(UK) Official: Atkins diet can be deadly

Guardian ^ | 09/21/03 | Jo Revill, health editor

[dread78645]

a "balanced" diet in line with that Kelloggs-Nabisco food pyramid?

It's spelled "Archer Daniels Midland".

[CindyDawg]

I bought the choc almond LeCarb awhile back. This is day three of no sugar and the cravings are strong so I pulled the container out of the freezer. It's veryyyyyyyyy good :'). Just one problem. This is four servings? I don't think so lol

[TinkersDam]

"...These people clearly did not do their "research" on what the Atkins diet is. ... "

Okay. So what exactly is meant by the term 'The Atkins Diet'?

Is it low carbohydrates or are complex carbohydrates permitted?

[GretchenEE]

It's low carb. I have been on it since March 2, 2002, a day for which I thank God regularly and bless the name of Dr. Atkins.

http://www.atkinscenter.com has the details about what carbs are useful / amounts to consume in each of the four phases of the Atkins nutritional approach (that's what Dr. Atkins preferred to call "the diet" so that people would understand it's a transformed way of eating rather than a short-term program).

Also, Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution explains what carbs / amounts of carbs per day are consumable while losing weight, and how many per day (and what kind) to use in each phase.

Personally, I have to stay under 20 grams of carbs a day (no pasta, potatoes, etc.) to lose weight. It's not difficult to do because it doesn't take a lot of food to fill me up when I eat what my body needs to keep my blood sugar under control (hypoglycemia).

[Yaelle]

Do you have fake sugar in your ice cream? I hate that sucralose stuff! Also, once you really are off the sweets you don't need anything so sweet.

I make my own low carb ice cream: cream in a food processor with frozen berries. Yum. You can add chopped nuts or even unsweetened coconut to it afterwards.

Congrats on your lo carb business. Lo carb products are hard to find. I wish you much success. The low carb tortillas are saving my life at lunch time!! (Only 3 grams of carbs in each -- I think they are by La Tortilla and you can get them at Trader Joe's.)

[TinkersDam]

how many calories per day?

What percentage:
protein
lipids
carbohydrates.

Does the Atkins diet in any way use the term 'carbohyrdates' to apply mainly to 'simple carbohydrates' but allow consumption of 'complex carbohydrates'?

[GretchenEE]

I typed out a big reply and my browser puked. I'll try again.

The only time calories are counted using Atkins if a person (such as I) turns out to be metabolically resistant and has to go on a special 1,000 calories a day "Fat Fast" for a few days to restart the fat-burning process, after which the dieter returns to regular Atkins. If using Atkins properly doesn't result in weight loss, he says you should look at quantities of food consumed (calories).

If Atkins defines and recommends anything concerning simple v. complex carbs, I missed it, and can't give an educated reply. He lists major foods by food groups in the back of his book and on his web site, showing the total carbs in each, and this information is what one uses to put together a balanced food selection each day. That's what I use to know how many carbs a day I can eat. (For me, that is < 20 a day.)

Snack foods like potato chips and oreos are definitely out. For life.

His web site, http://www.atkinscenter.com, has loads of details on all this.

[moo]

I use Sucralose in the LeCarb products, except plain yocarb (yogurt). Check out the products on the website. www.lecarb.net Fred.

[SWake]

Yo, Fred! I bought a carton of LeCarb milk, a tub of Yocarb, and some vanilla ice cream at Albertson's in Bedford, Texas this week. So far, they are GREAT! HIGHLY recommended!

[Crispy]

I looked for your ice cream a couple weeks ago at my local supermarkets (Fred Meyer and Haagan's) but could not find it. I settled with Bryer's. It is pretty good but definately has a slightly different texture than regular ice cream. I would be really interested in your yogurt. That is one thing I really miss.

[Crispy]

" My dad's cholesterol rose from 180 to 300 in one month on the Aktins diet. His doctor told him to go off it immediately, and it dropped back to 180 within 3 weeks time."

This is very strange. Almost everyone I hear about has had a big drop in cholesterol on Atkins. Are you sure he wasn't sneaking in any bread or potatoes? Maybe some people just process food differently.

[Junior_G]

I swear, this Michelob Ultra really ain't bad! (Maybe I've had a few too many)

[EternalVigilance]

I'm not on any diet. I just know what I like, and what gives me the energy I need to get through the day.

Just a bit ago I had a big juicy 9 ounce hamburger with all the fixins. Earlier in the day it was an egg, cheese and ham sandwich. Yummy!

I'm 42 and weigh almost exactly what I did when I was 22--about 170--and I'm about 5'11'.

[Mr. Mojo]

No, he didn't cheat. But he was eating lots of bacon and sausage, which the Atkins book said to go easy on because of many people's reaction to sodium nitrate and nitrate (which those foods are chock-full of). Who knows? His doctor said that he has seen drastic jumps in cholesterol in people on Atikins before, and it was hardly unusual. My guess is that you're right, people just process food differently.

[Mr. Mojo]

nitrate and nitrate

nitrate and nitrite

[Big Bopper]

One of the biggest problems with the sausages, kielbasa, etc., is the hidden sugars included in the meats. Sugar is taboo on the Atkins diet, especially in the induction stage, and can prevent the body from going into ketosis. Perhaps that was the reason for his cholesterol going out of control.

[Mr. Mojo]

Does bacon have hidden sugars as well? ...'cause that's mostly what he ate. And by "hidden" do you mean the carb content isn't listed on the packaging?

[Crispy]

"I'm not on any diet. I just know what I like, and what gives me the energy I need to get through the day. Just a bit ago I had a big juicy 9 ounce hamburger with all the fixins. Earlier in the day it was an egg, cheese and ham sandwich. Yummy! I'm 42 and weigh almost exactly what I did when I was 22--about 170--and I'm about 5'11'."

Sounds healthy to me. I would do with less bread, personally, but as long as it doesn't make you fat, who cares.

[At _War_With_Liberals]

Socialist government agencies should never be trusted to protect the health of individuals.

[At _War_With_Liberals]

Atkins is also being attacked by leftist groups because it has developed into a very successful corporation.

The idea of a growing corporation influencing consumers against vegetarianism drives these people nuts.