The Atkins Diet - A Focus on a Low-Carbohydrate Diet

The Atkins diet focuses on the premise that people who are overweight consume too many carbohydrates. Because the body utilizes both fat and carbohydrates for energy yet taps into the carbohydrates first, the theory is to reduce the carbohydrates taken in which then forces the body to burn stored fat.

Therefore and fats instead of the carbs. On the Atkins Diet, a person not only loses weight, he or she is seldom hungry either. The result is that many dieters find the Atkins a more comfortable way to lose weight.

In addition, the Atkins diet promotes better health overall through disease prevention.

Available Foods

The Atkins diet sets little in the way of expectations around the amount of food to be consumed. Instead, the focus is on the kinds of food allowed. Making the diet a very popular one with the public is the fact that dieters may not only eat rich foods such as meat, eggs, and cheese, they may also cook with butter and olive oil.

The foods to avoid are refined sugar, milk, white rice and white flour. Even the staples of other diets, foods such as fruits and leafy vegetables, are off limits to Atkins followers.

During the first two weeks of the diet there are no exceptions to these rules. You don't count calories - instead you kick your metabolism into the necessary gear to draw on the stored fats in your system.

Later on, the carb allowance is increased. The Dieter may begin eating fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain foods after the two-week period. However, items such as refined sugar, milk, white rice, white bread, white potatoes or pasta made with white flour are forever forbidden on the Atkins plan.

The Atkins Diet is Controversial

The Atkins diet works when it comes to producing weight loss. However, some experts are concerned about the long-term effects of the diet.

Indications are that the diet could promote heart disease as a by-product, leading to potential strokes and possibly cancer in later life. In addition, concerns have emerged that the diet could promote a loss of bone as well as cause difficulties in those dieters already with liver or kidney problems.

Perhaps the most important concern is that the brain needs glucose to function efficiently. Fruits and berries were the staple of early man and not proteins. Therefore, many experts are concerned about the long term effects of the Atkins diet on brain function as well.