The Atkins diet cuts against conventional wisdom. But if you read carefully and judiciously you will see that science is on the side of the low-card diets. Most general-practitioner doctors, who will advise you against Atkins, are about ten years behind the research on cholesterol science. The data is there and if you read the studies on both sides of the argument you will see the low-carbers are right. If you want to see the science for the low-carb diet I would look not only at the Atkins books but also Diana Schwarzbein's "The Schwarzbein Principle".
When people do their own research, many of them come to the same conclusions I did. This is one of the reasons low-carb diets are sweeping NYC. I hope this helps you.
After I got off the diet and began to gain weight again, that old pain came back with a vengence. I was ready to confess to anything as if I was being tortured, but I wasn't being tortured. It just felt like I was.
A couple of months ago, I decided to go back on the diet. I am not real strict with it, but I have managed to lose 20 lbs and the feet are MUCH better. I have one night a week I call "cheat" night. Usually I eat pasta! that night. I also sneak a bit of dark chocolate during the week. Mostly I eat meat and vegetables. What in the world could be wrong with that? I do stay away from potatoes and other high carb veggies. I also stay away from fruit, since there is really nothing in them except water and sugars.
If I eat a bunch of carbs (pasta, milk, cereal and all the other "low fat" food we are supposed to eat) all the time, my heart pounds in my head and I feel like crap. I also have terrible heartburn that keeps me awake at night and in pain all day.
But anyway, the Adkins diet is the diet for me. I feel good, my feet don't hurt as much, not too much heartburn, and losing weight very steadily. I also walk briskly with my dog nearly every night(he insists!).
Oh, Dr. Atkins helped me for sure. Lots of people already eat meat(protein) with nearly every meal...all I do is delete the breads, potatoes, grits, gravy, starches, sugars etc. that are widely consumed with the meats at any given table.
Sure instead of a single Wendy's with cheese for lunch, I have a double...throw the bread out back for the critters, and take a pass on the fries.
I challenge anyone to tell me aspargus, brussel sprouts, brocolli, and green beans are harmful to me since that is what I have instead of fries or baked potatoe with my charbroiled ribeye.