ATKINS DIET Dr Atkins diet is based on high protein and ultra low carbohydrates. There is no doubt that Atkins is a very popular diet plan. Just look on your grocery shelf. There are many items now on grocery store shelves playing off of the carbohydrates are bad theory. The theory is that carbohydrates cause weight gain by promoting insulin production. HOW IT WORKS How does a low carbohydrate weight loss program work? By lowering your carbohydrate intake, your body burns stored carbohydrates (glycogen) for energy. When your body burns glycogen, water is released and you lose weight. That is why you see the claim with the Atkins diet and South beach diet that you can lose eight to 13 pounds the first two weeks. What they don’t tell you is that you are actually losing mostly water. The atkins diet excludes most fruits, breads, pastas, starchy vegetables, grains, and rice. The Atkins diet lets you eat unlimited meat, cheese, eggs, butter, cream. These are all high in fat and protein. Doesn’t sound too healthy to me. FOOD FOR THOUGHT The low carbohydrate diets do work for a short time period. Most people will lose water weight for about 2-3 weeks and that’s it. Most people will not lose large amounts of body fat on this plan. A high protein diet can leave you feeling tired, irritable, constipated, and lacking in vitamins and minerals. The simple truth is that low carbohydrate diets have proven themselves not to work in the long run for most people. Sure you will hear of someone who has lost 60 pounds but they are few and far between. And the question to ask is it really healthy in the long run. According to the Mayo clinic, it is impossible to say if low carbohydrate diets are safe because little is known about their long term effects on heart disease, cancer, and other health conditions.
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a leading advocate for preventive medicine slams the atkins diet. They say a high protein diet can lead to colorectal cancer, heart disease, impaired kidney function,and osteoperosis.
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