The Atkins diet is not a new
phenomenon. The diet first appeared in the late 1970s and has grown popularity
in recent years in response to the low-fat diet craze. As dieters had trouble
with low-fat plans, they searched for a new solution and Dr. Atkins’ New Diet
Revolution book found a new audience.
The Atkins diet is based on a
theory of why we get fat. According to Dr. Atkins, the over-consumption of
carbohydrates and simple sugars leads to weight gain. The way your body
processes the carbohydrates you eat have more to do with your waistline than
the amount of fat or calories that you consume. In his book, Atkins outlines a
phenomenon called “insulin resistance.” He theorizes that many overweight
people have cells that do not work correctly.
When you eat excess carbohydrates
and sugar, your body notices that sugar levels are elevated. Insulin is
released from the pancreas in order to store sugar as glycogen in the liver and
muscle cells for extra energy later on. However, your body can only store so much
glycogen at once. As soon as your body reaches its limit for glycogen storage,
the excess carbohydrates are stored as fat. This happens to everyone who eats
too many carbohydrates.
However, insulin resistant
individuals have an even harder time of using and storing excess carbohydrates.
The more insulin that your body is exposed to, the more resistant it becomes.
Overtime, the pancreas releases more insulin and cells become insulin resistant.
The cells are trying to protect themselves from the toxic effects of high
insulin. They create less glycogen and more fat.
As a result, insulin resistant
individuals gain extra weight. The carbohydrates get converted into fat instead
of energy. Other side effects include fatigue, brain “fog” (the inability to
focus, poor memory, loss of creativity), low blood sugar (which can leads to
hypoglycemia), intestinal bloating, sleepiness, depression and increased blood
sugar. There is much more than weight at stake when you are insulin resistant.
The remedy for people who are
insulin resistant is a diet restricted in carbohydrates. The crux of the Atkins
diet is a limitation of carbohydrates in all of its forms. The foods restricted
on the Atkins plan include simple sugars (like cookies, sodas and sweets) and
complex carbohydrates (like bread, rice and grains). Even carbohydrates that
are considered healthy, such as oatmeal, brown rice and whole wheat bread, are
restricted on the program.
The diet has you restrict your
carbohydrate intake to less than 40 grams a day. This will put your body in a
state of ketosis. While in ketosis, your body will burn fat as fuel. According
to Dr. Atkins’ research, the ketosis state will also affect insulin production
and it will prevent more fat from being formed. Your body will begin using your
stored fat as an efficient form of fuel, and you’ll lose weight.
Another benefit of the Atkins plan
is that ketosis will end your cravings for carbohydrates. If you’ve been living
on a carb-heavy diet, you may have found that you simply cannot get enough
carbohydrates. With carbohydrate restriction and ketosis comes a reduction in
carbohydrate cravings. People who have been on the Atkins diet for some time
report that they do not crave carbohydrates as they once did.
Although the initial phases of the
Atkins diet are rather strict, the program teaches you to restore balance to
your diet in the long run. People who use the diet slowly reintroduce minimal
amounts of carbohydrate into their eating until they find a comfortable balance
between their health and carbohydrate use.
The basic principles of the Atkins
diet have been adapted to many other low-carb diet plans. However, Atkins
popularity still remains strong as one of the most effective low-carbohydrate
solutions for those who are insulin resistant.
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