Here's my chapter-by-chapter review of this book. A little long, but should give you a good idea of what the book contains.

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Chapter 1: The History and Origins of Low-Carb Diets

This was a fun chapter. Jonny Bowden talks about the history of low-carbohydrate diets, from William Banting and Dr. William Harvey all the way to Dr. Barry Sears (The Zone). We find low-carb diets did not start with Dr. Robert Atkins in 1972, but actually with Mr. Banting's publication of Letter on Corpulence in 1864. So low-carb has been around much longer than the low fat dogma that has only been popular the last 30 years. The concept of the calorie wasn't even discovered until between 1890 and 1900 by a man with the name of Wilbur Atwater.

Mr. Bowden goes through all this and more, touching on each of the major players in diet from 1864 onward. Many of the people named I had never heard of before. There's so much more to this low-carb lifestyle than one man in New York in the 70s!

Very good chapter and I highly recommend it.

Chapter 2: Why Low-Carb Diets Work

Jonny Bowden gets somewhat technical in this chapter, and I admit parts were over my head. It talks about how our bodily system work, with a focus on insulin since it is a key reason low fat/high carb diets don't work. It talks about blood sugar, cholesterol (both HDL and LDL), and triglycerides. It explains why a diet high in carbohydrates has an adverse impact on all of these.

He spends extra time on insulin, insulin resistance, and diabetes. He talks about insulin as the "fat-storage hormone" and most importantly, what goes on in the body to cause this. The chapter can be summed up best in one sentence: "Controlling insulin is the number one priority of all low-carb diets" (page 64).

As I said, parts are quite technical, but most of the chapter was understandable. It left me thinking, "Why would I ever want to put so many carbs in my body when they do such horrible things?

This is the chapter to read if you want to know the scientific reasons a low carb diet works and what goes on in your body when you are on a traditional low fat diet.

Chapter 3: The Diets

In chapter 3, Jonny Bowden takes pains to list the positives and negatives of all the diet plans he profiles. With those that get a low rating, such as Lindora, he mentions what is good about the program. And with the highest rated, such as Atkins, he mentions the faults he sees. So far from being overly biased, he does his best to highlight the whole story behind all the diets - good and bad.

Here's all the diets and how they rated, from top rated down to lowest rated. When more than one program has the same rating they are in alphabetical order. If you want to know Mr. Bowden's reasoning behind these ratings, you'll have to get the book! :) Below each diet I will put my comments.

The Atkins Diet - 5 stars

I am, of course, biased toward this program because it is my plan. :) Atkins is high-fat, low-carb, consisting of four phases, each one less restrictive than the last.

Favorite quotes:
"But you have to realize that in 1972, banning these foods [high carbohydrate foods] for even two weeks was the nutrition equivalent of suggesting that every school and office in the country burn the American flag. These foods were the holy grail of low-fat religion" (pg. 68).

"Atkins has been one of the most misunderstood diet authors and has been the target of more attacks than any other low-carb proponent, probably because his was the first and the most commercially successful of the plans and also, to the constant chagrin of the establishment, because he simply wouldn't go away" (pg. 72).

The Fat Flush Plan - 5 stars

A good basic plan. There really isn't anything bad to say about it. It restricts wheat, dairy, and sugar, which some people are sensitive to in which case these foods would cause bloating.

The Hamptons Diet - 5 stars

Favorite quote:
"Dr. Pescatore points to the fact that the American Heart Association diet - which recommends limiting total dietary fat to less than 30 percent of the diet and saturated fat to less than 10 percent - fails to lower triglycerides and actually lowers HDL (good cholesterol). In addition, the AHA diet has never consistently shown long-term improvement in any heart disease outcome" (pg. 107).

Protein Power - 5 stars

Not much to say. It's a very good, well-balanced low carb diet.

Interesting feature of the diet:
It has three levels, representing your level of commitment. The higher the level, the more healthy you will be. You'll have to get the book for the full explanation, but here's the name of the levels.

Purist - very restrictive
Dilettante - a little less restrictive, but still bans certain foods; the authors themselves are on this level
Hedonist - the least restrictive; anything goes as long as you stay within your allotted carbs and get the amount of required protein

If I had to go on this diet I would most certainly be a hedonist!

Interestingly enough, I recently stumbled upon Dr. Michael Eades' blog and have been reading it.

