Atkins diet/Pregnancy????

Question
Hi george.
heres my question.
i been on the atkins diet for about 5 or 6 weeks
now and i really like it because im very over
weight. im 21 5-3 and about any where from 195 lb.s or 200. anyway im not sure yet but im thinking that i may be pregnant, would it be bad for my baby if i stay on this diet for afew weeks
longer if i am pregnant? and if so, Why? and also
is there any? diet thats not bad to be on while
pregnant. thanks

Answer
Hello Tina!

Since you are trying to find out what is healthy for pregnancy I would advice that you check out my cookbook entitled "The Healthy Pregnancy Cookbook: Eating Twice as Well for A Healthy Baby" which is available at any bookstore. It will tell you exactly what you should be eating to ensure a healthy pregnancy.

Doctors don't advise going on any form of diet when you're pregnant as it is potentially hazardous to you and your developing baby. Some diets can leave you low on nutrients such as iron, folic acid and other important vitamins and minerals.

The Atkins diet is a very restricted diet. The idea behind it is that our ancestors survived on a diet which consisted of meat, fish and berries and over the years we have tended to move towards a mainly carbohydrate diet, especially highly refined carbohydrates. As people have tried to reduce their fat intake the proportion of their diet made up of carbohydrate has increased. Carbohydrates include sugars, potatoes, pasta and rice. The theory is that our digestive system is less well geared up to deal with this sort of diet and it ends up making us fatter.


However, there are also concerns about the high fat content of the Atkins diet. The authors state that there is no link between Atkins and high cholesterol in the blood but it will take some long-term studies involving people who have been on the diet for years to prove that this is the case.

During pregnancy, it is important to eat healthily, and the same advice applies to breastfeeding. This is why I would not advise going on any form of diet, Atkins or otherwise, while you are pregnant or breastfeeding.


-George Rapitis, Bsc. Nutritionist
www.juiceblend.com

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