Atkins diet
I have successfully been following the popular Atkins Diet for several months but am now really concerned by recent publicity about its potentially damaging side-effects. I do not want to stop it, because I am losing weight, but is there anything I can take to protect me from the risks?
The high protein, low carbohydrate Atkins diet is designed to induce a state of ketosis in the body whereby it has to burn fat to make energy, instead of carbohydrates. Ketosis gives rise to the production of ketones, by-products of fat metabolism that can cause nausea, fatigue and tissue damage.
In addition, a high fat diet, especially one high in saturated fats from red meats, can increase the risk of heart disease so if you plan to stay on this diet, you need a supplement that can confer cardiovascular protection too.
I would recommend taking a tissue-protecting American supplement called All Natural Perfectly Balanced, made by a company called Natural Nutrition Center and only available here from Victoria Health (0800-413596); a UK company that specialises in sourcing natural products from America.
As well as providing all the vitamins and minerals you would expect to get in a normal, balanced diet, it includes the chlorophyll-rich, so-called superfoods, spirulina and wheatgrass to boost energy levels, plus heart-protecting fatty acids, garlic and ginseng. This formulation, which costs £23.95 for 100 tablets, also includes liver-protecting milk thistle and probiotic acidophilus to aid healthy digestion and prevent bloating and so is a useful adjunct to any kind of weight-management programme.