4.0 out of 5 stars
A Useful Addition, Sep 21 2000
As the author of "The Gourmet Prescription: High Flavor Recipes for Lower Carbohydrate Diets", I welcome this addition to my low carb library. It contains useful information presented in an accessible manner and Ms. McCullough's perspective as a lay person has its merits.
As a fan of cauliflower, I particularly enjoyed her celebration of it as a low carb ally and potato substitute. Her Mashed "Potatoes" recipe is subtly appealing, although the long cooking and pureeing raise the glycemic index by affecting fiber content. Cauliflower lovers should also try Cauliflower-Green Bean Salad with Arame and Cauliflower-Tomato Salad with Almond Butter and Chives from "The Gourmet Prescription" which are bursting with flavor and leave most of the fiber intact.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
some new information, Jun 6 2000
I found myself relating so much to Fran's account of struggling with her weight. She is someone who loves the pleasures of life, and I'm right there with her. I just wish the first part of the book was longer, with more information about living the low carb life, and fewer recipes. She is such a good writer that she could write a whole book on lifestyle, and it would definitely keep my interest. I hope she writes more books filled with lo-carb information.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
I threw out my other low-carb book, April 21 2004
By A Customer
This review is from: Living Low-Carb: The Complete Guide to Long-Term Low-Carb Dieting (Paperback)
I'm really impressed with the breadth of knowledge Fran McCullough presents in the book. I wish she'd cite her sources. One sidebar about the effects of sugar says that normal body cells require oxygen and a little sugar to function, but cancer cells require lots and lots of sugar. I was pretty impressed with that little factoid. But where'd it come from?
LIVING LOW-CARB is enjoyable to read; it's like she's right there. I find it hard to put down when I go back to review.
In a valuable section called THE LOOKING-GLASS WORLD OF FAKE SUGAR, she gives great information on all the low-carb and non-carb sweeteners on the market, as of the date the book was published. That was really, really helpful. I'm looking for an alternative to Splenda because of that section (possible health risks and the fact that she asserts that all powdered sweeteners are cut with actual sugar ... Splenda in the box contains maltodextrin as its first ingredient, which apparently does affect insulin).
Another section called DEALING WITH BREAKFAST is equally reassuring and informative. It's about how to come up with a decent low-carb breakfast on the run, which, I take it, is the bedevilment of most low-carbers' lives.
Oh, one recipe is great: corned beef and cabbage. The cabbage is really as tender and tasty and she says. The intense custard is delicious and easy to make. The root beer wiggle, on the other hand, is less than delightful. (Diet root beer and gelatine.) McCullough's tastes run a little gourmet and expensive, but not excessively so. She sure knows the market of low-carb foods, and if she weren't a gourmet, how could she give such thorough information about the market?
I'm really hoping for a new edition, because the information about products and scientific findings could be outdated by now (hint, hint). But following the principles she outlines, I am losing weight. I follow a low-carb diet with about 80 percent faithfulness, and I'm losing weight at a moderate pace (about 30 pounds in a year), which satisfies me.
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