# Atkins Diet Back in the News.



## Corey123 (Mar 7, 2007)

The Atkins Diet has been said to be good again. It's a low-carb diet geared at greatly reducing carbs in the body, thereby allowing the user of the diet to shed some weight.

It was on the news this morning. For a while, the diet has been under fire because top health officials have been saying that it wouldn't work and was dangerous.

The inventor of the diet, Dr. Atkins, has died several years ago from a heart attack. Since then, the diet itself has been the subject of controversy, leading many top experts to place a big question mark on the diet.

Now, those same experts who have critisized the diet are saying that it's good again!


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## redkitty (Mar 7, 2007)

I read this as well and ....I still dont buy it.


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## Alix (Mar 7, 2007)

Me either redkitty. There is no way something that nearly eliminates an essential part of the food pyramid can be good for you. Every nutritionist/dietician that I have spoken to says that you need every component (carbs, protein, fat, etc) in your diet to stay healthy. The key is of course balance (diet and exercise) and *moderation*.


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## Uncle Bob (Mar 7, 2007)

The Adkins Diet along with 99.9% of all Fad diets are designed to make money! Period. Will they work? Maybe. But at what costs? They are what I call "Snake Oil"... Reminiscence of the traveling minstrel shows of days gone by where the "magic elixer" was a cure all.
"Step right up ladies and gentleman"......for only $.50... 1 bottle of Dr. Bob's potion will cure..........


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## Alix (Mar 7, 2007)

Uncle Bob said:
			
		

> "Step right up ladies and gentleman"......for only $.50... 1 bottle of Dr. Bob's potion will cure..........


 
Is there whiskey in that bottle?


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## Uncle Bob (Mar 7, 2007)

Miss Alix I do believe there is/was.

There are dicounts available for case lots...Interested???


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## Alix (Mar 7, 2007)

YOWZA! I love discounts!  

Oops. Sorry to hijack. Back to the Atkins stuff now.


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## Corey123 (Mar 7, 2007)

I couldn't do that diet even if I wanted to. 

My landlord was trying to talk me into going on it. But I told him that since I've been diagnosed with diabetes last June, I can't do it on account I need some starch and sugar to keep the glucose level stable so that it does not get too dangerously low.


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## BreezyCooking (Mar 7, 2007)

Actually, the most recent version of the diet as outlined in Dr. Atkins' last book - Atkins For Life - is a far cry from the original.  You really can't make any assumptions about the healthiness or workability of this diet unless you've read it.

It is definitely NOT a carb-free diet.  It simply makes a distinction between good & bad carbs, as in refined flours, sugars, white pasta, potatoes, etc., versus whole grain flours, beans, whole grains, fruits, & vegetables.  In fact, the current Atkins' diet is virtually the same as other diets of this type (South Beach).  It does not recommend or advocate eating nothing but protein or fatty meats like bacon, etc. - something everyone seems to associate with the original version.

Frankly, I found it extremely easy to follow, felt great, never hungry, & lost 20 pounds (which I kept off).  My husband did even better, losing about 34 pounds, which he also kept off.

While we do enjoy regular potatoes, white pastas, & breads occasionally, we do so in moderation.


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## Caine (Mar 7, 2007)

Alix said:
			
		

> There is no way something that nearly eliminates an essential part of the food pyramid can be good for you.


 
Who told you this? The Atkins diet, the South Beach diet, the Protein Power diet, etc. all eliminate almost all the carbohydrates from your diet, yes. *FOR TWO WEEKS, not for the rest of your life!* And take it from me, as a personal trainer, sports nutritionist, senior fitness instructor, and all around healthy type person who observes the modern human in its native habitat, most Americans can well afford to eliminate a ton of carbs from their diets. The average American diet contains two to three times the carbs required for good health, and the worst part of it is, they are consuming mostly processed, simple carbs (white bread, white rice, white potatoes, white macaroni), which are being converted almost instantly into sugar, remain unused due to both the failure of their endocrine system and their sedentary lifestyle, and end up being stored as fat. Now pay close attention, because I am going to explain exactly how a low carbohydrate diet is supposed to work, and will work, *IF, and only IF* you read and follow the instructions (a.k.a *RTFM)*:

