Myth Busters: Is Atkins a Healthy Way to Lose Weight?

You get a lot of wellness experts who disagree with the Atkins diet, arguing that you need carbohydrates to ensure your wellbeing and stick with a long-term weight loss plan. However, according to nutritionist Colette Heimowitz, this nay-saying behaviour is based on a belief in five myths, which need to be debunked:

 

1. The Atkins Diet contains too much saturated fats, which can lead to host of health problems.

Heimowitz argues, ‘Saturated fats, which are typically solid at room temperature and are found in meat, poultry, dairy products and palm and coconut oils, may be beneficial when consumed as part of a balanced intake of natural fats. When you restrict your carbs, your body makes less saturated fat while burning more of it.’ She adds that, on the Atkins diet, the only fat you truly need to avoid are trans fats, as these can increase your body’s level of inflammation as well as your risk of heart attacks.

 

2. As Atkins is high in protein, it can lead to kidney problems.

When you eat an ideal level of protein, it should make you full (but not completely stuffed) after a meal and hungry in time for your next one. ‘Atkins’ typical intake of 12 to 18 ounces of protein a day is not considered a high-protein diet,’ Heimowitz explains. ‘And most concerns about eating too much protein are unfounded in that they are based on limited or flawed research. For example, the myth that a high protein intake can damage kidneys probably arose from the fact that people who already have advanced kidney disease can’t clear away the waste from even moderate protein intake. There’s absolutely no evidence that any healthy person has experienced kidney damage from eating the amount of protein consumed on Atkins.’

 

3) You don’t eat any vegetables on Atkins.

‘In addition to protein and healthy natural fats, certain vegetables are the foundation of the Atkins way of eating,’ Heimowitz asserts. ‘Vegetables do contain carbohydrates but, in most cases, these are exactly the kinds of carbs you should be consuming. But the key word is “most.” Rather than promoting the standard dietary fiction that all vegetables are equally healthful and should be consumed in unlimited servings, the Atkins way draws distinctions: A serving of spinach is better than a serving of peas; broccoli is more health-protective than potatoes.’

 

4. It is better to maintain a low-fat diet than a low-carb diet like Atkins.

Research has shown that, after the one- and two-year mark, a low-carb diet like Atkins is more effective for long-term weight loss than a conventional low-fat diet, and is beneficial and safe if you’re highly resistant to insulin or carbohydrates. Heimowitz enthuses, ‘This is great news, because these are the people who need to keep carb consumption low for the long term to control the insulin resistance and carb intolerance.’ She adds that science continues to show how Atkins is a viable solution for reversing obesity and the risk factors associated with heart disease.

 

5) You only lose water weight – and not fat – on the Atkins diet.

Heimowitz allows, ‘Typically on any weight loss plan, including Phase 1 of Atkins, the weight you lose is primarily water (diuresis) during the first few days or even the first week. However, on a controlled carbohydrate plan with adequate dietary fat, after diuresis, your body switches from burning carbohydrates to primarily burning stored body fat—along with dietary fat—for energy, which results in weight loss. Moreover, the weight lost is mainly fat, not lean body mass.’

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