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Essay on Comparing and Contrasting the Atkins and South Beach

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Comparing and Contrasting the Atkins and South Beach Diets

The weight loss industry is a multi-billion dollar machine, perpetually fueled by not only new information, but also data that have remained true for decades. Although it is unsurprising that the human body will lose weight when it expends more calories than it consumes, new findings lead to several alternative diets and weight loss methods that gain much more popularity than the basic concept of eating less and exercising more. For several decades, the Mayo Clinic diet, which was never actually invented or been approved by the true Mayo Clinic, has been used by dieters as a way to quickly lose body fat. This diet suggested that by replacing one’s daily carbohydrate intake …show more content…

Carbohydrates, compounds made of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen, are simple sugars derived from the starch of plants, are converted into usable or tradable energy, glucose, by the body quickly, resulting in a dramatic increase in glucose levels. Milk products and fruits consist of simple carbohydrates, while legumes, grains, and vegetables consist of complex carbohydrates. Proteins are complex molecules made up of amino acids that help in the regulation, structurization, and functioning of the body. Proteins are found in meat and legumes and are utilized slowly, which helps the body avoid producing unneeded insulin due to spikes in glucose. Supporters of both the Atkins and South Beach diets claim that highly refined carbohydrates are the foods to blame, which means dieters on either plan specifically avoid starches, cereals, and most baked goods. Both diet plans instruct the user to replace the void left by the refined carbohydrates with fewer, healthier carbohydrates, such as vegetables. By keeping the body’s glucose level moderately stable, the body does not need to produce unnecessary insulin, which eventually results in weight loss. During the first two weeks of each brand of diet, the restrictions for each method are relatively identical. Although users of either diet plan are not allowed to consume any type of breads, rice, pasta, alcohol, or sugar, they

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