Atkins diet is a high protein and low carb diet which influences the eating patterns of millions of people and its  reputation has been achieved from the rapid weight loss results of its users.  The Atkins diet works on the principle that when you reduce carbohydrate consumption, your body will use fat for fuel instead. When your body uses fat for fuel it results in more calories being used than when your body uses carbohydrates for fuel. This results in greater fat loss and greater weight loss. An extra bonus occurs when carb intake is lowered . Blood sugar levels are stabilized and hunger pangs are reduced. Less eating means greater weight control.

The Atkins diet has four phases

Atkins Diet Phase 1 –Atkins Induction Phase where carbohydrate consumption is strictly limited. Out go biscuits, crisps, sodas, pastries, bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, fruit and most vegetables. Instead you eat a high protein diet and a high fat diet of meat, fish, cheese, eggs and even cream and butter.

Atkins Phase 1 – switches your body from fat burning to carbohydrate burning and stabilizes blood sugar levels.

Atkins Diet Phase 2–The Ongoing Weight Loss Phase . Carbs are increased slightly to the point where a fat loss of a pound or two per week takes place. Some fruits, nuts and seeds enter the dietary plan.

Atkins Diet Phase 3  — Pre Maintenance Phase allows a few more carbohydrates to be eaten. Small amounts of cereal, bread and pasta are introduced and weight loss goal is 1 lb per week. This is preparation for the last stage of Atkins diet.

Atkins Diet Phase 4 –Lifetime Maintenance.  Carbohydrates are increased slightly but you will be following a low carb diet for life.

This high protein diet has to become a way of life for its followers and does come with some possible side effects.

Your body burning fat instead of carbohydrates results in ketone production. This can cause bad breath, tiredness, insomnia and even nausea. Constipation from lack of fibre is also possible.

Some health professionals are concerned about the balance of Atkins diet. Reduction in antioxidants could lead to a variety of nutritional deficiencies due to the high fat and low carb principles.

Atkins diet is also not suitable for vegetarians and for some, may be boring due to the lack of variety provided by fruits and vegetables.

Atkins Nutitionals, a company set up by Dr Atkins, provides ongoing guidelines and Atkins diet tips and Atkins diet recipes.

Diabetes and Atkins Diet

How do calories control my weight

There is a scientific theory that your body has a set point weight. This is a predetermined weight that suits your body. However you can change it. Because of this stabilising mechanism, your body can increase your metabolism to burn off excess calories. It can also lower metabolism when fuel is scarce to maintain this set weight.

Excess calories, regardless of their source, will be stored as fat. A fat-free diet won’t guarantee fat loss if there’s no calorie deficit. (More in than out!) For example, Lesley, a gym instructor, ate sugar free Weetbix for breakfast. Low in fat? Yes, but as for being non-fattening…not when you eat 12 at a time! Starving your body of fat and replacing it with an excess of low-fat options doesn’t cut it for fat loss. On the subject of starving, depriving your body of energy doesn’t work in the long-term either.  You do need to burn more energy (or calories) than you consume, but you also have to ensure your total energy intake is adequate for basic body functions.

The amount of energy your body consumes just to maintain life is termed basal metabolism, or basal metabolic rate. An average rate for women is 1500 calories per day and1800 calories per day for men. If you’ve been dieting for a long time your basal metabolism is probably lower than these rates. Remember the set point theory and how your body adjusts up and down depending on energy intake. On low energy diets you lose both fat and muscle mass.  The less muscle tone you have, the lower your metabolic rate becomes. This is the reason low energy dieting doesn’t work.

Yo-Yo weight loss

In reality, restrictive diets are very difficult to maintain without succumbing to hunger and bingeing. On goes the weight and because you have less muscle, you have a lower or slower metabolism. You are burning fewer calories, thus more fat is retained and weight increases. The fatter you get, the more you want to diet, the more you diet the lower your metabolism, the more you binge and so goes the cycle of yo-yo weight loss.

By this stage you’re probably confused about the whole energy intake (what you eat) issue. Don’t be. Just try to become familiar and comfortable with the appropriate amount of energy intake for you. Be aware of your body and your feelings.

