|
|
Atkins Diet
The Basic Idea
According to Dr. Atkins, most people who are
overweight do not metabolize carbohydrates properly
because they are insulin resistant. He maintains
that insulin overload in the blood promotes
fat storage. The Atkins Diet, which advocates
high fat and high protein intake while severely
limiting carbohydrates, helps to correct this
problem.
How it Works
By avoiding foods like pasta, bread and potatoes,
your body will start to burn fat more efficiently.
The Atkins Diet gives you what Dr. Atkins refers
to as the “metabolic advantage”.
Fat breakdown is the goal. When there are insufficient
amounts of glucose in your system to be burned
for energy (caused by limiting carbohydrates)
the liver turns instead to fat stores.
The Diet Plan
The Atkins Diet consists of four phases:
- In the Induction phase, your daily
intake of carbs is limited to 20grams (e.g.
one cup of blueberries). It lasts from two
to six weeks depending on the amount of weight
you want to lose
- The Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL) phase lasts
from two weeks to two months. This phase allows
you to add five grams of carbs to your daily
intake as long as you continue to lose weight.
You stay in this phase until you have almost
reached your weight loss goal.
- During the Pre-Maintenance phase,
you can add ten grams of carbs to your daily
intake until your weight loss slows down to
a pound or less a week.
- Lifetime Maintenance, the final phase,
begins when you have arrived at your weight
loss goal.
Pros and Cons
The diet works, of that there can be no doubt.
There are countless testimonials of individuals
who followed the Atkins Diet to a slimmer, healthier
life. However, doctors are still at odds over
the long term health affects of this diet. Recently,
CBC radio covered a report from doctors in the
U.S. who issued a warning regarding the Atkins
Diet. Although no causal link has been proven,
these doctors alert the public that they are
seeing a significant increase in serious health
problems such as kidney and heart problems in
individuals who are following the Atkins Diet.
|
|