The Atkins Diet - Pros And Cons

The Atkins diet is a low-carbohydrate diet created by Dr. Robert Atkins resulting from his analysis to reduce his own weight.
The concept of Atkins is in relation to a high protein / low carbohydrate diet in order to lose a significant amount of weight in a short amount of time.

The diet is based on:

*not consuming starchy foods such as bread, pasta, potatoes, cereal, any foods containing sugar, high sugar fruits and vegetables, and even fruit juices.
*dieter is allowed no more than 30g carbohydrates a day; the equivalent of a few pieces of lettuce or less than one apple.
*Atkins dieter is restricted to eat only meat and dairy products, including chicken, fish, and milk, and even bacon, eggs, cheese, and butter.

Principle:

There are two main ways:

The body goes into ketosis and burn the fat as energy (as it has no more carbohydrates). Ketosis is when there are no glycogene reserved in the liver so the body breaks down muscle mass in order to make energy.
Carbohydrates are digested quicker than protein and fat.

Advantages :

*No restriction on fat and protein; the diet is based on high fat and protein food ranges which is generally desirable for many people to follow this range of foods with less/ no restriction.
*Increased mental awareness; using high protein and low-carbohydrate foods usually creates more mental concentration and lighter stomach and also easier digestion for the people who have no intolerance to meat-based products.
*Dieters usually experience Less / no feeling fatigue, irritability, depression, chronic headaches, and some forms of joint and muscle pain.

Disadvantages:

*Possible regaining of weight; apart from strict adherence to the instructions of Atkins diet, constant exercising is also required to maintain the desired weight.
*High cholesterol and saturated fats; Atkins diet is based on high saturated fats that may result in an increased risk of heart disease.
*Low extent of vitamins and minerals; Atkins diet offers poor nutritionally balanced diet (containing less vitamins and minerals as a result of less consumption of salads and fruits). This can lead to nutritional deficiency.
*May cause ketosis; when the body goes into ketosis, ketones form and finally failure/ malfunction of kidney is very likely. Ketones may also cause brain damage.

Examples of Low Carbohydrate products in the market:

Keto Pasta Shells
Dreamfields "Low-Digestible" Pasta
Aramana Low-Carb Pasta Meals
LowCarbolicious Pizza Kit
Nutlettes Cereal
Mama Lupe's low-carb Tortillas
Pure De-lite Breakfast Bars
Bella Vita Low Carb Pasta Sauces
Atkins Morning Start Breakfast Bars
Pure De-Lite Low Carb Sugar Free

Current healthy eating advice:

*women who consumed more fruits and vegetables were 26 percent less likely to become obese than women who ate fewer fruits and vegetables
*The high drop-out rate suggests that people found the Atkins diet hard to follow.
*Regular meat consumption may increase colon cancer and osteoporosis.
high-protein diets may cause permanent loss of kidney function in anyone with reduced kidney function.

Conclusion:

*Atkins Diet is obviously a good way to lose weight in a short period of time.
*Bringing the carbohydrate back after reaching desired weight, over-exercise is required.
*It might be impossible for a person never consuming carbohydrates again in their whole life.
*If an obese person is interested in dropping a large amount of weight in a short amount of time, the Atkins diet is the way to try.
*A balanced diet, accompanied by daily physical activity or exercise, is the best way to insure good healthy, steady weight, and body composition.

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