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Normally, the body burns glucose and uses fat as a long-term energy reserve. When carbohydrates are eliminated from the diet, there is nothing to convert to glucose, the body quickly runs out of blood sugar, and begins to starve. In desperation, the body breaks fat down into ketones and uses these as fuel instead. During this process, the body loses large amounts of water, and the appetite is suppressed. Thus the Aktins diet ends up being a low-calorie diet. However, due to the uncontrolled nature of the diet, the dieter is likely to burn protein (i.e. muscle mass) as well as fat.
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That is why we eat alot of protein...As long as we have enough dietary protein, our bodies don't cannabalize muscle tissue. But, low-calorie dieters quite often lose alot of muscle tissue. They don't eat enough protein and thus they lose muscle mass.
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First, he states that ketosis is a highly desirable condition, that ketones are actually better fuel for the body and brain than glucose, and second he argues that ketosis occurs for less than two weeks in the diet, thus not long enough to cause major problems. Both of these claims are incorrect. Not much research has been done into ketosis, but it is known that the process creates problems for the kidneys.
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No it doesn't...The kidney problems are the result of not using your kidneys for years (usually from LF dieting) and then having to use them again. It is not Atkins fault that people damaged their kidney by not consuming enough fat and protein.
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But, he elsewhere maintains that a person on his diet who starts to gain weight should induce ketosis once again, thus someone using the Atkins diet could be bouncing in and out of ketosis fairly often.
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Not if they are doing it right. In fact, Dr. Atkins discourages such use of his diet. It is not an on and off diet...The only reason a person would need to go back to Ketosis would be that they went off Atkins. That is the exact opposite of what his book suggests.
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In addition, the National Academy of Science's Institute of Health has determined that the human brain needs the energy produced by 130 grams of carbohydrate per day.
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The energy produced by 130 grams of carbohydrate"...Not 130 of carbohydrates. We get all the energy we need from fat and protein. There is no need to feed our brains with carbohydrates. I am doing just as well in school as I was before Atkins. So, obviously it hasn't affected my brain. In fact, my classes have gotten harder. For all I know, my brain function may have improved.
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To maintain the appropriate weight using the Aktins method, the dieter must keep the amount of carbohydrates in the diet restricted for a lifetime. Depending on the amount of restriction, this may mean that the person must greatly reduce the consumption of grains, beans, fruit, and vegetables which contain nutrients, antioxidants, phytochemicals, and fiber which are essential for maintaining good health.
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Restriction is the basis of all diets. Atkins restricts carbs...Others restrict fat. LF/Low-Cal diets which are considered normal are in fact the most restrictive as they restrict both fat and calories...leaving the dieter constantly deprived and starving.
As for nutrients...I get 100% of the vast majority of my vitamins and minerals from the food I eat. Even the few I don't get 100% of all the time, are usually in the 80-90% range. Vegetables ??? I don't think anyone could go over their CCLM by eating too many green veggies. Fruit ??? Depending on your CCLM...there is alot of room for LC fruits such as Cantaloupe and Berries. A whole cantaloupe has only 40 something carbs if I remember correctly.
As for fiber...we can have all of that we want. Green vegetables and nuts are high in it. Fiber is deducted from our net carbs. So, if you are getting all your carbs from veggies and nuts...you should be getting plenty of fiber. As for beans...we can have green beans which are also high in fiber. I believe soybeans are allowed.
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Finally, Dr. Atkins recommends exercise, and he plays a little tennis as a result. However, the extremely low carbohydrate diet results in a body depleted of glucose, and thus a cyclist on the Atkins diet will be in a perpetual state of bonk. This makes a lifestyle with a healthy amount of exercise impossible.
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Not true at all. The more exericse you get the higher your CCLM. If you are athletic type and are at Maintnance...you shouldn't have any problems. Even if your CCLM was lower...fat and protein can provide the needed energy.
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Atkins thinks saturated fat is harmless and advocates a diet high in saturated fat based on meat; Willet considers saturated fat dangerous and advocates nuts, fish, and vegetable oil as safe sources. Both have problem with carbohydrates, but Aktins wants them largely removed from the diet, and Willett wants the amount reduced, with only refined carbohydrates eliminated. Atkins does not want fruit included in the diet, while Willett considers it important.
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Complete and udder BULLSHIT. Atkins never advocated eating a diet entirely of meat. You could do the Atkins diet with Nuts, Fish, and Vegetable oils. In fact, he suggests using healthy oils such as Canola. Nuts are one of the first things added back. The fruit claim is patently false. Fruit (along with nuts) is added back very early on. In fact, he suggests using berries for your 5g increments during OWL. Atkins never said to remove all or most carbs from your diet. If you have a high CCLM...the only thing banned for life is refined sugar, white bread, and trans-fat...the same thing Willet prohibits for life. The Willet diet (by its description) is nothing more than the Atkins diet. The only difference is that Willet tells you exactly what to eat while Atkins tells you to eat foods with or without certain ingredients.
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He points out that saturated fat from diary products and red meat raises cholesterol levels, as shown by studies with volunteers eating proscribed diets in the 60's. Polyunsaturated fats (from vegetable oils and fish) lower cholesterol levels. Thus, since the 60's, Americans have been taught to replace animal fats with vegetable fats which has helped halve the coronary heart disease rate.
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All these studies involved alot of carbs as well as alot of fat. They also involved alot of Dairy, which is low in Monounsaturated fat...Whereas, beef has more Monounsaturated Fat than Saturated Fat. Monounsaturated Fat has been proven to lower Cholesterol. It is very high in the oils Atkins suggests. Beef, Eggs, and even Lard have more Monounsaturated Fat than they do Saturated Fat.
I do not believe his claim that coronary heart disease has been cut in half...Everytime you watch TV they are claiming it is the highest in years. If in fact it had been cut in half...the USDA/AHA would be bragging all over the place about how their diet decreased heart disease.
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The high coronary heart disease rate found in the US is not found in places where either the amount of fat consumed is small or where the fat is mono- or polyunsaturated. In traditional Japanese diets, fat is only 8 to 10% of the diet, and only about 500 men out of 10,000 develop heart disease. In Crete, the traditional diet contains much olive oil and fish, thus fat constitutes 40% of the diet, but it is mono- and polyunsaturated fat, thus the heart disease rate is only 200 men out of 10,000. In Eastern Finland, on the other hand, saturated fats make up 38% of the diet, and the heart disease rate is 3,000 out of 10,000.
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My intake looks more like that of Crete...40 something percent fat with alot of monounsaturated fat...and I am doing Atkins. How can that be...I am eating a diet with close to the same levels of fat as Cretians who are super healthy. But, that can't be as I'm on Atkins...According to this guy I should be grabbing my chest and having a heart atatck right now...because after all Atkins causes heart disease.
more to come...