ATKINS DIET - Off Topic?

[Soroush Ebrahimi]

Dear colleagues

Please advise if you have seen any adverse effects amongst your patients who
may be (or have been) on the Atkins diet.

Rgds
Soroush
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Mary Marlowe]

Atkins was definitely on the right track, but he was not clear about the
quality and kinds of fat that were healthful. Therefore, it really depends
on what foods the client chooses to eat that makes the overall difference.
Eliminating processed foods is a good thing, though, and most people get
too many sugars/empty carbohydrates in their food these days.

I prefer a grain-free approach, with Omega 3 supplementation (to avoid
mercury found in most fish these days). Grass fed beef is good, too. As are
whole fat dairy products, such as butter, yogurt, cream, etc....
Mary Marlowe

At 03:14 PM 8/8/2003 +0100, you wrote:

[Nancy Siciliana]

The only problem I've seen arise from this diet (and diets which are like
this but more moderate) results from inadequate support from using proper
supplementation--potassium supplements, enough magnesium in the diet,
chromium, etc. Also, one really needs to stress the use of proper fats and
the elimination of refined foods and bad fats.

Other than that, this type of diet really helps to get patients off their
cholesterol, blood pressure, and heart medicines quickly. Of course, some
of them begin to miss the grains and sugary foods after a while...but its
all manageable.

Of course, homeopathy goes a long, long way in getting rid of meds too--but
diets can often allow patients to feel as though they have made some
concrete positive changes in their lives right away. And they enjoy the
weight loss, too.

Regards,
Nancy

[Tanya Marquette]

what concerns me with the atkins diet is the almost neglect of vegetables, especially
greens. a friend is on that diet now and swears by it. but the only vegetable source
is a green salad. i worry that by classifying grains and vegetables as equal value in
a diet, people are not eating sufficient vegetables; ie, minerals and vitamins, especially
the trace ones.

what do other people think?

tanya

[Shannon Nelson]

Won't they get plenty of potassium and magnesium etc. if they eat tons of
veggies? Which I would think one should, to offset the acidity of the
meat??? (And do I remember right that lemon juice is allowed in the
morning, which should also be a good help?)

Shannon
on 8/8/03 7:22 PM, Nancy Siciliana at nasiciliana@hotmail.com wrote:

[Shannon Nelson]

Wow, I retract my previous post.
If they only veggies are "a green salad", then yeah, I'd sure want to take
supplements!!! (How could e.g. kale, green beans, beet greens, celery,
parsley, etc., *possibly* be equivalent to grains?????)

Shannon
on 8/8/03 7:48 PM, tanya at tamarque@frontiernet.net wrote:

[Mary Marlowe]

At 08:01 PM 8/8/2003 -0500, you wrote:

In fact, it is possible to get all the necessary nutrients without any
greens. Consider the Inuits, for example. Before contact with the
flour/powdered milk folks, they were very healthy eating mostly just fish!
For an enlightening glimpse into the past:
http://www.powerhealth.net/articles/default.htm

Check out the main web site at:
http://www.powerhealth.net/

I like a few greens in my diet, but I know that they are optional. Our dogs
have been grain free for about 9 year, and they eat very little green stuff
- most of which they graze from the yard. The raw meaty bones they get
provide for almost all their needs. I learn most of what I know about
nutrition from my dogs....

Mary Marlowe

[Patti Mount]

This is not true - for the first TWO weeks one is limited to 2 cups of DARK green salad fixings PLUS one cup of a
VARIETY of veggies per day & then the list grows after the first two weeks... so perhaps your friend is not
approaching the diet correctly? and I am quoting from Atkins books not just hearsay...

best, Patti.

[Joan Dunn]

Hi

I am a new member and like many others have been sitting on the sidelines!

I have just finished my second year of training and am looking forward to
beginning clinical practice shortly

Reading the various cases and comments has been both interesting and
enlightening.

The reason for this msg is to comment on the Atkins diet

I have had type 1 diabetes for over 26 years ....numerous problems, most
recently using a very fast acting (short term ) insulin , in conjunction
with a 24 hour background insulin ( relatively new). Prior to this I was
experiencing highs and lows - finding it difficult to get the balance right.
All of this has resulted in a weight gain of 2 stone over a 12 mth period.
Control has been slightly better on new regime, but not what I had hoped (or
was promised!) Also majority of weight gain has occurred since change of
background insulin.

Sorry to bore you with above, however background is important!

What I wanted to tell you was that I read about the Atkins diet (previously
believing it to be dangerous) and realised that it may be of use to type 1
diabetics! I have followed it for almost 2 weeks. My blood sugars are
already more stable - ranging from 5 - 10.5 (still a bit high at the top
end ) I have been able to totally cut out the fast acting insulin! And I
have reduced my background insulin from 29 to 27! I feel better already
(after the first few days without caffeine!)

By the way I am taking supplements (as recommended by my homeopath, who is
excellent - I have been seeing her for over 2 yrs)
Best Wishes
Joan

joan@endsleigh.freeserve.co.uk

[Tanya Marquette]

is it possible to create a vegetarian version of the atkins diet?
is it the meat that is so important, or the high protein?