The first two weeks, you eliminate almost all carbohydrates, which means starches and sugars, from your diet, except for the small amounts contained in your vegetables, and the vegetables you eat will depend on which diet you choose, with Atkins being the most severe carb reduction. The purpose of this reduction in carbs is to sort of reset your endocrine system so that it stops squirting you full of insulin every time you eat. Because your diet has contained so much processed starch and sugar, your body wasn't capable of excreting enough insulin to process the sugars for delivery to your cells, so it tried producing and exctreting more and more every time you ate, until you are producing way too much insulin, and it still isn't enough to do the job. This is what leads to the condition called insulin resistance, which is the first step towards type II diabetes.

So now, with your carb levels at a new all time low, you are required to excrete very little insulin, giving your endocrine system both a long needed rest, and a sort of reset. You will also be consuming fewer calories, and the calories you do consume will be more useable, so you will begin to lose weight, big time!

Now after the first two weeks, you will start reintroducing carbs into your diet slowly, but this time, it will be only complex carbs, with lots of fiber to go with it, and you will consume it in conjunction with large amounts of lean protein and unsaturated fat, which all act to naturally slow down digestion of the carbs. So now your endocrine system is once again ready to start excreting the correct amount of insulin to process these carbs so that your body may use them as fuel, leaving none behind for your body to slap around your waist, on your butt, on the bottom of your upper arms, under your chin, or anywhere else you are bound to find it embarrassing. You will continue to lose weight, but to a lesser degree.

As you progress with your new lifestyle, learning what substances are good for you (lean protein, mono- and non-saturated fats, and whole grains), and what substances are bad for you (saturated fat-laden meats and dairy products and processed grains), you will control and maintian your weight by ensuring your calorie intake is equal to your calorie requirements.

*THAT* is how, when administered properly, a low carbohydrate diet works, and it will definitley work. THE FIRST TIME! If you go back to your caveman ways, screw up your body and your endocrine system, and then decide to repeat the low carb process, it isn't going to be half as effective as it was the first time, and it's going to take a LOT longer to get back on track.


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## shpj4 (Mar 7, 2007)

I read the article as well and I still don't approve of the Atkins Diet.


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## Corey123 (Mar 7, 2007)

BreezyCooking said:
			
		

> Actually, the most recent version of the diet as outlined in Dr. Atkins' last book - Atkins For Life - is a far cry from the original. You really can't make any assumptions about the healthiness or workability of this diet unless you've read it.
> 
> It is definitely NOT a carb-free diet. It simply makes a distinction between good & bad carbs, as in refined flours, sugars, white pasta, potatoes, etc., versus whole grain flours, beans, whole grains, fruits, & vegetables. In fact, the current Atkins' diet is virtually the same as other diets of this type (South Beach). It does not recommend or advocate eating nothing but protein or fatty meats like bacon, etc. - something everyone seems to associate with the original version.
> 
> ...


 


I don't remember anyone saying that it's a carb-free diet.

I think ALL of those low-carb diets are met with scorn and controversy though.


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## eatsOats (Mar 7, 2007)

As always, Caine, excellent advice.  You broke it down to a very simple level, while not including too much detail to confuse everyone.

I have not read Atkins' books so I can't be sure exactly what he advocates, but I have seen this time and time again:  a person wants to lose weight so they begin the Atkins diet.  For some reason, they believe that fat they are supposed to be eating should come from terribly saturated sources, i.e. bacon, sour cream, cheese, fatty pork, fatty beef, etc.  Unfortunately those fat sources DO taste excellent.  These people might lose some weight intially from the drastic reduction in carbohydrates, but the ratio of protien:fat is out of whack, and the fat sources set them up for an early heart attack.  That being said, saturated fats (in small amounts) are good for the body in the sense that they regulate hormones and other processes in the body.  Cutting them out completely is not the best option, but eating a higher percentage of fats from monos and polys than sats is a good idea. 

The body needs carbohydrates -- this is a fact.  However, eating the RIGHT carbs in the RIGHT amounts at the RIGHT times and with the RIGHT combination of other foods is the key.  Sometimes if I'm looking to drop fat in a hurry I will exclude as much carbs as possible.  That is very effective, but its not a lifelong way of eating.  If someone's metabolism is running fine and they do not desire to lose fat quickly then a diet that includes carbohydrates would be a wise choice.  That's all I feel like sharing right now...


