the book dr Atkins’ New Diet Revolution was first published in 1979. And since then, many people have turned to the Atkins diet because of the foods it can eat, and there’s been a lot of hype as a result. It’s a great alternative to all those low-fat diet plans that are so difficult to stick to. But what are the basic principles of the Atkins diet?
The Atkins Diet is based on the good doctors’ answer to the question of why we get fat. according to dr Atkins, it is too many carbohydrates and simple sugars in the modern diet that causes our body fat to soar. The way your body burns the carbs you eat has more of an impact on your waistline than the amount of fat or calories you eat. In his book, Atkins suggests something he calls “insulin resistance.”
Too much carbs and sugar raise your blood sugar levels. The body produces insulin in the pancreas, stores sugar as glycogen in the liver and muscle tissue. When your body reaches its glycogen storage limit, it converts the remaining carbohydrates into fat. Excess insulin is toxic, so over time the body becomes resistant to it, tipping the balance from glycogen production to fat production.
Some people are more insulin resistant than others and these gain more weight. The carbohydrates we eat are turned into converted fat instead of being stored as energy.
The Atkins diet is a low-carbohydrate diet. Even the carbohydrates that traditional wisdom says make us healthy are omitted from the Atkins diet, like oatmeal, brown rice, and whole wheat bread, and are restricted to this diet.
This diet requires you to reduce your carbohydrate intake to less than 40 grams per day. This puts your body in a state of ketosis. Ketosis allows your body to burn fat for fuel. According to research by Dr. Atkins, being in ketosis also affects insulin production and prevents more fat from being formed.
You start converting stored fat into energy and so start losing weight. One of the main benefits of being in ketosis is that your body no longer craves carbohydrates like it used to. If you’ve been consuming a lot of carbohydrates, you may develop a form of addiction. With carb restriction and ketosis comes a reduction in carb cravings. People who follow the Atkins diet for a longer period of time report that they no longer need carbohydrates like they used to.
The foods to be eaten on the Atkins diet vary in four stages. What you can eat will differ slightly at each stage. As you progress through the phases, you are allowed to add more and more carbohydrates, but these should consist primarily of high-fiber carbohydrates such as leafy greens and certain vegetables. White rice, white bread, potatoes, and pasta made from “white” or processed flour remain off-limits for the entire time you’re on the Atkins plan.
Thanks to Ian Pennington
