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The Atkins obsession
It sounds ideal: a diet that calls for unlimited amounts of steak, cheese and cream, yet allows you to lose weight at the same time. But high-protein low-carbohydrate eating plans like the Atkins diet, although promoted by svelte Hollywood celebs and non-celebs alike, can be harder to maintain than you think.
What is it?
The premise of the Atkins diet is that by cutting down on foods high in refined carbohydrates, such as sugar, bread, pasta, cereals and other low-fat ‘processed’ foods, you reduce the amount of insulin produced in your body. When there are high levels of insulin in the body, any food you eat is quickly converted and stored as fat, so if you reduce these levels you will lose weight. Those who follow this diet do, in fact, usually see results in the first few weeks.
Dr Atkins suggests that most of us eat too many carbs. He argues that eating high-carb, low-protein and low-fat meals (advocated by government organisations and professional bodies such as the American Dietetic Association, the American Medical Association, the American Heart Association and the British Dietetic Association), makes us hungrier and less satisfied than if we ate low-carbohydrate, high-protein and high-fat foods.
Dr Atkins’ philosophy is that if you follow his diet and eliminate highly refined carbs, you will:
- Burn fat first, instead of carbs, and lose weight quickly.
- Stave off hunger between meals because high-protein diets are more satiating than high-carb ones. As protein is digested slowly in the system, high-protein diets also stabilise blood sugar levels, which can prevent common conditions such as fatigue, depression, headaches, joint and muscular pains.
- Improve your health; because as you burn fat you will eliminate toxins stored in fat cells.
The science bit
The science behind how the Atkins diet helps you to lose weight is simple. When you eat very few carbohydrates (which are your usual main source of energy), the body goes into what is called a ‘ketogenic state’ where it must rely on stored fat for energy. As a result, you burn fat quickly and begin to lose weight. This process also makes the body produce compounds called ketones, which initially give dieters a ‘buzz’ or euphoric feeling. Most dieters don’t feel deprived on low-carb diets for the first several days because they are eating meals high in fat.
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