Haven't read Taubes' book yet, but I certainly do now intend to. From personal experience I suspect I will be a firm advocate -- unless he promotes using vegetable oils. I "discovered" coconut oil after hearing Dr. Bruce Fife at a conference, followed by Sally Fallon (Weston A. Price Foundation) and Mary Enig, a leading lipids researcher at the University of Maryland talk about "good" and "bad" fats.

Although I hadn't strayed all that far previously, I had been using canola oil, shortening occasionally for baking, and other way-out-of-kilter omega-3-6-9 ratio fats. Thankfully, I never could abide margarine.

Long story short, switching completely to good fats (read any of Enig's or Fallon's books) such as coconut and palm oil, beef tallow, pork lard, poultry fats and even more butter than ever, I've experienced lots of healthy results. And never even thinking of losing weight, I finally bought a scale when my slacks started falling down and found myself 30 pounds lighter. When I added eating to metabolic type (high protein, high fat), about 6 months ago, 15 more pounds have disappeared.

This from a non-calorie-counting sedentary senior who's eating chicken skin cracklings as a snack even as I type. There is lots of hope out there once you get around marketing and industry hype -- and you are true to your body's chemistry.

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As a chemist interested in food chemistry, I will look at this book. The good food bad food arguments started way back in the 60-70's with refined sugars and flours being culprits--and a rebellion against processed food in general. It extended into the 90's with the glycemic index. Then we have the glycemic load (what I like to call the metabolic index--how normal people actually process carbs rather than just the potential to raise blood sugar).... adding potatoes and rice to the list of things that boost blood sugar significantly--bumping up insulin levels and causing rebound hunger, loss of energy, etc. Now I am not certain what this book says, but blood sugar and insulin response is a key factor in heart and blood vessel disease. And, to summarize the effect... sugar up, insulin up, sugar down. Insulin production increases arterial inflammation and sets up a process for lesions, damage, clotting... everything that is implicated in heart disease. It has never been eggs! Or for that matter, ANY dietary cholesterol (unless you are one of the statistical few that actually respond to dietary cholesterol with an increase in blood cholesterol. Same thing for many fats. Fats are not just "fats" but contain different proportions of "fatty acids". Each fatty acid has different characteristics. Beef fat for instance contains a significant portion of saturated stearic acid. Stearic acid behaves more like a mono saturated fat in the body, even though it is saturated. So, while you should not be eating beef cracklins, having an occasional steak or burger is not going to kill you. Lots of things to know, and the media glosses over them in the trans fatty acid stuff (does this make fried foods healthy?? hardly!) and multiple other food reporting--linking one thing with another, often erroneously. It is important to eat a variety of food--and to choose those calories wisely--but who counts calories anymore when you can eat one food or eliminate another as a "diet"?? There is no magic bullet... and the only sustainable diet is one in which you watch what you eat--food in moderation and variety.

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I'm sorry, but it's science, biology in particular that we're dealing with:

Weight problems are caused by excess body fat.
Body fat is formed primarily by a high insulin response (aka - the body is told to store fat by a high insulin response).
Refined carbohydrates and starches cause a high insulin response in the body whereas Proteins, Fats and high fiber "whole grain" carbohydrates do not cause a high insulin response.
Refined carbohydrates and starches cause obesity.

I'm an athlete who is religious about a diet containing 40% Protein, 40% Fat and 20% "Good" carbohydrates. My body fat percentage is 4-6%.

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My husband and I have lost a combined 53 pounds. We started drinking this fruit juice called Monavie. It is made up of 19 fruits including the acai berry. Its low glycemic index benefits for weight control because it helps control appetite and delay hunger. Low glycemic levels can also help individuals who are trying to lose weight, since it keeps you fuller longer, and can even prolong physical strength and endurance.
By drinking the fruit juice with the acai berry your body will be cleansed and able to run properly, and fatigue will be eliminated over time. High antioxidant levels boost the immune system, and people have reported having boundless energy and endurance as a result of drinking Monavie.
We now have more energy and our appetites have been curbed. We drink 2oz in the morning and 2 oz at night. We were so excited we now have our whole family drinking it and each one has found benefits in the juice! Learn more: http://www.mymonavie.com/richardfamily

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I always roll my eyes when a supplement says it will "cleanse your body."

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jsmylie,
that's marketing-speak for "you will poop ALOT"

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As a holistic nutritional counselor, I have both experienced myself and had clients experience tremendous benefits from the reduction of refined carbs (and for me, whole grains period, i. e. brown rice) from daily consumption. The insulin response that others have mentioned IS key, and and can be responsible for a chain reaction of hormonal imbalances that wind up manifesting themselves as diseases commonly referred to as things like "chronic fatigue syndrome", inability to lose weight, IBS, PMS/menstrual irregularities, and a million other things doctors are now prescribing pills for. We evolved eating proteins from animals and plants, and then years later, on local native grains indigenous to specific regions. Our bodies don't know what to do with the current Standard American Diet (S.A.D.) and the mish mosh of chemically processed, genetically modified ingredients, and well...one thing leads to another and weight gain/inability to lose weight is just one tiny result. Consumption of natural fats (coconut oil IS awesome), and organic proteins and fats has proven to me time and time again to be the most beneficial way to feel better and look better. OK, sorry to tangent! I'm very much looking forward to checking out this book!

