Low-Carb has been called a diet craze, diet fad and worse, but....

It was predicted by many that the low-carb diet that had again gained in popularity from the late 1990's to 2004 was simply a fad diet that would soon be forgotten. Sometime after Dr. Atkins died, it almost seemed like they were right. Companies producing Frankenfoods collapsed, even the Atkins branch in the UK suffered enormous loss and they discontinued many low-carb products in America, and I could be wrong but the Atkins company got close to bankcruptcy. Interest in low-carbing waned so much that people were not buying (or perhaps they realized the Frankenfoods were not working and that the sugar alcohols were making them feel ill) and low-carb forums became quiet places for the faithful to still meet and discuss their WOE (no pun intended, of course. That is why I prefer WOL = way of life vs way of eating). And, yet, a resurgence in interest has been happening the last couple of years, and it is gaining momentum. Most people these days acknowledge that low-carbing is a healthier way to live, even if they don't fully embrace it, and certainly part of the reason for that is the numerous studies coming out to validate low-carbing as a healthier alternative to low-fat for many people and definitely healthier than the Western diet. Another part of the reason is due to the American Diabetes Association half-heartedly endorsing low-carbing (it's coming - big organizations are slow to change and rather conservative). Many of us have developed "carb" consciences versus the old "fat" consciences, which is also a big change in our thinking. The fear of fat has started switching to the fear of refined carbohydrates with some of us, but not the majority. As more and more physicians realize that their patients with diabetes and/or struggling with hyperinsulinism and too much weight fare better on a low-carb diet, they will embrace it, recommend it and things will slowly escalate from there. It takes time, but when the health professionals embrace low-carbing fully, it will become a household name - far far from the fad diet, diet craze name-calling days!! Poor, brave Dr. Atkins and other doctors, like Dr. Bernstein and Dr. Eades - what abuse they suffered from the medical establishment to benefit the rest of us.

Still, the very fact that low-carbing is still alive and well, forums picking up in activity, my book sales picking up, some excellent low-carb products and even some new ones still to be found, low-carb online stores doing a brisk business, people like Dr. Eades and his wife, Gary Taubes and Jimmy Moore to name but a few people passionate about low-carbing and health still promoting online, plus the numerous low-carb bloggers out there - including myself - says low-carbing is here to stay!!

Let's hear it for Low-Carbing!!!! It is NOT a FAD DIET - far from it! I remember a "friend" who knew I had just written my first low-carb cookbook, Splendid Low-Carbing, calling low-carb a fad diet. It hurt and I'm ashamed to say that at that point I did not hotly defend it, as I'm not a very confrontational person at the best of times, and I was in her home enjoying her hospitality. I remember her words though and I derive some satisfaction from the fact that she must know today that it is not a fad diet. We have long since moved away from where she lives, but...you know what I mean.

In addition, I remember the rejection I felt years ago. When I switched from writing for people with diabetes and their traditional low-fat, higher carb diet to low-carb, the Canadian Diabetes Branches that had been ordering my books stopped ordering, the Splenda Company in Canada stopped ordering and the American Splenda Company lost interest in my books as well. Still, call me stubborn...I persisted and wrote 5 low-carb cookbooks, still feeling the rejection through all those years, but now I'm beginning to feel somewhat vindicated. I am writing low-carb recipes for an international Diabetes Magazine. The people at this magazine actually understand the importance of low-carbing for people with diabetes. I hope the people that rejected my books due to the switch to low-carbing will get to see those magazines and my recipes. :-) Sweet!

Jennifer Eloff
Low-Carb.us