The South Beach Diet - 5 stars

Consisting of three phases and a good carbs/good fats approach (after the initial low-carb approach of Phase 1), the diet's true genius was that Dr. Agatston managed to get accepted by the mainstream. This is probably do to his demonization of saturated fats, which Mr. Bowden feels is dead wrong. However, if it can get people eating less carbs, that's a good thing.

I can't find fault in this diet. It encourages people to eat carbs in the amount their individual bodies can handle them, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Best (if not favorite) quote:
"The genius of Agatston is that he has taken this information and make it extremely user-friendly and accessible, and has done so while making sure not to alienate his more conservative colleagues in the medical profession. This makes it much more likely that his important message will be heard" (pgs. 155-156).

The Zone - 5 stars

Consists of 40% carbs/30% protein/30% fat.

Mr. Bowden then takes time to explode some basic myths about the diet.

1) "The Zone is not a high-protein diet" (pg. 161). It includes about 112g of protein a day.
2) "The Zone is also not a low-carb diet" (pg. 162). It includes about 150g of carbohydrates. (Yikes! Way too high for me. Any more than about 90g a day and I get the most horrible cravings.)
3) "The Zone was never meant solely as a weight loss diet. It was designed to reduce heart disease through the control of inflammation" (pg. 162).

In this section Mr. Bowden touches on the topic of eicosanoids. Very interesting stuff. Don't skip it.

He says that Dr. Sears has "almost singlehandedly forced the dietary establishment to reevaluate the prohibition on fats" (pg. 165), and that 40/30/30 beats the USDA food pyramid any day of the week. He says the Zone is a good place to begin, even if you later move on the a different program.

The 7 Day Low-Carb Rescue and Recovery Plan - 4 stars

By the same authors as the The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet. This is a week-long program and not a lifestyle. It's meant to transition you slowly into the Carbohydrate Addict's Diet. (See below for more on this.)

The GO Diet - 4 stars

Favorite quote:
"Fruits today are definitely not the same fruits out ancestors ate. Our fruits have been bred and engineered for far more sweetness than the bitter little things that our Paleolithic ancestors gathered" (pg. 102).

The Schwarzbein Principle - 4 stars

Mr. Bowden says that every low-carber should have the original Schwarzbein Principle in their library. He also says that if you aren't familiar with the case against a low-fat diet that this book is a good place to start.

The Schwarzbein Principle focuses on both insulin (as all low-carb diets do), but also on having healthy adrenal glands. This is what sets it apart from all other low-carb diets.

Why does it get only 4 stars? Because it's not really a weight loss plan. "As an overall plan for health, this is five-star material. But as a weight loss diet - which it was never intended to be - it may not be the ideal entry-level plan, as it requires a good deal of patience and lots of commitment" (pg. 146).

The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet - 3 stars

Two "on plan" meals a day consisting of mostly protein and vegetables and one reward meal, but that meal must be eaten in one hour. No snacks.

I could do a LOT of damage in one hour. This program would never work for me.

Neanderthin - 3 stars

Notable quote:
"Until the advent of agriculture, grains, beans, potatoes, milk, and refined sugar were not part of the human diet" (pg. 119).

This is SO true! Agriculture has only been around for 10,000 years. Our digestive tracts don't change that quickly. Our bodies are much better suited for a hunter/gatherer diet - low carbohydrate, high protein and fat.

Interesting feature of this diet:
"You...shouldn't drink alcohol, though he [the diet's author] says that if you must, you can do damage control by drinking fruit-based alcohol such as wine or champagne" (pg. 121).

No quibble here. I'm a wine girl all the way!

Favorite quote:
"A vegetarian diet, says Audette, is about as natural to humans as a diet of Cheerios to a lion" (pg. 122).

I think that's a bit hyperbolic, but point taken.

The Paleo Diet - 3 stars

Here Mr. Bowden gets into what he only touched on in the last section - that agriculture with it's attendant carbs and refined sugar is the cause of obesity. There's far too much info. to type up, but suffice to say that if you want to understand the role agriculture has played in modern life (and food) as we know it today, then this section is a must-read. For now, let's just say that Mr. Bowden lays out the fact that "61% of calories in a modern diet come from foods that were largely unknown before the adoption of agriculture" (pg. 125), and spells out how he came to this figure.

I have more stuff highlighted in this section than any other.

Favorite quote:
"Interesting, isn't it, that grains are the food of choice for fattening livestock and yet are still recommended by the dietary establishment as the foundation food of a weight loss program!" (pg. 127).

