Day Eighty Three!!

Talking about different diets, I think Atkins is the most notable. It is based on controlling the amount of carbohydrates that you eat. It came to fame in the early 2000’s in which the diet consists of four phases; the first, is induction, with a carbohydrate intake of just 20g a day for a minimum of two weeks, by eating fish, poultry, eggs, beef, in other words foods high in protein, a couple of cups of salad everyday, and one cup of vegetables. The second, is the ongoing weight loss phase where you start to add in more vegetables, cheese, berries, nuts and seeds, by adding five grams a week until you are close to your weight goal. The third, is the permanent phase where you can continue adding vegetables, for two times a week as long as you continue to lose weight. Phase four is maintenance, where you can enjoy whatever you want by keeping an eye on your carb intake. 


Basically this diet is based in proteins, fats, and cuts out sugar, flour, and trans-fats. The doctor that developed this program touts how individuals have regained their health, as well as; inner peace, increased energy levels, the ability to get better sleep, stops being continually hungry, stops mood swings, increased concentration, better moods, decreases joint aches, stops catching colds and other illnesses as easily, decreases cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, blood sugar, insulin levels, diabetes, and gastric disturbances such as acid reflux, bloating, gas, constipation, and diarrhea.


So with the popularity of this diet, it is so hard to believe that the conversation topic about the ketogenic diet is shock and awe, why are they so shocked? Why are these medical professionals so resistant? Why are they so surprised?


When people have a food intolerance or are having gastro-intestinal issues, health care professionals use a process called elimination and challenge in which food groups are removed from the diet and then slowly introduced back into the diet. If you were not aware of being sensitive to one of these foods, you become aware of the sensitivity as soon as you reintroduce it into your diet. So if symptoms disappear until that food is reintroduced it is pretty clear that this food is the issue. Atkins suggests that foods that most commonly provoke an allergic reaction are foods that are high in carbohydrates such as; corn, wheat, rye, oats, peanuts, milk, chocolate, and potatoes. 


So Atkins actually created their own food guide pyramid for carbohydrate foods where the first level is vegetables, the next is dairy, next is nuts and seeds, next is berries, then beans, then fruits, then higher carb vegetables, and at the very tippy top grains. 
In other words this pyramid of carbs is built on the base of the protein based foods.


The ultimate goal for food intake is to be healthy. There is a link between heart health and waist size. To know that you have a heart healthy lifestyle, you need to be able to stay under 35 inches for woman (at the point of your belly button) and 40 inches for men.