Atkins and Ketosis

 

The basic principle of the Atkins diet is that a state of ketosis will help you burn your fat stores for energy. Many people, even those on low-carb diets, have a poor understanding of ketosis and why it works.

Most diets are calorie reduction diets. They help you lose weight, but some of the weight comes from fat and some from lean muscle tissue.

While it may seem smaller on the scale, your metabolism is actually slowing down. The more muscle you lose, the slower your metabolism will be. This makes losing weight more difficult and gaining weight even easier.

The Atkins diet, on the other hand, restricts carbohydrates. It creates a state of ketosis in your body that burns only fat and not muscle.

The main source of energy for your body will be fat in the form of ketones. Your liver will convert the fat into ketones and it cannot be converted back. It will be excreted naturally.

Ketones are currently a normal and efficient fuel source for the human body. They are created in the liver from fatty acids that result from the breakdown of body fat.

These only appear when there is an absence of glucose and sugar. On the Atkins diet, you reduce the amount of glucose and sugar in your bloodstream. As a result, your body produces ketones for fuel. When your body is creating ketones, it is called ketosis.

There is a misconception that following a ketogenic diet like Atkins is dangerous. The truth is that being in ketosis is a completely natural state. The human body creates ketones to use for fuel in the absence of glucose.

In the Atkins Diet book, Dr. Atkins suggests using ketone test strips to determine your ketosis status during the diet.

These small plastic strips are held in the urine stream and contain a special chemically treated absorbent pad. This pad will change color if ketones are in the urine.

With the presence of ketones, the strip will change from various shades of pink to purple. There is a color scale on the bottle label to help you determine your ketone levels.

Ketone strips are available at any drug store and can be found in diabetic supplies. In some stores, they are kept behind the counter, so you may need to order them.

However, you will not need a prescription to buy them. Once you open a package of ketosis strips, they have a shelf life of 6 months. It may be helpful to mark the opening date on the box.

The ketone strips will let you know if you are progressing properly on the Atkins diet. If you are following the induction plan to the letter and you don't see the color purple, don't worry.

Some people never show trace amounts of ketones or they may appear just above the trough line.

As long as you are losing weight and inches then you will be using ketones with success. Also, if you just exercised a few hours before using the strips, you may not see purple.

Some dieters may mistakenly believe that a dark purple test strip result means they are losing weight faster. The darker purple color is actually a sign of dehydration. It means that your urine is too concentrated and you need to drink water.

Ketones come from the fat in your bloodstream, whether it's fat you eat or fat you burn. So if you eat a high-fat meal and immediately use a test strip, you will see a dark purple result. Use the strips as a guide, but don't get obsessed with color.

Reaching a state of ketosis is key to the success of the Atkins diet and is as simple as eliminating carbohydrates from your diet. Make sure you follow the meal plan correctly and use the ketone test strips as needed.