Atkins Diet also known as the Atkins Nutritional Approach was formulated by Doctor Robert Atkins in 1972 when he published first of a series of books starting with Dr. Atkins’ Diet Revolution. Dr Atkins, struggling with his own weight problem at that time, based his book on a scientific research paper he came across titled Weight Reduction. The Atkins Diet is therefore based on science of foods and their effect on weight gain and weight loss in individuals. Although the original concepts of the Atkins Diet has not changed, in subsequent books by Dr. Atkins and his associates, the diet has been altered to incorporate the latest knowledge that is available on nutrition and dieting.

1. Atkins Diet
by Eva Somani - http://www.simplymakingmoneyonline.net/products/atkins-diet/
Atkins Diet
Atkins Diet also known as the Atkins Nutritional Approach was formulated by Doctor Robert Atkins in 1972 when
he published first of a series of books starting with Dr. Atkins’ Diet Revolution. Dr Atkins, struggling with his own
weight problem at that time, based his book on a scientific research paper he came across titled Weight
Reduction. The Atkins Diet is therefore based on science of foods and their effect on weight gain and weight loss
in individuals. Although the original concepts of the Atkins Diet has not changed, in subsequent books by Dr.
Atkins and his associates, the diet has been altered to incorporate the latest knowledge that is available on
nutrition and dieting.
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The Atkins Diet
The principle behind the Atkins Diet is to encourage the body to burn fat instead of store fat. The way it does this
is by invoking the body’s survival mechanism: in times when the body has depleted levels of glucose in the blood
stream which it normally uses for energy, it will start utilizing other forms of stored energy such as body fat.
Therefore, the Atkins Diet has been deliberately designed to provide a low carbohydrate diet which means that
there will be low concentration of glucose in the blood stream leading to conversion of stored fat in the body to
glucose instead of the normal situation of glucose to fat when there is an abundance of glucose.
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2. Atkins Diet
by Eva Somani - http://www.simplymakingmoneyonline.net/products/atkins-diet/
Glucose – Body Fuel
Glucose levels in the blood can trigger a series of complex biochemical reactions via the hormone insulin which is
directly correlated with the level of glucose in the blood stream-the higher the level of glucose, the higher the level
of insulin and vice versa. A high level of insulin converts the relatively high level of glucose in the blood stream to
energy storage which is fat; a low level of insulin means there is relatively low level of glucose in the blood stream
prompting breakdown of energy deposits in the body such as fat back to energy sources the body can use. In fact,
low insulin level induces lypolysis which is the breakdown of fat into ketone molecules in a process known as
ketosis which eventually leads to the reduction of fat in the body and hence weight loss.
Regulation Of Glucose via Insulin
So the principle behind Atkins Diet is to restrict the amount of carbohydrates taken in a meal to a level that induce
ketosis and therefore weight loss in an individual. In order for the Atkins Diet to be effective, it needs to be able to
inform, accurately, on the amount of carbohydrate that is taken in a meal, which it does by using the method of
carbohydrate counting. This method, widely employed by diabetics for whom knowing how much carbohydrate (or
carb) they are taking is essential in their management of blood sugar levels, has been adopted by the Atkins Diet.
The units used are 1 carb = 15g of carbohydrate which excludes fibre, sugar alcohols and artificial sweetners to
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3. Atkins Diet
by Eva Somani - http://www.simplymakingmoneyonline.net/products/atkins-diet/
provide a Net Carb value. Fibre, for instance, is popular form of carbohydrate but is not included in carb
calculations because it provides negligible amount of glucose upon digestion.
A Typical Net Carb Count
Since it is the level of insulin in the blood stream that is important for the end goal of inducing ketosis in an
individual, which in turn is directly related to the level of glucose in the blood stream, Atkins Diet recommends
foods that are whole, unprocessed foods with low glycemic index (GI), at least in its initial phases. The GI is very
useful and a standard measure of how quickly the level of glucose will rise in the blood stream after eating a
particular type of food. For instance glucose has a GI of 100 and is the reference point for all the other foods. As
you can imagine, foods vary greatly on their effect on the blood glucose levels. Even the same food, lets say a
potato, would vary in its GI in the same individual depending on how it is cooked for instance. The GI of a
particular food also varies, perhaps in a small way, from person to person even in the same person from one
moment to another, since it depends on a myriad of factors such as current blood glucose level and insulin
resistance amongst others. For any individual, despite the variations in how they are able to handle and convert
glucose in their bodies, the only result that matters is the rate of weight loss they are experiencing and the Atkins
Diet is flexible enough to allow the individual to achieve this.
An Example Of Glycemic Index
The Atkins Diet with its proprietary Atkins Glycemic Rankings (AGR) has made making choices easier between
foods by ranking them according to their GI and more importantly Glycemic Load (GL) value. The GL gives a
more accurate measure of a food’s glucose impact on the body since not only does it take GI value of the food
into account but also the portion that is to be consumed. The AGR divides the foods into three groups: the lowest
group which you are supposed to concentrate on the most, the middle group from which you are supposed to eat
in moderate amounts and the highest group from which you are supposed to eat rarely.
The Atkins Diet starts with the ketogenic phase in which the foods are high-fat, adequate-protein and
low-carbohydrate. This, as discussed above, forces the body, through a series of complex mechanisms, to
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4. Atkins Diet
by Eva Somani - http://www.simplymakingmoneyonline.net/products/atkins-diet/
convert the stored fat into chemical compounds that are then utilized to create energy which eventually result in
the production of chemical compounds called ketones as side products. Elevated levels of ketones in the blood is
a condition called ketosis which is easily diagnosed by a simple test of the urine using special diagnostic sticks.
Atkins Diet – The Phases
There are four phases in the Atkins Diet known simply as Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3 and Phase 4. Each phase
involves the following:
Phase 1 – The Induction phase where you should expect to lose up to 15 pounds in the first 2 weeks;
Phase 2 – The Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL) phase in which you are given more choice on foods you can eat
including additional carbs but you should still expect to lose weight although at a slower pace than in Phase 1;
Phase 3 - Pre-Maintenance phase where you should be within striking distance or just 10 pounds away from your
target weight. You should firmly be in control of your weight and you should confidently be able to add more foods
and carbs to your diet knowing fully that you will still be losing weight towards your weight target;
Phase 4 – Lifetime Maintenance. Hurray! you’ve reached your goal. This phase is for life and in order to maintain
your target weight, you should eat the foods from the Atkins Diet which have worked for you.
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The Atkins Diet is a successful weight loss program with many documented stories in which people have
succeeded in losing and maintaining their new weight to their obvious delight. However, it is controversial as to
the actual mechanism by which it aids weight loss as this really interesting documentary from the BBC shows:
An alternative diet based weight loss method is the Dukan Diet.
To your success!
Eva
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5. Atkins Diet
by Eva Somani - http://www.simplymakingmoneyonline.net/products/atkins-diet/
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