The Atkins diet first appeared in the 1970s and has grown popularity in recent

years in response to the low-fat diet craze. As dieters had trouble with low-fat

plans, they searched for a new solution and Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution

book found a new audience.

The Atkins diet has become very popular, but what are the basic principles

of the Atkins diet?

The Atkins diet is based on a theory of why we get fat. According to Dr. Atkins,

the over-consumption of carbohydrates and simple sugars leads to weight gain.

The way your body processes the carbohydrates you eat have more to do with your

waistline than the amount of fat or calories that you consume.

In his book, Atkins outlines a phenomenon called “insulin resistance.”

He theorizes that many overweight people have cells that do not work correctly.

When you eat excess carbohydrates and sugar, your body notices that sugar levels

are elevated. Insulin is released from the pancreas in order to store sugar

as glycogen in the liver and muscle cells for extra energy later on.

However, your body can only store so much glycogen at once. As soon as your

body reaches its limit for glycogen storage, the excess carbohydrates are stored

as fat. This happens to everyone who eats too many carbohydrates.

However, insulin resistant individuals have an even harder time of using and

storing excess carbohydrates. The more insulin that your body is exposed to,

the more resistant it becomes. Overtime, the pancreas releases more insulin

and cells become insulin resistant. The cells are trying to protect themselves

from the toxic effects of high insulin. They create less glycogen and more fat.

As a result, insulin resistant individuals gain extra weight. The carbohydrates

get converted into fat instead of energy. Other side effects include fatigue,

brain “fog” (the inability to focus, poor memory, loss of creativity),

low blood sugar (which can leads to hypoglycemia), intestinal bloating, sleepiness,

depression and increased blood sugar. There is much more than weight at stake

when you are insulin resistant.

The remedy for people who are insulin resistant is a diet restricted in carbohydrates.

The Atkins diet is a limitation of carbohydrates in all of its forms. The foods

restricted on the Atkins plan include simple sugars (like biscuits, sugary drinks

and sweets) and complex carbohydrates (like bread, rice and grains). Even carbohydrates

that are considered healthy, such as oatmeal, brown rice and whole wheat bread,

are restricted on the program.

The diet has you restrict your carbohydrate intake to less than 40 grams a

day. This will put your body in a state of ketosis. While in ketosis, your body

will burn fat as fuel. According to Dr. Atkins’ research, the ketosis state

will also affect insulin production and it will prevent more fat from being

formed. Your body will begin using your stored fat as an efficient form of fuel,

and you’ll lose weight.

Ketones are actual a normally and efficient source of fuel for the human body.

They are created in the liver from the fatty acids that result from the breakdown

of body fat. These only appear when there is an absence of glucose and sugar.

In the Atkins diet, you reduce the amount of glucose and sugar that is in the

bloodstream. As a result, your body produces ketones for fuel. When your body

is creating ketones it is called ketosis.

There is a common misconception that following a ketogenic diet like Atkins

is dangerous. The truth is that being in ketosis is a completely naturally state.

The human body creates ketones to use as fuel in the absence of glucose.

Another benefit of the Atkins plan is that ketosis will end your cravings for

carbohydrates. If you’ve been living on a carb-heavy diet, you may have

found that you simply cannot get enough carbohydrates.

With carbohydrate restriction and ketosis comes a reduction in carbohydrate

cravings. People who have been on the Atkins diet for some time report that

they do not crave carbohydrates as they once did.

Although the initial phases of the Atkins diet are rather strict, the program

teaches you to restore balance to your diet in the long run. People who use

the diet slowly reintroduce small amounts of carbohydrate into their eating

until they find a comfortable balance between their health and carbohydrate

intake.