While these recipes are certainly quick and easy to prepare and feature easy-to-find ingredients, some are very high in fat (Zabaglione, Crab and Avocado Salad, Ham and Cheese Sandwiches, Baked Eggs in Bacon Rings). While it may be true that fat is flavour and is necessary to some extent to keeping blood sugar on an even keel, these recipes won't be helpful for those who are watching their cholesterol or are on similarly restricted diets.

There are some great recipes in this book, and they are all quick and dead easy to make. Some of the weight conversions can be baffling, but if you go to www.atkins.com, they have a US to UK weight conversion so you can work it all out. Each recipe also breaks down your carb count so you can keep an eye on what you are eating.

It doesn't have the most extensive variety of recipes in the book, but with this one, its quality more than quality. Definitely worth a go if you plan to stick with the Atkins (or other low carb diets)


It works and you'll feel good   December 14, 2003
 41 out of 41 found this review helpful

Atkins gets a lot of bad press, but when all is said and done his diet really works, and it works really fast. Atkins explains why he thinks it works, and his theory sounds plausable. But who cares, it works.

I suffered from a lot of stress, or hypertension before this diet. That has all gone, I no longer get sugar cravings, (i.e. shivering for no reason), mood swings, sudden hunger or faintness. And I got all this when I was not on a diet.

Now that I am doing Atkins (not all that strictly), I feel fantastic. Do not believe the bad press this book gets. This guy gets screwed because of his induction phase. But even he admits that induction is not healthy for long term, and he does not recommend this as a lifetime change, just a short kick start to a fat burning mechamnism.

I almost forgot to mention, I did get this book to lose weight, and I did. Its just that the other benefits I got seem to far outweigh the actual weight loss.

Don't be tempted to get info on Atkins from the Internet, there is enough rubbish on this guy out there. Read from the source.

Get this book if you want to diet, get this book if you do not feel 100% and you suspect diet (I mean an eating plan) could help.


There are much better low -carb cookbooks available   March 5, 2003
 419 out of 425 found this review helpful

This isn't a bad diet cookbook but it's a lousy cookbook if you remove the qualifier of 'diet' cookbook.
It's American in the extreme and I could create much better low-carb recipes by just slightly adjusting my normal cooking. With the re-iterance of the rules of Atkins taking up three chapters at the beginning and pitifully few creative recipes (many of which depends on special products which would have to be ordered on-line) it smacks somewhat of 'let's sell yet another Atkins book to the low-carbing public'
If you're looking for a good value low-carb cookbook then in complete contrast I would recommend Fran McCullough's low-carb cookbook. This is a genuinely good cookery book. She's a food editor and it shows - her's is a book that contains recipes you would choose to use even if you were not on a low-carb program! I very strongly recommend her book instead of this one. It contains truly useful diet tips like what to eat if you are craving a certain type of food i.e. crunchy, salty, sweet or mashed potato and she gives dinner party and special occasion recipes that friends would never know were low-carb.


Pass the sugar substitute!   February 22, 2003
 86 out of 94 found this review helpful

If you are a serious 'atkins-head' with the time and inclination to painstakingly "finely chop macademia nuts", then this is the book for you. Packed with mouthwateringly good recipes for those die hard atkins fans who are sick to the back teeth of the bacon, burger and beef combo!

Relish the 'Garlic Rosemary Beef Rib Roast', delight in the 'Duck Breasts with Blackberry Wine Sauce'. If you think that these recipes sound like hard work - you're right! Most of the recipes take more preperation than cooking. Added to which, you may have to shop around for ingredients. I can't remember seeing 'pumpkin spice' in my local supermarket and I really can't be bothered to look!

For those with a sweet tooth toying with the idea of Atkins Diet - do not despair! This book provides a multitude of sugar (substitute!) packed recipes. Chocolate truffles (yum), Italian Almond Cream (yipee) and Banana Custard (yikes).

My advice?
If Atkins is your 'thang' you need this book to break the low-carb monotony!
If you are happy to endure the hell that is induction just to drop those extra pounds you have been carrying since the Christmas carb-fest - don't bother!


Atkins Diet Revolution   December 9, 2002
 17 out of 19 found this review helpful

No one that I speak to believes that this diet could possible work. It Does! You don't feel hungry, you don't have to count calories and you see effective results in a short time. All other diets leave you miserable and obsessing about food. You miss sauces, but you can find low/carb-free alternatives by shopping on the Internet. Go for it.