The Nutritional Legacy Of The Atkins Plan

Doctor Atkins was a real live cardiologist who was interested
in alternative healthcare and in ways to help his patients lose
weight. In the 1970s, he wrote a relatively famous book, "Dr.
Atkins Diet Revolution". In his book, he wrote of a diet
recommendation that was completely different from the
traditional diets of his day. His book was very popular and
many sought "The Atkins' Diet" as a way to keep eating protein
and fat, while avoiding carbohydrates.

The Atkins Plan was very controversial. It was so high in fat
and protein that other cardiologists often refused to use it as
it was felt to raise the fat and cholesterol in the diet. Some
doctors felt the diet was a "heart attack waiting to happen".
Even in the 1970s, doctors knew that cholesterol was bad and
that it caused arterial plaques to form in the heart, resulting
in a heart attack. While good ways to lower cholesterol weren't
known back then, a diet low in fat was felt to be a way to
reverse the effects of heart disease.

The Atkins Plan was also high in protein. Protein isn't
inherently bad, especially for body builders, but few
nutritionists recommend eating it in high amounts. A high
protein diet can cause kidney disease and even gouty arthritis.
The meat group used so much in the Atkins diet is actually
recommended in limited amounts for those wanting to lose weight
by most nutritionists.

Carbohydrates are to be limited, said Dr. Atkins. He felt
dieters should count carbohydrates on his diet and eat very
little bread or pasta. The only carbohydrates recommended were
those found in fresh vegetables like salads, often served with
fat rich salad dressing.

In one Atkins menu, it was recommended on one diet plan to eat
as many pork rinds as you wanted, using a tuna salad as a
dressing. When was the last time that a weight loss diet
included unlimited pork rinds? Pork rinds are considered one
of the worst snack foods out there, much less something you
should eat for lunch.

There were those who waited to see what would happen to Atkins
himself because of his own adherence to the Atkins diet. In
fact, Dr. Atkins did develop a form of cardiomyopathy. While
his family said it was unrelated to the diet, this is a fact
that could never be proved. A year later, at the age of 72, he
slipped on the ice in front of his office and diet of brain
trauma. The status of his coronary arteries remains unknown.

In today's time, it is well established that heart disease can
be prevented by lowering cholesterol and fat. While we have
medications for this condition, dieticians recommend a low fat
diet for those at risk for heart disease, including diabetics.
The Atkins diet plan flies in the face of these recommendations,
and yet, there are still dieters today who use the Atkins diet
for weight loss.

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