ATKINS' DIET

Dateline: 11/24/99

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Atkins' Diet

The Atkins' Diet is hot right now.  It is a diet composed mostly of protein and fat with little carbohydrates with a promise of quick and easy weight loss.  Dr. Robert Atkins is the man behind the diet.  It is very similar to the Ketogenic Diet.   He first made the diet famous in the 70s, and he has brought it back with a vengeance in the 90s.  Many people follow this diet in hopes of losing weight.  Many "seem" to succeed on this diet, but many detractors like the American Dietetic Association claim it is unhealthy.  What is the 411 on this diet, its detractors, and what should you do instead of this low-carb eating plan?  Find out below.

Weight loss from this and other fad diets comes mostly at first from water loss.  By cutting your carbohydrate intake, you inevitibly will be cutting your calories which could cause you to lose weight.  According to Ellen Coleman, RD, high fat diets like Atkins' cause ketosis (increased blood ketones from fat breakdown) which suppresses hunger.  This will cause even less calories to be consumed.  What they don't tell you is that you will also lose protein from your muscles as well as fat.  This will have a negative effect on your metabolism.  Reducing carbohydrates also takes away  vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber which you get from fruit and vegetables.  Don't worry because you can pay for supplements, meal bars, etc. from Atkins which should be a big concern for you.  The Atkins' Diet is claimed to be a well balanced, low-carb diet.  If it was so balanced, you wouldn't have to pay so much to get the nutrients we all need.  Some other warnings about the Atkins' Diet are high cholesterol, calcium loss, nutrient deficiency, kidney stones and other kidney-related problems.  I've included some signs to make you wonder about companies and their products.

Ten ways to spot junk claims about nutrition from the Food and Nutrition Alliance.

• Recommendations that promise a quick fix.
• Dire warnings of danger from a single product or regimen.
• Claims that sound too good to be true.
• Simplistic conclusions drawn from a complex study.
• Recommendations based on a single study.
• Dramatic statements that are refuted by reputable scientific organizations.
• Lists of good and bad food.
• Recommendations made to help sell a product.
• Recommendations based on studies published without peer-review.
• Recommendations from studies that ignore differences among individuals or groups.

Proponents of the Atkins' Diet claim that the AMA and mainstream nutritional experts promote white flour consumption and try to keep all fat to a minimum.  This is simply not true.  They promote grains in general.   It is not their fault that people make poor choices.  They definitely want people to eat whole grains instead of white flour.  They also discourage consumption of saturated fat and cholesterol which lead to heart disease.  They don't have a problem with mono or poly unsaturated fat.  They do have a problem with too much of these "good" fats. 

Supporters of the Atkins' Diet also think that the promotion of a low-fat/high carbohydrate diet is why people are still getting fat and fatter.  They believe that "carbs" cause too much insulin to be released which can make the food you eat more easily converted to body fat, causes overeating and obesity, and leads to insulin resistance and diabetes.  What they don't tell you is that people are eating more calories than before.  I also don't see people exercising more either.  Companies have targeted consumers with low-fat, high calorie and/or sugar products.  Consumers have mistakenly believed that low-fat equals good.   Even if their theories on carbs and insulin were true, they don't tell you that adding protein and/or fat to a meal with carbohydrates will slow down the rate at which insulin is secreted.  Another way some people try to monitor how much a meal will   affect insulin secretion is the glycemic index (GI).  Foods are rated from highest to lowest on how they effect your blood sugar level which in turn effects insulin secretion.  I have included a drop-down menu of the glycemic index which is divided by food groups.  Experts are divided on whether the quantity of the food is what is important or if it is the glycemic value which holds the key.  I tend to believe it lies somewhere in the middle.

*BEANS baby lima 32 baked 43 black 30 brown 38 butter 31 chickpeas 33 kidney 27 navy 38 pinto  42 red lentils 27 split peas 32 soy 18 *BREADS bagel 72 Kaiser roll  73 pita 57 pumpernickel 49 rye  64 rye, whole 50 white 72 whole wheat 72 waffles 76 *CEREALS All Bran 44 Bran Chex 58 Cheerios 74 Corn Bran 75 Corn Chex 83 Cornflakes 83 Cream of Wheat 66 Crispix 87 Grapenuts 67 Grapenuts Flakes 80 Life 66 Muesli 60 NutriGrain 66 Oatmeal 53 Oatmeal 1 min 66 Puffed Wheat 74 Puffed Rice 90 Rice Bran 19 Rice Chex 89 Rice Krispies 82 Shredded Wheat 69 Special K 54 Swiss Muesli 60 Team 82 Total 76 *COOKIES oatmeal 55 shortbread 64 vanilla wafers 77 *CRACKERS kavli norwegian 71 rye 63 saltine 72 *DESSERTS Angel Food Cake 67 bran muffin 60 Danish 59 fruit bread 47 pound cake  54 sponge cake 46 *FRUIT apple 38 apricot, canned 64 apricot, dried 30 banana 62 banana, unripe 30 cherries 22 fruit cocktail 55 grapefruit 25 grapes 43 kiwi 52 mango 55 orange 43 pear 36 pineapple 66 plum 24 raisins 64 strawberries 32 watermelon 72 *GRAINS barley 22 brown rice 59 buckwheat 54 bulger 47 chickpeas 36 cornmeal 68 hominy 40 millet 75 rice, instant 91 rice, parboiled 47 rye 34 sweet corn 55 wheat, whole 41 white rice 88 wh. rice, high amylose 59 *JUICES apple 41 grapefruit 48 orange 55 pineapple 46 *MILK PRODUCTS chocolate milk 34 ice cream 50 milk 34 yogurt 38 *PASTA brown rice pasta 92 linguine, durum 50 macaroni 46 macaroni & cheese 64 spaghetti 40 spag. prot. enrich. 28 vermicelli 35 vermicelli, rice 58

So instead of avoiding that plate of pasta or baked potato, rice, etc., cut the portion in half, add some grilled chicken breast or other source of protein, and have a green salad or other vegetable.   My point is to eat balanced meals.  Eating a low-carb diet is not balanced and is extreme.   Concentrate on eating smaller portions instead of eliminating food groups.  Leftovers are great.   Stop eating when you are satisfied.  Eating less and more frequently is gradually becoming more accepted than the standard three square meals a day.  

Want some more tips and information on losing weight the right and healthy way?  Click on the link below.

Next page > The Correct Way to Lose Weight!

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