5. The plan is healthy. Research has repeatedly demonstrated that controlling carbohydrate intake results in improved blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, moderation of bloodsugar levels and reduction of blood pressure. All these indicators result in reduced risk for cardiovascular disease. And, incidentally, in my forty years of practice, I ' ve yet to see a single study that has shown that a high-protein diet causes kidney problems.
In addition, Atkins can effectively and quickly make a positive impact on many of the most common annoyances that patients reveal in the privacy of their doctor ' s office. In all my years of practice, I ' ve heard and seen it all: fatigue, irritability, depression, trouble concentrating, headaches, insomnia, dizziness, joint and muscle aches, heartburn, colitis, premenstrual syndrome, water retention and bloating. For the lion ' s share of patients, Atkins is a specific prescription against such ills.
6. Atkins works because, as an increasing body of scientific evidence shows, it corrects the basic factor that controls obesity and influences risk factors for certain illnesses. That factor is excessive levels of insulin. An essential hormone, insulin governs the basic mechanism by which the body lays on fat. When found in excessively high levels-we medical folk call that state hyperinsulinism-insulin vigorously promotes the development of diabetes, atherosclerosis and hypertension. More recently, it has also been linked to increased risk of breast cancer and polycystic ovarian syndrome.
And so the Atkins approach finds itself at the center of health planning for a long and vigorous life.
What ' s Wrong With Carbohydrates?
If you mean what ' s wrong with a spear of broccoli or a bunch of spinach, the answer is nothing, they ' re magnificent foods. When I speak negatively of carbohydrates, I ' m referring to the unhealthy ones-those lurking in the sugar bowl and the bin of white flour, along with milk, white rice and processed and refined foods of all kinds. I also must include concentrates, such as fruit juices.
During the weight loss phase of Atkins, even your intake of potentially healthy carbohydrates such as fruits and whole grains must be controlled. Once you ' ve bid adieu to your extra pounds, you can return to fruits and some starches to the degree that they won ' t upset your metabolism and reactivate the cravings that result in weight gain. But the refined and processed foods I ' ve just mentioned simply aren ' t good for you-ever.
Am I advocating a high-fat diet? Not in the long run. As you increase the percentage of carbohydrates, while advancing through the different phases of Atkins, the percentage and actual amount of fat you consume will diminish. However, as long as you are at the lower end of carbohydrate consumption, higher-fat consumption poses no threat to your health."
A Short History Lesson
Let me assure you that eating meat, fish and fowl isn ' t a health hardship-it ' s what humans have eaten for millions of years. People ate much the same way in the nineteenth century. They were
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