Atkins Diet Review: Does The Atkins Diet Work?
Mention
the Atkins Diet, and there's no doubt you'll generate some controversy.
To some, the Atkins Diet is the best thing that ever happened to
them, and to dieting in general. Others see the Atkins diet as dangerous
and impractical. The mere mention of the implementation of this
diet throws them into convulsions. All in all, it all makes for
an interesting discussion. ;-)
The
Atkins Diet has returned to the spotlight with the resurgence in
the popularity of such low carbohydrate diets as "Protein Power",
"The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet", and Barry Sears' "Enter
the Zone". But clearly this man is no stranger to the dieting
industry. A former cardiologist, his first book "Dr Atkins'
Diet Revolution", was released way back in 1972. And it differs
little from his most recent offering.
So
what's the crux of this diet, and why all the controversy?
Ah...
good questions.
The
problem with the Atkins diet, according to some experts, is its
period of extreme carbohydrate restriction -- under 30 grams daily.
In the initial stages, the bulk of daily caloric intake comes either
from fat or protein. This has lead to numerous claims...
- That
increased protein intake seriously hampers and impedes normal kidney
function. This is absolute rubbish -- none of the experts making
such claims have been able to dredge up a single example of renal
failure as a result of this diet.
- Severe
long term caloric restriction leads to nutritional deficiencies
- vitamin, and mineral. OK... this is true. But anyone who reads
DR Atkins diet knows that his period of extreme carbohydrate restriction
is very short lived -- only a couple of weeks. Then you gradually
start reintroducing low glycemic carbs back into your diet. Plus,
DR Atkins suggests you do supplement your diet with vitamins and
minerals during this brief period of extreme restriction.
- Increased
fat intake leads to higher cholesterol levels, and increases chances
of heart attack. The problem with this argument is that when the
body is deprived of carbohydrates, fat becomes it's primary source
of fuel. In other words, when you remove carbohydrates from the
equation, fat becomes harmless.
Now I
realize that some of you may have a difficult time accepting this.
To you I really have only two things to say...
First,
I don't have a personal stake in promoting this diet - I'm only interested
in presenting you with facts. Secondly, for most of our entire evolutionary
development we have been hunter-gatherers. That means no harvesting
of crops, no tending of flocks -- just scratching a living from what
we scavenged or killed each day. Scientists studying the fossilized
feces of early man (now there's a job for you!), have speculated
that as much as 80-85% of their diet came from meat. Considering our early ancestors
lived in Northern Europe around 30,000 years ago, and survived an
ice age, it's not surprising they ate meat. When it's that cold, there
just aren't bushels of fruit and vegetables available at every street
corner!
The bottom
line here is very simple... our ancestors often experienced times
of severe carbohydrate restrictions for extended periods of time (in
fact, the Inuit of the Canadian Arctic did so up until very recently),
without any ill effects. So this diet does not present any real threat
to safety, especially considering the short period of time you're
actually restricting carbs.
So what
is the purpose of this carbohydrate restriction anyway?
It's
to get the body's insulin secretion system back on an even keel. Simple
carbs,
like those in preponderance in the North American diet, cause the
body to become
insulin resistant. In short, this leads to wildly vacillating blood
sugar levels. This may lead to weight gain, fatigue, moodiness, lack
of concentration, and UN-productivity. Carbohydrate restriction "reprimes"
the body, and gets it back to working properly again.
With
all that said, this isn't an easy diet to stay on. Sure, eating all
the steak, burgers, bacon, nuts, and cheese you want may sound appealing,
but it quickly loses it's allure when it's the only thing you eat.
Steak isn't much fun without potatoes, burgers are lacking without
fries, and cheese without crackers?
Boring.
Additionally,
lean muscle mass seems to be threatened on this diet. Considering
muscle burns calories even at rest, the loss of even some of this
critical tissue is very undesirable. As an avid weight lifter, the
rapid muscle loss I experienced was particularly unnerving. I also
found that without carbohydrates as a fuel source, strength at the
gym dropped dramatically -- even after the body had made the adjustment
from a carb burning to a fat burning machine.
Despite
all that, this diet does seem to be an effective way of losing fat
weight. If you're going to attempt this diet, however, I have two
comments for you. First...
The first
week is the hardest. On about the third day of the diet, it's likely
you'll start to feel "muggy-headed" as the body starts to
make its switch to a fat burning machine. Hang in there, you'll soon
feel better. Secondly, you will weigh at least 10 lbs.
lighter at the end of the first week. Don't get too excited though,
severe carb restriction has a diuretic effect -- most of what you've
lost is water.
The
Dr Atkins diet isn't perfect, but it does work. That's the bottom
line. If you're hypoglycemic, or severely insulin resistant, the
Dr Atkins diet may be just what you need. If you're not, you may
be better off to check out Barry Sear's "Enter the Zone",
or Dr. Di Pasquale's "The Metabolic Diet"...
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