The New Atkins

The supplement facts panel shown here clearly indicates a carbohydrate content incongruent with the Atkins philosophy of inducing ketosis by carbohydrate restriction – which is not a bad thing since ketosis is an unhealthy condition in the first place.

Clearly these companies will violate their own founding principles and concepts to survive financially. I sure Dr. Atkins is turning over in his grave as his company goes against his own dietary philosophy upon which the company was based.

Having said that, the Atkins bars actually taste pretty good – that is if you are used to a low glycemic index diet. I tend to use bars in situations where I need to eat something and can’t get to a real food meal or snack.

http://www.antiagingatlanta.com

Quote from Randy Smith: "which is not a bad thing since ketosis is an unhealthy condition in the first place."

I would have to disagree with you there Randy. Benign Dietary Ketosis is actually quite beneficial for health. I have lost a fair bit of weight utilising ketosis.

But I will agree with you that ANA have moved away from the dietary guidelines of it's namesake.

But those bars are tastey. Just not good if you wish to be in ketosis!

Let me qualify this by saying that I am in favor of pretty much any diet plan that helps people achieve a more ideal body weight, whether it is Atkins or South Beach, French or Japanese, Tofu or M&M’s – anything to move from the overweight and obese half of our population to the healthy weight group is a good thing – I know how hard it is to make the changes needed to loose weight and keep it off.

I also did not mean to imply that the Atkins method of inducing ketosis did not promote weight loss – it does this quite well if you are strict about limiting the carbohydrates. So any negative effects of ketosis are probably ‘outweighed’ by the health benefits of the weight loss.

When I first started to try and loose weight about five years ago I started with the Atkins plan and it worked well in this regard. The first thirty pounds or so I lost using Atkins at about 2 pound per week.

The reason I do not like the Atkins plan as a long term solution is the effect is has on the body’s acid base balance and the relatively high percentage of unhealthy fats one typically consumes when following it. The protein, which is made up of amino acids, is obviously acidic. I also found myself consuming large amounts of animal fat in bacon, red meat, and of course I can’t forget the pork rind snacks.

A high protein intake when not balanced with alkaline vegetables and fruits will tend to acidify the system. While it may not do much harm in six months, I believe this promotes mineral loss and predisposes to other health problems in the long run.

I prefer using a Zone favorable low glycemic index diet comprised of about 30% low fat protein (lean meat, chicken, fish, whey, soy), 40% complex carbohydrates (vegetables, fruits, sprouted grain bread, high fiber cereals) and 30% healthy fats (nuts, olive oil, avocados) for the long term.

This has allowed me to maintain my weight, improve my body composition (now at 10% body fat) and feel healthy and full of energy.

http://www.antiagingatlanta.com

inducing ketosis by carbohydrate restriction – which is not a bad thing since ketosis is an unhealthy condition in the first place.

You seem to be confusing benign dietary ketosis with ketoacidosis, which is a different thing entirely.

If you fast for any length of time, likely 8-12hrs depending on your metabolism, you will enter a state of ketosis. This is quiet normal and not at all dangerous. Ketosis is simply the body metabolising fat for energy.

Ketoacidosis, on the other hand is a problem where the blood sugar levels are very high and the body can't use the glucose bacause not enough insulin is available. In an effort to get energy, the body starts to metabolise fat. The ketones produced in ketoacidosis build up in the blood and serious consequences will result if not treated.

Over and over research has proven that we as humans do not require any dietary carbohydrate, as long as we get enough fat and protein. All but a few types of cells can live quite happily on ketones from fat metabolism....and for the cells that do require glucose? Well our livers can produce more than enough from protein to keep those cells happy too.

The Atkins brand foods are probably not good for anyone on a low carb/no carb diet since they are so processed, you almost can't even consider it real food anymore. Seriously, if you're on a low carb diet and you don't want to eat pasta for its carb count, why not choose to substitute marinara sauce over spaghetti squash instead of buying cardboard tasting low carb pasta? It's healthier and much cheaper.

I still think a very low carb diet isn't a smart thing to do, though. Your brain needs glucose for energy, not ketone bodies. While ketosis is a natural metabolic state when glycogen stores are low, it's not exactly the healthiest state for your body to be in. People talk about how dangerous aspartame is because it breaks down into formaldehyde in your body...well, low carb diets create acetone and other ketones in your body. All things in moderation, including carbohydrates. Just be sure they come from appropriate sources like fruits, veggies, whole grains, and dairy products and not from white flour, sugar, or high fructose corn syrup.

To Quote Spectra: "I still think a very low carb diet isn't a smart thing to do, though. Your brain needs glucose for energy, not ketone bodies".

My Answer: That's why we have a liver.
To quote Wikipedia:
"The liver takes protein and fat and turns it into glucose. This is important if we have no food to eat. We can use the fat we have saved, and make it into glucose to use."
http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liver

The liver makes enough glucose for the brain to use.

Sure, it can do that, but it is a lot slower than eating carbohydrates and having them available directly after glycolysis. Most people who do a very low carb diet do experience a bit of "brain fog" in the early stages, as well as a severe case of crabbiness.

Hi Everyone,
I've been currently on a low carb diet for about 2 weeks (I know not long) and my ketostix are turing pink/purple, yet I have had NO weight loss- in fact when i stepped on the scale today i gained 3 lbs! Should I keep going or call it quits?

Thanks

Jodi - I too am on Low carb... and have been for 5 weeks now. I am down 15 lbs but the weight loss comes and goes, just stick with it - it works, i promise. I recommend the site http://www.lowcarbeating.com it has a wonderful support forum. It's a great place to talk about all your concerns and success

i have a question guys???
what is the negative effect of atkins diet??? and what is the positive??? thanks

I love the shakes. They helped me out ALOT when I was doing the low carb thing. I found drinking them about once a day or so really helped me with my sugar cravings. I'd recommend anyone who is doing Atkins try them out because they are delicious. I also recommend you buy them from imedmart.com they have the lowest price on the net and fast shipping. You can't really find this product in stores anymore.
http://www.imedmart.com/Low-Carb-Bars-Shakes.html

I can understand the thought process. But, isn't dieting" simply restricting calories? That's why they don't work. We have to accept our nutrition plan, whether it's shakes and vitamins or wheat grass and berries, as a new healthy lifestyle plan, not another diet. That's why most diet companies are doomed to bankruptcy and failure.