Frequently Asked Questions on
the
Atkins Diet
1) Is ketosis dangerous and does
it cause any medical problem?
People often mistaken ketosis with
ketoacidosis, a condition
found in Type 1 diabetes where a
person's blood sugar is out of control and he or she is unable to produce insulin.
Studies on ketogenic diet showed that ketosis was benign,
with no complications or side effects when studied in metabolic ward conditions.
2) Can high consumption of protein in
the Atkins diet fill
me
up?
Yes, definitely. In fact, protein fill you
up more. It
tends to be more satisfying and you will not binge on proteins. Also, it
is digested slowly and therefore, will not cause blood sugar to rise and fall
rapidly. Thus, protein-based
foods keep you satisfied for a longer period of time.
3) Weight loss in
the Atkins
diet is mainly from water retention in the body and not fat?
It is typical of any weight loss plans that during the first few
days, some weight loss will come from water loss. The same goes for the Atkins
diet, especially
during the induction phase. However, when one follows a controlled
carb diet, one's body switches to burning fat for energy instead of consuming
carbohydrate. This is evident from the inches drop off your measurement.
4) People doing
the Atkins may feel tired, weak and lacking of energy?
For some people, fatigue may occur during the first few days of
doing Atkins. This is due to the body adapting to the switch of metabolic
path. Your body can store carb for up to 48 hours. You can be confident
that after the first 48 hours, the burning of fat will start to occur. After this transition, those
who were tired at first usually report high energy and clear thinking throughout
the day.
5) Is high protein diet in
the Atkins
diet bad for kidneys?
This is one of the
most popular myths which is untrue. A study by Dr Miriam
Blum on the effect of higher-protein consumption on kidney
was published
in the Archives of Internal Medicine, 1987. The conclusion was that high consumption of protein
did not shown any negative impact
towards kidney function across subjects with different spectrum of age.
6) Atkins Diet is deficient in bone-building calcium and has a
negative impact on calcium absorption?
While on
the Atkins, you will receive 100% of your Recommended Daily
Intake or RDI of calcium
from foods, such as cheese, broccoli and kale. Study published
in American Journal of Nutrition also showed high protein diet did not cause any
negative impact to calcium absorption and calcium balance in dieters.
7) What about studies stating that high fat intake in
the Atkins diet is detrimental to your
health?
All the studies that stated high fat intake
was detrimental to your health
had been done in mixed diet settings where there was enough carbohydrate for
the body to burn glucose (not fat) for energy. In the Atkins diet where fat is the primary fuel
source, you metabolize fat instead of storing it, and it poses no health risk.
In all the phases of
the Atkins diet, it is a good idea to get much of your fat from fatty
fish such as salmon, tuna and sardines, nuts and seeds and olive oil which all
have
well-documented health benefits. If you do eat bacon, look for products that are not cured with nitrates.
8) Is it true that
the Atkins diet causes bad breath?
Actually, it causes ketone breath. This
situation will occur only when you are doing the induction phase of Atkins diet. Try drinking more water or chew some fresh parsley every
now and
then.
9) Can the Atkins diet lead to constipation?
Atkins diet includes fiber-rich foods like spinach, eggplant, broccoli,
asparagus and leafy green and fruits like berries that will ease your bowel
movement. If more fiber is needed during the induction phase,
try taking some fiber supplement.
