Written by the now deceased Dr Robert C Atkins, the “Atkins Diet” is a protein-rich, low carbohydrate diet. Which has be followed by millions and at one point was the biggest diet on the planet.

Some might say is that the diet was the first non fad diet as it had the benefit of science and medicine but it now seems it may have still been predominatley a fad diet and it’s nutritional back bone is now seen to be fundemently floored.

According to the popular way of following this plan, you are permitted to eat as much fat as you like so long as you consume little carbs.

The sorcery behind the short term success of the Atkins Diet, and the low-carbohydrate diet generally, lies in its effect on the body : the body’s preferred power source is glucose.

When carbs are seriously limited, the body runs short on its recurring supply of glucose, the breakdown product of carbohydrate.

The body predicts these eventualities by storing glucose ( glycogen ) in the muscles and liver. For each gram of glycogen the body stores, it must store with it 3 grams of water.

If carbohydrates are noticeably limited as they’re in the Atkins Diet, the body will break down these glycogen stores to get glucose for energy. When the glycogen is broken down stored water is released and excreted.

The more assertive the carb limitation, the more dramatic this effect. The Atkins Diet is one of the more assertive lo-carbohydrate diet plans.

There are quite literally thousands of low carbohydrate and Atkins Diet products on the market. It is truly incredible how promoters of the locarb and Atkins Diet have managed to mislead many millions of people across the globe into a diet opposed by almost all of the worlds leading health institutions.

The Atkins Diet and other low carb diets have shown unacceptable results in the long term. Which is the fundemental flaw in the Atkins program and why so many health experts had issue with it.

Whilst it is true carb restriction will work short term it is neither healthy or sustainable for any length of time.

To be fair some time after the initial book an Atkins Maintence Diet was launched but it was to little and to late.

Considering the health dangers related to the lo carb program, the Atkins Diet appears like a poor choice among the enormous assortment of options. But with the marketing muscle that accompanied it a nation of Atkins dieters was made.

Such was it’s popularity and indeed inspite of the widely publicised dangers still today it remains probably the most popular fad diet program.

The lo carb diet craze swept through America at the start of the 21st Century and even today you’ll find restaurants from the lowest back street grill to some of the most respected restaurants in the country offering lo carb options fueling the diet fest.

The main issues with lo carb diets as a long term diet solution are the fact that they are not sustainable and lack sufficient nutritional balance to be adaptable in to regular life style.

The other major issue is the Atkin’s diet and many like it fail to adequately address the issue of exercise and how it plays an essential part in weight loss success.

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Filed under: Lo Carb Diets

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