Practice makes a natural habit. Once you have worked out what your basal metabolism should be (or close to) and you get used to eating the quantity of food that will provide you with that amount of energy, it will become second nature.

Dieting has taken away from us the ability to recognize when and how much to eat. Long-term denial practices can leave you unaware of when you are really hungry and when you are full or satiated. You have to re-learn these signals with sensible healthy eating and then counting calories becomes a thing of the past.

 Dr Atkins belief that human metabolism could be modified by diet is the key to his weight loss plan. Carbohydrate consumption raises blood sugar. To maintain blood balance, the body produces insulin and this increase in insulin causes  energy to be stored as fat. To counter fat storage, Atkins’ diet plan strictly limits carbohydrates and encourages protein consumption. This lack of  glycogenof  forces the body to use its other main energy source, fat,  for fuel. As fat is utilized, ketones are formed which results in appetite suppression. As more calories are used when fat is the fuel source rather than carbohydrate, weight loss is faster.

Dr. Robert C. Atkins was the author of the book “Dr. Atkin’s Diet Revolution“, followed by “Atkins for Life” and “Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution“. Dr Atkins’ passion for enhancing human health led him to establish The Atkins’ Center for Complementary Medicine.  His revolutionary diet ideas affected the eating patterns of millions of people. The Atkins’ Diet Plan is a high protein, low carbohydrate diet. Its principle is very simple. By cutting carbohydrates from your diet, you force your body to to burn it’s fat stores for energy.  Burning fat for energy uses more energy than burning carbs and so fat loss occurs more quickly. Reduced carbs results in stable blood sugar levels and so prevents over eating.

Atkins’ Diet

Atkins’ Diet Plan is in sharp contrast to the Food Pyramid developed by the US Department of Agriculture which recommends high consumption of breads and grains. For many people, Atkins’ Diet plan of very low carbs consumption has been the key to weight loss. And the more you can reduce excess fat, the healthier you will be. To help you find the diet that is suitable for your needs, you need to do your own research.

Dr Atkins’ Diet Plan has four phases; Induction, Ongoing weight loss, Pre Maintenance and Lifetime maintenance. The expected weight loss is 6-10 lbs in the first 2 weeks slowing down to 1 lb per week thereafter. For some, the low carb nature of Atkins’ diet may be hard to follow, but the high protein aspect encourages many men to use this plan with success.

Here on our website, you will find Atkins’ diet tips, information about low carb diets, guidelines for protein consumption, Atkins’ recipes, articles on fast, safe weight loss and other Atkins’ dietary resources that will help you reach your health and dietary goals.

Dr Atkin’s Diet Plan

Metabolism and Atkins’ Diet: Atkins’ diet impacts on human metabolism, influencing not only the eating routine but also the physical activity of a dieter. The Atkins’ diet effects on metabolism are explained here.

What Is Metabolism

Simply defined,  metabolism is the rate at which our body creates energy.

According to Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, the series of chemical changes which take place in an organism, by means of which food is manufactured and utilized and waste materials are eliminated is called metabolism.

During a metabolic process, ingested fats are broken down into fatty acids and glycerol and then into simpler compounds that can be used by the cells of the body. This is the key to understanding how the human body converts what it takes in as nutrition.

Is there such a thing as a normal metabolism?  It can be faster than normal or it can be slower. Can it be changed? Atkins’ diet will affect your metabolism as will other diets. In order to measure and compare metabolism, scientists created the scale called BMR (the rate at which a human body use energy when at rest) and they found that:

1. The more a person weighs, the highest the BMR
2. Childhood BMR is higher than adult BMR
3. The higher the muscular ratio to fat, the higher the BMR
4. The higher the BMR is, the easier it is to lose weight.

People whose weight tends to increase for no apparent reason often have a metabolic problem. They either have an improper eating regimen, a sedentary lifestyle or sometimes a glandular disorder.

