Review: The Carbodydrate Addict’s Diet
Do you love pasta—but not the pounds you associate with it? Do you consider bread not only the mainstay of life—but also your favorite snack food? If so, you may be a carbohydrate addict and, believe it or not, there’s a diet which claims to be tailor-made for you.
The Carbohydrate Addict’s diet operates under the principle that no matter how many carbohydrates you eat, your body wishes to have more.
In a nutshell, that’s the theory behind the book called “The Carbohydrate Addict’s Diet” by Richard and Rachael Heller. And it’s not a bad one, considering excessive carb consumption can cause an elevation of serotonin levels, that “feel good” brain chemical. Anyone who’s sat down on the couch with eyes drooping after a huge Thanksgiving dinner knows exactly what this feels like. Spiking insulin levels… the kind brought about by the consumption of high glycemic carbohydrate foods can also lead to carb cravings!
The Hellers do not recommend eliminating carbohydrates altogether. Nope, that’s considered too harsh. Rather, they suggest eating all your carbs during a specific period of the day. In this way, the Hellers claim, you can reduce your insulin production, causing less fat to be deposited. The Hellers believe that this method of eating can also help you to reduce your carbohydrate cravings.
On their website, the Hellers state, “Carbohydrate addiction is not a matter of will power. It is a matter of biology; pure and simple. We know what causes it and we know how to correct it. That’s why we’re here. To share what we have learned and to tell you that, from this moment on, you are never alone again.”
The Hellers point out that, without struggle or a feeling of deprivation, they have lost a combined total of 200 pounds. The Hellers define carb addiction as a “compelling hunger, craving, or desire for carbohydrate-rich foods—an escalating, recurring need or drive for starches, snack foods, junk food, or sweets.”
Foods rich in carbohydrates include cake, cereal, chocolate, crackers, potato chips, pop corn, and sweet beverages, among other things.
In the Carb Addict diet, you are eligible for a “Reward Meal” lasting sixty minutes. During this eating session, you can feast on all the carbohydrates you desire, as long as your meal is nutritionally balanced. However, during your other means, carbohydrate consumption is restricted. Snacks are also forbidden. Still, you can dine on such foods as meat, eggs, dairy products, lettuce, peppers, and snap beans without feeling guilty.
A sample diet would include the following:
Breakfast:
western omelette
bacon
coffee or tea
Lunch:
spinach salad
steamed green beans or broccoli
sirloin steak
coffee or tea
Reward dinner:
Salad with lemon-mayonnaise dressing
Mexican soup
garlic and green beans
yogurt chicken breasts
onion bread with butter
apple cream pie
beverage of choice
The advantages to the Carb Addict’s diet are obvious. You don’t have to eliminate carbohydrates—you just have to restrict them to a certain period of the day. This can help cut your cravings, making weight loss easier.
The Carbohydrate Addict’s diet is really a modified Atkins diet. The same basic principles apply, only the execution differs slightly. There is one difference though… this diet is much easier, as it does not require the extreme carb reduction required in the early stages of Atkins. Also, the regular consumption of a reward meal means you’re not restricting too much for too long, making this a more practical diet to use over the long term.
However, I would argue it makes more sense to consume your “reward” carbohydrates earlier in the day rather than at dinner. Your metabolism is higher, and your more likely to burn those carbs if you’re active. For most people, the time spent between dinner and bedtime tends to be the most inactive, and additional calories will be converted to fat.
If you wanted to experiment with this diet, I also would argue that the “reward meal” be limited to every other, or perhaps every third night.
Check out my review of Jim Stone’s “Stop Cheating On Your Low Carb Diet” if you’re looking for a unique perspective for sticking to your low carb diet over the long term.
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