The Book: Atkins for Life

[Labarum]

I found a copy of this in the Base Library and have now read it.

The early chapters I liked very much. It explained the principles of the programme very well and added extra information.

The recipe section both amazed and dismayed me. So much flour and other cereal in recipes aping dishes I don't crave, don't want, and have consigned to history.

Am I alone in thinking this?

I eat cleanly cooked meat and fish, buckets of greens (both cooked vegetables and salads), olive oil, mayonnaise, eggs and full fat yoghurt, low GI fruits and a few nuts. (No cheese because I have never liked it). I don't miss bread, potatoes or sweet stuff.

Surely to offer recipes for bread and cake lookalikes is a retrograde step?

[ValidRouge]

Brian, I have the book too and I skip over the recipes and meal plans. It does bother me that they are very frankenfoodish.

[Labarum]

"Frankenfoodish" - good word and my point exactly.

Why did he do it, or was it the others?

[zencyn]

I agree with the two of you, but unfortunately, the masses will still want their treats and frankenfoods.

[biogeek]

I, too, have this book (as well as the kit) and was bothered by some of the recipes. My vote is that someone else came up with those recipes to place in there. I can't imagine that Dr. Atkins would want us to eat some of those recipes, even if we were at goal, etc.

[Tired of Chub]

I was very disappointed in the book too and for the same exact reasons.

[MaggieBE]

This was the last book that Atins himself put out right? IMO Dr Atkins was not a saint and wanted to make money with the frankenfoods too. A lot of the recipes involve Atkins bake mix, etc. Even in DANDR a lot of the recipes in the back of the book called for the bake mixes. I have not tried out any of the recipes in either book.

[sadie147]

Perhaps he thought more people would stick with it if they had more cooking options? I love to bake, and I do use protein powders, bake mixes like carbquick etc as well as the whole foods like ground almonds and soy flour. I don't bake very often, but it's nice to know i have different options. Now, personally were i to have too, i could completely cut these things out and it wouldn't bother me at all at this point, but I am now years into it and have had a paradigm shift in my 'food thinking'. Had I not had these options to bake an almond flour birthday cake, or make a loaf of bread with protein flour/powder, it may have made this woe that much harder for me and discouraged me that I was destined to a life without baked goods.

For some maybe having these bake mixes etc as part of their diet might be a bad thing , everything in moderation I think, but for many of us they are a godsend.


(Just a note to anyone new to this woe reading this, I didn't add back any back mixes etc until I was in maintenance and knew how they would, or wouldn't, affect me. )

[Lyssie]

I have the kit... I think some of the recipes are ok... and some of them can be modified. That's what I do anyway - use it for ideas then change things around a little bit...

[Analog6]

I have the book as I saw it on special and have out it away until I am at goal, and thought it was very good - but - I don't use the recipes out of any book. If I want something, I will look for a recipe in one of my myriad of cookbooks and adapt it for low carb. EG, I now use LSA & psyllium in my meatloaf.

MY book say first published April 2003, and I know Dr A died in April 2003. Maybe the recipes have been 'bolstered' at a later date? My book is a 3rd edition/printing.