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You know, it's very funny to me that when Atkins released his "diet" book, everyone wrote him off. Now, MANY years after he initially published his book (which was in the 70's), more and more researchers, dieticians, and athletes use a diet that is essentially his: low-Carb, High-Protein/Fat... this includes me, that used/uses The South Beach Diet.

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I tried that monavie and didnt get any benefit whatsoever from it. But the person that sold it to be benefited by making her money off of me. Glad you could get your comercial in though....

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I've just finished Taubes' book cover-to-cover, and it's an amazing accomplishment. He does argue that carbs drive insulin and insulin drives fat buildup. He's very much in agreement that fats are not the enemy. The most important thing about his book is how he tells the story of how we got to this point, where low-fat, low cholesterol is politically correct and practically a religion, while research that indicates the alternative--that it's the refined carbs--is given no attention or is derided.

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What we are talking here is sheer common sense. When I was a child my mother made almost everything we ate from scratch. We had little in the way of processed foods, we actually ate real butter and she even used lard on occasion. We had beef, chicken, fish and pork, potates, rice beans, vegetables, cheese and everything under the sun to eat. It was always in porportion and we were never told to clean our plates. It was take no more than you will eat. This is the way i fed my children when they were growing up. They were not and are not over weight, nor am I. The reintroduction of common sense in the american diet....what a concept

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This is not the most controversial diet ever. Have you read the Shangri-La diet by Seth Roberts the former UC Berkeley profesor? He advocates drinking vegetable oil as a way of curbing hunger. And it works!

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I have never heard of Monavie, but something tells me it is a MLM scheme.

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I just ordered this book, intend to read it, and will most likely agree with it. I am a type I diabetic of 15 years, so I know all about carbohydrates and insulin response. In a matter unrelated to weight, I have been following "Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution" for the past year and a half, and my blood sugar control has never been better. I have cut out essentially all carbohydrates from grains, fruits, dairy, and sugar, consuming only carbohydrates from plants, proteins, fats, and modified nut grains, and in small quantities at that. I know that my blood sugar has never been more stable, and I feel energized and invigorated. I would imagine that Dr. Taubes' diet will work like this for a normally functioning individual, with the added bonus of weight loss. Low-carb is the way to be!

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Since finding out I had type two diabetes I went on a low carb diet and the pounds just dropped off. My cholesterol is probably too low! (It is in the 130s)
Another "must read" for a great explanation of the advantages and rational for a low carb diet is Diabetes Solution by Richard Bernstein, M.D. And it is what I was taught in nursing school 40 years ago! Low fat diets have never made sense.

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I am overweight and it is MY FAULT, I like to eat, it's that simple, I like pies, and fast food, the minute I stop eating junk the weight comes off but i just "like" that food, I don't know why some people assume that if you are overweight you are either sick, dumb, trying to loose weight etc..I eat cause I want to eat I pick the food I like regardless of the content THUS I gain weight, don't offer me a diet, or a pill, I like myself, period!

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It should be obvious to most people that the current no/low fat trend isn't working. The shelves are stocked with these high carb laden foods. People buy them thinking they will lose weight. They feed them to their children thinking they will prevent them from being obese...but guess what. Obesity is now an epidemic. Time to re-think the whole no/low fat thing. I think Gary Taubbs has some really good information. This is especially enlightening for diabetics and the epidemic of diabetes in this country and all over the world. Hopefully people will be open minded enough to try something different in light of the fact that current thinking isn't working.

Jenny

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Obesity has become an epidemic in our country because of the glut of high carb processed foods. Go back in time, before convenience foods...what did people eat? Meat and vegetables. Bread had to be made my hand and was a limited part of the diet and was not made with overprocessed flour. Snacks were items like beef jerky and fruit. I have had great success with a diet of unprocessed carbs and will hopefully avoid the diabetes that is in my family history.

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It seems very similar to Atkins Concept. I lost 36 lbs in 7 weeks and kept the weight off for 7 years so far. The better thing was that my serum cholesterol fell from 265 to 188 during that time and my ldl's went from 33 to 45. Mt doctor was ecstatic with those numbers. I also was on statins at 265 and without any statins at 188.

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I'm not sure what I think about the whole "carbs are bad" or that certain carbs and starches are bad. All I eat is carbs and starches! Yes, I eat veggies and fruits some days, and make sure I have my V8 Fusion daily, but what I really WANT to eat is always bread, pasta, or potato. I've been eating this way for my whole life and I wouldn't consider myself to be overly 'fat'. I'm 5'5" and my weight fluctuates from 136-142 and I wear a size 6. If these starches are so detrimental, why am I not fatter? I suppose I should give this guy's book diet a try, maybe I'd be skinny then! :-)

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