Diabetes And The Atkins Diet
The ‘Atkins diet’ is a low carbohydrate diet. Carbohydrates have been taking a beating for their reputed effect on the waistline in recent years due to the surge of low-carb diets such as the Atkins diet..The Atkins diet helds the controversial belief that low fat is not the only way to go for a healthier lifestyle and weight control.
The Atkins diet is best matched for people who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes or who are overweight and at risk for developing this disease.
The basis of low carbohydrate diets stems from the idea which foods which have carbohydrates, (e.g. rice, bread, pasta, sugar) promote insulin secretion and hence energy storage and the storage of fat. Low-carb diets are depended on the idea that if carbohydrate intake is limited, the body will use its own fat as a main source of energy.
Ketosis is the same state basically for people who are fasting or experiencing extreme starvation. Ketosis is when there are no glycogen reserves in the liver so the body breaks down muscle mass in order to make energy that are essential for brain function.
The Atkins diet is classified into three phases. Phase I – Carbohydrate is restricted to less than 20 g per day. They are allowed to eat fats, meats, eggs and small amounts of salad. All carbohydrate including food including fruit and milk, should be avoided. Vitamin supplements are encouraged. Phase II – Slightly more carbohydrate is allowed to encourage a gradual ongoing weight loss. Phase III – When the ideal weight is achieved, carbohydrate intake can be increased until the weight stabilises. Ideally, this should not exceed 90 g per day.
The Atkins diet is very controversial. The Atkins diet does not allow fruit, bread, pasta, grains, nuts, milk and starchy vegetables. The long term effects of the Atkins diet and until this is available it is impossible to predict the happening of long term side effects. It is also not know if this diet has any benefits over conventional diets. It is possibly not advisable for diabetic patients on insulin therapy to attempt the Atkins diet.
The low carbohydrate content would make their blood sugars harder to manage and predispose to hypoglycaemia. Mninmising insulin doses as a result may lead to diabetic ketoacidosis. Men and women lost twice the weight on the Atkins plan, than to those individuals following a ‘high-respected’ low-fat diet.
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