Diet works
By
restricting carbohydrates drastically to a mere fraction
of that found in the typical American diet, the body
goes into a state of ketosis, which means it burns its
own fat for fuel. When the body is in ketosis, you tend
to feel less hungry, and thus you're likely to eat less
than you might otherwise.
As a
result, your body changes from a carbohydrate-burning
engine into a fat-burning engine. So instead of relying
on the carbohydrate-rich items you might typically
consume for energy, and leaving your fat stores just
where they were before (alas, the hips, belly, and
thunder thighs are popular fat-gathering spots), your
fat stores become a primary energy source. The
purported result of the Atkins diet: weight loss.
Some Food For
Thought
The
Atkins diet theories remain unproven, and most experts
are concerned that a high-protein, high-fat diet can
cause a host of problems, particularly for the large
segment of the population that is at risk for heart
disease.
What's more, the plan doesn't permit a high intake of
fruits and vegetables, recommended by most nutrition
experts because of the numerous documented health
benefits from these foods.
If
you are on the Atkins diet plan or are considering
trying it, you may wish to take a good hard look at your
dieting history first.
How
many diets have you tried over the years? Have you lost
weight and regained it several times only to start on
the next "miracle" plan? Do you honestly feel that a low
carb plan is something you can stick with for the rest
of your life? If not, then it's just a temporary fix
like the rest of the fads.
Why
do some people lose weight on this diet? Is there some
magical phenomenon that occurs in the body when high
carbohydrate foods are abolished?
No.
The Atkins diet essentially eliminates several foods and
food groups like fruits, cereals, breads, grains,
starches, baked goods, dairy products, starchy
vegetables, and sweets. This simply translates into a
significant daily calorie reduction - the basis of any
weight loss diet. Any reduction of calories - whether
from protein, carbohydrate or fat - will result in
weight loss.
The
basic weight loss formula is: calories burned must
exceed calories consumed. Easily done when the majority
of the foods on a typical day's menu are eliminated.
There's nothing revolutionary about this regimen.
Healthy
Populations Eat Carb
The
idea that a high carb diet is responsible for obesity
and illness (a concept supported by low carb plans) is
completely contradicted by many population-based
studies.
For
instance, in Japan, carbohydrates compose the
overwhelming majority of daily caloric intake. High carb
foods like grains, rice, and vegetables are daily
staples of Japanese life, and intake of high protein,
high fat animal products is minimal.
In
contrast to the reported "evils" of carbohydrates touted
by low carb plans, Japan has one of the lowest rates of
obesity, heart disease, cancer and diabetes in the
world. Enough said.
The
Atkins diet places no limit on the amount of
saturated-fat-laden products one can have each day.
Large portions of foods like butter, red meat and bacon
are advocated and encouraged. The Atkins plan
contradicts numerous studies which have demonstrated the
significant correlation between diets high in saturated
fat and increased heart disease risk.
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