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## ncage1974 (Mar 7, 2007)

Ok i have been on adkins before and i can say without a dought that it works very well. I lost the most body weight on this diet than anything else. I don't think it should be a life long diet though. You loose your weight on it then you return to eating healthy. Some people stick with it for life. I would not do this but when you go on it WOW the results. I can tell you one thing its the hardest diet to stay on. When i first started it i will get headaches when your body switches over from carbs to ketones for its energy. After 2-3 weeks this passes though. I could never go on it now because im a runner. As a runner there is no way i could eliminate carbs like this from my diet.

Ncage


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## lulu (Mar 8, 2007)

My mother and I went on Atkins at the same time a couple of years ago.  Interestingly it suited her very very well, she felt good and pound were shedding quickly.  Interestingly she did not ahere presisely and upped the salad amount.  Meanwhile I stuck the the thing precisely and was eating more  eggs and lean meat than anything else and I was miserable and felt seriously unhealthy.  At the end of a month my mother had done well, I had gained 2 pounds!  Is it simply a case of horses for courses?


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## Alix (Mar 8, 2007)

Holy cow Caine, RELAX! As I said in my post I get my information from nutritionists and registered dieticians. I certainly didn't mean to inspire a rant from you or to upset Breezy or anyone else who successfully used the diet either. My apologies, sometimes I'm a bit flip and my humour doesn't translate well. 

I would however like to address a few of your comments Caine. I'm Canadian, and we have a Food Guide here not a food pyramid as they do in the US. I'm unfamiliar with the amounts recommended on that pyramid. If you follow the Canada Food Guide you will find that you take in all the nutrients you need in the correct fashion and *amounts.* There is NO NEED to eliminate carbs from your diet to lose weight. The fact that it works for people does not mean its a healthy alternative. Changing from simple to complex carbs (as you said) is key. Eliminating most of the carbs from your diet impairs brain function over the long term. Especially memory function. I am not saying that a short term elimination of carbs doesn't have the desired effect of weight loss. I'm saying that in the long term, you need to follow a correct and balanced diet to be healthy. Resetting your endocrine system is interesting, but not necessary for most of us. Changing your habits is what is required. Following a recommended diet and exercise program will have you losing weight gradually. You won't lose it as quickly as on a carb restricted diet, but you WILL lose the weight.

Geez, I rattled on and on there. Sorry. All I'm saying is Atkins isn't necessary. Fewer calories in, (and better food choices) and more calories expended in exercise is the safest and best way to lose weight.


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## Andy M. (Mar 8, 2007)

Alix said:
			
		

> ...Fewer calories in, (and better food choices) and more calories expended in exercise is the safest and best way to lose weight.


 

Alix, you're forgetting liposuction...


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## Alix (Mar 8, 2007)

ROFL! DOH!!


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## BreezyCooking (Mar 8, 2007)

Alix - no offense taken.  I just take offense at folks who see the word "Atkins" & automatically think "bacon, butter, fatty meat, etc."  Nothing could be further from the truth.  I just want people to do the research before being critical of a diet that has not only allowed people to lose weight, but has also lowered their blood pressure & cholesterol - as this recent published study of 300 women has shown the Atkins diet has accomplished.  And the study was completely independent.

The point I (& the study published in the Washington Post yesterday) was trying to make was that the the Atkins Diet works, & works healthily, because it discriminates between "good" & "bad" carbs.  Not only that, but the study showed that the Atkins diet actually, in some cases, increased "good" cholesterol.  Go figure.

Lean meats, lots of veggies, & whole-grain carbs cannot by any way or means be found to be unhealthy.


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## Alix (Mar 8, 2007)

> Lean meats, lots of veggies, & whole-grain carbs cannot by any way or means be found to be unhealthy.


 
Nope, you are absolutely right on that one. And we are clearly on the same page about changing habits and making better food choices. I suspect the only piece that we disagree about is the initial couple of weeks where the carbs are gone. I am sure it does exactly what Caine is saying about "resetting your endocrine system", and it does give you a jump start on the weight loss. My point is just that it is unnecessary, and there is a potential for abuse there. Does that make sense?

