| Atkins diet was unknown 35 years ago. Though it | | | | also ate more rich-protein legumes which their bodies |
| seems that ancient people - athletes particularly - | | | | needed to keep a boost of energy. |
| followed a strict diet which is likewise Atkins basic. | | | | Moreover, according to food historian Francine Segan, |
| Strict diet and severe exercises for Ancient Greeks | | | | an ancient Olympic runner was put to undertake a |
| Long before dr Atkins finished his theory about | | | | meat-only diet. It seems that this tough exclusive |
| ketosis and established his famous diet, ancient | | | | diet was a must to win a competition. That works |
| people had undertaken it, without any clue at all. Not | | | | for runners. The fact that runners ate only meat |
| only they were eating Atkins-style, but also they | | | | started a sort of meat diet craze, pointed out the |
| were strongly practicing regular exercise, as dr Atkins | | | | historian. Another condition to complete athletes' diet |
| now recommends. Ancient Greeks spent a lot of | | | | was to expel bread right before competition, eating |
| time educating their bodies. Gymnastic exercises | | | | dried figs instead. Francine Segan admitted that he |
| were very appreciated, children were trained and | | | | discovered that while he was searching information |
| directed to follow a daily training program. After | | | | about famous Mediteranean cuisine. |
| years of strict diet and heavy gymnastics, Greeks | | | | Their diet was directed according to Pausanias. Those |
| finally admitted that "too much and too strict" is not | | | | practicing heavy exercise ate pork and a particular |
| good for health, because this regimen exhausted the | | | | kind of bread. Also, it seems that beef was later |
| human constitution. | | | | introduced in the ordinary diet of the athletes. Goat |
| Greek Olympians followed meat-only diet | | | | meat is mentioned, too, in "A Dictionary of Greek |
| In fact, we talk about Greek people who ate fruits, | | | | and Roman Antiquities". Meat consumption was highly |
| vegetables, a lot of fish, breads. This was a regular | | | | encouraged, as on the Atkins diet plan. Fats, too, |
| eating regimen for ordinary Greeks, with the | | | | since pork, is a fat meat. |
| amendment that fish was the most common meat | | | | Ancient preoccupation with health, diet and exercise |
| eaten in that seafaring region. Quite interesting is the | | | | is praiseworthy. A low-carbohydrate daily regimen, |
| fact that Greek olympians had a bit different eating | | | | along with regular exercise are a simple and efficient |
| regimen, a meat-heavy regimen, like the low-carb | | | | scheme for losing weight and shaping the body. The |
| Atkins's (not so refined, of course, no phases at all). | | | | ancient people knew it by trying it only. No theories, |
| The goal was to develop a lot of muscles and meat | | | | no calories, no ketosis, no debates around. Maybe |
| was enormously necessary. But not any Greek could | | | | they didn't need to know how it works. "Mens sana |
| daily afford meat on the table. Only upper social | | | | in corpore sana" worked best for them. |
| strata from Greece could afford it. The olympians | | | | |