Belinda is a low carb success story herself, losing 40 pounds in six months and maintaining that weight loss since 1998! In addition to being a recipe developer, Belinda ran a restaurant for six years and served her delectable culinary creations to packed houses every day. She knows the importance of FAST, EASY and GREAT tasting meals.

Belinda was a pioneer in developing low carb cookbooks back in 1999. She was "low carb, when low carb wasn't cool".

In February of 2003, Belinda released her third edition of "Low Carb Recipes...Fast and Easy" adding much, MUCH more than just mouthwatering, fast and easy low carb recipes.

"Low Carb Recipes...Fast and Easy" is a delightful addition to my low carb cookbook collection. Although, I must admit, in the two weeks I've been testing recipes for this review, I've been marking up my copy. Yes marking, big RED smiley faces, each time my non low carb family would tell me "That's a KEEPER!".

It's very important to me as a busy career mom, to not only have just FAST, SIMPLE, scrumptious meals. But to NOT be a short order cook. What I eat in my low carb lifestyle, I need my family to eat and love also. Belinda's recipes MORE than fill the bill for my family and me!

"Low Carb Recipes..Fast and Easy" is packed with over 120 recipes in categories like appetizers, snacks, breads, breakfast dishes, desserts, entrees, salads, sauces, soups, and vegetables. The front and back covers are laminated for an easy wipe off.

That's not ALL! Belinda's new revision also includes 16 pages of RESOURCES! Resource questions, answered in her cookbook, include things like what brand names are low carb friendly and carb counts on these products, carb counts for assorted flours, spices and MORE!

She doesn't stop there! She added five pages of frequently asked QUESTIONS. Loads of "what is" and "how do I do this" questions and answers at your fingertips.

I access this cookbook when I'm NOT cooking!

Whether you're a busy career person, single, cooking challenged, not into cooking long complicated recipes, or wanting scrumptious low carb options for your non low carb family, this cookbook will be an ASSET to YOU! There is no reason to substitute less than gratifying food for time or ease in preparation any more!

Julie Westly
Editor
Low Carb RESOURCE Newsletter

The Low-Carb Cookbook presents a colorful approach to the low-carb, high-protein diet so many people swear by. The author, Fran McCullough, has herself lost 60 pounds by following a low-carbohydrate diet, so you know you're in good hands. With more than 250 recipes, including appetizers, sauces, sides, main dishes, and delectable desserts, it'll keep you cookin'.

She's definitely taken a gourmet approach to the recipes. While they're all tempting, notables include Three-Grain Pancakes with Raspberry-Orange Sauce, Nut-Crusted Swordfish with Romesco Sauce, and Crème Fraîche Ice Cream. Unlike the many other low-carb cookbooks out there, McCullough gives advice for tracking down the best prepared food products and additional tips for healthy food preparation (for example, she recommends organic meat and dairy products whenever possible and cautions that "free-range" chickens are allowed to stick their heads out of their cages--not necessarily given the chance to frolic freely on the farm). There's also an interesting comparison of low-carb books, including Protein Power, Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution, The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet, and The Zone, which boils down to this: they all emulate many aspects of the Overeater's Anonymous recommended diet. But where the diet books that started the low-carb craze may not be all that original, The Low-Carb Cookbook certainly is, with its wonderfully creative and classy recipes. The perfect choice if you want to rise from a food-boredom rut or entertain for friends--and not let on that you're counting carbs. --Erica Jorgensen

Lauri's Low-Carb Cookbook is a self-published effort that provides almost 200 recipes for a wide range of foods with fewer than 10 grams of carbohydrates per serving. The book's popularity may have to do with its pitch-perfect appeal; it offers everyday recipes for the dishes many Americans love to eat--barbecued ribs, jerk chicken, and chocolate mousse among them. If these recipes adapt food traditions with a very free hand (Lauri's béarnaise sauce calls for sour cream), and require chemical food substitutes (artificial sweeteners, which can appear in recipes that are usually sugar-free), they are also easy to do and fully satisfying. The recipes range from breakfast, snack, and salad items to the usual entrees, sauces, and desserts; winners include the recipes for crab chowder and salmon poached with ginger. 

