Atkins Diet Revolution

You've probably heard of these diets like the meridia pill and the doctors behind them, but do you know which ones can provide the most healthful means for weight loss? My assessment may surprise you!

DR. ATKINS NEW DIET REVOLUTION

Overall Philosophy
Dr. Atkins maintains that excess intake of dietary carbohydrate results in the overproduction of insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas that promotes fat storage and increases appetite. Supposedly, eating according to this high-protein, very low-carbohydrate regimen can lead to the following:

• rapid weight loss
• suppressed hunger
• reduced fatigue
• lowered risk for chronic illnesses, like heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes

Overall Nutrition:
Unlimited amounts of protein-rich foods (including meat, cheese and eggs) are allowed while carbohydrate choices—bread, pasta, starches, fruits and vegetables—are severely restricted.

For example, during the first 14 days of the diet, Atkins restricts:

• fruit
• bread and other grains
• starchy vegetables (peas, potatoes, corn)
• all forms of alcohol
• dairy—excluding cheese, cream and butter.

As a result of these limitations, the plan is packed with fat (specifically saturated fats) and cholesterol, and it is deficient in many nutrients, including: fiber, calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin C and folate. Since protein by-products must be excreted in the urine, this high-protein eating program promotes dehydration and a condition known as ketosis. Ketosis occurs when your body turns primarily to fat for energy, which usually happens when you eat very few carbohydrates in the form of grains, fruits, vegetables and dairy foods. Rapid fat burning produces ketones which accumulate in the blood stream, causing ketosis.

Ketosis does keep away hunger pains, but it also makes for bad breath, fatigue and nausea. Carbohydrates are a necessary part of any diet because they provide the body with fuel in the form of glucose. On the Atkins diet, glucose levels in the body can become very low. It should be noted that excessive levels of ketones in the blood stream can cause unconsciousness and, in severe cases, lead to a coma

Duration:
Indefinite. Atkins considers it a diet for life, but I would not encourage staying on this diet for long periods of time.

Expense:
Affordable, but on an ounce-per-ounce basis, the high-protein foods on this diet plan are more expensive than the plant and grain foods you would eat on a balanced low-fat diet plan.

Family Friendly:
This is for adults only. The poor nutritional content of this diet would not provide adequate nutrition for any children under the age of 18.

Menu Choices:
Meal plans are easy to figure out. Eating out is doable on this plan, as long as you can forego bread, potatoes; pasta, rice and other grains; dessert, and alcohol.

Food Choices:
This plan is low in choices from the bread, milk and fruit groups. Unless you really love meat and cheese, it's easy to become bored with the limited food choices of this plan.

Prepackaged Foods:
No prepackaged foods are required.

Exercise:
It's encouraged as a way to build muscle and reduce blood insulin levels. However, given the extremely low carbohydrate intake, sustaining aerobic exercise for 20 minutes or more would be questionable while on this plan.

Supplementation:
Large doses of Atkin's own brand of vitamin and mineral supplements are recommended, which is not necessarily a bad thing. At the very least, you'll need a daily multivitamin and about 1,000 milligrams of calcium to make up for what the diet lacks.

Success/Failure Rate:
There is no documented evidence in peer-reviewed journals of the success rate of this diet.

Overall Rating: 1 Fork.
Good way to jump-start weight loss, but it's not a long-term eating plan. I would recommend staying on this eating plan for no more than one to two weeks. diet pills