Controversy: The Atkins Diet

We must all now be familiar with the Atkins Diet. Of all of the 'trend' diets that move through our popular culture, none has caused as much interest or controversy. Put forward by the late Dr. Robert Atkins in the 70's, the diet that has caused a storm is continuing to acquire both dedicated followers and severe opponents both within and without the medical community.

The Atkins diet itself is only the most popular of an approach usually called low-carb diets because of the primary interest in restricting consumption of Carbohydrates. Since the entire spectrum of our food is drawn from proteins, fats, carbohydrates or water, severe restriction of one group is seen by many as an arbitrary and possibly even dangerous step.

Most of the controversy
For instance most rice, particularly white rice, will convert to sugar almost immediately in our system and we've already seen some of the devastating effects of excess sugar consumption. Grains, no matter what source they come from will cause elevated insulin levels. For the very healthy amongst us, who have extremely sensitive insulin (either through good genetics, regular exercise or a combination of both) may be able to carefully use small quantities of grains to fuel their bodies through the periods of high activity. However for the vast majority of people, the excess of grains will result in almost all the same problems as sugar consumption. Many low-carb exponents are suspicious of medical advice to eat grains, many citing Government subsidies of mass agriculture. Eating grains is a very cheap and simple way of providing food, but cheap and simple is rarely the same as healthy and good.

OKAY, SO ARE THERE ANY GOOD CARBOHYDRATES??

The good news for carbohydrates is that they can claim the HEALTHIEST of foodstuffs amongst their number. Here is where a simple view of the Atkins diet and other strict no or low carb diets flounder. Not all carbs are created equal as we know and the carb group that is utterly essential to our survival?
But guess what? Vegetables make grains seem pretty redundant. A small handful of organic vegetables will contain more vitamins and minerals than virtually a day's worth of grains, all in an easier to digest package, with extra water and no danger of insulin overload.

Even on a low-carb diet you can stuff yourself silly with vegetables without fear. The primary advantage of a low-carb diet is insulin control and vegetables won't interfere with that. Remember organic vegetables have a much higher vitamin and mineral content, also the darker green or red a vegetable the higher the amount of beneficial Chlorophyll inside the plant. Try to eat your veggies raw and fresh and often. A regular supply of varied veggies is like nature's most perfect multivitamin pill.
OKAY, SO WE EAT VEGGIES BUT WHAT ABOUT ALL THE OTHER FOODS YOU