Over 230 delicious recipes and each are less than 10 grams carbohydrates per serving! Lauri's Low-Carb Cookbook contains a large variety of cooking styles with both easy recipes and those that cater to a gourmet. This wonderful collection of recipes will be your constant companion in the kitchen to support your low-carb diet. These recipes were designed specifically for the Dr. Atkins' diet, yet they are great for any type of low-carb diet including, Protein Power, Sugar Busters, the Carbohydrate Addict's Diet, etc.

More than 50 new recipes have been added including a section of Vegetarian Main Dishes. The "Helpful Hints" section has also been expanded, responding to frequently asked questions to the author from dieters new to the low-carb program. A section on Menu Planning & Shopping List has also been added.

Each recipe now includes a per serving analysis of calories, fat and protein, in addition to the grams of carbohydrates. Although this supplementary nutritional information is not necessary for those on the Dr. Atkins' Diet, it could be useful for those on the many other variations of a low-carb diet. The calculations for the nutritional analysis are based on United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) publications with some additional information obtained from food manufacturers.

It is bread and not butter that is the enemy in Dr. Atkins's popular and controversial low-carbohydrate/high-fat diet. In In Atkins for Life, he continues his decades-long crusade against low-fat eating. Atkins argues that low-fat meals are high-carbohydrate missiles, causing the body to produce excess insulin, which then produces fat, slows down metabolism, and tips the scale. Instead, he urges readers to stop counting calories and fat grams and start counting carbs to rev up their metabolism and burn fat as an energy source. The question of whether "ketosis," the fat meltdown he advocates, is healthy or harmful is a central question of this sequel to the best selling Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution. Packed with recipes, menus, carbohydrate counters, and strategies for staying with the plan, this book is less clear than its predecessor. It veers back and forth between how to begin and how to maintain "a controlled carbohydrate lifestyle." It is also more promotional, with photos of satisfied slim folks and pitches for the branded Atkins products. Still, with its pages of testimonials and studies about weight loss, lowered cholesterol, and increased energy, it is hard to argue with Atkins’s results. He puts his proof in the pudding. --Barbara Mackoff

Whether you've lost weight doing Atkins and want to make your success permanent or you're new to Atkins and are concerned about your health and weight control, Atkins for Life is for you. Filled with advice and tips on navigating the everyday challenges that come with eating low carb in a high carb world, the book provides a simple and straightforward lifetime program that anyone can follow. With Atkins for Life, finding your ideal weight and staying there has never been so easy or so good!

Dig in and discover: 200 menu plans (that adds up to over six months of menus!) with controlled carbohydrate counts of 45, 60, 80, and 100 grams, anyone can succeed on the plan. 125 recipes, including tasty breakfasts, fabulous lunches, delicious dinners, and smart snacks. How to create special holiday meals and fantastic ethnic cuisines ... the low carb way! Before and after photos and success stories with time-tested tips from those who've been there and won their battle with weight. Self-tests and quizzes to help you meet and stay with your goals.

Dana Carpender is the author of 500 Low Carb Recipes (Fairwinds 2002) and How I Gave Up My Low-Fat Diet and Lost 40 Pounds. She writes a weekly internet newsletter called Lowcarbezine! that goes out to 12000 subscribers. She lives in Bloomington IN.

Recent studies prove that low-carbohydrate dieting works to take weight off and improve cholesterol. As more and more people switch to the Atkins diet or variations of it, they will need recipes! 15 Minute Low-Carb Recipes offers over 200 recipes that can be made in 15 minutes or less. This book offers all-new quick and easy recipes that will be a godsend to low-carbers everywhere.

