By: Kim Plomp and Angela Feyter

What is a low carbohydrate diet? These diets call for restriction or reduction of carbohydrates to almost zero for part or all of your diet. This will include increasing fat or protein intake to replace this reduction of carbs. There is an emphasis on eating foods such as red meat, poultry, fish (fat does not need to be trimmed off), fatty foods ( with the exception of trans fats) and vegetables. Foods to avoid: breads, grains, rice, fruits, baked goods, sugar soft drinks

What is the Atkins Diet? The Atkins diet claims to change your life in four ways: 1.Weight Loss 2.Weight Maintenance 3.Good Health 4.Disease Prevention These four changes will come about upon adoption of this diet as a life long practice.

Claim 1: Weight Loss As we know, carbohydrates and fat are the major energy sources in our diets. They are used as fuel in the energy processes the body goes through. Since carbohydrates are the first to be metabolized by the body, when it is removed or restricted from the diet the body then burns fat for energy allowing for weight loss. BeforeAfter

Claim 2: Weight Maintenance Atkins claims there is a carbohydrate equilibrium. At this point you have taken in enough carbohydrates such that the body is neither losing or gaining weight. Your carbohydrate input is not exceeding your energy expenditures but at the same time you are not at a deficiency in caloric intake for your energy requirements.

Claim 3: Good Health With this diet, an individual is more likely to meet their nutritional needs and promote good health compared to people who are low- fat, calorie restricted diets, since it allows for additional vitamin and mineral supplements in the persons diet.

Stage 4: Disease Prevention By adhering to the approach, dieters are able to see improvement in chronic diseases. This is due to lower insulin production that the restricted carbohydrate intake causes.

The Atkins diet consists of 4 phases and it is considered a road map to success Phase 1: Induction Restriction to 20 g of Carbs a day from salads and non- starchy vegetables eg. Two slices of bread=24 g of carbs Apple = 21 g of carbs Phase 2: Ongoing Weight Loss Carbohydrate intake is increased to 25 g of carbs per day, in the form of fiber-rich food. This is for one week. Each successive week, increase carb intake by 5 grams until weight loss stops. After weight loss stops, subtract 5 grams of carbs to maintain a sustained moderate weight loss

Phase 3: Pre-Maintenance When desired weight is achieved, increase daily carb intake by 10 g each week as long as weight loss is still maintained Phase 4: Lifetime Maintenance Selecting from a wide variety of foods while controlling carb. intake allows for weight maintenance while promoting a lifetime of better health.

The Atkins diet was not the first of its kind. In the 1800s in France, a patient complained to his doctor about an earache. The doctor, who had been working with diabetes patients and seen positive results in their overall health with no-sugar diets, prescribed a low-sugar, high protein diet. His belief was that by losing weight, pressure would be decreased on the eustachian tube and thus get rid of the earache. This worked, and the patient promoted this diet. This fad continued through the years with slight modifications by physicians and now has come to be known as the Atkins Diet

Is this diet healthy or deadly? Dr. Atkins claims: All sugar is bad the state of ketosis is a divine one Stabilizes blood sugar Burning of body fat while eating liberal amounts of food It will keep you healthy for decades Decrease risk of chronic diseases Fatty foods are good Rating the Diets, 1974, 249

Criticisms Ketosis is the overabundance of ketones which are the by-product of burnt up fat cells. With a lack of carbs, the body is burning more fat leaving more ketones in the blood. To be removed, these must go through the liver and kidneys so high amounts will cause damage to these organs. Should it really be called stabilizing, if there is not much to stabilize? What does liberal mean? Especially in terms of calories eg 10 g of meat vs. 10 g of lettuce Diets high in fat cause diarrhea which causes loss of water as well as nutrients (vitamins and minerals) which lead to health problems. Fatigue and depression have resulted over long periods of time, in order to prevent this from happening carbohydrates need to be ingested. Fats and foods high in cholesterol (larger amounts) are harmful to heart causing heart and heart diseases which are chronic diseases.

Conclusion

References Atkins Nutritionals: Why Atkins Works Theodore Berland, Rating the Diets, 1974, Illinois, Rand McNally and Company