The Atkins Diet - Separating Fact From Fiction
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.thebestexercises.com or visit http://www.fitstep.com. You can contact him at betteru@fitstep.com or subscribe to BetterU News, his fitness newsletter at betterunews@fitstep.com.
MORE RESOURCES:
Arizona Power Yoga offers Yoga with a kickKOLD-TV, AZ - 5 hours agoIf you're tight and lack overall flexibility, the last thing you should attempt is yoga, right? Wrong. At least, according the owner of the new Arizona ... |
Martha's Vineyard Magazine |
Finding your yogaMartha's Vineyard Magazine, MA - 7 hours agoJust like Goldilocks trying to find the right porridge and bed, this writer had to sample different styles of yoga before settling into a groove that worked ... |
The Australian |
Healthy habitatsThe Australian, Australia - 6 hours agoOrder personal meditation and yoga instructors; yoga mats and well-being DVDs are provided. Guests are encouraged to co-design bespoke detox meals with the ... |
Yoga tree poseIndianapolis Star, United States - Aug 25, 2008This traditional "tree" yoga pose has many benefits for regular yoga practitioners, as well as those who want to strengthen their core muscles and improve ... |
Health Calendar: Free yoga classes, and moreDallas Morning News, TX - Aug 26, 2008Yoga teachers from around the area will hold free classes Monday as part of the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex Free Day of Yoga. Labor Day classes will be from ... |
Yoga - Google News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Lose Weight and Feel Great
Many people search for a pill, a special diet or some other quick fix to lose weight. The key to weight loss and good health is changing bad habits and developing a healthy lifestyle.
Obesity And Fast Foods - The Lethal Link
Obesity and fast foods - there's little doubt about the link. Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United states.
Fighting Obesity - My Pyramid Dietary Guidelines
If you are fighting the battle of the bulge (overweight and obesity) unsuccessfully, here is good help at hand. You no longer have to depend on unsubstantiated claims and vested commercial weight loss sites for your fight against obesity.
Weight Loss Tip - The Importance of Lowering Your Body-Fat!
When you hear a doctor or a personal trainer say, "Your body fat is too high, or you are borderline obese, what do you think? Does it matter to you? Does it motivate you to lose weight? Or are the numbers on the scale more important?Most people will always have a love - hate relationship with the scale in their bathroom. However, with the dramatic increase in diabetes and obesity cases in America the importance of keeping your overall body fat down becomes the most important issue to ones health.
Obesity and Morbid Obesity - Is Gastric Bypass Surgery Right For You
The very first thing you want to do before you even consider the surgery is really contemplate if surgery is the only way to lose weight. If you have exhausted every diet or new lifestyle of eating, the last resort should be Gastric Bypass Surgery or another name is Bariatric Surgery.
Maintaining Your Weight Loss Momentum Away On Vacation
Going away for your holidays will also bring with it a good supply of temptation on the food front, unless you are on a survival course, climbing a mountain or camping in the wilderness on limited rations. The chances are you will be at a hotel, and if you have chosen a good hotel, it is likely there will be good food, often as much as you want.
Understanding the Glycemic Index
Things get so confusing when it comes to understanding what foods are high on the glycemic index scale and what effects your blood sugar production.I have focused a lot of my diet around eating lower glycemic index foods, but more importantly understanding that even when you eat high glycemic foods you can help reduce the blood sugar impact, by eating a combination of both high and low glycemic index foods together, that overall helps slow down the insulin production in your body.
Diet Preparaton -- The Impact of Sleep and Stress
When you have started a diet in the past, how much sincere and attentive focus did you give to preparing for your diet? Isn't it true that usually you are getting the food together a particular diet requires, buying yet another tread mill (or hauling out the old one covered in dust from the last diet), getting another gym membership, planning that last big blowout gluttonous meal you're going to eat because you are going to have to starve for the next eight weeks. The above really isn't an exaggeration.
Weight Loss Issues - Can You Be Cellulite Free?
One thing I really must say at the outset of this article is, that if you were to ask the majority of men to define cellulite they would most probably be completely baffled.Then after you explained it to them in detail and told them that you suffered from it, more likely than not the reaction would be to look at you as if you were slightly mad, shrug their shoulders and say that they had actually never noticed it.
Ephedra - 101
What is ephedra? Ephedra, which is also known as Ma Huang, is a 5000 years old natural remedy. It grows mainly in Mongolia and the bordering regions of China.
Throw Out the Scale
Do you know someone that is obsessed with the scale? Someone who hops on the scale morning, noon and night? And stepping off each time with feelings of frustration or disappointment? With obesity on the rise and weight loss a common household topic, its easy to become obsessed with weight, diets and the scale. This multi-billion dollar industry brings about constant marketing and advertisement on the next solution or quick fix that hits sixty five percent of American's weight issues.
What is Real Hunger?
In order to identify hunger, you must first understand what it is. This is not as easy as it seems.
Living with Your Diet
Recently, I was reading about a diet plan where you throw everything out of your pantry. Although this sounds like great news for the supermarkets, over the short-term, this leaves very few choices for you to actually eat.
Diet and Exercise Evolution: Adaptation (part I) -- Theory
Adaptation is the most important concept I teach. The human body adapts to the pressures it is put under with the goal of prolonging life.
The Right Way to Eat for Better Health and Weight Loss
Did you know that how and when you eat is important for good health?For most of your life, you probably have eaten breakfast, lunch and dinner. Now depending on your eating habits, this may be okay.
Diet and Weightloss -- Start Your New Year Off Right!
FINDING THE PERFECT DIETArriving at the Perfect Diet is no quick, simple task in today's world of fast-paced living. For example, there are several different educational food pyramid plans.
Mind, Body Weight Loss for life equals behavior change - The Acceptance Factor
Getting to the ROOT of the matter: If the plants in your garden are not healthy looking, just trimming them back will not take care of the problem. What do the roots look like? I am no psychologist, but there is a very interesting twist you need to understand before you begin any weight loss or fitness program.
The Cost of Gastric Bypass Surgery
The cost of gastric bypass surgery and other bariatric surgical procedures are high averaging between $20,000 and $35,000. Many insurance companies are beginning to see obesity as a serious health disorder, however, and have begun to cover some of the cost of gastric bypass surgery.
Weight Loss Programs and Pills: Is Your Weight Loss Program Safe and Effective?
In this age being ignorant is like committing a crime. With so much of knowledge around you, following a trend blindly doesn't confirm the fact that you are intelligent.
Finding the RIGHT Diet Pill
Hundreds of products on the market today claim to be the best weight loss product available. How can you know which one is right for you, or which ones even work?Of course, the best possible way to lose weight and get in shape is to eat right and exercise.
|
