Atkins Diet and Ketosis

The basic principle of the Atkins diet is that a state of ketosis will help you burn your fat reserves as energy. Many people, even those who follow a low-carb diet, don't really understand why it works.

Most diets are calorie-reducing diets. They help you lose weight, but part of the weight comes from fat and part from lean muscle tissue. While you may look smaller on the scales, your metabolism is actually slowing down. The more muscle you lose, the slower your metabolism will be. This makes losing weight more difficult and getting weight back even easier.

The Atkins diet, on the other hand, is carbohydrate limiting. It creates a state of ketosis in your body that only burns fat, not muscles. The primary source of your energy for your body is fat in the form of ketones. Your liver will convert fat into ketones and it cannot be converted back. It will be naturally excreted.

Ketones are actually a normal and efficient source of fuel for the human body. They are produced in the liver from the fatty acids resulting from the breakdown of body fat. These only appear when glucose and sugar are not present. In the Atkins diet, you reduce the amount of glucose and sugar in the bloodstream. As a result, your body produces ketones as fuel. When your body produces ketones, this is called ketosis.

There is a common misconception that following a ketogenic diet such as Atkins is dangerous. The truth is that life in ketosis is a completely natural state. The human body makes ketones to be used as fuel in the absence of glucose.

In the Atkins Diet Book, Dr. Atkins suggests using ketone test strips to determine your state of ketosis during a diet. These small plastic strips are kept in the urine stream and contain a special chemically treated absorption pad. This cushion will change color when ketones are present in the urine. Due to the presence of ketones, the strip will change color from different shades of pink to purple. On the label of the bottle there is a color scale to help you determine your ketone level.

Ketone strips are available in every pharmacy and can be found by diabetics. In some stores they are kept behind the counter, so you may have to ask for them. However, you do not need a prescription to buy them. Once you open a pack of ketosis strips, they can be kept for 6 months. It may be useful to mention the opening date on the box.

Ketose strips will let you know if you are handling the Atkins diet properly. If you follow the Induction Plan to the letter and don't see purple, don't worry. Some people never show traces of ketones or they may be just above the minimum line. As long as you lose weight and inches, you will successfully use ketones. Also, if you have just practiced a few hours before using the comics, you may not see purple.

Some dietitians may mistakenly think that a dark purple rash on the test strips means they lose weight faster. Actually, the dark purple color is a sign of dehydration. It means your urine is too concentrated and you should drink water. 

Ketones come from fat in the bloodstream, whether it is fat that you eat or fat that you burn. So if you eat a meal heavy in fat and then immediately use a test strip, you will see a dark purple result. Use the strips as a guide, but don't get hung up on the color.

Achieving a state of ketosis is the key to success on the Atkins diet and it's as easy as eliminating carbohydrates from the diet. Make sure you follow the diet plan correctly and use the ketone test strips if necessary.