By Leslie HackettStaff Writer
No snacking on chocolate, no munching on bagels before early classand forget about piling pasta onto your plate for dinner.
If none of these ideas appeal to you, then a low-carbohydrate dietwould not work for you. For the past few decades, the practice ofthese diets has been increasing.
While some diets encourage people to reduce their intake of fattyfoods, the low-carbohydrate Atkins Diet is based on the belief thatby eliminating or significantly lowering the intake of carbohydrates,it is possible to lose weight.
This idea originating from Dr. Robert Atkins, author of severalbooks about low-carbohydrate dieting, including his newest book, Dr.Atkins’ New Diet Revolution, has become a popular diet over the pastthree decades.
In his books, Atkins states that by cutting out unnecessarycarbohydrates from one’s diet, people should be able to shed poundsand keep them off for good.
There are several stages to the diet; the first stage is atwo-week induction phase. In this stage dieters eat no more than 20grams of carbohydrates per day and follow strict rules of what can beconsumed during the 14-day period. Typically, people eat about 300grams of carbohydrates per day.
In his newest book, Atkins says that he has helped more than25,000 people who have come to him needing to lose weight and wereunsure of how to do so.
“The diet is healthy,” Atkins said in his book. “I found this outvery quickly when I first began to put patients on it over 30 yearsago. They began to recover from illnesses that I had no realization Iwas going to be treating this way.”
In addition to Atkins’ books, Dr. Richard Heller and Dr. RachaelHeller have also formulated diet books that revolve around the ideaof lowering carbohydrate intake to lose weight.
The Carbohydrate Addict’s Lifespan Program, the Hellers’ book,informs readers about addictions to carbohydrates.
The book defines overeating of carbohydrates as a clinicaladdiction. It states that in a 1984 research article published inMedical Hypothesis, carbohydrate addiction met all five of thecriteria set down by the American Psychiatric Association.
While at first glance it may seem easy to eliminate carbohydratesfrom one’s diet, it may not be so.
Apples, peaches and strawberries, while they are full of necessaryvitamins and are a part of a balanced diet, are for the most part notallowed in a low-carbohydrate diet.
“Only a select few can live on a low-carb diet and stay healthy,”Aztec Recreation Center’s personal trainer coordinator Jason Godinhosaid. “The weight that is lost quickly is associated with water loss.It’s not really long-term fat loss at all.”
What can be eaten is so-called “forbidden” foods that aren’toffered in other diets. These foods consist of steaks or any beefproducts, turkey or any poultry or fowl, seafood and most dairyproducts.
Critics of the diet say that eating in this manner could bepotentially unhealthy in the long run.
“I believe it is ethically wrong for health practitioners torecommend a low-carb diet,” registered dietitian Archer Eller said.”Talk to registered dietitians, personal trainers, doctors, exercisephysiologists and get a general consensus of how to eat to supportweight loss while maintaining long-term health.”
Some concerns from such organizations as the American HeartAssociation and the American Dietetic Association include the diet’shigh saturated fat content increasing the risk of heart disease,stroke and possibly some cancers.
Also, critics say that it can raise the risk of osteoporosis andit doesn’t teach dieters the skills necessary for long-term weightloss.
Eller said that he feels the pros of the diet include fast weightloss, but believes the diet eliminates healthy food groups that havebeen proved to be a part of a healthy diet.
“To avoid being deceived, do not get all of your nutritioninformation from one source,” Eller said. “Too many people read onebook written by a self-proclaimed nutrition ‘expert’ and believe theyare all-knowing.”
