More info on Atkins diet

[Guest guest]

I have been watching the discussion on this terrible diet. Did you

know that there has been a 16-year-old girl that has died from it

because of what it did to her heart? There have been others that

have suffered heart disease and heart attacks also. There has been a

whole website set up for people to research this and even write in

their own personal accounts of the problems it has caused them. You

can check it out here: http://www.atkinsdietalert.org/

I also recommend that anyone considering this diet listen to the

doctors on the radio show Watchdog that is archived here:

http://live.palosverdes.com/ramgen/watchdog/watchdog20040301.rm

 

This really is a dangerous diet. You lose weight on it because, even

though it is high in fat, it is low-calorie. The first stage also

takes advantage of what is called ketosis - very dangerous.

 

There really is no shortcut to permanent weight loss. Fad diets are

hard to follow and maintain, and most of them are anything but

healthy. The best idea for losing weight is simply to eat a variety

of healthy foods and get some exercise, even if it is just walking

each day. This whole low-carb thing is not what it is cracked up to

be. You might be interested to know that I eat a LOT of

carbohydrates, but have lost weight anyway. What they fail to make

clear is that there is a major difference between simple carbs - like

white flour, refined sugar, etc. and complex carbs, like whole-grain

foods and pasta. Actually, a high-carb diet is much healthier, with

the fresh fruits and veggies added to it, and you are more likely to

lose weight on it. This is because the complex carbs break down

slowly throughout the day, giving you a steady supply of energy. You

don't have the highs and lows (like you do from simple carbs), so

that you do not feel as hungry. Therefore you eat less and lose

weight. You also have the added benefit of improving blood pressure

and lowering risk for heart disease, strokes, and diabetes, among

other things. You get all the vitamins and minerals that you need

from the wide variety of foods, which is a lot healthier than relying

on suypplements to take up the slack. It is just not the same.

 

My wife and I have both lost quite a bit of weight (over 30 lbs.

each!) since we became vegetarians about a year ago. My blood

pressure dropped from high (they were aobut to put me on medication)

to normal, and we have a lot more energy and stamina. Our moods also

improved, and our immune systems seem to fight off disease better.

We just don't get sick like we used to. And we weren't even TRYING

to lose wight. It just happened naturally, without any effort at all!

 

Now, I know that there is supposed to be a vegetarian Atkins diet,

but I still can't imagine that it is good for you. There are just

too many health risks associated with it. It even affects your mood,

because carbohydrates help to stimulate production of a key brain

chemical called serotonin, which controls our emotions, and a

shortage can lead to mood swings and depression.

 

Here is the list of articles I have accumulated on this diet from a

BBC series that will give you more unbiased info on it:

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/health/3522903.stm

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/health/3416637.stm

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/health/3186956.stm

 

Hope this helps.

 

Virgil

http://cyberactivist.blogspot.com/

activistsagainstfactoryfarming/

 

Sometimes the majority only means that

all the fools are on the same side.

 

---- Unknown

 

Whenever you find you are on the side of Majority it is time to pause

and reflect.

-- Mark Twain