For the last four years or so I have had ME or PVS. Without boring everyone with the names this is a (now at long last recognised) disease thought to be produced by one or more viruses, which produces weakness and lassitude, and, in extreme cases, a state of being more or less permanently bedridden. Fortunately I never went down that far, but it certainly provoked early retirement.
The problem that I still find is that the weakness, a sort of background trembling, sends the wrong messages about hunger, and, to try to counteract the effects, one eats. In point of strict fact this is a waste of time because it isn't hunger that is causing the problem. The effect, nonetheless, is to encourage overeating, and a spiralling weight problem.
I first came across the Atkins diet when my eldest daughter recommended it to me. The basic idea is to avoid almost all carbohydrate. I cannot eat sugar or drink alcohol anyway, having a supersensitivity to these, so going the whole hog (if I may reverse a saying) was not a serious problem.
Avoiding
absolutely all carbohydrate is probably not a good idea, and may well be impossible anyway unless one is fanatical, most foods containing at least some. Apparently there have been cases where people have killed themselves by being obsessional in this sort of diet, but for most, used sensibly, it is not a problem. In fact there are some definite benefits for most people. As a nation we eat far too much carbohydrate, both sweet and nonsweet, and it is interesting that the low fat fad which seems to possess the Western nations at the moment is notoriously ineffective at preventing obesity.
Contrary to instinct, it is carbohydrate (at least, in the amounts we eat) and not fat that makes us fat. Excess carbs are stored in the body as fat naturally: serious excess intake merely produces a lot of fat. Solution? Stay off carbs, but still enjoy your food, with fat.
I eat a lot of salad stuff, vegetables, red and fat meat, eggs, bacon, cheese, full fat milk, natural yoghurt, no problem. I have sugar free-jelly with cream, fruit in very careful moderation, occasional small cream eclairs. Once on the diet (there is an induction period when you have to wean yourself off carbs, and that is tough) small amounts of carbs don't seem to matter. My weight is now under control, I seem to have a lot more energy than I did before I started, and I very rarely experience hypoglycemic episodes which I used to get practically every day and which were the bane of my existence.
My 7 year-old grandson has myoclonic epilepsy. Having run out of drug options, the last experimental trial having been a total disaster, Ben was put on an Atkins diet. He still suffers seizures, but they are both far fewer and less severe than before. There appears to be a direct connection between excess sugar in the blood and myoclonic attacks. The Atkins diet effectively disconnects his eating habits and the disease and has been a very effective answer to his problem.
You need to be aware of the carb content of the food you eat, and to monitor retail mixtures like sauces very carefully. The fortnight induction is very important, when you stay off almost all carbs, and can be quite hard work. You feel as if you have 'flu. After that you start reaping the benefits - more energy, real weight control or actual loss, general feeling of greater well-being, and ability to eat tasty food. It is more expensive, because carbs are cheap, and you do need three good meals a day, but nowhere near as costly as some proprietary diets.
Since that was written, some months ago now, I might add two more pertinent items. The first is about the epilepsy. Not only is the diet controlling Ben's seizures, but he is much more alert and 'with it', and where before he had great difficulty in concentrating on anything, now his attention levels have improved dramatically. For some epileptics this diet has worked miracles; in others the effect is marginal. Ben is probably median here.
The other point is that in the intervening period the press and the big medical guns have got hold of this and in usual fashion are rubbishing Atkins for not being a 'balanced diet', 'dangerous', etc, etc. I'm not saying don't listen, but remember that, ignoring vested interests, the medical profession generally is usually very slow to change their ideas, and facts have overtaken them in a number of key areas in the past (ME being one, of course).
It is a simple fact that if one looks around the world one can find endless examples of whole societies which have not had a 'balanced diet', according to western standards, and live long and healthy lives. The Masaai in East Africa (very largely meat, blood and milk), and the Inuit (Blubber, meat, no fruit, no vegetables) are just two cases in point. I know of at least two people in this country who have survived very happily on a wildly unbalanced diet for many years, and who successfully hold down demanding jobs into the bargain (teaching and banking).
The Atkins diet, or variations on it, is variable in its effects, and this is because our metabolisms are different person to person. If it works for you, brilliant; if not, that's fine, and I am sure that you will find a regime which does. But the diet, used sensibly, is not dangerous, can have huge benefits, and is a shed cheaper than some.
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Delighted Atkins has worked for you. I wanted to lose weight and so tried it. I lost weight but also the cluster migraines I used to suffer from. Really pleased there are other converts out there that is has had positive health benefits for. I had a couple of sceptics telling me it was unhealthy but hey it obviously doesn't work for everyone. Well done :0)
laura_harley 02.06.2003 16:17
excellent - glad it worked for you!
JamiesGirl 12.04.2003 23:02
Excellent op. My mum started this diet about 2 weeks ago and lost at least half a stone in the first week but unfortunately feels she has gone wrong somewhere because she has started to put on some weight again even on this diet. Do you know of any websites that may give an idea about getting started and continuing on the Atkin's Diet? I would really appreciate any help you could offer as I am looking to maybe give this diet a go. Well done.
Danny xx.
Advantages: Provides a natural appetite supressant, and constant weight loss. Disadvantages: Bad breath,lethergy,headaches,cramp,spots,greasy hair,etc etc
lizbizi 24.08.2003 (24.08.2003)
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