Atkins diet information

Here you'll find basic Atkins diet information that will give you the facts behind the hype.

This controversial eating plan has generated a huge amount of debate and continues to enjoy enormous popularity.

The original source for Atkins diet information is of course the 'New Diet Revolution', which was first published in the 1970s by the doctor himself. In this book, he claimed that cutting down the carbohydrates in your diet could lead to considerable weight loss.

This caused quite a stir in the medical world as it seemed to fly in the face of accepted practice. Namely that eating fruit and veg was good for you whereas high meat consumption led to obesity and heart disease. Although there is a great deal of it, information on the Atkins diet has become rather confused as rumours, accusations, and media hype have spread with its growing popularity.

So what is involved exactly? In essence, there are three phases. In the first two week phase of great intensity, you're meant to eat a maximum of twenty grams of carbs per day. This means no fruit, starchy vegetables, bread or grains are allowed. Small portions of broccoli and salad are not forbidden but the emphasis here is on eating meat, fish, eggs and butter. The idea behind it all is that cutting out the carbohydrates causes your body to start burning fat as energy instead. The next two phases involve slowly reintroducing carbohydrates into your diet but at a reduced level than you probably ate before.