The Atkins Diet was a dieting model adapted by Dr. Robert Atkins from earlier works in the 1960's. The basis for the diet is low intake of certain carbohydrates and high intake of proteins and saturated fats. The diet was recently updated and named The Atkins Diet Revolution and has become very popular due to the celebrity endorsement it has received, especially amongst Hollywood stars.

How does the Diet work?

Many people who go on the usually fad and fashionable diets, particularly the obese, struggle with food cravings and find it too difficult to simply eat less. The Atkins Diet offered itself as a win-win alternative to people who struggle to eat less by allowing them to consume enough volumes of food to fulfil their cravings, whilst still losing weight. As a person loses weight, naturally their stomach shrinks thus they begin consuming less as a result.

Glucose (blood sugar) is the body's main energy source, and is derived mainly from carbohydrates. Glucose which isn't burned off through exercise is stored as fat. By lowering carbohydrate intake, this forces the body's metabolism to speed up and as it still needs glucose it begins refining much of the glucose from the body's fat storage, thus causing a person to lose weight. This process is at its most rigorous during the induction phase of the diet.

Eating enough protein is essential to the Atkins Diet, as protein is a muscle building and maintaining nutrient. Without enough protein the body's metabolism will not only eat the body's fats, but also begin to eat away the body's muscle mass, which isn't good.

Important points regarding the Atkins Diet

- The Atkins Diet may be used to lose weight initially and maintain weight loss, or simply to lose weight in the beginning before switching to another regime such as plenty of exercise and a different diet.

- It isn't an excuse to continue to eat excessively and shirk from exercise. Both gradually eating less and taking plenty of exercise are encouraged.

- Advocates of the Atkins Diet believe saturated fats aren't the biggest threat to health, but trans-fats are.

- Having a lowered carbohydrate intake dramatically reduces coronary issues and lowers blood pressure.

There are many opinions regarding the Atkins Diet (or any diet, for that matter), therefore to make an informed decision, consult your G.P. for their advice before embarking on the Atkins Diet or any other diet.

None of the information contained in this article is designed or intended to replace professional medical from a doctor.