The Atkins Diet

Today there are many diets out there to choose from, and if you want to lose weight, it can be a bit difficult to figure out which diet is for you. However, one of the top diet choices out there today is Atkins dieting plan. Of course before you start any diet you probably want to know a bit more about it and how it works. So, let’s take a look at how the Atkins Diet got started, how it works, who it works best for, and more so you can make the right choice.

Overview of the Atkins Diet

The Atkins Diet is a popular diet that was developed by Dr. Atkins. The entire diet is based on the theory of this doctor is that the main problem for people who are overweight is that they eat too many carbohydrates and their body is extra sensitive to them. His idea is that the body and how it processes the carbs you take in each day is what makes you gain more weight. Basically Dr. Atkins feels that many people eat too many carbohydrates, which leads to insulin resistance. In order to remedy this problem, the diet is one that restricts the intake of carbs and focuses on eating a diet that is high in protein. You end up reducing the amount of carbs that you eat each day to make your body start burning off the fat on the body as its fuel.

People the Diet Works Best For

While this diet has been shown to be effective for many people, it seems to work the best for people who really do have an insulin resistance build up in their body. Also, people who are hypoglycemic can really benefit from this diet as well if they are trying to lose weight.

Pros and Cons

You will find that just like any other diet, there are definitely both pros and cons with the Atkins diet. Let’s take a look at a few of the pros and cons you’ll find if you try this diet.

- Pro #1 – It’s a Simple Diet – One of the main pros that so many people love is that it is a very simple diet to follow. Once you learn what foods you are supposed to be eating, those you should avoid, and learn to count carbs, it really is a diet that is easy to follow.

- Pro #2 – Finding Your Own Level of Carbs – Another great pro is that the diet does focus on finding the level of carbs that works best for you. Some people may be able to eat a bit more than others, but the focus is to figure out what works for you.

- Pro #3 – A Popular Diet – The Atkins Diet is a popular diet as well. This is a pro because it means that you can easily find information on the diet and support as you are trying to follow it as well.

- Con #1 – You Miss Out on Cancer Fighting Fruits and Vegetables – One of the main cons of this diet is that because of the big restriction on carbs, you actually miss out on some of the most important cancer fighting fruits and vegetables that you need. Add to this that you’re eating more red meat, which too much of can cause cancer, and you may create a dangerous situation.

- Con #2 – You Always Have to Count Carbs – Many people don’t like the fact that they are always having to keep track of the carbs they eat. This means that every single thing that goes in their mouth must be counted, which can get old after awhile.

- Con #3 – Miss Out on Necessary Nutrients – Probably one of big cons to this diet is the fact that you miss out on many necessary nutrients that your body needs, since you cannot eat many foods. While some minerals and vitamins can be taken in a supplement, some of the important phytonutrients that you need cannot be replaced by taking a supplement.

Foods You Can and Can’t Eat

There are several different phases of the Atkins diet and each phase affects the food that you can and cannot eat as well. When you are going through the first two weeks of the Atkins plan, you are only allowed to have 20 grams of carbs each day, and the carbs that you can eat include vegetables that are low in carbohydrates, such as tomatoes, lettuce, and broccoli. During this time you can’t even eat fruits, potatoes, breads, or yogurt, since they have too many carbs. You can’t take in caffeine or alcohol during this time either.

As you go into the second stage of this diet you are allowed to go up to 25 grams of carbs each day. After you get to the weight you want to be, then you can slowly introduce some good carbs into your diet once again, but you have to make sure that you don’t gain back the weight that you have lost. Some of the things that you can add to your diet include plenty of proteins, such as various meats, like red meat, bacon, and you can even add eggs.

The Opinion of the Medical Community

So, you may be wondering what the opinion of the medical community happens to be. Well, the medical community often criticizes Atkins dieting plan, feeling that there are many dangers to going on a diet that is so low on carbs and so high on protein. Since you cannot eat many fruits and vegetables, doctors fear that people don’t get the nutrients that their body really needs to be healthy. Also, all the fat that is taken in on this diet can be very dangerous. The American Heart Association definitely is concerned with the diet because of the high fat, and the American Dietetic Association is also concerned about it because of the lack of nutrition the diet offers.

Disclaimer: Always consult your doctor before starting any diet program.

Atkins Grapefruit Diet

The Atkins Grapefruit diet seeks to cash in on the popularity of the fad grapefruit diet and the less fad but still fad Atkins diet, although it has nothing to do with the Atkins estate or company. Don’t look now, but it may not be what people hope.

It’s a challenge to find clear cut information, such as a web site, for the Atkins grapefruit diet. Smart people know that when someone is perpetrating a deception, or a con, they will often gloss over facts. This possible con does it’s best to make people assume it has something to do with the official Atkins diet.

Is the Atkins Grapefruit Diet part of the Atkins Diet or endorsed by the estate of the late Dr. Atkins? Nope – the Atkins company doesn’t mention the diet on its web site, and the most critical phase of the famous diet called the Induction phase does not allow any fruit.

These are the foods allowed in the Atkins diet Induction phase – sorry Atkins grapefruit diet, no fruit here:

Seafood

Flying game such as turkey and chicken

Shellfish of any variety

Meat, such as beef and pork

Every type of cooked egg including poached, scrambled and even fried

Any variety of cheeses

Vegetables

Herbs and Spices

Butter, lard, any oils

Low carbohydrate beverages including diet soft drinks

Not a piece of fruit to be found. Later phases of the Atkins diet for fat loss do include limited amounts of fruits such as cantaloupe and even lemon juice, and the pre-maintenance and maintenance phases even specifically allow small quantities of grapefruit. But when compared to the amount of Grapefruit recommended on the Atkins Grapefruit Diet, again there is a disagreement.

There’s a lot of grapefruit in the Atkins grapefruit diet – up to 18 carbs. Even the most generous phases of the Atkins diet, when it comes to grapefruit, recommends limiting intake to below 8 carbs per day. That’s a direct contradiction of one diet to the other.

Most reasonable people would look directly at the Atkins site the moment they heard of the Atkins Grapefruit Diet. When they found no mention of that diet on the site, a red light would go off and an alarm would sound.

Truth about diets review: Don’t forget the following. Any diet that relies too heavily on one food, such as grapefruit on a grapefruit diet, is unhealthy in any but extremely short periods. The Atkins diet frowns on eating the way the Atkins Grapefruit Diet recommends.