The Atkins diet has been around for a long time and many other KETO diets have overtaken Atkins in the endless onslaught of diets that promise rapid weight loss. The basic premise is that you lose weight by avoiding carbohydrates, but you can eat fat and protein as much as you like. Can you lose weight with this diet and is it harmful to your health is a question of growing concern?
Nearly half of all Australians are overweight. Many sufferers hope that diet will help. In 1972, the formerly obese doctor Robert Atkins published a book on the Atkins diet. He had tried the principle on his own body and found it to be good. The method revolutionized all previous diet approaches.
Hardly any carbohydrates: This is how the Atkins diet works
With the Atkins diet, dieters largely forego the consumption of carbohydrates but are allowed to eat foods containing fat and protein without restriction. In practice, this means: no potatoes or pasta, no bread or sugar. Some types of fruit are also not included in the Atkins diet.
Meat, fish, cheese, eggs, sausage and butter are allowed – vegetables such as asparagus or broccoli are also recommended.
The high protein content in daily food must first be covered in the Atkins diet – ideally with vegetable protein from legumes and grains as well as dairy products. And only a smaller portion should be made up of meat, fish and eggs.
With this diet you can actually lose weight in the short term, but many warn of dangerous side effects for some people. People who follow the Atkins diet can be deficient in vitamins, fiber, and phytochemicals. If those who want to lose weight eat more salty cheese and sausage, this can raise the blood pressure in sensitive people.
Other warning signals are constipation, headaches, extreme exhaustion, muscle cramps and bad breath. In addition, the rather unbalanced diet is very difficult to maintain. After just a few days, the body of many people craves fruit, pasta or a slice of bread.
Lots of fat: why doesn’t it make you fat?
Why doesn’t the high percentage of fat make you fat? The weight reduction is achieved by the fact that the metabolism works differently due to the renunciation of carbohydrates. Without carbohydrates, the body can not process fats as usual. That’s why the fat pork neck steak doesn’t land on your hips so quickly. A high-fat diet can still have an adverse effect on cholesterol levels and for this many Keto dieters use Oat Bran to absorb the extra cholesterol.
A lot of protein: risk for people with kidney disease
The large proportion of protein-containing foods can be dangerous for people with kidney disease. A weakened kidney can no longer filter the high concentration of protein breakdown products from the body and continues to break. As a result, protein building blocks remain in the blood. Among other things, uric acid. This, in turn, can cause a gout attack.
Today there are many diet variants based on the principle of the Atkins diet. For example the Paleo, Dukan, low-carb or South Beach diet. Here the dieter is allowed to eat more – albeit still less – carbohydrates and not forego fruit to the extent that Robert Atkins demanded at the time. These variants are a bit healthier, but still should be looked at carefully before making a decision. remember that everybody is different and you have to find what works best for you.
Overall, you still need to do more exercise, eat less calories and have adequate sleep. This way you can feel good in your skin. And that’s the goal!
Colonics can help you on your health journey, no matter what diet you are on.