Can I follow the Atkins diet for a certain amount of time?

Can I follow the Atkins diet for a certain amount of time?

Andrea Giancoli (Registered Dietician ) gives expert video advice on: Why does the Atkins Diet work?; Why does the Atkins Diet not work long-term?; Who should consider the Atkins Diet? and more...

Our bodies are very resilient. Following the Atkins diet for a short period of time, the research that we have so far, when people follow it for short period of time, six months, it doesn't seem to have a big effect on their cholesterol. It can go up a little bit, but the cholesterol profile improves. Over the short term our bodies can always bounce back. It is nutritionally deficient because it's lacking in a lot of vitamins and minerals, so you do risk vitamin and mineral deficiencies. If we start to eat a healthy balanced diet, once you go off the Atkins diet we can gain that back.