In one of his last books, "Dr. Atkins' Age-Defying Diet," published in 2001, Dr. Robert Atkins discussed his techniques for the treatment of women dealing with the complaints of menopause. It was his idea that there were natural, safe ways to eliminate menopause symptoms and lower the risk of osteoporosis. His approach consisted of diet, supplemental nutrition and exercise.
Atkins Diet
Dr. Atkins emphasized the reduction of carbohydrates to help stabilize blood sugar and insulin levels. This was based on the concept that when carbohydrates are significantly restricted, the body will burn fat for fuel. As explained in "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution," there were four phases of the diet. The first, the 14 day Induction Phase, strictly limited carbohydrates to fewer than 20g of carbohydrate per day. This first phase usually resulted in significant weight loss and encouraged participants to continue. The next three phases were Ongoing Weight Loss, Pre-Maintenance and Lifetime Maintenance. In each of these phases, carbohydrate intake was gradually increased, depending on each individual's metabolism. Patients were encouraged to use urine test sticks to test the level of fats being broken down in the body to guide them in the amount of carbohydrates to add into the diet.
Supplemental Nutrition
According to Dr. Atkins, diet alone was not enough. He pointed out the important role of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, herbs, hormones, and other forms of natural nourishment. He called these substances "vitanutrients," explaining that they nourished and sustained life. As discussed in "Dr. Atkins' Age-Defying Diet," he often prescribed nutrients such as folic acid, boron, essential oils, the B vitamins, vitamin C and vitamin E as being valuable additions to the diets of patients.
Hormones
Although Dr. Atkins was not a proponent of hormone replacement therapy using synthetic estrogen and progesterone, his research indicated that there were certain hormones, such as DHEA and pregnenolone, that could be replaced in the body to assist women with building stronger bones, strengthening the immune system, improving muscle tone and helping with short term memory loss. In "Dr. Atkins' Age-Defying Diet," he warned women not to take supplements on their own. He used blood measurements of hormone levels in order to determine proper dosages and advised women to seek supervision from an experienced physician.
Exercise
Dr. Atkins recommended any exercise that could be enjoyed enough to practice regularly. However, he often suggested walking since it was a weight-bearing exercise that could help in the prevention of osteoporosis. Additionally, aside from the physical advantages, it appeared to improve mental fitness. When discussing supporting research in "Dr. Atkins' Age-Defying Diet," he said that one-third of heart attacks in women of any age could be prevented by three hours of brisk walking spread across a week's duration.
New Research
In the conclusion of the book on his age-defying diet, Dr. Atkins reminded his readers that new scientific developments were constantly being made that could change people's lives for the better. He wanted readers to maintain an interactive relationship with him and with his staff through the internet to take advantage of new information. Since his death in 2003, the Atkins philosophy has been carried on through his website. A Science Advisory Board made up of nationally known experts in the fields of nutrition, metabolism, physiology and food science was created to continue educating consumers. However, the concentration has been placed more on the Atkins weight loss diet rather than a continuation of his research on aging and the symptoms of menopause.
References
- "Dr. Atkins' Age-Defying Diet"; Robert C. Atkins, M.D.; 2001
- "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution"; Robert C. Atkins, M.D.; 1992
- Atkins International: Science Behind Atkins
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