Now the low carbohydrate diet is easier than ever! Never before has there been such a delicious array of low-carb dishes in one treasure chest of a book. With this new cookbook, you can enjoy such tempting dishes as Lasagna, Baked Buffalo Wings with Roquefort Dressing, Country Fried Okra, Baked Broccoli & Cheese, Creamy Chocolate Pie and Peanut Butter Kisses.

This cookbook has a collection of over 160 recipes, each under ten carbohydrates per serving and all with a complete nutritional breakdown. The portions are generous and the choices are great. Best of all, these dishes are prepared with everyday food items that are easily found at your local grocery.

Living (and loving) the Low-Carb Life is an excellent source of recipes for those on the Atkins diet, Sugar Busters, Protein Power, The Zone, or any low carbohydrate diet.

A complete guide and cookbook to selecting and using the best carbohydrates to lose weight, maintain blood sugar levels, and improve overall health.

Not all carbs are created equal. In fact, the latest dietary research shows that different carbohydrates have varying effects on the body, depending on the rate at which they raise blood sugar levels-also known as a food's glycemic index (GI). Choosing a balance of foods that are low on the GI will speed weight loss and control diabetes, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular disease.

In The Good Carb Cookbook, Sandra Woodruff demystifies the carbohydrate confusion by explaining the real differences among carbohydrates (baked potatoes are high on the index, while sweet potatoes are low), and shares her secrets for eating low on the index. The book includes an invaluable table with hundreds of common foods and their glycemic index rating; more than two hundred recipes to get people cooking and eating low on the index; and tips to modify high-glycemic family favorites with low-glycemic ingredients, lose weight, maintain blood sugar, and achieve optimal health.

The companion cookbook to the bestselling Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution -- with mouthwatering recipes that go from stovetop to tabletop in 30 minutes or less.

Forget about salad without dressing, dried-out skinless chicken breasts, and tasteless steamed vegetables. Forget about tiny portions, no fat/no flavor foods, and no second helpings. Forget about spending hours in the kitchen. With the delicious recipes in Dr. Atkins' Quick and Easy New Diet Cookbook, you'll feast on juicy steaks, succulent chops, and savory egg and cheese dishes, and indulge in creamy sauces and desserts.

Based on the best selling Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution, the recipes in the Quick and Easy New Diet Cookbook will let you eat the Atkins way, whether you're just beginning the diet, shedding pounds, or maintaining your ideal weight. Each recipe has a carbohydrate-gram count per serving, and there's even a guide to converting your own recipes to the Atkins standard. Designed for healthy eating, this cookbook will help you produce delectable meals every day that will be the key, to a whole new you.

The verdict is in: those simple carbs we've been living on are killing us. For good health, we've got to get our blood sugar under control and stop the incessant cravings. Or so says Dr. Arthur Agatston, author of The South Beach Diet. 

The first half of the book details the science behind the diet. Most of the explanations revolve around why things you thought were healthy—-orange juice, wheat toast, carrots—-are actually evil. To avoid blood sugar surges, Agatston created a modified carbohydrate plan, recommending plenty of high-fiber foods, lean proteins, and healthy fats, while cutting bread, rice, pastas, and fruits. Major differences from other diets include a lack of concern over portion size and a serious indifference to exercise. Feeling full while on a diet is a beautiful thing, but it seems odd that a cardiologist buries his exercise recommendations in a solitary sentence. 

The last half of the book covers his three-stage plan; daily diets are mixed with recipes, some of which are from South Beach restaurant chefs. The most restrictive period lasts just two weeks, enough time to stabilize your urges and lose a few pounds; stage two adds fruits and a handful of other carbs, while stage three is meant to last the remainder of your life, with occasional lapses for white bread or birthday cake. 

While the diet is sound, the book could be better organized. The first half mixes scientific study with anecdote in a seemingly random way, while the mix of meal plans and recipes can be confusing. Still, the recipes are varied and tasty, and you'll never feel deprived, unless you currently happen to live by bread alone. --Jill Lightner