Atkins Diet
I remember in the 1970's my mother tried the Atkins Diet. It started out OK, but didn't end well. Recently I have heard a lot of talk about a new Atkins Diet. I decided to check it out.
Unlike the original Atkins Diet my mother used, today's Atkins Diet advocates exercise. This is a welcome change. However, not much else has changed in today's Atkins Diet.
The diet is based on the belief that people are overweight because they eat too many carbohydrates. The Atkins Diet proclaims that because it is easier for your body to digest carbohydrates it does so first, leaving the fat to sit unused throughout your body. The Atkins Diet presumes that if you give your body only fat it will have to burn it to survive.
ON THE ATKINS DIET
- You eat as much as you want of the allowed foods
- The allowed foods are traditionally forbidden foods, i.e. red meat, cheese, eggs, butter, and mayonnaise
- Carbs are severely limited (20g/day in the first two weeks)
- Milk, white bread, pasta, white potatoes, and white flour are forbidden forever.
Many people are drawn to the Atkins Diet because the ability to eat red meat with impunity and lose weight is an appealing thought. However, many medical professionals are concerned by the popularity of the Atkins Diet. Some are concerned by the potential loss of bone. Others report that the body needs approximately 150g of carbohydrates a day to function efficiently, especially with regard to brain activity. It takes the body far too long to break down fat into a usable glucose for the brain. Needless to say the Atkins Diet completely disregards the diet recommended by the American Cancer Society for proper health. 5-9 servings of fruit/day, whole grains, limited red meats; its exactly opposite.
I think I'll learn from my mother's experience and try good eating habits and exercise, rather than the Atkins Diet.