LIVING LOW-CARB
The Living Low-Carb Diet was developed by cookbook author and editor Fran McCullough, and as the name implies, it advocates making low-carbohydrate eating a permanent way of living. While carbohydrates aren’t completely restricted, they should be kept account of- combining low-carb foods with moderate exercise are the foundations of this program.
Foods Emphasized: Low-carb fruits and vegetables, whole & organic foods, olive and sesame oils, canned tuna, cheese, animal products
Foods Discouraged: ’White’ foods like potatoes, sugar, rice, popcorn, milk and flour, with the exception of white vegetables such as cauliflower
Premise and Guidelines: Coming from the profession of cookbook authoring, McCollough’s transition into the dieting world comes easily. She wrote a new cookbook for the Living Low-Carb Diet as well. The emphasis is on a lifestyle choice rather than a weight loss diet. –There are few restrictions on this diet; simply eat low-carb foods instead of high-carb ones. Dieters are still enabled to eat carbohydrates, and can thus maintain nutrients and energy, but make their choices healthier. McCullough does recommend eating a maximum of 30 grams of carbohydrates a day. So, there is some restriction on carbohydrate ingestion. With a ban on ‘white’ foods, identifying restricted menu items is easy- with the exception of vegetables, anything white (and most likely processed) is simply identified.
Living Low-Carb also recommends that protein be eaten at every meal (approximately a half gram of protein for each pound of your ideal body weight) Snacking, a no-no in some diet plans, is actually recommended as long as the snacks are whole foods and preferably raw choices. The diet is similar to the Adkins diet, but without the stringent reduction of carbohydrates; this diet is more relaxed in that area. Whereas the Adkins diet frowns upon fruit, low-carb fruit choices such as melons and berries are given the go-ahead on the Living Low-Carb. Dieters are also advised to drink 8-12 glasses of water a day to stay hydrated and to eat small-portioned dinners during early hours. Eating heavy meals late in the evening is discouraged. Regular exercise is also a staple of this diet program. Living Low-Carb is a lifestyle diet, and results may not appear as quickly as some others. As far as cost goes, the recipes in the accompanying cookbook can get expensive. And, although calorie counting isn’t mandated as part of the diet, counting carbohydrates can be just as tedious.
There does seem to be some effectiveness to this diet, but there is yet to be scientific research proving that the results are long-term. McCollough strove to develop an eating plan that wouldn’t completely eliminate the ‘pleasure’ in meals that can be derived from carb consumption, but she does acknowledge that this diet is not for everyone- diabetics, pregnant women, and those with thyroid conditions may not benefit from adherence to this type of diet.