Amy Dungan

Gary has a great way of helping his readers understand topics that at one time seemed too complicated for someone without a medical degree. Having read his previous book Good Calories, Bad Calories from cover to cover, I expected to see a lot of the same things discussed, but in much simpler format.

When thinking of low-carb, one doesn't often think of coconut. I'm not sure why, but it's just not one of those visions that pop in your head. Bacon, yes. Coconut, no. Coconut makes me think of sweet indulgent desserts and warm tropics. But coconut products can be a useful part of your low-carb plan.

Sweeteners are a matter of personal preference. The spectrum of opinions on this topic range from "anything is better than sugar" to "you should never eat anything sweet again". I fall more in the middle. I think a little sweet here and there can be beneficial if it keeps you on course. Keeping that in mind, I do have my favorites and not-so-favorites. Sugar alcohols tend to fall in the latter category, although I realize some are worse than others.

Holidays bring a myriad of emotions. The joy of spending time with family and friends can be the highlight of the season. The flip side of this coin is that family gatherings tend to center around food, and the inevitable pressure to eat everything your Aunt Trudy made. After all, she made that sugary carb-loaded favorite just for you! Will it really hurt to have just one serving and save her fragile feelings?

One of the things low-carbers often bemoan is the lack of convenience items that fit on the plan. Sure there are a few foods like nuts, beef jerky (which you have to watch ingredients on) and the like, but filling low-carb meals you can just toss in the microwave are few and far between.

I think it's safe to say I've become a protein powder connoisseur. I've found it useful in various recipes, as well as its traditional use for shakes. One thing I've learned the hard way is that you get what you pay for. This is especially true when speaking of protein powder.

For most low-carbers, reading food labels comes as naturally as breathing. Sadly we have to be very suspicious of everything commercially made. That being said, our newest low-carb cohorts may not yet understand the dangers of blindly believing any and all claims made by food manufacturers.

The Atkins Diet is probably the most well known low-carb plan in existence. Dr. Robert Atkins devoted his life to teaching people about healthy living and weight loss. Despite his success with a myriad of patients, his efforts were scoffed at and deemed dangerous by so-called experts in the health field. Thankfully the medical community is starting to realize the benefits of low-carb living and are finally showing Dr. Atkins the respect he deserved while he was still alive.

Weight loss is a difficult venture. A simple search on the subject will leave your head spinning with information. Regrettably, you end up with a lot of misinformation and outright deception as well.

When I first heard about this tasty sounding new product called Grace Island Baked Cheese Crisps, I'll admit to having high hopes. Having lived through the whole "low-carb craze" era, where every manufacturer and his dog were pushing their products as low-carb, I'll also admit to being skeptical. Many of those products were not truly low-carb, and some of them were down right nasty tasting. (Nasty as in maybe a dog really did come up with the product.)

Dana Carpender found a way to utilize this amazing kitchen appliance and still keep the recipes low carb and healthy. She lays it all out for us in 200 Low-Carb Slow Cooker Recipes.

Low Carb Product Reviews by Amy Dungan