Have you ever wished for a diet where you ate bacon, eggs, red meat, butter and sausage all day? Surprise! It's not the Atkins Diet.
The Atkins Diet has been in existence for over 30 years and has enjoyed a surge in popularity over the last few years.
Pioneered by Dr. Robert Atkins, the theory behind the Atkins Diet is simple. Your body prefers to utilize carbohydrates (such as in grains, cereals, breads, etc.) for energy and will burn them first prior to body fat. By cutting down dramatically on carbohydrates in your diet, you force your body to burn fat for energy.
Reducing the carbohydrates in your diet puts your body into a state called "ketosis." This word is derived from the "ketones" that are used by your body for energy when sugars/carbs aren't available. When you are in this state of ketosis, your body is producing ketones from your fat that is being burned for energy. Ketones are essentially the leftovers from this process and are used in place of sugar in the body.
For more information on ketosis, go to
http://www.ketosis-ketoacidosis-difference.com/
One of the major misconceptions about the Atkins Diet that has been widely reported is that you can or should eat extremely unhealthy, fatty foods all the time. This is not actually true. Dr. Atkins recommends that you limit your intake of these types of foods (e.g. butter, sausage, bacon, etc.) and instead focus on healthy fats such as olive oil, fish oil, nuts, etc.
The Atkins Diet has many positives and negatives that have been associated with it. Some of the positives include:
Rapid Weight Loss - though the first couple of days the majority of weight lost is water, your body does become more efficient at fat burning and you do lose fat.
Reduced Mood or Energy Swings - eating carbohydrates (especially sugary ones) can lead to mood and energy swings. This is often seen as the post-lunchtime or afternoon energy crash. When you eliminate the carbs, you eliminate the source of this problem.
Reduced Consumption of Refined Foods - highly refined foods are the source of many health problems. The more processed a food is, the less nutrients are generally in it. The Atkins Diet encourages a focus on the consumption of more natural state foods such as vegetables, lean meats, fish, eggs and healthy oils.
Some of the negatives that have been associated with the Atkins Diet include:
Rapid Regaining of Lost Weight - this can happen when a person comes off the Atkins Diet. They regain all the weight they lost. One of the major reasons for this is that when you eliminate the carbs from your diet for a long period of time, your body becomes more sensitive to them. When you go back to your regular eating habits (which may not have been great to begin with), your body reacts more strongly to the sugar and carbs in foods, leading to weight gain. This weight gain can be reduced by easing off the Atkins Diet gradually rather than by feasting on carbohydrates.
Lack of Food Choices - it can be difficult to find things to eat that are low carb. Most grocery stores are primarily stocked with carbohydrate-laden foods and it can get boring eating the same things over and over again. Luckily, with the popularity of the Atkins diet and other low carb diets, there are many delicious recipes available to help alleviate this boredom.
The Atkins Diet may not be for you but by incorporating some of the principles in it, such as lowering your carbohydrate intake and eating more natural-state foods, you may find that you can achieve great results without ever having to restrict yourself. It may take a little longer but the results will be more permanent as it is more of a lifestyle change than a diet.
About The Author
Nick Nilsson is Vice President of BetterU, Inc., an online exercise, fitness, and personal training company. Check out his latest eBook "The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of" at http://www.ketosis-ketoacidosis-difference.com/ or visit http://www.ketosis-ketoacidosis-difference.com/. You can contact him at http://www.ketosis-ketoacidosis-difference.com/ or subscribe to BetterU News, his fitness newsletter at http://www.ketosis-ketoacidosis-difference.com/.
cheap limo service Lombard .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare"Polyols" or sugar alcohols are a number of different carbohydrates... Read More
In our quest to get that "perfect" body, we actually... Read More
The most common and popular diet fad over the past... Read More
Are you sick of the hype? Wondering what diet products... Read More
For the past several years one subject has been coming... Read More
A calorie is the unit used to measure the energy... Read More
You have noticed your obese friend suddenly slimmer. You want... Read More
Have you ever dreaded the idea of pulling weeds, planting... Read More
Many gastric bypass patients report melon to be one of... Read More
There's a dirty little secret in the diet industry. The... Read More
I really like Dr. Phil, so I wanted to like... Read More
Addicted to Restaurants Are you addicted to restaurants? So are... Read More
When it all comes down to losing or gaining weight,... Read More
Are you just exploding with the presence of light all... Read More
It's definitely no fun to lose weight -- put it... Read More
Just one more day I can do this, I told... Read More
Although all of the risks involved in gastric bypass surgery... Read More
Sometimes, just the thought of starting on a diet and... Read More
Although it is obviously not possible to turn the clock... Read More
To say that Americans are obsessed with dieting is an... Read More
While low-fat dieters and non-dieters may want to avoid chicken... Read More
Food intolerance is a pharmacological reaction to the consumption of... Read More
You see it all the time; people agonizing over their... Read More
Saboteurs are people and thoughts that are going to sabotage... Read More
When was the last time you focused so much on... Read More
limo O'Hare Glen Ellyn ..It's been called the world's oldest medicine, the miracle fat... Read More
To say that dieting rarely leads to sustainable weight loss... Read More
As a part of a children's diet and health study,... Read More
In life, various factors contribute to weight gain. Be it... Read More
In this age being ignorant is like committing a crime.... Read More
To achieve your goals you need a diet that takes... Read More
The confusion about eating healthy and dieting will now be... Read More
If you are overweight and suffer from pain in your... Read More
In our society of fast food and long hours spent... Read More
I know a lot of people out there would like... Read More
If you're taking a fiber supplement or eating a high... Read More
A healthy pregnancy almost always involves weight gain. But now... Read More
Ready for a hardcore diet to get lean in a... Read More
Cellulite - Reduce The Appearance --------------------------------- Sallie Elizabeth has always... Read More
"Polyols" or sugar alcohols are a number of different carbohydrates... Read More
I personally lost 60 pounds in 2003. Here are some... Read More
Flip through a magazine, scan a newspaper, or channel surf... Read More
The revolution is here. Weight Loss as we know it... Read More
A metabolism drug like ephedrine, has shown many people how... Read More
It's common to respond to stress by distracting yourself with... Read More
Lose a pound of fat? what does it take? Not... Read More
Low carb (carbohydrate), high protein diets are the latest ... Read More
Getting involved in Weight Loss Program can be intimidating for... Read More
I want to talk about the "all or nothing" outlook... Read More
Your success in sticking with an exercise and weight loss... Read More
Weight Loss |