Ketogenic

Dr. Atkins advocated a weight-loss diet that became famous not only because it was effective, but also because it was also fantastically counterintuitive. Put crudely, Atkins promoted eating fat to lose fat. His argument was that feared dietary fat is not the main culprit in weight gain; rather, it is overconsumption of calories. A caloric surfeit of carbohydrates, not fat, is the riskier dietary imbalance. Carbohydrates wreak havoc with insulin control and are easily converted to body fat. Blood sugar spikes lead to subsequent crashes, which can prompt over-eating. Atkins understood that carbs, especially the "empty" carbs found in starchy foods—breads, pastas, potatoes, desserts—were the nutritional baddies. Take away carbs and what you have left are fats and proteins. Proteins are good, though often maligned; fats can be good or bad, depending on the type. If you reduce carbs and go with proteins and fats, your physiology changes, which is what interested Atkins. Once your body gets used to burning dietary fats, it is primed to burn body fat is well. One by-product is elevated levels of blood ketones. They can make you feel woozy and, I understand, produce a chemical scent on breath. So if my breath smells bad, take note: It's the ketones.