Don’t let the name fool you; this cookbook is useful even for those not following the South Beach Diet.

To be honest, before receiving a copy of “The South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook” (Rodale, 2005), I didn’t know much about the South Beach Diet. I was under the assumption that it was another diet program that forbids all carbs – even good carbs. Much to my surprise, I couldn’t have been more wrong! The premise of the South Beach Diet program is in line with my own philosophy: a lifestyle change in which one changes the way they eat (from unhealthy to healthy), and is a way of life that can definitely be adapted to. The South Beach Diet is based on the healthiest way to eat: good fats, good carbs, lean protein, lots of fiber, and nutrient-dense whole foods.

While “The South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook” may have been written for SB dieters who were getting bored with their basic South Beach recipes, it appeals to everyone who wants to eat healthy. Included in this cookbook are 200 recipes that area ready in 30 minutes or less, with most requiring only 10 ingredients or less. In today’s hectic world, this cookbook is great for saving cooking and shopping time!

Some of the recipes included are: buttermilk waffles with jam, tuna pasta salad, chicken quesadillas, and mini cocoa swirl cheesecakes (which are delicious, by the way). Those following the SB diet plan can easily find recipes to make according to which phase of the program they are in as each recipe is labeled as being Phase 1, 2 or 3. For those not following the SB plan, there is also nutritional information listed including serving size, calories, fat, saturated fat, protein, carbs, fiber, and sodium.

Not only are there full-color photos throughout, there’s also information on dishes you can make without a recipe, advice on preparing foods ahead of time to make weeknight cooking a breeze, a glossary of ingredients, and food safety tips. The cookbook is broken down into the following sections:

Breakfast
Soups & Snacks
Salads
Fish & Shellfish
Poultry
Beef, Pork & Lamb
Vegetarian Entrees
Sides
Desserts

One thing I found is that certain salads are sometimes listed in other sections, such as the Beef, Pork & Lamb section, but this is understandable since the salad recipe includes beef.

Recommend for anyone who wants to eat healthier and have a variety of healthy recipes at their fingertips.

By: Jennifer Murray

Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution is a book that puts you on a diet that really works. Dr. Atkins first wrote about his diet in the early 70′s. I tried the diet and lost 15 pounds in the first two months. But then life took over, and being young and Italian, there was no way I was passing up bread, pasta and pizza.

Fast forward thirty five years later. My weight had ballooned up to 235 pounds, even though I was working out at the gym 5-6 days a week. I met a friend at the gym who had obviously lost a lot of weight. I asked him how he did it.

“Try the Atkin’s Diet,” he said. “I’ve lost 35 pounds in 6 months.”

That’s all I had to hear. So I picked up a copy of Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution – 3rd Edition, and started the diet on December 27, 2009.

The first two weeks are the hardest. You have to go through the “Induction Phase,” which is a 14-day period where you limit yourself to no more than 20 grams of carbs a day. This is not as hard as it seems, since there are so many foods with zero carbs, like chicken, pork, fish and beef. The trick is to cook with oil, or a cooking spray like Pam, which also has zero carbs. Butter is OK too.

Even though all pure alcoholic beverage have zero carbs too, they tell you to drink any liquor during the Induction Phase, because it raises your blood sugar, which stunts weight loss on this diet. During the Induction Phase, your body goes into the state of Ketosis, which allows your body to burn fat at a higher rate.

I conveniently tossed this rule out the window, and had one very dry vodka martini every night before dinner and one cognac right before bed. I still lost 10 pounds in the first two weeks. During the next three Phases: Ongoing Weight Loss, Pre-Maintenance and Lifetime Maintenance, you gradually increase your carb intake per day, peaking at 60-70 grams a day, according to your metabolism.

By the middle of April, I had lost 25 pounds and got to my desired weight of 210. And I’ve kept this weight off, give or take a pound or two, for the next seven months, which takes us to today.

The reason why I love this diet is because it’s the only diet I know of where you can imbibe a few cocktails a day and still lose weight. The trick is, no mixers, except water, club soda, or diet soda. Wine is a little tricky, since red wine averages 5 carbs a glass, and white wine 3 carbs a glass. So on Lifetime Maintenance, a glass or two of wine won’t kill your diet, but don’t drink more than that. As for beer, I was never a beer drinker, but Michelob Extra Light is only 1.9 grams per 12-ounce bottle. Bud and Miller also make a very low carb light beer.

Even though I lost my desired weight, I will never go off the Atkins Diet completely. Once a month, I’ll have a slice of pizza. And once a month I’ll eat a portion, or two of Dreamfields Pasta, which you can buy at any large food store. But I pretty much stick to a diet of meat, fish, poultry, pork, eggs, bacon, cold cuts like ham, a few nuts, some cheese, green vegetables and tomatoes. But no fruits or fruit juices, which are high in carbs (some wise guy may say tomatoes are a fruit, but not to me).

The bottom line, if you can forgo bread, deserts, pizza, and other foods high in carbs, like corn and carrots, the Atkins’ Diet is one where you’ll never go hungry. And how many other diets can you make that statement about?

By: Joseph Bruno