1. What is Atkins Diet?

Dr. Atkins diet, first introduced in 1972, is strictly  focused on limiting carbohydrate consumption.

That is why it is called a low-carb, high-protein diet or  sometimes simply a low-carb diet, together with other  diets such as South Beach Diet, Power Protein Diet etc...   

2. What are carbohydrates, and where can they be found?

Carbohydrates provide your body with its basic fuel, very  much like a car engine and gasoline. Glucose goes directly  into the cells, which convert it into the energy they need.

There are two types of carbohydrates:

Simple carbohydrates (also called "sugars" on food  package labels): glucose, fructose and galactose are  referred to as monosaccharides. Lactose, sucrose and  maltose are called disaccharides (they contain two  monosaccharides).

Complex carbohydrates ("starches"), made up of chains  of glucose molecules, which is simply a way plants store  glucose.

Starches can be found in great quantities in most  grains (wheat, corn, oats, rice) and things like potatoes  and plantains.

Your digestive system breaks a starch back down into  its component glucose molecules so that the glucose  can enter your bloodstream.

A complex carbohydrate is digested more slowly than  simple carbohydrates because it takes longer to break  down a starch.

Complex carbs can be either high in fiber such as  broccoli or low in fiber such as bananas or potatoes.

But carbohydrates are not the only substances the body  uses: it also needs proteins and fats.

 3. What are proteins and where can they be found?

A protein is any chain of amino acids. Carbohydrates  provide cells with energy, proteins provide cells with the  building material they need to grow and maintain  their structure.

Protein can be found in both animal and vegetable foods.  Most animal sources (meat, milk, eggs) provide "complete  protein": they contain all of the essential amino acids.

Vegetable foods usually have few or none of the essential  amino acids. Example: rice is low in isoleucine and lysine.

Some vegetable sources contain quite a bit of protein --  things like nuts, beans, soybeans, etc. are all high in protein.

 4. What are fats and where can they be found?

Fats are also an important part of our diet. Many foods  contain fat in different amounts. High-fat foods include   dairy products like butter and cream as well as mayonnaise  and oils.

There are two kinds of fats: saturated and unsaturated.

Saturated fats are normally solid at room temperature,  while unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature.

Vegetable oils are the best examples of unsaturated fats,  while lard and shortening (along with the animal fat you  see in raw meat) are saturated fats.

We can further distinguish the unsaturated fats between  polyunsaturated and monounsaturated. Unsaturated fats  are currently thought to be more healthy than saturated fats,  and monounsaturated fats (as found in olive oil and peanut oil)  are thought to be healthier than polyunsaturated fats.

Fat is necessary because: the only way to get certain  fat-soluble vitamins is to eat fat, your body has no way to   make certain essential fats, so you must get them in your  food.

Another reason is that fat is a good source of energy,  in fact it contains twice as many calories per gram as  do carbohydrates or proteins. Your body can burn fat as  fuel when necessary

 5. and how can I loose weight by reducing carbohydrate  consumption?

Atkins diet and other low-carb diets are based on the theory  that certain carbohydrates have a greater impact on blood  sugar levels than others.

So you count these carbs. They are the ones that matter.  To figure out the net carb count of a food item, you need to  identify the carbs that don't have a high impact -- those from  fiber and sugar alcohol, and subtract that total from the  overall carb count

Just regulate your blood sugar levels (from carbohydrates)  and you'll be able to better regulate your appetite... and  your weight.

Therefore, say Atkins diet proponents, the culprits are   carbohydrates and there is nothing wrong with eating as  much meat as you want!

What you should do is restrict  carbohydrate consumption,  specially starchy foods such as bread, rice, corn etc...,  except for what they consider as "good carbohydrates"  such as high fiber vegetables (broccoli etc...)

According to them, the energy we need should be taken  from proteins, and sometimes fat, but as few carbohydrates  as possible, hence the name: low carbohydrate diet..   

6 . What else does the human body need?

Mainly vitamins and minerals. These can be found in various  foods, fruits, etc..It seems the "Standard Western Diet" is  deficient in vitamins and minerals. This has led to the  creation of vitamin and mineral supplements.

 7. Is Atkins diet efficient?

Anybody can note the simple fact that cutting back on  carbohydrates works, at least for a quick drop in body fat  and body water.

However, for most dieters the problem is the long-term  effects on the body due to such a drastic reduction in  carbohydrates.

Whatever Atkins diet proponents have said, this remains a  real problem and people like those at South Beach Diet have  tried to solve it by introducing carbohyfrates after the 14 days  initial phase. 

8. What about the "fat makes you fat" theory?

According to Anthony Colpo, one of the most articulate of the  Atkins diet defenders:

"Some folks have been so inculcated with the simplistic  "fat makes you fat" theory that they just cannot believe  a diet high in fat can lead to a loss of bodyfat.

The fact is, high fat diets can result in spectacular fat loss  - as long as carbohydrate intake is kept low. Eat a diet that  is high in both fat and carbohydrate and your bodyfat  percentages will head north real quick!  "

9. Does Atkins diet cause coronary heart disease (CHD)?

On May 26, 2004 A Florida businessman filed suit against  the makers of Atkins diet.

The man claimed as a consequence of following the low-carb  diet, he suffers from severe heart disease, necessitating  angioplasty and a stent

One of the fiercest opponents of Atkins diet, the Physicians  Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) President  Neal Barnard, M.D, said that the diet proponents "push dieters  to avoid healthy foods, like rice, beans, and pasta, while  ignoring the risks of high-cholesterol, high-fat meat and  cheese. The idea that cholesterol and saturated fat don’t  matter is a dangerous myth.” 

But what does the other side say? As expected, we hear  a totally different story.

Here is Anthony Colpo's take on the CHD issue:

"A low carb diet based on paleolithic food choices, that is,  a diet based on free-range animal products and low  carbohydrate, low-glycemic plant foods, fits the bill quite  nicely. So go ahead, eat your steak and salad!"

 10. Are there any other health risks?

In additon to CHD - coronary heart disease - Atkins diet has  also been blamed for a number of other "atrocities", such as:  colon cancer, impaired kidney function, osteoporosis,  complications of diabetes, and to cap it all: constipation,  headache, bad breath, muscle cramps, diarrhea, general  weakness.

A few quick answers to some of these accusations from  Anthony Colpo:

Kidney disease: "Bodybuilders and strength athletes have  been consuming high-protein diets for decades. Given the  widespread global participation in these activities, if the  claims of kidney damage were true, by now there would be  an enormous number of case studies of ex-bodybuilders  and strength athletes afflicted with kidney disease," which  is obviously not the case.

Osteoporosis: "a low-carbohydrate, high fat, high protein  diet is a far better choice for building strong bones than  a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet."