Living Low Carb (77 page)

The False Fat Diet
(Elson Haas, MD). An excellent book on the connection of food sensitivities and food allergies to weight gain.

Fight Fat After Forty
(Pamela Peeke, MD, M.P.H.). Largely responsible for making people aware of the connection of stress to weight gain, this book is based on three years of groundbreaking research on the links between stress and fat that she did as a senior research fellow at the National Institutes of Health. Peeke has made some excellent contributions to the study of obesity. While all of her recommendations are not necessarily in agreement with the low-carb way of life, and some minor points can be argued with (she still recommends limiting egg yolks because they are high in cholesterol), there is so much good information so brilliantly presented that this book still rates a must-read recommendation.

Tired of Being Tired
(Jesse Lynn Hanley, MD). This book is one of my all-time greatest finds. This primer on stress, adrenal burnout, and healthful eating emphasizes lowcarb choices, more protein, and the right kind of fats (which does not mean a ban on saturated fats—her section on healthy fats and oils is excellent).

The Cholesterol Con: The Greatest Scam in the History of Medicine
(Dr. Malcolm Kendrick). An utterly spellbinding account, heavily referenced, of the shakiness of the evidence that animal fat and cholesterol are the true causes of heart disease.

The Cholesterol Myths
(Uffe Ravnskov, MD, PhD). A detailed, systematic expose in which Ravnskov, a brilliant Swedish scientist and researcher, takes on the cholesterol establishment and literally debunks every major premise of the anti–saturated fat and cholesterol dogma. He also turns his scathing lens on the statin drugs and examines the true reasons why they work (which may very well have little to do with lowering cholesterol). A highly condensed version of this brilliant book is available on Ravnskov’s Web site:
http://www.ravnskov.nu/cholesterol.htm
.

Atkins Diabetes Revolution
(Mary C. Vernon, MD, C.M.D., and Jacqueline A. Eberstein, R.N.). This book was essentially written by two highly respected medical associates of Dr. Robert Atkins, and if there is any justice in the world, it will become the bible for diabetes treatment. Dr. Mary Vernon and Jacqueline Eberstein, a nurse, built on Dr. Atkins’s copious notes and treatment protocols, added their own spin, and came up with nothing less than a blueprint for the way diabetes should be treated. An absolute must-read.

Syndrome X
(Jack Challem, Burton Berkson, MD, and Melissa Diane Smith). Though there have been a number of books written about metabolic syndrome, or Syndrome X (a precursor to diabetes that centers around insulin resistance), this is one of the best. In addition to discussing all of the ways in which too much insulin contributes to the diseases of aging, it also contains two different dietary approaches: a moderate-carb, moderate-protein approach for prevention, and a higher-protein, low-carb diet for treatment of both Syndrome X and type 2 diabetes. Also contains an excellent discussion on supplements and herbs and how they fit into a treatment plan.

Cookbooks

The Healthiest Meals on Earth
(Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS with Jeanette Bessinger). While not specifically low-carb, this book takes a whole-foods, low-sugar approach to preparing meals that are nourishing and delicious. Decidedly not a low-fat approach!

15-Minute Low-Carb Recipes: Instant Recipes for Dinners, Desserts, & More!
(Dana Carpender). The latest by the popular author of
How I Gave Up My Low-Fat Diet and Lost 40 Pounds
and
500 Low-Carb Recipes.
Carpender also runs the popular low-carb site
http://www.holdthetoast.com

500 Low-Carb Recipes: 500 Recipes, from Snacks to Dessert, That the Whole Family Will Love
(Dana Carpender). From the proprietor of the popular site
http://www. holdthetoast.com
and the author of
How I Gave Up My Low-Fat Diet and Lost 40 Pounds.
Some sample fare: Heroin Wings (so named because they are supposedly addictive!), Mockahlua Cheesecake, Meatza (pizza without the crust), and the secret to low-carb stuffing.

Baking Low Carb
(Diana Lee). Dana Carpender of
http://www.holdthetoast.com
says this book “is utterly indispensable for the low-carber who is tired of eggs for breakfast, for the vegetarian low-carber who doesn’t want to live on tofu, and for anyone who just wants to eat muffins and brownies and zucchini bread again.” ’Nuff said.

Back to Protein: The Low Carb, No Carb Meat Cookbook
(Barbara Doyen). More than 450 protein recipes, including things like lasagna without pasta, beef stroganoff without noodles, crusted beef Wellington without pastry, BLT chicken without the bread, and chimichangas without tortillas. No sugar, no refined flour, and no artificial sweeteners (except for two recipes). Also includes 22 “exotic” recipes using alligator, bison, etc.

Everyday Low Carb Cooking
(Alex Haas). This has 240 recipes from two dozen cuisines transformed into low-carb fare. Includes hamburgers, chicken wings, pizza, clam chowder, and chocolate pudding (all recommended by
http://www.low-carbohydrate-food-guide.com
).

The Everything Low-Carb Cookbook
(Patricia M. Butkus). Rates recipes as low-to-no carb and low-to-moderate carb. Offers alternatives to pasta, bread, and cake recipes, and features such fare as chicken cacciatore, beef teriyaki with mixed vegetable stirfry, arugula salad with grilled beef medallion, and Pacific coast seafood stew;
http://www.low-carbohydrate-food-guide.com
calls it “one of our favorites.”

The Gourmet Prescription for Low-Carb Cooking
(Deborah Friedson Chud, MD). By a physician who writes about food and scored big with her first book,
The Gourmet Prescription,
this book has recipes that emphasize high-fiber vegetables and fruits.

Lauri’s Low-Carb Cookbook: Rapid Weight Loss with Satisfying Meals!,
2nd edition (Lauri Ann Randolph). The more than 230 recipes all have fewer than 10 grams of carbs per serving. Recipes for both the beginner and the gourmet.

Lose Weight the Smart Low-Carb Way: 200 High-Flavor Recipes and a 7-Step Plan to Stay Slim Forever
(Bettina Newman, R.D.). Features “Smart Low-Carb food substitutions.”

The Low-Carb Gourmet: A Cookbook for Hungry Dieters
(Harriet Brownlee). A really nice recipe book that covers everything from soup to nuts.

Lose Weight the Smart Low-Carb Way
(Bettina Newman, R.D., David Joachim, and Leslie Revsin). This book is a more moderate approach to low-carb. It explains why low-carb does not mean no-carb, promotes low-glycemic foods, and emphasizes unsaturated fat. It’s especially useful for those homemakers who want to incorporate low-carb dishes into family meals and make low-carb substitutions for conventional recipes. Nice charts, including one of flours listed in descending order of effective carb counts (ECC). At least 200 good recipes.

The Low-Carb Cookbook: The Complete Guide to the Healthy Low-Carbohydrate Lifestyle—with Over 250 Delicious Recipes
(Fran McCullough). Written by a well-known cookbook editor and writer who lost more than 60 pounds herself the low-carb way, this book has been a favorite for a long time and has a foreword by Drs. Michael and Mary Dan Eades.

Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats
(Sally Fallon with Mary G. Enig, PhD). While this is technically a cookbook, it is also a lot more. Wonderful recipes using whole natural foods (no fatfree varieties here) and a running commentary that challenges conventional dietary wisdom. Be forewarned that this is not specifically a low-carb book, but it belongs on your bookshelf anyway.

The Smart Guide to Low-Carb Cooking
(Mia Simms). Contains 150 recipes with an emphasis on the “anti-aging” effects of low-carb eating. Nice touch: how to make your own protein bars. The follow-up book,
Lose Weight the Smart Low-Carb Way,
features 200 high-flavor recipes and a 7-step plan to “stay slim forever.”

Endnotes

Chapter 1: The History and Origins of Low-Carb Diets

1
. William Banting,
Letter on Corpulence
(self, 1864),
http://www.lowcarb.ca/corpulence/corpulence_1.html
.

2
. Dr. Phil McGraw,
The Ultimate Weight Solution: The 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom
(New York: Free Press, 2003).

3
. Vance Thompson,
Eat and Grow Thin
(New York: E. P. Dutton, 1914).

4
. Alfred Pennington,
New England Journal of Medicine
248 (1953): 959;
American Journal of Digestive Diseases
21 (1954): 69.

5
. Alfred Pennington,
Holiday Magazine,
June 1950. Quoted in Richard Mackarness,
Eat Fat and Grow Slim
(London: Harvill, 1958).

6
. Vilhjalmur Stefansson, “Adventures in Diet,”
Harper’s Monthly Magazine
(November 1935, December 1935, January 1936).

7
. Ibid.

8
. Ibid.

9
. Evelyn Stefansson, preface to
Eat Fat and Grow Slim,
by Richard Mackarness (London: Harvill, 1958).

10
. Ibid.

