 As good as the Atkins Good Guide Pyramid is, I think it's worth noting how it could be improved. First, the pyramid would benefit from clarifying the difference between refined and unrefined foods and ingredients. As mentioned previously, all the pictures on the pyramid show unrefined, natural ingredients. Yet most people use these as symbols only and end up consuming all sorts of processed foods that somewhat resemble the pictures on the pyramid. A clarification on this point would further improve the Atkins pyramid and encourage dieters to turn to healthier food choices.
The Atkins pyramid would also do well to warn dieters away from toxic ingredients frequently found in low-carb diets like sodium nitrite. The warning to avoid hydrogenated oils is definitely a strong step in the right direction, but expanding the warning to include sodium nitrite and MSG would further improve the health of Atkins dieters.
Unfortunately, the Atkins pyramid, in its current state, allows the consumption of diet soft drinks. Diet soft drinks are very dangerous to human health, and not just for the obvious reason of the chemical sweeteners they contain. (Read the shocking truth about aspartame in the aspartame section of Low-Carb Diet Warning.)
Another area needing further clarification is the recommendation of beef, pork and poultry products. For a variety of health reasons, not to mention ethical reasons, low-carb dieters should be urged to consume organic meats only. Why? Because non-organic, commercially produced beef, pork and poultry products are produced under conditions that can only be described as horrific. As I often tell people, if you're not horrified by the practices of the beef industry, then you're simply not aware of how beef is really produced. I discuss this issue at great length in the beef section of Low-Carb Diet Warning. For a quick overview, I recommend viewing the flash animation entitled The Meatrix at www.TheMeatrix.com.
The beef industry is a touchy subject, I've learned. Some people just want to eat their beef, regardless of what chemicals it contains and what sort of treatment the cows are subjected to. It only becomes a big issue when it starts killing people, as happens with mad cow disease -- which has now discovered in cows in the United States. As usual, the USDA is engaged in a massive cover-up on mad cow disease, and they're working hard to reassure the public that no cows are infected while simultaneously insisting that cows shouldn't actually be tested for the disease. Get the full story, if you dare, at a website I edit called MadCowNews.org.
Also missing: Superfoods Like Chlorella and Spirulina
Another item missing from the pyramid is a category of foods I call superfoods. These are nutritionally dense foods that are typically taken in supplement form and that provide powerful health-supporting, disease-reversing phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals that are typically lacking in the diets of most people, even if they eat a large quantity of fruits and vegetables. Although it's understandable that these supplements are certainly considered optional by most people, in my book they are not optional for a person who wishes to achieve optimum health and accelerate the results of their Atkins diet.
The superfoods I recommend are micro-algae: chlorella and spirulina. When researching these superfoods, I was so downright impressed by their ability to reverse cancer, repair nerve damage, detoxify the liver and exhibit other stunning health effects that I ended up writing a 39-page report on them! When it comes to chlorella and spirulina, the good news just never ends. The more closely you examine these superfoods, the more impressive they get. They offer such powerful disease-fighting benefits that if they could be captured and patented by drug companies, chlorella would cost a hundred dollars a gram and be heralded as a "Miracle cure for cancer!" in the national news. It's that good.
I've arrived at the point where I eat 10 grams of spirulina each day and 5 grams of chlorella. I recommend these superfoods to everyone, and especially people who are suffering from chronic diseases like cancer. As an Atkins dieter, you simply must educate yourself about chlorella and spirulina. Read my free report entitled, Superfoods for Optimum Health: Chlorella and Spirulina to learn more. You'll be nothing short of astonished at what these superfoods can do.
Low-carb dieters have a heightened need for these superfoods, in my opinion, because the heavy consumption of proteins can certainly put your internal organs through a heavy workout. Your liver and kidneys, in particular, need support while on a low-carb diet, and taking chlorella and spirulina is the perfect way to provide that support. With these superfoods as part of your daily diet, you will experience a rapid acceleration of your Atkins diet results, and most people quickly begin to show improvements in various diseases or chronic conditions they've lived with for years.
This article is reprinted from Analysis: The Atkins Lifestyle Food Guide Pyramid, a public education ebook provided free of charge by the non-profit Consumer Wellness Research Center.
Next: Part 7: Superior Nutritional Advice
About the author: Mike Adams is a natural health researcher and author with a passion for sharing empowering information to help improve personal and planetary health He has authored and published thousands of articles, interviews, consumers guides, and books on topics like health and the environment, impacting the lives of millions of readers around the world who are experiencing phenomenal health benefits from reading his articles. Adams is an independent journalist with strong ethics who does not get paid to write articles about any product or company. In 2007, Adams launched EcoLEDs, a manufacturer of mercury-free, energy-efficient LED lighting products that save electricity and help prevent global warming. He's also a successful software entrepreneur, having founded a well known email marketing software company whose technology currently powers the NaturalNews email newsletters. Adams is currently the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit, and enjoys outdoor activities, nature photography, Pilates and adult gymnastics. He's also author of numerous health books published by Truth Publishing and is the creator of several consumer-oriented grassroots campaigns, including the Spam. Don't Buy It! campaign, and the free downloadable Honest Food Guide. He also created the free reference sites HerbReference.com and HealingFoodReference.com. Adams believes in free speech, free access to nutritional supplements and the ending of corporate control over medicines, genes and seeds. Known by his callsign, the 'Health Ranger,' Adams posts his missions statements, health statistics and health photos at www.HealthRanger.org
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Related Articles
• The Atkins Diet Food Guide Pyramid, Part 3: All Foods Shown On the Atkins Pyramid Are Unrefined, Unprocessed Foods
• The Atkins Diet Food Guide Pyramid, Part 7: Superior Nutritional Advice
• The Atkins Diet Food Guide Pyramid, Part 4: The Importance of Exercise
• Atkins diet works better than low-fat diets, especially in men
• The Atkins Diet Food Guide Pyramid, Part 2: Structure of the Food Guide
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