Researchers at the University of Athens in Greece have found that people, and especially women, who consume large amounts of protein but very few carbohydrates have an increased risk of heart attack. Eating like a typical Atkins diet plan limits the amounts of foods like potatoes, bread, rice and pasta in favor of higher amounts of eggs, bacon, chicken, fish and broccoli.
The study of 10,000 adults who followed people on the Atkins diet showed an increased likelihood of having a stroke or heart attack compared to those on a normal diet. Even if the increase is not high, it is worth avoiding possible risks in the case of cardiovascular problems, since they are inevitably serious and, in many cases, lead to death.
Victoria Taylor, Chief Dietitian at the British Heart Foundation said: “This study underscores the need for us to balance our diets. Don’t feel like you have to choose between carbohydrates or proteins. Eating a mix of all food groups, rather than cutting out completely, will help you stay healthy inside and out. Try lean proteins and low-fat dairy products, whole grains and high-fiber carbohydrates, along with plenty of fruits and vegetables and small ones amounts of healthy fats. Eating these in a balanced way is far better for your heart and waistline than trying to stick to a strict diet.”
Health authorities around the world are very unanimous about the recommended daily intake of nutrients to maintain a healthy body. These recommendations include calories, protein, fiber, fats and oils, carbohydrates, salt, vitamins and minerals. A diet requires a reduction in calorie intake, this can be achieved quite simply by changing the type of products; Pork and cod have a similar protein content at the same weight, but cod only has about a quarter of the calories. Likewise, boiled potatoes have only a quarter of the calories of oily roast potatoes and potato chips.
Restricting your calorie intake is easily possible without having to act like a monk, while still consuming the necessary nutrients to promote good health. If you’re considering dieting, just review what you’ve eaten in the past week, including these snacks, and see how you can limit calories. Some examples, take a smaller size, a 12 inch pizza has twice the calories of an 8 inch pizza, and in the example of an international pizza chain’s simple large pizza, it has more than the recommended calories for a day, double as much fat content as you want and fifty percent over the salt limit – all on one plate! Think of the healthy items like a salad, which is low in calories, but when an oil-based dressing is added, it shoots up the calorie ladder, a tablespoon of olive oil has 109 calories. Just think before you eat
By the way: Unfortunately, the inventor of the Atkins diet, the American heart specialist Robert Atkins, died in 2002 at the comparatively young age of 72. He had a heart attack!
Thanks to Henry Lord
