A colleague shared an article from Time magazine with me. The author celebrated because the late Dr. Atkins’ business empire recently filed for bankruptcy.
For more than thirty years, Dr. Atkins sold millions of books by telling the world that high-carb diets were making us fat. Now that his business may have gone belly up, is his idea bankrupt as well?
Let’s take a post-Atkins look his legacy. There is an important idea that got right. But you’ll see why a return to our natural diet is the best plan for sustainable fat loss.
In spite of all the criticism of Dr. Atkins, he had one very big and different idea: We American’s got fat not because we ate too much fat as the government has contended for decades but because we ate too much carbohydrate.
Researchers in Philadelphia published the results of the first scientifically controlled trial of the Atkins diet. They compared the Atkins diet to a conventional high-carb, low-calorie diet. After six months, the Atkins’ dieters lost twice as much weight.(1) In addition, they increased their HDL (good) cholesterol and lowered their triglycerides, (blood fat). These improvements were far greater than those on the regular diet.
Why do carbs pack on the pounds?
Starchy, hi-carb foods spike your blood sugar and trigger an insulin response. The more insulin your body releases, the more fat you will store.
This is a critical point most nutritionists ignore. Their idea that “calories alone determine body fat” ignores what your body decides to do with extra calories. There are many things your body can do with calories. Building bone, collagen, muscle and hundreds of maintenance activities all take calories.
Your hormones, namely insulin, growth hormone, testosterone, thyroid hormones rule the production and storage of fat. In shor,t the higher your insulin level, the fatter you become, all other things being equal. And you secrete no insulin in response to dietary fat. What do you need to build fat for if you are getting plenty of fat in the diet?
You produce insulin in direct proportion to the carbs you consume. By eating low-carb foods that are low on the glycemic index, you can regulate your blood sugar levels and minimize the amount of insulin seceted.
Early man ate a diet that was naturally low in carbs. Before the days of farming, (and grains) our ancestors lived on a diet of meat, wild vegetables, nuts and berries.
That diet gave them the strength, stamina and muscles growth they needed to survive under very harsh conditions. By returning to a diet that is natural to the human condition, you can easily – and naturally – lose those extra pounds.
The Atkins diet isn’t perfect, but time will prove that it’s no fad either. His idea of lowering carbs to lose weight is a fundamental step in returning to our natural diet.
In our next Health Alert, I’ll show you something Dr. Atkins missed – and how to fix it. By making this one simple adjustment, you’ll make the fat loss faster and better prevent disease.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
P.S. – When you switch to a low-carb diet, you may feel a little tired for a few days. This is natural. When your blood sugar stabilizes, you’ll usually start to feel more energy, mental clarity and sleep better, too.
(1) Foster G, et al. New England Journal of Medicine. May 22, 2003.