Living Low Carb: Controlled-Carbohydrate Eating for Long-Term Weight Loss [Paperback]

Jonny Bowden PhD CNS (Author), Barry Sears Ph.D. (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 5, 2010

Living low carb just gets better and better! This thorough revision of Jonny Bowden’s comprehensive guide includes all the newest data that support the long-term health benefits of a contemporary low-carbohydrate eating plan.

Bowden explains how low-carb diets work, and helps readers choose and customize the program that’s best for their own long-term weight-loss and optimal well-being. With customary frankness, he reveals the secrets to sticking with a controlled-carb plan and sums up everything he’s learned about how to make the lifestyle work. Best of all, Bowden gives the lowdown on all the low-carb programs, including the All-New Atkins Advantages, the Low GI Diet, and the Ultimate New York Diet, with recommendations and caveats.

Bowden’s candor, lively style, and grasp of the subject make this consumer’s guide to low-carb diets the best on the planet.

 

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS, is a certified nutrition specialist with a PhD in psychology. He is the author of numerous books and is on the Editorial Advisory Board of Men's Health. He writes a monthly column for Better Nutrition magazine and hosts a weekly radio show. Bowden also maintains a busy consulting practice.

Product Details

• Paperback: 440 pages
• Publisher: Sterling; 1 Original edition (January 5, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402768257
• ISBN-13: 978-1402768255
• Product Dimensions: 1.2 x 6 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (65 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #214,822 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jonny Bowden, PhD, C.N.S. (aka "The Rogue Nutritionist" is a board-certified nutrition specialist and a nationally known expert on weight loss and nutrition.

His work has been endorsed by a virtual who's who in the world of integrative medicine and nutrition including Dr. Christiane Northrup, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Dr. Barry Sears (who calls him "one of the best") and Dr. Ann Louise Gittleman, (who calls him "the personal health coach I would want in my corner no matter what").

He has been featured in or contributed material to The New York Times, The New York Post, Bottom Line Health, Chicago Sun Times, Chicago Tribune, Time Magazine, GQ, Muscle and Fitness, Cosmopolitan, Oxygen, Seventeen, MSNBC Online, MSN Online, The National Star, Self, Fitness, Family Circle, Marie Claire, Allure, Men's Health, Ladies Home Journal, Walking, Prevention, Total Health, Woman's World, Weight Watchers, In Style, Shape and the National Enquirer and has appeared on Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NBC and CBS as an expert on nutrition, weight loss and fitness.

Dr. Bowden writes the monthly "Healthy Solutions" column for Better Nutrition Magazine, is a regular contributor to America Online, and a contributing editor for both Clean Eating magazine and Total Health Magazine.

Dr. Bowden has a Master's Degree in psychology and counseling and a PhD in nutrition, and has earned six national certifications in personal training and exercise. He is board certified by the American College of Nutrition. He is adjunct faculty at Clayton College for Natural Health, and a much in-demand speaker at conferences and events across the country.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#92 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting

#92 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

171 of 177 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The next time someone tells you low carb is "dangerous"... January 7, 2010

By J. Jason Boehm

Format:Paperback

The hoopla over low-carb diets has all but vanished in the news. Once the low-carb junk foods disappeared, the media quickly dismissed low carb as "dead." (And oh yeah, if you keep eating this way, they said, you would be dead too.)

It's not. And we're not. Plenty of us happily eat low carb, and enjoy optimal health. We look and feel great. We have not died of kidney failure, or whatever "dangers" supposed health experts warn about eating this way.

Thankfully Jonny Bowden has revised his brilliant "Living the Low Carb Life," the absolute best book of its kind to learn about this way of eating. Even if biochemistry scares you away, Bowden has a way of writing that's simultaneously entertaining, enlightening, and a pleasure to read. That's true even if you never group "biochemistry" and "a pleasure to read" in the same sentence.

The new edition contains a chapter about talking to your doctor, some additional reviews of new diet and exercise plans/ books, and more current studies to support low-carb eating. Everything you need to know about eating healthily, taking supplements, exercising, and feeling great is right here. I didn't think this book could get any better, but it did.

Read "Living Low Carb," and you'll have an intelligent, science-based argument for anyone who bemoans how terrible, or unsafe, or whatever, low carb diets can be.

Even people who know better espouse this fallacious thinking. I am almost finished with a Masters degree in nutrition. My professors confirm carbohydrates are the only "non-essential" class of nutrients (absolutely correct, as Bowden points out; the necessary amount is zero grams), and then turn around to say carbs are necessary for energy, that ketosis will create all kinds of problems like fatigue, and of course the classic myth about kidney disease.

Get the facts. The next time your friend or doctor or health "expert" tells you about how dangerous or faddish eating low carb can be, explain that we've been eating this way for millions of years (and that a low-fat diet is the true fad diet). Then knock their argument dead in the water with this engaging, impeccably written and researched book.

113 of 115 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fresh New Look Of A Low-Carb Jonny Bowden Classic June 23, 2010

By Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Man TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

One of the most honest and accurate health writers and speakers on the planet today has got to be the amazingly prolific and one of the all-around lovable good guys-Dr. Jonny Bowden. His stellar writings which are featured through a wide multitude of various nationally-syndicated columns such as on AOL, The Huffington Post, iVillage as well as his bestselling line of books make him a highly sought after expert on all things related to nutrition, diet, and living a healthy lifestyle. Back in 2003, he penned what many in the low-carb community considered the quintessential magnum opus book on the awesome benefits of carbohydrate-restriction that has ever been written in a readable style that was palatable to anyone interested in learning more about what this way of eating is all about. The book was called Living The Low Carb Life: From Atkins to the Zone Choosing the Diet That's Right for You and it was an outstanding book that literally allowed you to compare all of the most popular low-carb diet plans side-by-side with a brief synopsis of each one along with the pros and cons to decide which one is best for you. Dr. Bowden has always maintained the philosophy that people need to find the diet that is right for them.

But when the low-carb diet supposedly fell out of favor with the public in 2005 after the big low-carb food marketing craze subsided, Dr. Bowden's publisher discontinued printing the book despite strong sales. Then in 2009 there was such a great demand for this book by people sincerely interested in learning more about what low-carb living was all about and the emergence of a whole host of solid scientific evidence supporting low-carb diets that the publishers had no choice but to contact Dr. Bowden requesting that he update his classic book with all of this brand new information that has released since the publication of his original manuscript. The end result of that updated and expanded version of his 2003 book is what we have in the 2010 edition renamed Living Low-Carb: Controlled-Carbohydrate Eating for Long-Term Weight Loss.

For fans of the original book, most of the information contained in this update will be familiar. But there are a lot more diets included in the comparison including ones that have released in the past few years like The Biggest Loser, The Maker's Diet, The TNT Diet, YOU: On A Diet, Curves, The Low GI Diet, and The 6-Week Cure For The Middle-Aged Middle, for example. The format for featuring these various low-carb plans (and a few non-low-carb ones as well!) is the same as the first book-a quick "in a nutshell" overview of the plan, a few pages explaining the genesis of the program and how it works, and finally you get "Jonny's Lowdown" where he give a 1-5 star rating for the diet along with commentary explaining the positive and negative aspects of the particular diet he is highlighting. There are 38 diets examined in all and you can bet it includes just about all of the major low-carb diet plans out there (with the exception of the bestselling New Atkins For A New You which released in March 2010 after the publication of this book).

Before he gets to the comparisons, though, Dr. Bowden lays the groundwork why low-carb living is optimal not just for weight loss but also your health with a series of chapters. He begins Chapter 1 by providing the history behind low-carb and how it all came about in the first place thanks to a man named William Banting (surprise, it wasn't the late, great Dr. Robert C. Atkins who first created low-carbohydrate diets). Then in Chapter 2, Dr. Bowden meticulously explains why low-carb diets work by showing you the mechanism that takes place when you eat this way. A new chapter included in this update is about the ongoing controversy regarding dietary fat and cholesterol and whether they negatively impact heart health as most of the "experts" have been saying for decades. A discussion of whether we've been "misled" on this issue and supporting facts making the case for that are included in Chapter 3.

Another new addition to the book is Chapter 4 begs the question, "So Why Isn't Everyone On A Low-Carb Diet? (OR Why Your Doctor Doesn't Know About This Stuff)" is an eye-opener to anyone who is still convinced that the conventional wisdom regarding high-carb, low-fat and even vegetarian diets is the optimal nutritional path. The continued misinformation about healthy low-carb diets persists despite both anecdotal and scientific proof to the contrary. Dr. Bowden explains some of the obstacles that stand in the way of low-carb being widely accepted by our culture and what needs to be done to bring out the truths behind this dietary lifestyle change. Chapter 5 explores the concept of the "metabolic advantage" on low-carb diets while Chapter 6 tackles most of the biggest myths about low-carb, including the assumption you're missing out on nutrients eating this way, the alleged danger of being in ketosis, the fear of kidney damage eating so much protein, the needless heart disease fears, and more. All of this information is written in an easy-to-understand yet thorough way so that the reader will feel confident in the veracity of everything they soak in from the 400+ pages included in this updated version.

After going through all of the diet comparisons in Chapter 7, Dr. Bowden shares an inspiring story in Chapter 8 about an aboriginal community in Canada that was placed on a high-fat, low-carb diet and went on to lose 1200 pounds between them as part of a study conducted by Dr. Jay Wortman featured in a documentary called My Big Fat Diet. Chapter 9 covers the use of supplementation and diet aides while on low-carb which is simply a synopsis of a lot of the information contained in several of Dr. Bowden's other recent books on this subject. The frequently asked questions in Chapter 10 is probably the most exciting part of this book because it includes a potpourri of burning questions that real people have submitted to Dr. Bowden over the years, including when can I eat carbs again, how long will it take for me to lose 10 pounds, why am I constipated, how do I beat sugar cravings, how many calories do I need to eat on low-carb, and many more. It's quite the collection of the real-life questions most people have about low-carb diets with a level-headed professional response to each.