11
. Blake Donaldson,
Strong Medicine
(New York: Doubleday, 1960).

12
. Alan Kekwick and Gaston L. S. Pawan, “Calorie Intake in Relation to Body Weight Changes in the Obese,”
Lancet
2 (1956): 155; “Metabolic Study in Human Obesity with Isocaloric Diets High in Fat, Protein or Carbohydrate,”
Metabolism
6, no. 5 (1957): 447–460; “The Effect of High Fat and High Carbohydrate Diets on Rates of Weight Loss in Mice,”
Metabolism
13, no. 1 (1964): 87–97.

13
. Bonnie J. Brehm, et al., “A Randomized Trial Comparing a Very Low Carbohydrate Diet and a Calorie-Restricted Low Fat Diet on Body Weight and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Healthy Women,”
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
88, no. 4 (2003): 1617–1623.

14
. Richard Mackarness,
Eat Fat and Grow Slim
(London: Harvill, 1958).

15
. Christian B. Allan and Wolfgang Lutz,
Life Without Bread
(Los Angeles: Keats, 2000).

16
. Richard Mackarness,
Eat Fat and Grow Slim
(London: Harvill, 1958).

17
. Anonymous,
Beyond Our Wildest Dreams: A History of Overeaters Anonymous as Seen by a Cofounder
(Rio Rancho, N.M.: Overeaters Anonymous, 1996).

18
. Herman Taller,
Calories Don’t Count
(New York: Simon & Schuster, 1961).

19
. Ibid.

20
. Ancel Keys, “Coronary Heart Disease in Seven Countries,”
Circulation
41, suppl. 1 (1970): 1–211.

21
. Uffe Ravnskov,
The Cholesterol Myths
(Washington: New Trends, 2000); Malcolm Kendrick, “Why the Cholesterol-Heart Disease Theory Is Wrong,”
http://www.redflagsweekly.com/kendrick/2002_nov28.html
(November 28, 2002); Uffe Ravnskov, “Is Atherosclerosis Caused by High Cholesterol?”
QJM
95, no. 6 (June 2002): 397–403.

22
. Mary Enig, “The Oiling of America,”
http://www.westonaprice.org/know_your_fats/oiling.html
; C. V. Felton, et al., “Dietary Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Composition of Human Aortic Plaques,”
Lancet
344 (1994): 1195–1196; P. A. Godley, et al., “Biomarkers of Essential Fatty Acid Consumption and Risk of Prostatic Carcinoma,”
Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention
5, no. 11 (November 1996): 889–895; M. S. Micozzi and T. E. Moon,
Investigating the Role of Macronutrients,
vol. 2, Nutrition and Cancer Prevention Series (New York: Marcel Dekker, 1992).

23
. Laura Fraser,
Losing It: False Hopes and Fat Profits in the Diet Industry
(New York: Plume, 1998).

24
. Irwin Stillman,
The Doctor’s Quick Weight Loss Diet
(New York: Dell, 1967).

25
. Marjorie R. Freedman, et al., “Popular Diets: A Scientific Review,”
Obesity Research
9 suppl. (2001): 5S–17S.

26
. Ancel Keys, “Atherosclerosis: A Problem in Newer Public Health,”
Journal of Mount Sinai Hospital New York
20 (1953): 118–139.

27
. Ancel Keys, “Coronary Heart Disease in Seven Countries,”
Circulation
41, suppl. 1 (1970): 1–211.

28
. George V. Mann,
Coronary Heart Disease: The Dietary Sense and Nonsense
(London: Janus, 1993).

29
. Ibid.

30
. Uffe Ravnskov,
The Cholesterol Myths
(Washington: New Trends, 2000).

31
. George V. Mann, et al., “Atherosclerosis in the Masai,”
American Journal of Epidemiology
95 (1972): 26–37.

32
. John Yudkin,
Sweet and Dangerous
(New York: Wyden, 1972).

33
. Ancel Keys, “Letter: Normal Plasma Cholesterol in a Man Who Eats 25 Eggs a Day,”
The New England Journal of Medicine
325 (1991): 584.

34
. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Cholesterol Education Program,
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/ncep
.

35
. Apex Fitness Group,
Apex Fitness Systems Certification Manual,
3rd ed. (Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Apex Fitness Group, 2001).

36
. Dean Ornish, “Intensive Lifestyle Changes for Reversal of Coronary Heart Disease,”
Journal of the American Medical Association
280, no. 23 (December 16, 1998): 2001–2007.