WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF THESE TWO FAT HEAVY DIET BOOKS?

Fat Heavy Diet Books, do they pass the grade?

Lets see how The Atkins and The South Beach Diet measure up against Food First Wellness' Five Concepts Of Healthy Eating.

For more information, go back to the preceding article on the Fat Heavy Diet.

1. FOCUS: HEALTH

Both doctors see the importance in keeping insulin levels under control and how this impacts heart disease and obesity, among other health challenges. Unfortunately though, in my opinion, Dr. Agatson is “piggy-backing” Dr. Atkins popularity and success and he makes one very large change concerning proper fat intake. Dr. Atkins only really discouraged the intake of Trans Fats and saw the value in Saturated Fats, but Dr. Agatson, following the politically correct nutritional approach in America which “poo-poo’s” Saturated Fats and gives WAY too much credence (completely unwarranted) to the benefit of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat intake (especially polyunsaturated fats). This was and is a huge mistake! Grade: Atkins-B South Beach-D

2. FOCUS: SUSTAINABLE

The later phases of these programs are very simple to sustain as you are able to add numerous sources of carbohydrate intake to the plethora of protein/fat choices allowable in the Induction Phase or Phase One of the Atkins or South Beach respectively. Grade: Atkins/South Beach-A-B

3. FOCUS: ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL

Focus: One-Size-Fits-All. If you are a Carbohydrate Type and you burn carbohydrates slowly you do not want to touch either of these programs. You see, someone who burns carbohydrates slowly will not have the same issues with Insulin responses/Sugar level challenges as someone who is a Mixed Type or Protein Type. If you are a Carbohydrate Type, these programs will just lead to weight gain and disease. People who seem to respond well with a high fat/high protein diet may flourish on the Atkins. Grade: Atkins/South Beach-D-F

4. FOCUS: FOOD COMPLEXITY

Each of these doctors conveys the message that we must understand the endocrine system and the important part that food plays within our hormonal systems. Unfortunately, not much effort is spent on helping the readers understand the importance in the quality of the foods being consumed. Interestingly enough, the South Beach Diet becomes somewhat fat-phobic as the proteins are to be very lean, butter is not recommended and if you do consume dairy, it should be non-fat. Grade: Atkins: B- South Beach: D-F

5. FOCUS: HISTORY

Focus: History. Did you realize that heart disease in the United States was practically unheard of at the turn of the 20th century? We used to consume pounds of butter, loads of lard, and gallons of raw whole milk every month with very few health challenges to our heart. History shows us that all the cultures that have replaced these healthy fat foods with margarine, vegetable oils and pasteurized milk have developed numerous degenerative and infectious diseases. Grade: Atkins-B South Beach-D

So, I am wondering if a fat heavy diet is appropriate for anybody. If you know you are a protein type and your flourish on fattier proteins, your nutritional regimen should have some similarities to Atkins already. I like some of the concepts of the Atkins, but not all of them. I mean really, do we need to force the body into Ketosis to create body-fat loss?

I don’t think so.

Also, just in the same way that I find people that are addicted to carbohydrates gravitate to vegetarianism, I have seen the same challenge here. People who gravitate to fattier foods love a fat heavy diet. They begin to lose focus, become undisciplined and become bigger and more diseased than ever.

I will tell you that I do appreciate doctors who give credit where credit is do!

I love it when they value hormones, as they are greatly important. You have to treat food like a drug if you expect to improve your health, and these doctors do understand the havoc that uncontrolled insulin levels can create on the human body. My summation of these fat heavy diet books is mixed, but overall, I find them to be lacking, especially The South Beach Diet. But fat heavy diet books do push the envelope on understanding the role of hormones on our health, and that is a very valuable piece of wisdom for all of us!