The Correlation Between Metabolism and Overweight

The human body uses food as soon as it gets it. As a rule, when the metabolism is somehow altered, the body begins to store what can’t be fueled, converted or properly used. A balanced way of life and a balanced daily eating routine are crucial for keeping metabolism function normal. Unfortunately, this is a difficult goal for many people. Acumulative risks come from:

1. Non-observance of the three large meals daily rule (or 4-5 small meals). The human body is smart enough and it learns that it gets food once a day so it begins to store (to have fuel for the next 12 hours of “starvation”). This is the first factor to contribute to gaining weight.
2. Eating too much and too often junk-food , sugar, white flour, sugary juices and what they call refined and processed unhealthy foods. This is the second factor which adds pounds to a figure.

No Proteins and Fats Is Bad. Why?

Standard low-fat diets (high-carbohydrate, too) have been largely recommended for years. Weight-loss is satisfactory and many health professionals support them. Diets are usually accompanied by an active lifestyle, including aerobic exercise and weight training programs. Well, the truth is that convenional diets revealed some risks for many active people. The most important finding is that low-fat dieting (restricted calories) combined with an active life style leds to a risky muscle-loss.

Muscles are metabolically active tissues that constantly need calories (from proteins) to maintain their proper functioning. Muscles are bigger calories consumers than the adipose tissue. As conventional diets allow very few calories, muscles are deprived of proper calories intake. The lack of proteins means releasing nitrogen from the muscle tissue. The human body doesn’t need it and it “cleans” it by taking water from muscle tissue. So, mass muscle is drastically reduced. Moreover, the body begins to conserve fat, as a “starvation response” to the shortage of calories.

Atkins’ Metabolic Advantage

The Atkins’ road map to success precisely refers to this metabolic process, claiming that the diet delivers what they called “metabolic advantage”. The Atkins’ diet effects are:

• losing weight by eating as many calories (proteins and fats) as possible
• maintaining or gaining lean muscle to increase metabolism (that is why Dr. Atkins has strongly recommended regular exercise).

Why It Works

It is already known that carbohydrates are a very efficient form of energy. When it has this form of fuel at hand, the body uses it as often as needed, leaving aside other sources, such as proteins and fats, considered inefficient forms of energy. According to Dr. Atkins, “metabolic advantage” occurs when the body has to make efforts to get energy from somewhere else when its favourite fuel is missing. Therefore fat decreases, alongside with the pounds.

You achieved your weight goal. How about maintaining it? Studies reveal that most dieters didn’t gain more than 30 percent of what they had lost during the Atkins’ diet. Regaining lost weight after following a diet and exercise program is almost certain unless new eating habits are formed and exercise and physical activity is continued.

Metabolism and Atkins Diet

Vitamins and Atkins’ Diet

 Vitamins are the organic compounds that are indispensable for cellular processes and for life itself.  They cannot be synthesized in sufficient quantity in the body so have to be supplied through the food we consume. The food we eat in the modern day is unfortunately often quite nutritionally  inadequate. Supplementation is the solution and is an essential part of the Atkins’ low carb diet.

We Need Vitamins

Since many vitamins cannot be obtained directly from foods by the human body, some deficiencies may occur. Lack of certain vitamins is responsible for certain diseases. Modern urban lifestyle deprives human beings of essential vitamins and minerals. That is why now there are a lot of lifestyle-related diseases including diabetes, obesity, heart diseases.

The exact amount and type of vitamin supplementation required by an individual depends on genetics, age, lifestyle, daily nutrition and stress. Every individual has varying needs for supplementation by good quality products but sadly many modern doctors are not the ones to be asking. However, good alternative doctors (doctors that are not tied into the Big Pharma path) can be found.

To make matters worse, there are manufacturers to avoid as well. Many use fillers and synthetically devised additives. These potentially toxic chemical additives can be damaging to the immune system and may be laying the groundwork for future ill health and disease: brain tumors, colon cancer, endocrine system disorders, persistent obesity to mention a few.

In order to compensate for the lack of essential vitamins, Atkins’ low carb diet suggests nutritional supplementation.

The Atkins’ Way

To help dieters, Dr. Atkins diet includes advice regarding the daily intake of vitamins.

The first formula released by Dr. Atkins was Basic 1, a basic multiple vitamin to attain all needs.

Basic 1 was improved by refining the dosages; thus, Basic 3 was launched.

