Atkins Diet
Type
of Diet:
Low carbohydrate,
high fat
Foods You Eat on this Diet
Red meat, chicken and turkey, seafood, eggs, high fat dairy foods
like cheese, butter, and cream, oil, nuts, some vegetables that do not
contain a lot of starch, artificial sweeteners.
General
Facts: There are three phases of this diet: induction, weight loss,
and maintenance
Can you keep it off on this type of diet? No long term studies have
been provided to date. High fat diets are not associated with health
weight maintenance.
Positives:
Some people
may enjoy the fatty foods and meat on this diet and the rapid weight
loss at first.
Drawbacks:
This is a high fat diet, high in animal foods, and limited in carbohydrate,
so it teaches people to choose calorie dense foods that are likely to
lead to weight gain and heart disease once the diet is over.
Safety and Health Issues
This diet limits many healthy vegetables and nutrient rich carbohydrates.
Eating a diet high in saturated fat raises blood cholesterol levels
and increases risk of heart disease.
Cost 
|
Safety and Health Issues (Con't)
-
Associated
with heart disease. High in
saturated fat, the number one nutrient
associated with this disease
-
Low
in fruits, whole grains, and other sources
of carbohydrate
-
Low
in phytochemicals - cancer fighting
substances founds in fruits and vegetables
-
Lack
of fiber may cause constipation
-
Rapid loss of water weight at first may provide
a false sense of diet success
Diet
Surf's Recommendation: Not
Recommended
Dietitians comments about the Atkins Diet
Many people may enjoy eating the fatty foods allowed on this
diet but may find it monotonous and restrictive over time. Any
diet that restricts calories will cause weight loss, a reduction in
blood pressure, reduced blood sugar (if it was abnormally high), and
reduced blood cholesterol and triglycerides in the typical overweight
person. There is no magic in restricting carbohydrates. Eventually,
carbohydrates need to be added to this diet. Adding back carbohydrates
on top of foods high in saturated fat brings people back to square
one, the typical American diet, associated with obesity, heart disease,
cancer, and high blood pressure.
If this diet was a true cure for obesity and heart disease, it would
have worked the first time it was introduced over 30 years ago.
|
