Carbohydrates
A significant aspect of the Atkins Diet is the restriction and elimination of most carbohydrates from the diet. When beginning the Atkins Diet, only 20 g of carbohydrates are permitted each day, coming from non-starchy vegetables, like salad. Later in the diet more carbohydrates and a wider variety of carbohydrates are allowed. Carbohydrates that are often eliminated or restricted include white breads, pastas, cereals, rice, juices, sweets and starchy vegetables.
One possible explanation for the success of the Atkins Diet is that blood sugar and insulin levels are raised when carbohydrates enter the body. This sends the blood sugars into the cells in the body, which prevents them from breaking down. In a low-carb diet like Atkins, insulin and blood sugar levels are lowered as well. This can decrease cravings for high-carbohydrate foods, since these cravings come from fluctuating blood sugar levels.
Also, carbohydrates are the simplest form of energy for the body to utilize. Decreasing the available amount of carbs in the body causes fat cells to be broken down for energy instead, which causes a drop in weight.
Protein
The Atkins Diet is made up mostly of high-protein foods. These foods include red meat, chicken, fish, egg whites, soy protein, whey protein and dairy products. When losing weight, protein can be a very helpful part of your diet. It helps to keep muscle while burning fat, improve condition of the muscles, improve immunity, improve the function of antioxidants, increase HDL cholesterol, and improve functioning of insulin and leptin.
Also, the proteins and fats in high-protein foods take a longer time to break down for energy in the body. Consuming foods that are high in protein and fat will help your body feel full for a longer amount of time, which can cut back on the amount of calories consumed.
Ketosis
Ketosis is also an important weight loss factor in the Atkins Diet. The decrease in carbohydrates means a decrease in glucose and sugar in the body, which causes the liver to produce ketones from fatty acids. These ketones are then burned for energy. Put more simply, the body begins to break down and burn fat for energy. A fat turned into a ketone cannot be turned back into a fat so it is flushed from the body. As long as adequate amounts of protein are being eaten, the body will not break down the muscle tissue to access needed proteins.
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