Rudiments Of A Low Carb Atkins Type Diet

The Atkins diet is not a recent development. Since the first time it came along in the 1970’s till now, a phenomenal growth in its popularity has occurred basically die to the recent furor over low fat diets. As more and more people found it difficult to actualize their dreams with regards to losing weight, the solution preferred by Dr Atkins’ new Diet Revolution book found more acceptance.

At the moment, we have lots of people who have sworn their allegiance to the Atkins Miracle, and have been all sorts of ballyhoo. But what really are the fundamental principles of the Atkins diet?

The Atkins diet explains why we become fat. Dr Atkins has it that when we consume carbohydrates in excessive proportions, it brings about weight increases. What is most important is the way our body treats the carbohydrates we take in, and not really the amounts of the fats or calories. Dr Atkins explains in his book how some people develop ‘insulin resistance’, and how that in obese individuals, some cells do not function properly.

Insulin resistant individuals do not effectively metabolize excess carbohydrate. What happens here is that when the body cells are exposed to excessive amounts of insulin, they become somewhat resistance. If this exposure to excessive insulin is prolonged, the cells become even more resistant. This is because the cells attempt to protect themselves from the lethal effects of such high insulin concentrations.

When this happens, excess carbohydrates are stored as fat instead of glycogen which can be easily converted into energy. As a result, this insulin resistant individuals start to add extra weight. Other adverse effects which may experienced include fatigue, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), brain ‘fog’ (loss of creativity, poor memory etc.), sleepiness, intestinal bloating, depression and increased blood sugar. Several complications usually follow an insulin resistant condition.

The approach to treating people with ‘insulin-resistant’ as to place them to a diet limited in carbohydrates. The core of the Atkins diet is a drastic reduction in the amount of all kinds of carbohydrate consumed.

In the Atkins plan, simple sugars (like cookies, sweets and sodas) and complete carbohydrates (like rice, grains and bread) are restricted. Oatmeal, whole wheat bread, brown rice and some other carbohydrates that we considered compatible with healthy living are also limited to the barest minimum.

The diet curbs daily carbohydrate intake to less than 40grams, which causes the body to go into a state of ketosis. In the ketosis state, the body burns the stored fat for fuel, and in line with Dr Atkins research, the ketosis state affects impacts insulin production and stops fat from being formed. Once the body starts to utilize the fat by burning it as fuel, you will start to lose weight.

An additional benefit derived from Atkins plan is that your strong desire for carbohydrate-based foods will be reduced. The carbohydrate restriction and ketosis state induced by the Atkins diet brings this about, and there are several testimonials from people who have been on the Atkins diet to confirm this!

At the initial stages of adopting the Atkins diet, you will find it rather hard to keep to the schedule, but after some time you learn to strike a balance in your diet. If adhered to religiously, you will be able to incorporate appropriate amounts of carbohydrate into your diet little by little, and after sometime, get the right mix.

The core principles of the Atkins diet have been incorporated into a lot of other low-carb diet programs. However, when seeking for the very best of low- carbohydrate solutions for insulin- resistant individuals, the Atkins popularity remains strong.