[Sca-cooks] OT Atkins diet, etc

[Avraham haRofeh]

> What gets me is the dieticians' and doctors' total disregard of the fact
> that people react differently!  For some, Atkins is a really good diet--I
> even lost my little potbelly on it, but I couldn't stand having no bread
or
> sweets. (Hate the taste of artificial sugars.) For others, that much fat
> would not work, and a low-carb veggie diet is better.  What we need is an
> understanding that if one doesn't work, try a different one--without
saying
> that the original NEVER works, just 'cause it didn't work in this case.

Most of us don't disregard that fact. Nevertheless, the Atkins diet is
UNSAFE and MEDICALLY UNSOUND. Oh, sure, it WORKS, but it's detrimental to
your overall long-term health.

Atkins works by reducing insulin secretion, by removing the carbohydrate
stimulus. Insulin, among other things, is an appetite stimulant. You don't
need ZERO carbs to reduce insulin - a moderate reduction (say 50-60%) will
reduce insulin dramatically. The high-protein Atkins diet puts undue stress
on the kidneys by creating a massively positive nitrogen balance, and can,
over time, cause serious damage.

A modified, not-so-high-protein, not-entirely-zero-carbohydrate version of
Atkins works well for hyperinsulinemics. I strongly discourage the use of
Dr. Atkins' books.

Avraham

****************************************
Avraham haRofeh of Northpass
     (mka Randy Goldberg MD)
OBTag: Don't kiss an elephant on the lips today.