[geeks] Booze and Religion

[S. Gwizdak]

> I STRONGLY suggest you read the books and make an *informed* decision
> before making comments about something that you *clearly* have no
> knowledge on.

This message is not necessarily directed at you, but at everyone on the 
list thinking about the Atkin's type diets.

The Atkin's diet does work. It's just an incredible strain on the body.
My father almost died by trying it out. The best bet is to play the 
moderation game with the philosophy that the Atkin's diet espouses: 
lower your carbohydrate intake, and increase your protein intake. I 
wouldn't completely kill carb's completely out of a diet. Avoid greasy
foods high in saturated fats, and go with chicken, salmon, protein 
shakes, etc. 

You have to have at least 100 grams of carbohydrates per day to prevent
loss of lean tissue (muscle and organs). When carbohydrates are severly
restricted, the body goes into a state of ketosis. Energy is scavenged
from dietary protein and fat to suply glucose. To do this from protein
and fat requires depleting the body's reserve of glycogen. Glyogen is
stored in muscle and lean tissue, which the body will burn off first,
the body's metabolic rate drops because of this loss of lean tissue. 
High protein diets will additionally place a strain on kidneys.

The Atkin's book popularizes ketosis as the key to loosing weight. Many 
low carb diets include foods high in saturated fats and cholesterol, which
are generally not a good thing in the realm of heart diseases. Ketogenic 
diets may in some individuals increase uric acid levels that may lead to gout
or kidney stones. 

Another negative effect of ketosis is bad breath. Ketone bodies are not optimal
supplements for glucose, certain tissues do not respond well to ketone bodies.
These include the brain, muscles used for rapid movement, and red blood cells.
The brain requires 150 grams per day of carbohydrates to function properly. 
A diet that causes ketosis will slowly degrade reaction time.

People do loose weight on low carb diets, which is not a surprise. These are
a set of diets which cause ketosis (which in turn will decrease appetite), 
increased water loss, and decrease carbohydrate intake. (Starvation is always
a great way to lose weight.) 

So, I'll have to disagree with Atkins and his diet. But the idea of increasing
protein intake versus carbohydrate is sound. Don't overdo it. Avoid unhealthy
foods. Increase exercise intake. There was a lot of research performed on 
fat loss by changing carbohydrate to fat ratios [4]. Note, these ratios are
not drastic. 

[1] http://www.nutrition.cornell.edu/nutriquest/070799/toolocho.html
[2] http://www.nutrition.cornell.edu/nutriquest/ketosis.html
[3] http://www.dietitian.com/locarb.html
[4] http://www.thefactsaboutfitness.com/articles/fatloss.htm