The dietary supplement recommended on Induction menu includes the following:

1. Chromium, whose role is essential in normalizing the fluctuating insulin level. Best absorbtion is achieved in chromium polynicotinate. A minimum of 300 mcg daily is enough for most dieters. Some may require an extra portion. Basic 3 contains 300 mcg.
2. Vitamin B5 (pantethine) is also extremely helpful during the Induction phase, for its cholesterol control ability. Experts also recommend it for it’s ability to produce friendly bacteria in the intestine. It is naturally produced by the body, but there are cases when metabolic resistance prevents its formation.
3. Selenium is added for its antioxidant features. It is also thought to prevent diabetes.
4. Vanadium seems to be crucial for diabetics, as it has the ability to support cells in absorbing blood sugar (thus, the level of insulin is decreased to normal levels).
5. Biotin  helps diabetics by regulating the blood sugar level.

If Basic 3 formula is not at hand, anyone dieting with Atkins’ should establish their own individual supplement needs, together with their physician. Certain needs appear during the Induction phase:

• Essential fatty acids (EFA) are vital because they:
  1. Protect arteries from forming plaque
  2. Thin the blood
  3. Help the blood to carry nutrients through the veins to the cells and brain more efficiently. Usually, essential fatty acids are missing because a lot of people avoid fats (mistakenly thought to be the cause of gaining weight)
• Multivitamin and mineral supplements as pills, for instance. The daily supplement should include:
  1. Gamma linolenic acid (from borage oil or primrose)
  2. Omega 3 fatty-acids from fish oil and flaxseed oil
  3. B complex factors
  4. Vitamin C, E
  5. Fiber to prevent constipation (from wheat bran or flaxmeal)
  6. Perhaps some L-glutamine, especially if suffering from sugar cravings.

  Vitamins and Atkins Diet

Because Dr Atkins’ diet  principles differ considerably to diet plans and strategies used by traditional nutritionists and medical care experts, it has been analysed and scrutinized  and some questions and concerns raised.

Scientific data to support or deny the Atkins’ diet principles is incomplete and at times inconsistent. Some medical concerns are still not fully resolved. Nevertheless, the data obtained from some incomplete or small group studies which have been conducted can’t be ruled out. Regarding lifestyle, the possible dangers of adhering to the Atkins’ diet  can be confined to four broad areas.

Atkins’ Diet Dangers : Cardiovascular Risk Factors

First of all, physicians from the American Heart Association are worried because a high-animal protein and high-fat diet may be damaging  to the heart and blood vessels’ health (blood flow and blood clots especially). Emphasizing foods like meat, eggs, saturated fats and eliminating fruits and starchy vegetables, Atkins diet restricts, in fact, those foods rich in essential nutrients. The low fiber intake is also a concern for the American Heart Association. In their opinion, an eating regimen so rich in meat and fatty foods is conducive to coronary heart diseases and even strokes. In AHA‘s opinion, many people are already eating too much high-protein and high-fat foods than they really need daily.

Atkins’ Diet Dangers : Kidney Stones

Specialists quoted by the American Journal of Kidney Diseases are worried because high-protein diets may increase the acidity of the human body (as much as 90%). The calcium level may rise as well. This may cause  an  increase in the level of a compound called oxalate in urinary excretion. This compound may combine with others including calcium and result in the formation of kidney stones. This has been revealed by a small six-week study on ten healthy adults.

Atkins’ Diet Dangers : Osteoporosis

The same small study has shown that the same high levels of calcium in the volunteers’ urine indicates a decreased absorption of calcium (body’s bone-building material). Eventually, this may lead to osteoporosis.

Atkins’ Diet Dangers : Constipation

Constipation has already been admitted by Dr. Atkins himself as an adverse effect of his diet, in the Induction phase (which is rather depriving the dieter of fibers). On a long-term basis, constipation might become chronic. This is harmful for two reasons:

1. A bowel deficiency may cause an increase  in dangerous toxicity in the human body.
2. Attempts to control constipation by medication may cause long term malfunction of the body’s natural elimination system.

