Why not Atkins diet?

Article written by Helga Marín Jan 2011

Hi

I have been struggling with losing weight for a long time. I exercise 5-6 times a week and have been on a kcal restricted diet for a very long time. Recently my trainer suggested the famous Atkin’s diet as it has been proven successful for weight loss. I have heard many contradicting opinions about the Atkin’s diet, and therefore would like your opinion on it before I try it.

Best regards Alia

Dear Alia

I understand your confusion about the Atkin’s diet. It is probably one of the most famous quick fixes on the market. To start with, the Atkin’s diet is completely stripped of nutrients as almost no vegetables or fruits are allowed on the diet. It is also high in saturated, and trans fats, and extremely acid-forming. It has been known for many years that not only can Atkin’s lead to kidney failure and kidney stones, but it has also be connected to heart and cardiovascular diseases, liver diseases and osteoporosis. Even though these conditions should be enough reason not to go on this diet, there are other reasons that should discourage you.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), over 3,000 substances are currently added to foods. While some of these are common household items like salt, baking soda, sugar; others are highly toxic chemicals to the body.  Along with food additives you can also find hormones and antibiotics in animals’ products that are the largest part of the Atkin’s diet.

Science today agrees that the overload of toxins coming from the food has become a serious indicator for health problems. Even though one additive or chemical might not be harmful to human’s health, it is the combination of the different chemicals and the excess amount we take in that causes serious problems. An excess toxicity causes the body to go out of balance and results in dis-eases. Due to this fact, I strongly recommend going against Atkin’s Diet because of the excess toxic load, and high acidity it creates in the body.

Instead, I would recommend that you increase your intake of live food. That is food containing life energy, enzymes, vitamins and minerals like vegetables and fruits. In fact if you manage to base your diet on 70%  live food you will see great results. Instead of replacing your carbohydrates with protein, replace them with vegetables. Vegetables speed up your metabolic rate, and provide you with essential nutrients. Protein is also important for the body and you should continue to have around 0.5-1gr/kg body weight. Instead of relying solely on animal products, I recommend beans, sprouts, nuts, seeds and fish as excellent protein sources. Organic meat, chicken and eggs are also fine in moderation.

As fruits are sometimes high in sugar, I recommend that you limit your consumption to 2-3 fruits max a day, the rest should come from varied forms of vegetables. Don’t forget to include some healthy fats in your diet like olive oil, linseeds, nuts and other seeds.