[soapbox on] there is no "right" diet for everyone. also, i wish science/medicine would stop pretending everyone is or reacts the same. ok, that is as much a generalisation as science coming up with the explanation that consuming protein acts as an appetite suppressant. not for me. most certainly not. eating protein especially animal protein actually increases my appetite plus i gain weight from it, a combination that made my life hell when i was a teenager and my mother (on doctor's recommendation) decided to put me on the atkins diet. alright, since then the atkins diet and the availability of fiber rich foods has come a long way but still. it took me decades to figure out that that a high protein/low carb was the opposite of what i personally needed, was pretty much the worst eating plan for me.

i thrive and can keep weight down (or rather: healthy, of normal weight but not fashionably skinny-lean) by avoiding meats, only minimum dairy, some fish, eating lots of greens and fruits, smaller amounts of vegetable proteins, larger amounts of starchy carbohydrates with lots of fiber, including alot of fine quality durum wheat italian pasta as well as organically grown potatoes you can eat with the skin on. lots of oils and nut fats, much much more than anyone would suppose is possible to eat and actually lose weight. and of course, sensibly keeping sugar intake as low as possible but allowing fresh and dried fruits and regular self-baked items using as sweeteners small amounts of fructose or raisin paste i make myself.

now parts of that jives with atkins, parts clearly don't.

the common denominator(s) in the varying plans that work keeping people healthy (apart from appropriate exercise) is cutting processed foods, cutting sugars either entirely or cutting refined sugars, cutting refined starches, vastly increasing fiber and (raw) vegetables (although that also may be totally wrong for some people with specific bowel syndromes), switching to high quality nut and seed oils. if you seriously change your eating habits thus (not just bits here and there), then you will most surely lose weight if you've got too much. from that basis take it then step by step, checking your body's reactions and also how you feel emotionally. finding a liveable, enjoyable eating plan that works individually is a longer process but you will be happier in the long run.

i'm not saying avoid atkins so it is in no way necessary now for anyone to jump in and defend the plan, on the contrary it may just be the right eating plan for you but i am saying it may be entirely wrong for you. consulting doctors is necessary - as always - but consider also that far too little research has yet been done that provides reliable answers as to why and how people differ so widely in how they process food. [/soapbox]

weiterfuehrende infos fuer wen es interessiert.

info: www.diaetindex.de

pro: www.wissenschaft.de atkins.com

con: www.netdoktor.de www.forum-diaetetik.de