The nutritional care community has also raised concerns about the Atkins’ diet regarding nutritional adequacy, dietary compliance and quality of life. Until now there are two charges related to “Atkins bad diet”: a 41-year-old male and a 16-year-old girl died while on Atkins diet. It is worth mentioning that the American National Institute of Health is now conducting a large 3 year-study on low-carb dieting, including Atkins’ diet.

Atkins’ Diet Dangers

Childhood Obesity and Dr. Atkins’ Low Carb Diet

The Worldwide medical community is concerned with the rapidly increasing problem of childhood obesity. A controlled carbohydrate diet, such as Dr. Atkins’ low carbohydrate diet, is a vital component in the treatment of obese and overweight children.

Obesity

A child may be considered to be  obese when excess body fat impacts  negatively on the child’s health or wellbeing. Skinfold measures have been used extensively and more recently the BMI, an index that is calculated by dividing one’s weight in kilograms by the square of one’s height in meters, is the measure being used.

“The International Obesity Task Force” is one of the most reputable sources of worldwide obesity statistics. According to it, more than 22 million children under 5 are overweight or obese. Also, 300 million people worldwide are estimated to be obese. Another 750 million are overweight. The US has the highest rate of obesity in the world.  An overweight child is more likely to become an obese adult, so dietary education is critical to break this connection.
In recent years, there has been significant research into childhood obesity. Many specialists worldwide believe the principles of  Dr. Atkins‘ low carb diet can be applied to children in the effort to reduce childhood obesity. There are four aspects to consider in this task.

1. Diagnosis
2. Treatment
3. Risks
4. Prevention.

Before developing an eating regimen for a potentially overweight child, you must ask for counselling from a health care provider. Children grow at different rates and at different times so no parent should plan a low carb diet for their child without research and even medical advice.

If the physician thinks that the child needs to be on a weight or fat control program, then:

• Developing a balanced, appropriate, individualized  low-carb diet, such as the Atkins’ diet is an eating regimen suitable for the child and more than likely, the whole family.
• Ensuring regular and appropriate physical activity habits is a vital ingredient in the fat control programme.

It has been shown that children following the principles of the Atkins’ diet plan can lose excess fat and weight and lay the foundation for healthy adulthood.
A variety of combinations of  high-protein foods do reduce  children’s appetites for a longer period of time than the empty Calories of  refined foods such as bread, soda  and biscuits. Combined with regular exercise good results have been produced.

Many cancer specialists endorse the Atkins’ Diet plan for obese and overweight children as reduced obesity is linked to lower likelihood of a variety of cancers.

Childhood Obesity and Dr. Atkins’ Low Carb Diet

The Atkins’ organisation has over 100 grocery branded items sold in food chains like WalMart and 7-Eleven.

Since there are over 20 million people following Atkins’ diet plan, many restaurants include in their menus Atkins’ low carb diet foods:

• Subway
• TGI Friday’s
• Blimpie

Atkins’ Low Carb Diet Restaurants  Food Values

Subway is the largest restaurant chain in the US. They have over 22000 restaurants in 77 countries. They were the first fast food chain to embrace the Atkins’ diet and offer Atkins’ friendly wraps and fresh salads.

TGI Friday’s is present in 48 states and 55 countries. TGI Friday’s also made an agreement with Atkins and now offers reduced carbohydrate meals.

TGI Friday’s Atkins Friendly Menus are listed below:

This kind of food is now available in low-carb stores, too:

• McSlim Low Carb Market
• Castus Low Carb Superstores
• Pure Foods Low Carb Market

Soon after its US expanding, Atkins diet crossed the ocean in the UK and had the same impact as in the US.
Low carb mania worried a lot of british restaurant owners, deeply annoyed by the fact that people were refusing the breadbaskets, potatoes, rice and any sort of pasta. Instead, they were asking for low-carb beer, low-carb cheesecake, and so on. The result was that US Wheat Council and British Potato Council started campaigns against Atkins’ diet.

If you’re on Atkins’ diet, you have to be careful about the carb counter of what you order when you go out. Knowing the carb content of the foods, you will know what to order. This is available both in restaurants that have Atkins’ food on their menus and in ordinary restaurants. Ofcourse, knowing the carb level of what you eat is more important in ordinary restaurants.

Atkins’ Low Carb Diet Restaurants