The Atkins low carb diet is one of the most popular diets of all time. This diet was created by Dr. Robert Atkins, a world-renowned physician and nutritionist. He also developed the Atkins weight loss program, which is now a popular low carb dieting option. Dr. Atkins based his diet on the notion that our body’s glucose level determines our blood cholesterol level. Since our body runs primarily on glucose, if we take away the source of their energy, our body is deprived of the glucose it needs to perform its functions. This is basically how Dr. Atkins came up with his diet: reducing the amount of carbohydrates you intake will drastically reduce your overall blood sugar levels, thus reducing your risk for diabetes, heart disease, etc.
Dr. Atkins diet works by restricting the amount of carbohydrates you intake. Based on his theory, our body uses only a small portion of carbohydrates for its energy needs. Low carb diets limit carbohydrate consumption relative to your average diet. Foods high in carbohydrates are replaced by low carbohydrate foods, and other foods rich in protein and fiber, instead of high carbohydrate foods. The thought is that replacing the high carbohydrate content foods with low carbohydrate ones, will reduce your insulin levels enough to keep your blood sugar levels normal. This in turn lowers your risk for obesity, heart disease, diabetes and other diseases.
These low carbohydrate diets first appeared in the late 1970s, when Atkins himself, introduced these diets. Dr. Atkins had been suffering from diabetes and felt that his dietary advice was not helping him maintain a healthy body weight. As a result, he created this system to inform others about the same. The name of this diet came from the Atkins diet, which itself came from Dr. Atkins’ belief that carbohydrates should be avoided as much as possible while at the same time, you can still eat bread and potatoes. Though these diets have gained popularity, many people are asking, are they effective? And if so, how do they work?
As the name implies, the low carbohydrate diet consists of severely restricting the amount of carbohydrates one eats. The reasoning behind this is that if you do not eat enough carbs, your body will use fat and muscle instead. By forcing your body to use fat instead of glucose, you can lose weight. However, it does not work in the long term. Although you may lose weight initially, your body will eventually adjust to not receiving certain carbs, thus causing you to gain it back once you have stopped your diet.
There are several other benefits to these types of diets, apart from losing weight. For one thing, these diets often involve reducing or eliminating certain carbohydrates. As an example, rather than eating pasta on your diet, you may replace it with rice. Although the concept is the same, the results are very different as pasta contains carbohydrates, whereas rice does not.
Another problem with low carbohydrate diets is that they cause a decrease in proteins and increases calorie intake. Although protein is needed for repairing muscle, it also increases fat storage as the muscles become damaged. Many people who go on low-carb diets report that their workouts are much less effective because they need to compensate for the loss of protein. In addition, low carbohydrate diets cause a significant decrease in fiber consumption. Fiber is needed to keep one feeling full and, in addition to being important for keeping the body satisfied, it helps to regulate blood sugar levels.
The best way to stay healthy while following a low-carb diet is to eat a balanced diet that includes meat, vegetables, and whole grains. If you follow a healthy diet, you should not notice any negative effects from cutting carbohydrates out of your diet. In fact, you may find that your weight loss is more than your weight gain! Also, a low-carb diet may be useful for people with high cholesterol because it can help stabilize and reduce their cholesterol. However, if you are having problems controlling your cholesterol, you may want to consider other options such as exercise or medications. You should talk to your doctor before making a change in your diet; doing so can affect your health negatively if it is done without proper supervision.
Unlike simple carbs, which can be derived from corn and other starchy foods, complex carbs come from plants and include fruits, vegetables, bread, and tea. Complex carbs are usually found in whole-grains, vegetables, fruits, and legumes. They contain more fibers and are less likely to cause spikes in blood sugar than simple carbs. Some kinds of complex carbs are better replacements for simple carbs in a low-carb diet: complex carbs include oats, buckwheat, quinoa, barley, and brown rice. Remember that eating too many carbs can lead to obesity, so be careful not to make the diet hard on your body.