The Atkins' Diet: Nearly 40 years ago, Dr Atkins linked the alarming rise in obesity with inappropriate modern eating habits. His diet plan, based on a low carbohydrate diet, countered the fast food, high carb, loaded with added sugar foods that had replaced traditional eating habits. “Atkins' Diet Revolution” was a sensation 30 years ago and still provides healthy eating guidelines.

Alarming Obesity, Heart Diseases, Diabetes

The remarkable progress of science and technology, economic growth and technological innovation dramatically changed the traditional way of living. The incidence of lifestyle-related diseases such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease are concerning experts and people, too. Diets occur when the people desperately look for normality and need to counterbalance their unhealthy way of living. Atkins' diet revolution opposed dietaery practices used for years by traditional nutritionists and medical care experts. Atkins' diet was considered revolutionary and became very popular because it didn't torture its supporters by restrictioning them too much.

Atkins' diet was defined as a way to:

switch the body from a carbohydrate-burning metabolism to a primarily fat-burning (its own fat) metabolism.It seemed simple, credible and correct; its fast results were encouraging and there were added health benefits as well.

Human Beings Need Food to Survive

According to the dictionary, diet means eating according to prescribed rules; eating sparingly. The metabolism is responsible for internal burnings and for fat storage as well. In order to function properly, the human body needs to train and to maintain its muscles, needs to pump the blood, to breathe and it needs energy from carbohydrates. The basic food elements are:

Carbohydrates

They are needed for energy. A simple carbohydrate is in fact glucose or blood sugar (or dextrose). It flows through the blood stream and goes to every cell of the body, where it is fueled and converted to energy. Glucose, fructose (from fruits) and galactose are monosaccharides and are the only ones assimilated in the bloodstream through the human intestinal lining. They are quickly absorbed, that is why they are calledquick sugars. There are also complex carbohydrates, starches, made up of chains of glucose molecules. They are slow sugars because it takes a lot longer for the dygestive system to break them down. Only after breaking them down into glucose and other molecules, the bloodstream is able to absorb the glucose. Sugar is so problematical because it induces a quick rise of blood glucose level. In this case insulin is instantly produced to lower the glucose level. But insulin secretion determines an adrenaline urgefinally ending with irritability and moody conditions.

Proteins

They are necessary for cells. A protein is a chain of amino acids. The human body has 20 amino acids, crucial for maintaining and growing cellular structure. There are two different types:

• non-essential, which are produced from other existing chemicals in the body
• essential, which cannot be produced by the body and must be obtained from food

Proteins are obtained from animal and vegetable sources. Animal sources provide complete protein since all the essential amino acids are present, while vegetable sources lack or are low in certain essential amino acids. The RDA for protein is 0.36 grams per pound of body weight. For instance, a 100-pound person has to eat 36 grams of proteins per day. Carbohydrates hardly deliver such amount. A slice of bread contains only 2 grams of proteins while a can of tuna contains 32 grams of proteins.

Fats

They are necessary for absorbing vitamins, for cell membranes and for energy. Unsaturated and saturated fats are equally necessary for the human body. As entering the dygestive system, fats are broken down by an enzyme called lipase. What results after breaking down, glycerol and fatty acidsare then reassembled into triglycerides. Muscle cells and human fat need them for storing or for burning as fuel, providing energy.

Vitamins

Necessary for nutrition and the regulation of the metabolic process. They don't deliver energy (like carbohydrates) or build units (like proteins). Vitamins are small molecules which the human body needs to run properly. They are:

• water soluble (B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, panthotenic acid, biotin)
• fat soluble (A, D, E, K)

Minerals

Minerals, necessary for some specific molecules that the body needs: Calcium, Chlorine, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Fluorine, Magnesium, Manganese, phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium, Zinc. Lack of minerals can cause severe diseases.

Fibers

They are necessary for residual capacity. Fibers are undigestable, but the human body needs them for their cleansing capacity(bran, for instance). There are three different types:

• celullose
• hemicellulose
• pectin

Human beings lack the enzyme to digest them, so fibers pass unaltered through the dygestive system

Water

Necessary for hydration and drawing the residues. The human body is about 60 percent water, which is lost through urine, evaporation, breath. A human being must constantly replace its water stores. There is a need of 40 ounces per day, delivered by fruits and other liquids.

The Atkins' Diet