Curves - 2 1/2 stars

Favorite quote:
"This is a textbook example of what happens when a businessperson writes a book on nutrition and fitness. It's so filled will god-awful voodoo nutrition and snake oil salesmanship that by page 23 I was downright angry. Want an example? The author talks about turning on 'starvation hormones.'...I've never heard the term 'starvation hormones.' Wanna know why? 'Cause they don't exist" (pg. 91).

Also, Mr. Bowden quotes the Curves book as saying, "...a diet should be temporary." What, no lifestyle change??? That's the definition of a "god-awful" program!

The Lindora Program - 2 stars (couldn't find a book, just the official Web site)

Focuses not just on food, but on the physical, psychological, and environmental causes of cravings, and teaches people how to manage them. It reminded me a bit of Dr. Phil McGraw's Ultimate Weight Loss Solution, with the emphasis on the whole person, and in that case, as in the case of Lindora, the "food" portion of the diet isn't all that great.

Somersizing - 2 stars

Gets only 2 stars "purely for the emphasis on real food" (pg. 151). It's a food combining plan - protein/fats can be eaten with vegetables, but not carbs, and carbs can be eaten with vegetables, but not protein/fats. Fruits are always eaten alone. There is no science to back up food combining like this.

Favorite quote:
"It's a lovely system. The problem is that it has no basic in fact and doesn't even make sense on an intuitive level" (pg. 148).

Sugar Busters! - 2 stars

Gets only 2 stars, and those are "awarded for effort" (pg. 160), and nothing more. This diet is only about controlling sugar, but not other carbs. He considers the diet a step in the right direction, but "too lenient" for most people.

The Scarsdale Diet - 0 stars

This is a low-carb, low-fat, low-calorie diet. At zero stars, Mr. Bowden says it "is only mentioned here because it is still in print and still has a following. This is the kind of book that gives low-carbing a bad name" (pg. 140).

And yet, he does manage to find one positive comment:
"The only thing it [this diet] brings to the table - done so much better by others - is a limitation on sugar, starch, and flour" (pg 140).

Chapter 4: Supplements

This chapter covers diet drugs and vitamin and mineral supplements. First Jonny Bowden tackles diet drugs, saying that the only reason is doing so is because their ability to be bought online with a prescription presents a very strong temptation for many people. However, he cautions, these drugs are of limited use (very limited), are expensive, and often have side effects. All those factors combined mean they are just not worth it.

Next up is supplements, which he passionately believes in. Between his recommendation and Del raving about it on About's Weight Loss forum, I am taking fish oil capsules as of today.

Here's a list of all the supplements he covers. If you want to know more about them, you need this book! All these supplements can help with weight loss, and he explains what each one is for and how it can help. None will cause weight loss; they are just an aid. Not everyone needs every supplement.

fiber (I take this at night)
B Complex (I take this in the morning and swear by it for energy - take this!)
B5
B6 (included in my multi-vitamin packet)
Vitamin C (included in my multi-vitamin packet)
Vitamin E (included in my multi-vitamin packet)
Omega 3s (fish oil - I'm taking this now)
GLA (Gamma Linolenic Acid)
Magnesium (25% RDA is included in my multi-vitamin packet)
Alpha Lipoic Acid
Chromium (included in my multi-vitamin packet)
High-Dose Biotin
Carnitine
CoQ10
Green Tea (this is part of a current supplement I take, plus I drink two huge mugs of tea per day)
Ginseng (this is part of my multi-vitamin packet)
5-HTP
Bitter Orange (there are some warnings connected with this one - I can't take it)
Glutamine
Neptune Krill Oil

Under "Possibly Helpful" we find these supplements:

Gymnema Sylvestre
Hydroxycitrate (Hydroxycitric Acid)
Banaba Leaf Extract (Corosolic Acid) - no, NOT banana leaf; banaBa leaf

Under "Not recommended at This Time" we find these supplements:

CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid)
Flaxseed Oil (for Men)
Vanadium (Vanadyl Sulfate) (my multi-vitamin includes 10 mcg)

I need to sit down with this book and my vitamins and see what I have covered and what is not, and/or if I need to change the dosages of what I take.

Chapter 5: Five Myths About Low-Carb Diets

In chapter 5, Jonny Bowden tackles the five biggest myths of low-carb diets. If you have been low carbing for any length of time, you have likely heard versions of all five of these. He covers these and other myths in less detail in the next chapter, but these five are the "big ones" that require longer explanations. What are these myths? Here you go:

1) Low-carbohydrate diets induce ketosis, a dangerous metabolic state.

