You may have heard of Dr. Atkins and his controversial diet, especially if you’re interested in losing weight after none of your previous dieting attempts succeeded. Maybe, though, like me you’re just interested in your health and want more energy in your life. You are the type of person who would be most interested in Dr. Atkins’ Age-Defying Diet Revolution. This new book by Dr. Robert C. Atkins is not his diet program as outlined in his earlier bestseller, Dr. Atkins’ Diet Revolution, but more of a detailed explanation for his dietary advice that he believes will help those who follow it to remain as youthful and vigorous as possible for as long as possible.

He doesn’t mention sex twice a week, abdominal breathing or praying, but what he does advocate is a high-protein and saturated fat diet with loads of supplements daily (preferably his line of them) and moderate exercise. Refined carbohydrates and processed (trans) fats are the bad guys, which I agree with, but his scare tactics into making us buy every supplement on this planet makes him as much of a bad guy in my opinion.

The Content As Painlessly As Possible

PART I: AN INTRODUCTION TO DEFYING AGING

We shouldn’t follow the diet recommended by conventional medicine; saturated fat has been maligned, for people only a few generations ago ate lots of it; common diseases of aging can be avoided or eased.

PART II: WHY WE AGE

Six chapters that address the Western diet, carbohydrates and your heart, diabetes (notice the progression of becoming more detailed), insulin, free radicals and caloric restriction (he does not favor this).

PART III.: AGE-DEFYING NUTRIENTS

One incredible string of supplement ads for many, wonderful antioxidants, the antioxidant enzymes, cartenoids (beta-carotene is one of many) and bioflavonoids. Fascinating and very helpful in helping me to understand why I should eat lots of colorful veggies and fruits.

PART IV.: TECHNIQUES TO DEFY AGING

I learned about our hormones and how they’re all declining, so I should supplement with DHEA, especially, but other things would help, too. Essential fatty acids was discussed, which are every bit as important as he says, but I don’t take fish oil; chelation therapy; exercise and how to boost brain power (supplement with ginkgo biloba).

PART V: LIVING THE AGE-DEFYING DIET

He has plugged red meat, poultry and eggs throughout the book, as well as vegetables and fruits low in carbohydrates, but now I get numerous tables of how much Atkins values different fruits and vegetables for carbohydrate, antioxidant and vitamin/mineral/enzyme content. We need to tailor the diet to our specific needs, depending on our weight or health concerns.

My Thoughts

There is certainly a lot of research displayed here. I think the description of the stages that lead to diabetes would convince most people to reflect hard on their diets, how they feel after eating and their cravings. Definitely this low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet claims to be for diabetics, and the even more people unaware they are pre-diabetic, but though it helps reduce weight, I don't think it'll get rid of diabetic tendencies.

My concern with Dr. Atkins’s nutritional plan stems from his advice to eat as much protein (animal like steak and eggs) and saturated fat, even cream, as we want! Animal protein raises insulin levels, I've read, and perhaps a hundred years ago Americans ate more of these things, but they also ate lots of sugar and honey, which Atkins totally wants eradicated from our diet. He hates bananas, raisins and other dried fruit, white flour or rice (me, too), fat substitutes (agreed), soda, fruit juices, margarine (butter is much preferred, I avoid both) and skim milk or yogurt should be limited, too. He doesn’t mention soy products at all to my disappointment. Soy does not raise insulin.

So do I think we need to supplement our diets as much as he advises? If you have a health problem, tailoring your supplement intake to what best helps that problem would seem reasonable. Unfortunately Atkins makes them all sound so beneficial in prevention or in keeping youthful that it’s hard to not want to choose them all.

For myself I get most of my vitamins, minerals and enzymes in a daily Spiru-tein shake, take spirulina capsules for my Omega 3 fatty acids (but I’m looking for purslane) and my diet is a balance of soy protein, low-density carbs, monounsaturated fats and whole grains/legumes/sweet potatoes. I use honey sometimes and take a zinc/Vitamin C lozenge daily. I’m never sick, feel great and very young!

Atkins is probably right that trans or processed fats, like partially hydrogenated stuff, are much more detrimental to our health than saturated fats, but I don’t see how saturated fats are needed at all when monounsaturated fats, such as found in olive oil, avocadoes and macademia nuts, are so nutritious!

In the final analysis he’s encouraged me to retry drinking green tea, but that’s about it. I won't be reading his several books and cookbooks. Diabetics and pre-diabetics, which could be the majority of us, eat more soy, fresh or steamed veggies, fruits and monounsaturated fats. Supplement your diet with whole grains, Omega 3 fatty acids and a comprehensive arsenal of vitamins/minerals/enzymes.
That's just my advice. I'm not a doctor.

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