(Oh, and again, Washington Post is a bit outside my normal scope of reading. I'd have to go look that up. Globe and Mail is more what I'd be looking for.  )


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## BreezyCooking (Mar 8, 2007)

One more thing I'd like to add is that my husband, after being on the Atkins diet for quite some time, had his doctor's blessing to stop taking meds for extremely high cholesterol, since his dropped to well below the med level after the Atkins regimen.  This is with a family history of high cholesterol.  Go figure.


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## BreezyCooking (Mar 8, 2007)

As far as the "no carbs" for the 1st two weeks - it's not total no-carbs.  Greens, squash, broccoli, & other veggies are allowed.  There is nothing unhealthy at all in the 1st two weeks of the diet.  In fact, it's a helluva lot healthier than a lot of other diets.


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## GB (Mar 8, 2007)

It is also probably healthier than what a lot of people are eating without the diet.


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## college_cook (Mar 8, 2007)

I think there will always be controversy surrounding this type of diet.  I do know one thing though, and I got this from another low-carb diet book called the Stone Age diet, or something similar.  Obesity first appeared in this world as soon as civilizations began to store grains, and process them to make breads and doughs.  This particular diet advocates eating like our ancestors from the stone age, hunter-gatherer types of people.  This means meats, berries, nuts, and any vegetable or fruit.

If you look at the rest of the low-carb diets, it is these types of food that you are supposed to eat more of, and cut out the processed carbs.  There's hardly a person I know that doesn't love pasta or breads, but they're so accessible, flavorful, and have so much utility that as a society, we just can't seem to pass them up.  Combine  excersize with the type of diet that the human digestive system is naturally meant to handle, and you've got yourself a winning weight-loss plan, and most probably the best prevention for heart disease and cancer.

Also read somewhere that there where a group of food scientists investigatin the health effects of processed carbs.  Preliminary studies showed that they created a higher level of free radicals in the body.  The more free radicals you have bouncing around in you, the higher your chance for cancer.  I don't know that the amount you get from eating breads and pastas is significant, but it's certainly something to think about.


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## Candocook (Mar 8, 2007)

Corey123 said:
			
		

> The Atkins Diet has been said to be good again. It's a low-carb diet geared at greatly reducing carbs in the body, thereby allowing the user of the diet to shed some weight.
> 
> It was on the news this morning. For a while, the diet has been under fire because top health officials have been saying that it wouldn't work and was dangerous.
> 
> ...


 
They said this years ago, just after Atkins died. The Atkins diet is not so far off the South Beach Diet--and many many others. it is basically used for diabetics for their carb control.
I used the diet YEARS ago to lose a LOT of weight. There is a way to make it quite palatable. DON"T buy the "eat all the fat you want". Make it comparatively low fat and low carb and watch the pounds and inches drop off.


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## Andy M. (Mar 8, 2007)

college_cook said:
			
		

> ...Obesity first appeared in this world as soon as civilizations began to store grains, and process them to make breads and doughs...


 

Civilized people have been eating breads and pastas for millennia. That's not it.

In the pre-industrialized world, people lived from hand to mouth. This included long hours, six or seven days a week, of physical labor that burned off a lot of calories.

With industrialization came better transportation, mechanization and improved farming methods. All this lead to an increased availability of a larger variety of foods along with a reduction in the levels of physical labor resulting in the burning of fewer calories. 

The actual culprit is the potato. The couch potato, that is. We eat better but burn fewer calories than ever before. That's it.


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## Uncle Bob (Mar 8, 2007)

Andy M. said:
			
		

> Civilized people have been eating breads and pastas for millennia. That's not it.
> 
> In the pre-industrialized world, people lived from hand to mouth. This included long hours, six or seven days a week, of physical labor that burned off a lot of calories.
> 
> ...


 
Andy.....

