Attkins: Hoax or Legitimate Diet?

Attkins: Hoax or Legitimate Diet?

I will confess I had dismissed Atkins as a total hoax, especially when my

mom’s fifty-three-year-old friend developed serious osteoporosis, after a

few years on the diet. Now, having researched the Atkins diet, I've

learned there is a lot that's positive about Atkins' approach. Still, I'm

convinced there are better ways to get the benefits of Atkins without its

downsides.

As you're undoubtedly aware, Dr. Atkins' basic premise is that we've all

been eating too many carbohydrates, especially refined white flour and

sugar. “If you Replace most of those carbohydrates with more fat and more

protein”, says Atkins, “then you'll lose weight.” However, contrary to

popular opinion, Atkins is not a "no carb" diet. Even in its strict

initial "induction" phase, Atkins allows three cups of salad greens or two

cups of greens plus one cup of chopped non-starchy veggies like broccoli

or red peppers. You must remember fruits and vegetables are carbs!

Gradually anyone on this diet is suppose to increase their carbs in their

diet until they discover their individual Atkins Carbohydrate Equilibrium

(ACE), which is the level of carbohydrate consumption at which you will

not gain weight.

It is factual that much of the rise in American obesity and diabetes can

be pinned on our enormous consumption of refined carbohydrates. A person’s

body turns carbohydrates into glucose (blood sugar) to fuel your body.

Intaking too much glucose too quickly your body will be overstrained; your

pancreas must extract excess insulin to rush the excess glucose out of the

blood stream, and into your fat cells. If you eat fewer carbs or limit

yourself to whole unrefined carbs that tr...

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...beneficial in the context of a

low-carb diet. This seems risky and still unproven to me.

I think that it is better to just eat good, healthy food. If you cut all

the processed junk from your diet, you're left with a huge, delicious

universe of whole foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, poultry,

fish, legumes, eggs, nuts, and seeds. You can lose excess pounds and

maintain a healthy weight by simply eating the good stuff and exercising;

without getting excessive and counting each and every carbohydrate, gram,

and calorie. I will confess I was biased and had dismissed Atkins as a

total hoax. Now, having researched the Atkins diet, I see that many

people have benefited from the diet. I see that there are a lot of

benefits about Atkins' approach. Yet, I'm still convinced there are better

ways to lose weight without facing Atkins downsides.