Living Low Carb Review

 

Author Fran McCullough has been the series editor of Best American Recipes, an annual collection that's a part of Houghton Mifflin's "Best" series (Best American Short Stories, etc.). She's also the author of "The Low-Carb Cookbook", "Living Low-Carb" and "The Good Fat Cookbook".

The Low-Carb Cookbook was published in 1997 - the heady, pasta-free days of Atkins and the high protein/low-or-no carb madness. Unsurprisingly, the book was an instant hit and runaway best seller. The followup book - Living Low-Carb - is an expanded look at the low carb lifestyle, wherein McCullough reveals that she is not a fan of the strictest interpretations of the practice - and that you can live low carb and still have dessert. So she offers guidelines on a basic plan for low-carb eating, while still allowing you to hang on to some of the more pleasurable items on the menu.

McCullough's modified low carb living includes having protein with every meal, eating low carb fruits at breakfast (berries, melon, peaches), avoiding white foods (potatoes, rice, bread, flour, sugar, popcorn) with the exception of cauliflower, turnips and white radishes, consuming as many whole, organic and high fiber foods as possible - all the better if they're raw, and the bottom line: keep your carb intake to a max 30 grams per day.

The book is loaded with recipes for everything from high protein items like salmon and pork tenderloin to yummy-sounding (and carb-y) home fries and desserts like pumpkin mousse and chocoloate cake. Nutritional information for the recipes is provided, and McCullough notes that she tabulates carbs differently from other authors. What she does is subtract the fiber count from the total carb count - because she says that fiber does not raise blood sugar levels, and as such, shouldn't count. Nifty.

McCullough encourages regular exercise, discusses the specific issues of people for whom a low carb diet could be problematic - diabetics, pregnant women, etc., and offers up motivational tips and guidance on food shopping, cooking, dining out and dealing with cravings.

This is all well and good, but there are a number of issues here. First, nutritional experts do not like low carb diets - they consider them fads, not real programs - because they can have negative impact on your health. Atkinsesque plans which encourage the consumption of red meat, bacon, cheese, etc. are encouraging you to accelerate yourself down the path to high cholesterol and heart disease. And discouraging consumption of fruit, veggies and whole grains creates nutritional deficiencies when it comes to essentials like vitamins, fiber, minerals, etc. It's also noted that excessive amounts of protein can be difficult on normal kidney processes. And further, studies indicate that a mostly plant-based diet - carb heavy things like veggies, fruits and whole grains - are the key to protection from chronic disease. McCullough, to her credit, does seem to be trying to split the difference here - having your chocolate cake and eating it too.

But of course what you really want to know is - will I lose weight on a low carb diet? If you follow it correctly, yes. But the problem is, most of us cannot sustain ourselves with no carbs. Our bodies need them for energy, mood regulation, etc. - and most of us will eventually find ourselves reaching for the bread again. And if you've made no other lifestyle changes - reduced caloric intake, regular exercise - the weight you lost will come right back. The bottom line is: low carb diets are not a magic bullet. Scientific evidence shows again and again that you can eat whatever you want if you keep a proper caloric cap/deficit by limiting your portions and exercising. You CAN lose weight and have your pasta too.