Returning to transformation. The nocarb/Noakes/Banting diet is the flavour of the year. Noakes' own book is on the best seller list at Exclusive Books. This shows that there is a desire to explore this lifestyle. In my opinion the book is really a recipe book. When it comes to tacking the technical issues of the diet Noakes goes into the academic stratosphere. His explanations are thorough but often a little too academic. When you are discussing issues like cholesterol and hypertension it's often a better idea to write something that the average reader can understand.
One wonders whether Dr Howard Rybko has this in mind when he wrote his "The Decarb Diet – guide to a Low Carb lifestyle". His book comes in at a mere 180 odd pages vs Noake's 300 page book. Rybko has gone for simple explanations and fewer graphics. Like Noakes, Rybko speaks from experience. Describing himself as a serial (or should that be cereal) dieter, Rybko tells us that he has been a careful eater and ardent exerciser for the last 25 years. With 15 Argus' under his belt, the good doctor never fell below a certain weight threshold. He claims that by cutting out carbohydrates he lost 5 kilograms in five weeks.
Every diet book is full of technical information that provides you with a justification and a guideline. Rybko's book is no different but it is easy to read and understand. I did struggle to get to the bottom of reading food labels so I will heed this simple piece of advice that Rybko offers when it comes to shopping "Avoid any products you see advertised on TV". Once you've got your head around this axiom Rybko then takes you through a rather extreme eating plan whilst telling you what you may or may not consume. I believe that a staggered approach to changing your lifestyle is the most effective. Most diets fail because they advocate a "cold turkey" approach. This just leads to cravings, cravings lead to capitulation. The doctor does go into a comprehensive analysis of sugar addiction any what it's bad for you – fructose is the culprit people. As it stands right now people do not yet have to quit sugar as an alcoholic might have to quit drinking – but this might change in the future. If this is the case then some type of slow let down is a better idea. It was Noakes who said it has taken him three years to conquer his sugar addiction. The Decarb book describes how lab tests show that cocaine addicted rats will choose sugar over cocaine.
Any lifestyle change will be disruptive, especially eating plans, this is why the diet industry in the US is worth $20bn alone. If a lifestyle change is to succeed then it requires commitment and a change of behaviour across the board. This is not news, statistics show that 108 million Americans are on a diet any one time and many try four or five different programmes within a year. A change of behaviour is not a sudden thing – even Alcoholics Anonymous through its 12 step programme helps the recovering addict adjust their lifestyle to alleviate any temptations that might exist.
If you want to know the technical aspects of the Decarb diet along with useful tips on getting started and how to get over plateaus and the occasional recipe then Howard Rybko's book should be your starting point. If you want go on his programme by correspondence you go onto the Decarbdiet website, sign up and get started.
If you want to integrate this programme into your lifestyle in a more controlled environment then I can help you.