Well Said. I approve


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## Poutine (Mar 9, 2007)

*xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx*


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## lulu (Mar 9, 2007)

Do most people know, Poutine?  I think a surprising amount don't know.  I have seen evidence on this very site people struggling to manage their diets with health conditions that could be significantly aided or perhaps even eliminated with correct dietary choices! And these are people who are on a site devoted to talking about how we cook and how we eat!  I mean, most people will know an apple is more healthy than a chocolate bar, but we are also bombarded by sugary products for kids advertised as healthy because they have added vitamins etc...  I think that for those that have a genuine understanding of dietary health it seems obvious.  I consider myslef to be of average intelligence and I struggling to keep up with it all, despite my amateur interest in food and keeping healthy.  I only wish I could have a dietician live with us for a few months!  On occasions when I have visited dietician useful advice has been given, but I remember mainly the catch phrases "eat a rainbow" to make sure my vegetable intake is varied, and, useful for some one losing weight and a dedicated fruit lover: "the further away from the equator it grew the lower the sugar content....if you'd try growing it in northern europe it is a better choice of fruit for weight loss"  only yesterday I was thrown in confusion (and given excellent links by DCers!) about milk and my diet....and I now try and rely on common sense because quite frankly its confusing to me.  I DO think it is hard to eat a healthy diet today, not least because our tastebuds are skewed by the amount of added sweetness to so many things, and NUMBER ONE cause as out lined by Andy...our own lack of physical activity.


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## Harborwitch (Mar 9, 2007)

"* NEW YORK (CNN) --* *Dr. Robert Atkins, creator of the high-protein, low-carbohydrate Atkins Diet, died Thursday after an accidental fall on April 8 left him comatose.* 
      Atkins, 72, was rushed to New York Weill Cornell Medical Center by his colleague, Dr. Keith Berkowitz, where surgeons removed a blood clot to relieve pressure in his brain on April 9. 


 Atkins slipped on an icy sidewalk outside his New York office. 
     "We are hoping for a miracle," Richard Rothstein, a spokesman for Atkins told CNN April 11, "but the chances for a meaningful recovery are slim.
Thursday, April 17, 2003 Posted:   1:48 PM EDT (1748 GMT)"

I did Atkins and lost quite a bit of weight, close to 30 pounds.  When I was on Atkins my cholesterol was low, my hdl was over 90, and things were going in the right direction.  We backed off it during a very stressful time our lives.  Then with the cancer they wanted me to eat nutrient dense foods and lots of protein.  I wanted a lot of "comfort" foods at that time, too.  


We will be going back to Atkins; with one modification.  Limiting the amount of soy products; for women with hormone receptive breast cancer soy products need to be limited. 


Recent studies have now shown that cancer cells need lots of glucose to grow.  Glucose in the body is derived primarily from carbohydrates.  We'll go back to limiting our processed carbs.  We'll increase our intake of veggies, and eat fruits that are high in fiber and low on the glycemic index.  


We've found a wonderful pasta - from Dreamfields, so we won't have to give that up.  We'll continue to eat grains - but whole grains.  We'll limit the amount of processed foods where all kinds of hidden junk resides, switch to strictly Splenda and actual real cane sugar that has been minimally processed.  Chocolate is no problem - the higher the % of cocoa the lower the sugar content.  Unsweetened coconut is wonderful.  


As to the caveman & our ancestors only back to the 20's; they didn't eat the stuff that comes in the boxes on the store shelves.  They ate what they grew or could get fresh, they ate meat and dairy products that weren't adulterated with hormones and antibiotics.  High fructose corn syrup didn't exist.  They didn't have hydrogenated fats - they ate what existed naturally in nature.  And, the majority were not obese.  Of course they didn't have little robots to sweep their floor, or Dysan vacuum cleaners, front loading washers, elevators, escalators, "automatic" spray cleaners for their showers.  

Sorry, didn't mean to rant -


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## college_cook (Mar 9, 2007)

Harborwitch said:
			
		

> "* NEW YORK (CNN) --* *Dr. Robert Atkins, creator of the high-protein, low-carbohydrate Atkins Diet, died Thursday after an accidental fall on April 8 left him comatose.*
> Atkins, 72, was rushed to New York Weill Cornell Medical Center by his colleague, Dr. Keith Berkowitz, where surgeons removed a blood clot to relieve pressure in his brain on April 9.
> 
> 
> ...





