The Ultimate Aktins Diet Guide The Atkins diet limits carbohydrate intake to switch metabolism from using glucose as the energy "fuel" to burning fat stored in the human body. This process, called ketosis (not to be confused with ketoacidosis, which has similar symptoms), is triggered by low insulin levels. In a healthy state, insulin levels are low with low blood glucose (for example, before meals). With ketosis-lipolysis, excess lipids in the...