Posts Tagged ‘Overweight And Obesity’

Atkins Nutrition and Carbs

A glance at the list of food sources for these essential micronutrients quickly shows you how important fruity vegetables, nuts and pulses are, precisely the food groups you severely restrict on a classic low-carb diet. Fish, chicken and red meat supply a small number of these nutrients as well, but many are simply not present in these foods. And, of course, normally we eat these foods cooked, and the cooking process can severely deplete the nutritional value. A fat and protein-oriented diet will not provide the nutritional profile you need for good health.

But Atkins does recommend supplements, you may reply, surely that will ensure I get the right nutritional profile. Unfortunately Atkins was no micronutritionist, and the supplement recommendations, though they go some way to compensating for a very skewed diet, are not well thought through and in some areas are completely inadequate. For example, the importance of vitamin K, resistant starch, flavonoids and sterols to a healthy diet is simply not recognized.

Moreover there is plenty of evidence about the benefits of whole foods for health, such as the importance of fibre for healthy digestive functioning. Supplements can support a healthy eating programme, but your starting point for good nutrition should be the whole foods you eat at every meal.

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