Books to Back the Research Behind Low-Carb Diets

Saturated fat is a villain. So is cholesterol.

That's what so many of us have been led to believe for so long, even though solid research hasn't ever supported those claims. So many times, articles are written without substantial evidence to back them up. And then so called "experts" come to believe it and the information spreads like wildfire.

In the meantime, we all see obesity and chronic disease all around us on a daily basis, even though we all now have a plethora of low fat foods available. Hmmm....couldn't those foods actually be causing the problem?

I remember back when a friend was so delighted by the sudden availability of low fat mayonnaise. When she brought it up, it made me wonder what exactly the manufacturers were replacing that fat with. Is something that's been tweaked better than something which comes straight out of nature? It just doesn't make sense.

Well, when in doubt, it's always a good idea to turn to books. And so, I've compiled a list of some extensively researched ones for you. They all point to the same problem, and one specifically singled out (as The Book Chook directed our attention to in her comment on my last post) by Dr. Andrew Weil in The Huffington Post article I had mentioned:

"Through their direct effects on insulin and blood sugar, refined carbohydrates, starches and sugars are the dietary cause of coronary heart disease and diabetes. They are the most likely dietary causes of cancer, Alzheimer's disease and other chronic diseases of modern civilization."

Those two sentences may shock some, but others have believed it for quite some time. The information is not new, but it's been buried by other, easier to swallow theories. You see, all research is not created equally. And you can't believe everything you read in a single magazine article.

Those words were part of Dr. Andrew Weil's summary of Gary Taube's extensively researched book,  Good Calories, Bad Calories: Fats, Carbs, and the Controversial Science of Diet and Health (Vintage). In case you recognize the name of the author, he also wrote the 2002 New York Times Magazine article,  "What if It's All Been a Big Fat Lie?" What a thought-provoking question! And one that needed to be answered once and for all. This book presents solid research in an effort to answer that question. A word of caution, though: it might be too lengthy and technical for some readers. So, please see Living Low Carb (below) for those who prefer a more easily digestible format.

An extraordinary complement to Taubes' book can be found in Know Your Fats : The Complete Primer for Understanding the Nutrition of Fats, Oils and Cholesterol, by Mary G. Enig, PhD. She has targeted her research specifically to fats and oils, and is internationally renowned for her work. If you think you've been eating enough of the right kinds of fats, be prepared for many surprises when you read her book.

If you don't have the time or the patience for reading lengthy research as presented in the above two books, another well researched, yet more reader-friendly substitution can be found in Living Low Carb: Controlled-Carbohydrate Eating for Long-Term Weight Loss, by Jonny Bowden, PhD., CNS. The author refers to Gary Taubes' and Mary Enig's work in this book, and also provides overviews and critiques of several different low-carb diets (and there are many). Anyone who is considering a change in diet should be sure to read this book first.

Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats, by Sally Fallon with Mary G. Enig, PhD. If there ever was a cookbook with extensively researched nutritional information, this is it! I haven't tried any of the recipes; but each is surrounded by a border of research, which makes it a great coffee table book.

Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, by Weston A. Price, DDS, is yet another extensively researched (photographic) book, but this time based upon a dentist's point of view and world travels. Your teeth and gums say a lot about your health, and his work provides even more evidence that modern foods are causing disease.

So, what will it take for more Americans to start believing that the food choices we make have the power to either cause or prevent disease? It would help if more medical professionals would follow the lead of Dr. Andrew Weil, but with the food and pharmaceutical industries as powerful as they are, it's doubtful that will happen anytime soon. So, patients really have no choice but to do their own research.

I don't think there's anyone out there who doesn't need to rethink some of their lifestyle choices. We all have to find a way to make time to engage in healthy behaviors and activities. And since we eat three or more times a day, food is a great place to start, and small steps certainly make a difference.

As for me, well, I admit it is difficult to break away from the saturated fat is bad paradigm. However, it does make absolute sense to me that it is a natural substance that our cells actually do need a certain amount of. After all, there are certain nutrients in animal products that you just can't get enough of otherwise.

So, I will continue to eat leaner cuts of meat (grass-fed, organic, or at least hormone and antibiotic-free), which provide a limited amount of saturated fat. I believe that moderation is an important key to life, and that we should diversify our food choices as much as possible. If food were stock, we wouldn't want to put all of our eggs in any one basket.

Also, I now only cook with extra virgin olive oil and/or coconut oil. Most people will agree that olive oil is a healthy choice, but most push aside coconut oil since it contains saturated fat. From my reading, and especially through the research of Mary G. Enig (see book authors above), I've come to realize that there are multiple benefits to cooking (especially at higher temperatures, which many popular oils cannot withstand) with pure coconut oil.

As for the whole carb thing, I've personally witnessed the damage they can do. Had it not been for my daughter, I wouldn't have done all this research and changed my lifestyle the way I have. She's made our whole family healthier. Her willpower amazes me, and is proof that once you take the man-made stuff away completely, you're not even tempted by it anymore. We all could learn a lesson or two from her eating habits.

And so, as a new year approaches, I urge you to think about some small ways you can improve your lifestyle in 2011. There's always room for improvement. A great place to start is with Jonny Bowden's Living Low Carb: Controlled-Carbohydrate Eating for Long-Term Weight Loss book. It's a read that could change your life (even if you don't need to lose weight), as are all of the books I mentioned above.

I'd like to wish those who celebrate Christmas a merry one. Enjoy this last week of the year!