Thanks for posting that;  I knew Atkins didn't die of a heart attack but a lot of people seem to believe he did, for some reason.  I think maybe it was a rumor started to discredit his diet.


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## Harborwitch (Mar 9, 2007)

Exactly why I posted it!


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## Snoop Puss (Mar 9, 2007)

He had a heart attack in 2002.


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## bethzaring (Mar 9, 2007)

lulu said:
			
		

> Do most people know, Poutine? I think a surprising amount don't know. I have seen evidence on this very site people struggling to manage their diets with health conditions that could be significantly aided or perhaps even eliminated with correct dietary choices!


 
I could not agree more


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## Harborwitch (Mar 9, 2007)

Heart attacks are not _strictly_ a result of bad diet and the heart attack did not kill him.

It's really a matter of people educating themselves about their own bodies and health.  I can tell, by how I feel, when I'm not eating right.  

People need to take more control over what they eat.  I cannot tell you how many friends I have, or had, with diabetes who ignored what they were supposed to eat.  Two dear friends have passed on because they refused to give up the stuff they weren't supposed to eat or to adapt their diet.  We have one friend who's diabetes got amazingly better when he was eating at our house frequently while we were doing the Atkins lifestyle.

We need to read labels and make our own food - from raw ingredients.  It's about shopping the perimeter of the store, and avoiding the boxes of prepared stuff.    It's just not that hard.  And it's not a matter of Atkins, Ornish, Zone, or any other diet program, it's a matter of eating properly.


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## Corey123 (Mar 9, 2007)

college_cook said:
			
		

> Thanks for posting that; I knew Atkins didn't die of a heart attack but a lot of people seem to believe he did, for some reason. I think maybe it was a rumor started to discredit his diet.


 


Snoop is right. He certainly DID hav a heart attack from which he died. At the time, it was widely spread all over the news.


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## GB (Mar 9, 2007)

Corey123 said:
			
		

> Snoop is right. He certainly DID hav a heart attack from which he died. At the time, it was widely spread all over the news.


No Corey. This is not correct. He did NOT die from his heart attack. Yes he did have a heart attack, but the is not what killed him. 

He slipped on ice and suffered major head injuries that put him in a coma. He never recovered from the coma. That is what he died from, not the heart attack.


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## Harborwitch (Mar 9, 2007)

Thank you GB!  If the heart attack in 2002 killed him, no wonder he slipped on the ice and fell in 2003!  The first thing to go when you pass on is your sense of balance!  Only kidding to lighten the mood here!  Talk about a polarizing subject!


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## GB (Mar 9, 2007)

Harborwitch said:
			
		

> If the heart attack in 2002 killed him, no wonder he slipped on the ice and fell in 2003!  The first thing to go when you pass on is your sense of balance!


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## redkitty (Mar 9, 2007)

OMG, I'm in love with the big rolly laughing guy!!!!


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## Corey123 (Mar 9, 2007)

GB said:
			
		

> No Corey. This is not correct. He did NOT die from his heart attack. Yes he did have a heart attack, but the is not what killed him.
> 
> He slipped on ice and suffered major head injuries that put him in a coma. He never recovered from the coma. That is what he died from, not the heart attack.


 



>Then why did the news media say that the heart attack is what killed him? Looks like the media screwed up again as usual.

And BTW, where did you get that big smiley from? I like that!


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## GB (Mar 9, 2007)

Corey123 said:
			
		

> >Then why did the news media say that the heart attack is what killed him? Looks like the media screwed up again as usual.
> 
> And BTW, where did you get that big smiley? I like that!


I can't answer that as I never saw that. I saw he had a heart attack, but not that he died from it.

I got the smiley from an extension for my Firefox browser.


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## BreezyCooking (Mar 9, 2007)

Too funny. You need to check your facts before automatically jumping up to agree with someone Corey123  .  Atkins decidedly did not die from a diet-related heart attack.  It was a fatal head injury involving surgery to remove a blood clot from his brain due to a fall.

Again - diet & exercise doesn't automatically mean that someone won't have a heart attack, stroke, diabetes, etc. - it just hedges the bets.

