The Truth About the Atkins Diet

The Atkins Diet - A review of the Atkins Diet Popularised by the late cardiologist Dr. Robert Atkins

Severely restricts refined carbohydrates, such as sugar and white flour
Allows a wide mixture of supplementary foods, such as meat
Few controls on fat or calories
Has four phases: Induction, Ongoing Weight Loss, Pre-Maintenance, and Lifetime Maintenance

Everyone knows about the latest diet out there, the well known Atkins Diet. Atkins diet shook the weight loss planet, moving the target root of weight gain from Fat and Calories to Carbohydrates. Dr. Atkins affirms that carbohydrates make you fat and if you limit your carbohydrates, then you will lose weight, drop cholesterol, and lower blood pressure. People who began the Atkins diet spread the word swiftly that they had lost weight and lost weight fast, much faster than a low-fat diet. The diets reputation skyrocketed overnight and now we have low-carbohydrate milk, low-carbohydrate cookies, and even low carbohydrate ice cream.

Intelligence stated that people had lost as much as 10-20 pounds in a few weeks with no increase in activity or with the use of any supplements. They had just cut out their carbohydrates.

People in the world now are searching for a quick and easy method to lose weight. Our society wants to lose weight and lose it immediately. We want fast outcomes. Our lives are excessively busy to make losing weight hard.

Our society also eats on average a higher fat, higher protein diet. No wonder Dr. Atkins diet caught on so quickly, it fits right in with our society. So is Dr. Atkins the end of road for weight loss? Is it the answer? Unfortunately, this diet is not all it is cracked up to be. Sure you lose weight, but is this fad diet worth all of the negative things that could potentially happen? Here are a few ways Dr. Atkins went wrong that you should know about:

1. Low-Carbohydrate diets can cause Kidney Disease:

Nitrogen, a byproduct of protein is used to build, repair and maintain muscles. When the body has used all of the Nitrogen it needs, the excess or waste, ammonia, must be eliminated from the body via the kidneys. Too much Nitrogen is taxing to the kidneys. The body must create more urine to get rid of the waste. This dehydrates the body.

2. Low-Carbohydrate diets deplete glycogen stores:

Glycogen is the muscles energy supply. It can only be made in the body with carbohydrates. Without glycogen, muscle cannot repair itself and will become dehydrated and tired, thus hindering any exercise routine. Ask yourself this, How do you feel when you are dehydrated?

3. Low-Carbohydrate diets promote free radical damage to cells:

Animal meat products are an excellent source of iron, which is an essential part of a healthy diet. However, iron is a pro-oxidant, opposite of anti-oxidant, and cellular insult is catalyzed with excess iron.

4. Low-Carbohydrate diets can cause constipation:

Regularity is achieved with two elements - water and fiber. Protein naturally dehydrates the body stealing water from the gut. Most protein food have very little or are void of fiber. Picture this: Have you ever mixed cement without half of the water called for?

5. Low-Carbohydrate diets acidifies the blood:

When the body gets too little carbohydrates, it goes into ketosis also known in the medical field as ketoacidosis. Blood samples from subjects on the low carbohydrate diets show lower pH, indicating the presence of acid. Dont think that is bad for you, consider this: What does battery acid do to your skin? or What does Coke do to a chicken bone?

6. Low-Carbohydrate diets result in poor long-term weight control:

There is never metabolic magic in low-Carbohydrate diets. Those who continue to lose weight after the first week do so because they decrease calorie intake. This can occur because of decreased dietary variety, greatly limiting the number of foods that people are allowed to eat and reducing their food and calorie intake.

But a reduction in variety most often leads to a greater tendency toward bingeing later in the day on foods that are high in sugar and fat. Also, decrease in too many calories lowers metabolic rate and causes a decrease in muscle tissue, which helps keep metabolism high. When metabolism decreases, the body needs fewer calories to survive and maintain weight. Continuing to lose weight becomes much harder once metabolism has slowed down.

7. Low-Carbohydrate diets decrease efficiency of carbohydrate use:

When the body is depleted of carbohydrates, it must adjust to function on primarily protein and fat as source of intake. Over time, the body loses its efficiency to utilize carbohydrates. When carbohydrates are reintroduced into the body and especially at a large amount, it has a hard time processing them. The result is quicker weight gain, especially water weight gain, because carbohydrates store water in the body.

How to Sensibly follow the Atkins diet if one has to do so!

1. Get at least 100 grams of carbohydrates per day. This will prevent ketosis.

2. The carbohydrates you do eat, choose whole grains instead of the refined. For example, choose whole wheat instead of white bread or bran flakes instead of frosted flakes

3. Milk and yogurt are carbohydrates too! Ensure you get at least 2 servings a day. Calcium is a must!

4. Drink plenty of water to fight the effect of dehydration. About 10-12 glasses a day.

5. Opt for the healthier protein foods like egg whites, soy products, moderate amounts of nuts and seeds, low fat cheese, fish, poultry and lean cuts of beef or pork. Look for the word loin- it means lean!

6. Eat 5 or more servings of vegetables per day. This alone will give you about 15 grams of fiber. However, watch the extras that leads to extra calories and fat, like cheese sauce, butter, and salad dressing.

7. Take a multivitamin without iron. Try the senior or a silver formulas found at Wal-Mart. This will help you make up for the nutrient deficiencies common to the Atkins Diet while not adding more iron.

8. If you start feeling awful, your body is telling you something take note) to it!

For more advice an useful information on the Atkins Diet visit quick-weight-loss-diet.net Atkins Diet - The Truth.

Jansen Weber is a fitness author with 15 years experience. He started to lose weight through diets and fitness whilst at university. For tips and further information go to quick-weight-loss-diet.net Easy Diets and Weight Loss.