Good Carbohydrate Revolution

AORN Journal, August, 2004 by Lisa Gay

Good Carbohydrate Revolution Terry Shintani 2003, 448 pp $14 paperback

If you are searching for a comprehensive carbohydrate-reduction diet book, this may be the one for you. Although the topic has been covered by many, this author provides more in-depth information than other authors.

The first part of the book discusses the myths about carbohydrates. The explanations are somewhat scientific, although the author does not provide significant evidence to refute them. Occasionally, the author refers to a particular patient as an example. When he does, the text sounds like a television or magazine advertisement that makes huge claims one never really believes. It might help if the author qualified his claims with actual data on how many patients experience this kind of success. When only one example is given, the author's claims sound sensationalistic.

The author says that the glycemic index used in many diets is good. He notes, however, that the index has some limitations. He contends that the levels of insulin in the body, not the glycemic index of foods, are what should be measured in a low-carbohydrate diet. He asserts that appropriate insulin levels will help people maintain the healthiest diet and achieve the greatest weight loss. High insulin levels produce many negative outcomes.

According to the author, the glycemic index falls short for two reasons. It does not take proteins and fats into account, which can have a vast effect on the body's insulin levels, and a person might have to consume huge quantities of a particular food to meet the levels stated in the index. To address these challenges, the author has prepared a "carbohydrate quotient" table. It includes a comparison to the glycemic index and lists fiber content, when available. This makes it easy to examine the two concepts and make sense of the differences between them.

Fiber is touted as one of the core components of a low-carbohydrate diet. Suggestions about how to obtain fiber are somewhat limited to grains and products that are not available in traditional grocery stores. One would have to be very committed to this plan to spend the extra time and effort needed to purchase and prepare the fiber selections.

The author also includes more than 100 pages of recipes that meet carbohydrate-restriction requirements. Some are adaptations of foods eaten during a normal meal; however, some are for foods many people are not familiar with, and, therefore, may not try. All recipes include a nutritional breakdown, which makes it easier to calculate what has been consumed.

A very extensive bibliography is included. Most of the book's chapters, however, do not include references to formal studies. Although it might be surmised that the statistics are within the works cited in the bibliography, occasional referencing of data in the text would have enhanced the book.

In an effort to drive his point home, the author is repetitive with his tenets. Readers may tire of hearing the same ideas over and over. One explanation would be enough.

This book is available from Simon & Schuster, Inc, 100 Front St, Riverside, NJ 08075.

LISA GAY

RN, BSN

STAFF NURSE

OB-GYN ASSOCIATES

SOUTH BEND, IND