Differing Carbohydrate Recommendations of the Atkins Diet and Food Pyramid :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Differing Carbohydrate Recommendations of the Atkins Diet and Food Pyramid   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A review of the carbohydrate intake of the Atkins Diet and the Food Pyramid Guide allow a comparison of their potential health effects relative to each other.   The Atkins Diet and the Food Pyramid Guide propose different levels of carbohydrate intake. The Atkins Diet allows for an extremely limited intake of carbohydrates, as little as one serving which is roughly 20 grams. The Food Pyramid Guide allows about 120-220 grams of carbohydrates a day, which are roughly six to eleven servings. These different levels of carbohydrate intake influence the body’s metabolism because â€Å"carbohydrates are an organic compound that serves as a major energy source for the body† (Dictionary.com). These carbohydrates convert to sugars that trigger insulin production, which our body needs for certain processes, and triggers fat storage (Health-Doc.com). According to the Institute of Medicine, adults should get 45 to 65 percent of their daily calories from carbohydrates. This is roughly seven servings based on a 2000 calorie/day diet.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Atkins Diet, in requiring a significantly smaller amount of carbohydrates than the Institute of Medicine, attempts to realign the dieter’s metabolism.   In the first two weeks of the diet no more than twenty grams of carbohydrates a day are to be eaten. Twenty grams of carbohydrates a day is the equivalent of one slice of bread. After this two-week induction period is over the diet is allowed to slowly increase its carbohydrate increments to about fifty grams of carbohydrates a day, or about two to three servings. The benefit of this low consumption of carbohydrates with the Atkins diet is to â€Å"efficiently switch your body from a carbohydrate-burning metabolism to a primarily fat-burning (your fat!) metabolism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  [The Atkins Diet is also supposed to] stabilize your blood sugar and abruptly halt a myriad of symptoms indicative of unstable blood sugar, such as fatigue, mood swings, brain fog and an inability to function at your best. This diet also will curb your cravings by stabilizing your blood sugar and break addictions to foods such as sugar, wheat or corn derivatives, alcohol, caffeine, grain or any other food† (Atkins.com). While these claims seem somewhat sweeping, they remain claims that are not supported by scientific information provided by their website, Atkins.com. The lack of supporting information and the grandiose nature of the claims make the science behind this diet seem somewhat suspect.