The Atkins Diet

The Atkins Diet (or Atkins Nutritional Approach) is a well-known low
carbohydrate diet.
Dr. Robert Atkins adapted a diet he read in the Journal of the American Medical Association to resolve his own overweight condition.
He popularized the Atkins Diet in a series of books, after successfully helping over ten thousand overweight patients.

Dr. Atkins found that the main cause of obesity is eating refined carbohydrates, such as sugars and flour. He also stated that saturated fats are not so much of a nutritional problem, but that mainly trans fats from sources such as hydrogenated oils need to be avoided.

The Atkins Diet is about the restriction of carbohydrates in order to switch the body's metabolism from burning glucose to burning stored body fat. This is a process that starts when the body enters the state of ketosis as a result of running out of carbohydrates to burn. There are four phases of the Atkins diet: induction, ongoing weight loss, pre-maintenance and lifetime maintenance.

Although the emphasis is definitely on the diet, nutritional supplements and exercise are equally important elements in the success of this weight loss program.

To learn more about this diet, visit Dr. Atkins' official website.