In Chapter 11, you get to pick up on 50 or so "tricks of the trade" to make your low-carb lifestyle much more pleasurable and effective while preventing the bad habits that inevitably creep into the diet of anyone who has "failed" at being a success on low-carb. Finally in Chapter 12, Dr. Bowden helps you assimilate all of the information he's provided in his book to discover exactly which plan is going to provide the best success for YOU! In the end, that's the primary purpose of Living Low Carb-you want to find what will work for you and then DO IT! Once you choose your program, there are a whole host of low-carb support resources listed in the back of the book, including web sites, blogs, books, and cookbooks to keep you on the straight and narrow as you begin your low-carb journey in earnest. If you could only get one book about low-carb, then this is it! Dr. Jonny Bowden has done his homework. Now you have the tools and information to take away all of your excuses and make livin' la vida low-carb work for you. GO FOR IT!

59 of 59 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Information and Answer I've Needed January 24, 2011

By Patina

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

There is a reason Dr. Jonny Bowden is one my favorite health authors and this book just reaffirms it. He explains complex health and nutrition topics in layman's terms so that when you're done reading you can't help but say to yourself "Ahhh! Now I get it! That makes perfect sense!". So what drew me to this book in the first place?

I've been fat almost my entire adult life and six years ago I was diagnosed as insulin resistant and two years after that I had full blown Type II diabetes. I've never really managed to get my blood sugars under control and now I know why. I am, and always have been a carb addict. Bread, crackers, chips and pasta had always been the mainstay of my daily food intake and that's why I'm fat and have diabetes. Not much of a refined sugar lover but when you put starchy carbs in your body there's really no difference.

Six months ago I joined WeightWatchers and committed to eating clean, whole foods and sticking with a low-fat, lean protein, high fiber lifestyle. Well guess what, I've done exactly what I committed to and 6 months later I have lost only 6 pounds from where I started. That's a hard reality to accept not to mention the levels of frustration I have lived with over those last 6 months.

About 5 years ago, I went on a low-carb plan and I took it to the extreme of no-carbs and it worked. I lost a lot of weight in a short amount of time but about 3 months into my no-carb plan I developed a kidney issue. After multiple tests and multiple doctors no one had an answer for my kidney problem so ultimately I was told that the culprit was the fact that I was not eating carbs and that I needed to add them back in. So I did and I gained back everything I had lost and then some and was then diagnosed with full Type II diabetes. But when doctors are telling you that low/no-carb will basically be the death of you then you tend to listen. So I've never done low-carb since and I'm still fat and still unhealthy.

So after 6 months on WeightWatchers with less than stellar results I recently purchased this book and decided to give low-carb a second look. I started reading it and couldn't put it down until I was through it. I had one of the biggest "light-bulb" moments that I've had in a long time. What I learned in this book is that carbs are what keep me fat and make it near impossible to lose the weight. My own experience with a no-carb plan affirms exactly what Dr. Bowden describes in this book regarding carb intake. No wonder low fat, lean protein and high fiber is not working for me!! I'm still eating far too many carbs and it makes no difference that my carbs are from high fiber grains, fruits and vegetables. The problem is I'm still eating too many of them.

So with my new found understanding of what it means to live low-carb, that's exactly what I'm doing and in three days since limiting my carbs I've lost 2 pounds. That is nearly half what I've lost in six months of low-fat, lean protein, high fiber eating. Now one could argue that's just extra water, maybe it is but I already have more energy and feel less sluggish and my overall sense of well-being is on the rise and food tastes delicious again!! Also, my blood sugars have been very steady and within a healthy range in just this short amount of time and yes I take medication for my diabetes but my blood sugars are usually all over the place. I can't find anything wrong with any of that can you?

What I learned through reading this book is that carbs aren't bad at all. They're actually good if you're selective in how you get them into your body but the key is to limit them.

Like Dr. Bowden says many times in this book, he is not advocating a low-carb lifestyle for everyone but clearly there are people such as myself that can benefit from the new science and studies of the impact of carbs on our health and that for some people carbs (and insulin/hormone levels) really are the culprit when it comes to weight gain and the inability to lose that weight.

If you have been struggling with losing weight and following the normal conventions of weight loss gurus, then you owe it to yourself to at least read the information in this book and then make an educated decision whether or not a low-carb lifestyle is for you. It is not for those people who just cannot imagine their life without large amounts of carbs in their daily eating but it is worth a look for those that have no problem with change if it means a lean, healthier future.

I think this is an excellent book and possibly a life changing one for some. Even if you don't have a weight problem or diabetes this is fascinating (and understandable) information on how carbs affect our bodies and for some, our overall health.