Dr. Atkins Diet - a Ketogenic Dietary Plan that Works!

Everybody has heard about Dr. Robert C. Atkins and his famous dietary plan that was originally developed in 1972 and described in his groundbreaking book “Dr. Atkins’ Diet Revolution”. Since then, and despite the fact that the orthodox medicine has treated Dr. Atkins’ dietary approach extremely negatively, over 10 million copies of Dr. Atkins’ books have been sold in the US and more than 25,000 people have claimed that they lost weight and considerably improved their health by following this dietary plan.

It is estimated that, worldwide, more than 20 million overweight people, diabetics, heart patients, and those who believe in health benefits of low-carb diets still follow late Dr. Atkins’ dietary recommendations.

Dr. Atkins’ diet is a ketogenic plan that calls for eating limited amounts of carbohydrates. When the body is deprived from carbohydrate-rich foods (potatoes, breads, pasta, sugar, fruits, honey, cereals, etc.), it enters a physical state of ketosis and starts burning its own fat storages for energy. Ketogenic diets are traditional, historically-tested types of nutrition, which our ancestors had been following before the advent of agriculture. Still in the 20th century, many so-called “primitive people”, including the Canadian Inuit and the African Masai, ate a menu composed exclusively of animal products, including meat, fish, fats, cultured dairy products, and blood.

People who embrace ketogenic diets, including that of Dr. Atkins, lose weight by burning fat reserves, thanks to the effects of ketosis. In addition, low-carb diets can improve many pathological health conditions, especially diabetes, hypoglycemia, panic attacks, gastrointestinal disorders, epilepsy, heart illnesses, and even some types of brain tumours. Dieters can eat unlimited amounts of food that does not contain carbohydrates, mostly that of the animal origin: butter, different meats, eggs, cheeses, etc, supplemented by moderate amounts of non-starchy vegetables and limited amounts of fruits.

For the purpose of weight loss, Dr. Atkins recommends a subsequent series of phases: the first phase is a 14- day-long Induction Period, with the restriction of carbs to no more than 20 grams a day; followed by the second Phase of Ongoing Weight Loss, when dietary carbohydrates are restricted to about 40 grams a day. When the weight has reached the point of about 5-10 pounds more than the desired one, dieters can move to the third phase called the Pre-Maintenance Diet, on which they slowly lose the remaining extra weight by eating a slightly higher amount of carbohydrates in addition to their usual high-fat, high-protein fare. The last stage of Dr. Atkins’ dietary plan is called the Maintenance Diet. It represents a lifelong dietary regime of consuming a restricted amount of carbohydrates, while emphasising nutrient-rich, fresh animal products. All four phases of Dr. Atkins’ diet should be accompanied by taking certain nutritional supplements to compensate for some lost nutrients.

During the first phase, dieters develop a state of mild ketosis and start burning fats for energy, thus quickly losing weight. The menu of the induction phase includes various meats, fats, salads, and non-sugary drinks. Fruits, grains, and starchy vegetables are out. After a two week period, dieters slightly increase their intake of carbohydrates by eating more of the permitted vegetables, plus some fruits. During the third stage, additional weight loss is achieved by consuming the amount of carbohydrates less than that required to maintain constant weight. The maximum carbohydrates intake that does not induce weight gain is called the Critical Carbohydrate Level for Maintenance. During the lifelong maintenance stage after the target weight has been reached, people on the Atkins Diet keep their newly-obtained healthy weight by still consuming limited amounts of carbohydrates, equal to their Critical Carbohydrate Level for Maintenance - usually, no more than about 60-70 grams daily.

Followers of the Atkins’ dietary plan usually have great difficulties getting through the first, most restrictive, induction phase. Typical complains are headaches, constipation, fatigue, and bouts of low sugar. During the subsequent phases, the diet is typically well-tolerated and extremely successful in both shedding off excess poundage and improving general health. Therefore, Dr. Atkins’ dietary plan can safely be recommended for everybody who wants to lose weight and maintain good health well into their old age.

Wayne Hammel