2) Low-carbohydrate diets cause calcium loss, bone loss, and/or osteoporosis.

3) High-protein diets cause damage to the kidneys.

4) The only reason you lose weight on a low-carb diet is because it's low in calories.

5) Low-carb diets increase the risk for heart disease.

These are all untrue myths, widely believed, and sometimes the exact opposite of the truth. Be ready to be challenged when you read this chapter.

Chapter 6: Frequently Asked Questions About Low-Carb

In chapter 6, Jonny Bowden tackles all those "Frequently Asked Questions" about low-carb diets. It would take too long to list each question he answers, but he breaks things down into sections, each containing between 2 and 23 questions each. Here's the sections:

Losing Weight on Low-Carb (6 questions)
Low carbing and the Body (11 questions)
Cravings (2 questions)
Supplements (5 questions)
Ketosis (3 questions)
Food and Water (23 questions)
Plateaus (2 questions)
Exercise (4 questions)

This is a great section of the book. I especially liked his answer to the question "What is the minimum daily requirement for carbohydrates?" Want to know the answer? Get the book!

Chapter 7: 50+ Tricks of the Trade

This chapter is composed on more than 50 "tricks of the trade" to help you in your low-carb lifestyle. Jonny Bowden followed each tip with a one paragraph explanation to work this into your plan. He makes it clear you don't have to do every single one, especially all at once. This is good because I don't intend to eat salmon (one of his tips) for any meal. I hate salmon.

Many of these tips (such as getting enough sleep) would work for any weight loss or maintenance program.

The tips are broken up into three sections. These are:
Food and Drink
Motivation
General Tips

Chapter 8: Putting It All Together

In chapter 8, Jonny Bowden helps you put your low- or controlled-carb program together. These are things that will help you no matter what program you choose. The sections are:

Low-Carb Is Not a Religion
Reassessment 101
Choose Your Battles
Invest Time in the Kitchen
Junk Is Junk, High-Carb or Low-Carb
Ten Simple Principles for a Successful Low-Carb Life (with 10 subpoints of course)
Make Low-Carb Part of a System of Self-Care (with 10 sub-points)
You Can Lose Weight: Believing Is Seeing

And that's it. That's the whole book. The only thing after this is the "Resources" section he mentions repeatedly throughout the book. There are tons of Web sites listed on every possible topic of interest to a low carber, including sites that have research abstracts. Tell the next person who tells you there's no science behind this approach to "Kiss my research abstracts!"

This resources section is 25 pages long and not to be missed.

The Resource Section

The "Resources" section is something Jonny Bowden mentions repeatedly throughout the book. There are tons of Web sites listed on every possible topic of interest to a low carber, including sites that have research abstracts. Tell the next person who tells you there's no science behind this approach to "Kiss my research abstracts!"

This resources section is 25 pages long and not to be missed. The book may be worth is just for the great resource section.

First, of course, he starts off mentioning his own Web site. :) Then he gets into all the other resources.

Low-Carbing Websites
Articles Online by Topic (including some research)
Recipes, Food, and Online Cookbooks
Exercise
Low-Carbers: The Dieters Themselves
Research Sites (abstracts and research papers)
Online Stores
Helpful Tools
Meal Delivery Service
Health and General Interest Sites of Value to Low-Carbers
Vitamins and Supplements
Newsletters and Magazines
Recommended Reading (has a sublist consisting of the following)

General
Low-Carb Library Must-Haves
References on Vitamins and Supplements
Sugar and Grains
Fats
Food Allergies and Weight Control
Stress and Its Relationship to Fat
Heart Disease and Cholesterol: Myths and Myth-Conceptions
Diabetes and Syndrome X
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Ketosis But Were Afraid to Ask
Cookbooks

Let's start by saying that Jonny Bowden's sensible advice really worked for me. I'm grateful for his explanation of the science behind low carb diets. I even took his advice and read one of the 14 diets he reviews and rates in this informative book. The proof, however, is in the results I achieved using his practical suggestions. Using many of Jonny's tips, I lost 20 lbs and 3 pant sizes in 12 weeks, lowered my blood pressure to normal levels, and dramatically improved my blood lipids all without medication.

The references and helpful links Jonny Bowden provides in this book are worth every penny. I refer to this book regularly for advice on supplements and for authoritative resources in many health areas. I highly recommend it to anyone seeking general health and longevity improvement.