Atkins DietPosted 10 years ago under Uncategorized

Atkins Diet is an ultra-low carb diet. It was formerly called the Atkins Nutritional Approach. Dr. Robert C Atkins created the diet. Dr. Atkins also wrote a best-selling book detailing the diet in 1972. The Atkins diet is credited with starting the low carb diet trend.

A High Protein Low Carb Approach

Atkins diet recommends a diet very high in protein and high in fat. Meats like beef, pork, lamb, chicken, seafood like fish, shellfish, and eggs are to be eaten whenever hungry. Fats are tolerated in many foods such as avocados, nuts, butter, dairy, and some select low glycemic fruits, like berries, cherries, and melon. Sugars and carbs from produce are carefully monitored. The diet is low in fiber so they recommend you take a fiber supplement. The diet doesn’t include calorie counting. With the Atkins diet, it’s carbs and sugars that are tightly controlled and counted.

Drinks like soda, fruit juice, are to be avoided on the diet. Grains are also avoided, so no corn, wheat, barley, rice, or any other grains. Vegetable oils like soybean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, canola oil are avoided. Any hydrogenated oils are to be avoided, as well high carb vegetables like carrots, and turnips.

The diet labels many fruits as too high in carbohydrates to be permitted in the diet. Every food is evaluated primarily by the amount of carbs in the food. During the induction phase of the diet apples, bananas, and oranges are to be avoided. Low-carb vegetables like asparagus, broccoli, kale, spinach, are permitted but only in small amounts. (1)

A Bold Approach

The Atkins diet argues that many people are carbohydrate addicts. This carbohydrate addiction leads to excessive sugar consumption, as well as too much refined grains and other carbs. The Atkins diet argues that these the food that lead to problems with blood sugar, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.

The Atkins diet begins with a two week induction phase where carbs are limited and counted every day. After the induction phase an Atkins dieter can add back in healthy carbs at a limited rate. (2)

Rigid Guidelines

Adherents to the diet are told to avoid carbohydrates, sugars, refined flours and trans fats. Water, coffee and green tea are permitted in the diet. So is alcohol in small amounts, they recommend avoiding beer, and they recommend dry wines. The diet recommends that people stay somewhat low-carb for life, even after attaining desired weight loss goals. Modern innovations in this diet include a vegan version of Atkins and Atkins 40 a version allowing twice the carbohydrates.

Critics of the diet maintain that the diet is not a balanced diet. They argue it is low on many nutrients that produce, and other foods that contain carbohydrates supply. The diet is also criticized for being low in fiber, and low in phytonutrients. The diet is high in saturated fat, which has drawn a lot of criticism. This been linked to a rise in LDL levels. (3) Scientists have differing opinions as to how harmful saturated fats are to health. One of the reasons argued for low carbohydrate diets is when individuals consume less carbohydrates and eat higher amounts of protein, many individuals experience a falling appetite and naturally eat fewer calories than they otherwise would have.

Sources

(1) http://authoritynutrition.com/atkins-diet-101/
(2) http://www.atkins.com/how-it-works
(3) http://www.naturalnews.com/023236_diet_atkins_cholesterol.html