Hi Wana,

Your heart and kidneys (and liver and lights) will be just fine on the low carb plan.

Dr Atkins has challenged anyone with evidence of kidney disease caused by low carbing to produce the evidence. Nobody has ever come forward. Because low carbing does not cause heart or kidney disease! Dateline was wrong!

People assume that a diet higher in protein than is eaten by much of the population will cause kidney damage. Wrong! It does make the kidneys work harder, but that is what they are designed to do. The only caveat to that, is not to start low carbing if you have pre existing kidney disease. Dr Atkins stresses that in his book.

As for heart disease, studies showing that saturated fat can increase cholesterol, always include starchy carbs. If you leave out the starches and sugars, saturated fats can actually lower cholesterol.
Dr Atkins himself (who has been eating low carb for over 30 years) recently had a heart problem. He had a cardiac arrest - caused by an infection (caught while travelling overseas) in his heart muscle. While his condition was being investigated, his coronary arteries were found to be completely clear!

I'm sorry to hear about your back problems - I hope you will be feeling better soon.

If you need encouragement, go to Success Stories on the orange bar at the top of the screen.

Meanwhile, how about getting out your book and having another read. Restarting Induction sounds like the best plan.

You can do this Wana! You started well, I know you can jump back into it!

Rosebud