| By
Nick Nilsson
The Atkins Diet
has been in existence for over 30 years and
has enjoyed a surge in popularity over the last
few years.
Pioneered by Dr.
Robert Atkins, the theory behind the Atkins
Diet is simple. Your body prefers to utilize
carbohydrates (such as in grains, cereals, breads,
etc.) for energy and will burn them first prior
to body fat. By cutting down dramatically on
carbohydrates in your diet, you force your body
to burn fat for energy.
Reducing the carbohydrates
in your diet puts your body into a state called
"ketosis." This word is derived from
the "ketones" that are used by your
body for energy when sugars/carbs aren't available.
When you are in this state of ketosis, your
body is producing ketones from your fat that
is being burned for energy. Ketones are essentially
the leftovers from this process and are used
in place of sugar in the body.
One of the major
misconceptions about the Atkins Diet that has
been widely reported is that you can or should
eat extremely unhealthy, fatty foods all the
time. This is not actually true. Dr. Atkins
recommends that you limit your intake of these
types of foods (e.g. butter, sausage, bacon,
etc.) and instead focus on healthy fats such
as olive oil, fish oil, nuts, etc.
The Atkins Diet
has many positives and negatives that have been
associated with it. Some of the positives include:
- Rapid Weight
Loss - though the first couple of days
the majority of weight lost is water, your
body does become more efficient at fat burning
and you do lose fat.
- Reduced
Mood or Energy Swings - eating carbohydrates
(especially sugary ones) can lead to mood
and energy swings. This is often seen as the
post-lunchtime or afternoon energy crash.
When you eliminate the carbs, you eliminate
the source of this problem.
- Reduced
Consumption of Refined Foods - highly
refined foods are the source of many health
problems. The more processed a food is, the
less nutrients are generally in it. The Atkins
Diet encourages a focus on the consumption
of more natural state foods such as vegetables,
lean meats, fish, eggs and healthy oils.
Some of the negatives
that have been associated with the Atkins Diet
include:
- Rapid Regaining
of Lost Weight - this can happen when
a person comes off the Atkins Diet. They regain
all the weight they lost. One of the major
reasons for this is that when you eliminate
the carbs from your diet for a long period
of time, your body becomes more sensitive
to them. When you go back to your regular
eating habits (which may not have been great
to begin with), your body reacts more strongly
to the sugar and carbs in foods, leading to
weight gain. This weight gain can be reduced
by easing off the Atkins Diet gradually rather
than by feasting on carbohydrates.
- Lack of
Food Choices - it can be difficult to
find things to eat that are low carb. Most
grocery stores are primarily stocked with
carbohydrate-laden foods and it can get boring
eating the same things over and over again.
Luckily, with the popularity of the Atkins
diet and other low carb diets, there are many
delicious recipes available to help alleviate
this boredom.
The Atkins Diet
may not be for you but by incorporating some
of the principles in it, such as lowering your
carbohydrate intake and eating more natural-state
foods, you may find that you can achieve great
results without ever having to restrict yourself.
It may take a little longer but the results
will be more permanent as it is more of a lifestyle
change than a diet.
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