Does anyone here remember Jim Fixx from back in the '70's?  He was one of the first "running" gurus & published a couple of books on it, which included diet tips.  Although he went from a weight of 220 to 159 & was considered healthy from his diet & running regimen, he ultimately died from heart disease.  Go figure.

I'm a BIG fan of the "everything in moderation" diet these days.  I don't deprive myself, but I do pay attention to what, & the amounts of "what", I consume.  If I want a beer, I have one.  If I feel like pizza, I have pizza - just not 3 slices of pizza - lol!!  It still satisfies the craving.  And since my husband doesn't eat any red meat, our regular meals consist of poultry, seafood, & vegetarian meals, so for the most part I figure I'm eating pretty healthy.

Does this mean that I won't have a heart attack or stroke, etc.?  Heck no.  But at least I figure I'm doing the best I can while still enjoying myself dining wise.


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## Corey123 (Mar 9, 2007)

redkitty said:
			
		

> OMG, I'm in love with the big rolly laughing guy!!!!


 


Don't want to get off topic, but I want him also!


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## Harborwitch (Mar 9, 2007)

Love him too!  Too cute GB


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## GB (Mar 9, 2007)

Feel free to PM me Corey. If you use Firefox I can point you in the direction of that guy.


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## Corey123 (Mar 9, 2007)

BreezyCooking said:
			
		

> Too funny. You need to check your facts before automatically jumping up to agree with someone Corey123  . Atkins decidedly did not die from a diet-related heart attack. It was a fatal head injury involving surgery to remove a blood clot from his brain due to a fall.
> 
> Again - diet & exercise doesn't automatically mean that someone won't have a heart attack, stroke, diabetes, etc. - it just hedges the bets.
> 
> ...


 


Really?! You don't say! Geez, that sets a whole new light on things. Captain Obvious at work. 

Sorry for the sarcasm, but as for your first paragraph, GB has already told me that. And I didn't argue with him on it. 

Read his post, please if you will. No need to keep on harping on that part.

Yes, I remember Jim Fixx, and yes, he DID have heart disease. He used to do the Quaker 100% Natural Cereal commercial. And it all depends on the duration that he spent losing the weight. I've been told that if a person loses weight too fast,
that it's dangerous.

Richard Simmons also became a health and fitness freak. He almost died during his weight loss.


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## BreezyCooking (Mar 9, 2007)

Perhaps not you Corey123, but it's apparent that there's obviously a long-held rumor around that Atkins did die from a diet-related heart attack.  

I was just adding another confirmation that that was definitely *NOT *the case, just as many folks will continue to perpetuate the falsehood that he did.

As far as Jim Fixx goes, he also decidedly did NOT lose his 60+ pounds rapidly.  Where did you get that info??  And yes, he did have heart disease, which is what killed him.  It ran thoroughly rampant in his family, & he made the mistake of thinking that his newly healthful ways meant he didn't need to consult health professionals.

A healthy diet & exercise doesn't necessarily preclude stupidity.


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## Corey123 (Mar 9, 2007)

I never said the Fixx DID lose his weight rapidly.

I said it all depends on the duration that it took him to do it.

And yes, a person's doc should be consulted if and when a person wants to lose weight. Some docs will recommend it, as in the case of mine. My last visit with him, he was quite happy to find out that I'm losing weight!


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## bethzaring (Mar 9, 2007)

BreezyCooking said:
			
		

> Again - diet & exercise doesn't automatically mean that someone won't have a heart attack, stroke, diabetes, etc. - it just hedges the bets.
> 
> Does anyone here remember Jim Fixx from back in the '70's? He was one of the first "running" gurus & published a couple of books on it, which included diet tips. Although he went from a weight of 220 to 159 & was considered healthy from his diet & running regimen, he ultimately died from heart disease. Go figure.
> 
> ...


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## Corey123 (Mar 9, 2007)

Heart disease, cancer, lukemia, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure congestive heart failure, asthma - all of those illnesses have also ravaged on both sides of my family.

I. along with two other bros. were diagnosed with diabetes. We lost one. Most or all of the stuff that I used to gorge on, I had to let go or at least 
drastically cut back on.

I thought that diabetes was as far as I'd end up getting, but in October, along came CHF! I was totally devistated, hurt and almost died!!


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