Eco-Atkins -- Is This New Diet Craze Poised To Save More Than Our Waistlines?

We're always looking for labels, aren't we? Chalk it up to our pop culture obsessed society, which has taught us to judge a book by its cover, especially if it's in the public eye. That superficial schooling has made us kind of mean. "Just look at her," we mutter under our breath, "Doesn't she even look in a mirror? That outfit makes her look so...frumpy...chunky...J-Lo(ey)...stumpy..." When we're not busy mincing celebrities' physical appearances with our searing eyeballs, we dwell on the mundane details of their new and improved diets that have enabled them to drop 37 pounds in just 3 weeks, all the time forgetting that they are real people who are not endowed with the secret to physical perfection and happiness. All we want to know is what plan they followed and how long it took...because if they can do it, we can do it too.

Googling the search term "celebrity diets" yields thousands of relevant results, including the Master Cleanse, the 3-Hour Diet, the Zone Diet, the South Beach Diet and the Atkins Diet. What you may not be aware of is that there is a new kid on the block, one known as the Eco-Atkins Diet because it relies heavily on heart-healthy plant-based fats and proteins such as soy, fruits, veggies and nuts with none of the meat of the original. Created by Professor David Jenkins at the University of Toronto, it has similar weight loss results (of an average of 1 pound per week) to the Atkins Diet but the extra added bonus is that it has also been found to reduce bad LDL cholesterol levels in the body. The forty-four overweight men and women who followed Jenkins' vegan Eco-Atkins plan for one solid month lost approximately 8.8 pounds each and enjoyed enhanced blood pressure levels and better overall cholesterol numbers.

The Eco-Atkins diet does not reduce carbohydrate intake as much as the original -- in fact, people following the plan are encouraged to consume a minimum of 130 grams of carbs each day, including nuts, cereal, fruits, vegetables, soy, gluten and vegetable oil but are cautioned against eating rice, baked goods, potatoes, and bread. Right away, this wiggle room offers dieters the human factor that others rarely do. There comes a time in every weight loss plan when the sweet promise of a solitary rolled oat on the tongue of a deprived dieter is enough to make them consider a life of crime. Following this type of diet (whatever name you want to call it...vegan, Eco-Atkins, recessionitarianism) is certainly easier on our planet, and if it benefits your body in the process, then it sounds like a win-win situation all the way around.