The Atkins Diet

 

The Atkins diet is a low carb diet, usually recommended for weight loss.  It was originally promoted by Dr. Robert C. Atkins, who wrote a best-selling book about it in 1972.

Proponents of this diet claim that you can lose weight while eating as much protein and fat as you want if you avoid foods high in carbs.

One reason low carb diets can result in weight loss is that a reduction in carbs and increased protein intake may lead to reduced appetite, helping you eat fewer calories without having to think about it.

The Atkins diet is split into 4 different phases:

• Phase 1 (induction): Eat high-fat, high-protein, with low carb vegetables like leafy greens.
• Phase 2 (balancing): Slowly add more nuts, low-carb vegetables, and small amounts of fruit back to your diet.
• Phase 3 (fine-tuning): When close to your goal weight, add more carbs to your diet until weight loss slows down.
• Phase 4 (maintenance): Here you can eat as many healthy carbs as your body can tolerate without regaining weight.

When compared with other diets, some studies suggest the Atkins and other low carb diets may lead to more weight loss and greater improvements in blood sugar, HDL (good) cholesterol, triglycerides, and other health markers than low fat diets.

But the diet was initially considered unhealthy, mostly due to its high saturated fat content. Today, saturated fat’s effect on health and heart disease is a topic of debate among researchers:

Many studies show that eating saturated fat can raise LDL (bad) cholesterol, which is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. For example, a recent review that the American Heart Association conducted on saturated fat’s impact on heart disease concluded that replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat can help lower cardiovascular disease by about 30 percent.

However, other reviews of the literature show no association between lowering saturated fat intake and reduced risk of developing or dying from cardiovascular disease.

Furthermore, some experts believe that not all saturated fats have the same effects on heart disease risk. Others contend that overall diet is more important than singling out individual nutrients.

Even so, some people prefer to stay in the induction phase of the Atkins Diet. This is also known as a very low carb ketogenic diet (keto).