This was my nomination:

"Eat Fat Get Thin" By Dr Barry Groves.

After 20 years of watching my fat intake and eating a high complex carbohydrate "healthy" diet since the Government first made those recommendations in the early 80s, and struggling to keep my weight down all along, I came across "Eat Fat Get Thin" by Dr Barry Groves in early 2001.

He advocates a lower carbohydrate/higher fat way of eating (which is not a "diet"). This is not Atkins, but a no-nonsense lower carbohydrate approach to healthy eating. Barry Groves is British (for a change!) and he and his wife have eaten low carb themselves for 40 years. He has spent the last 20 years in full time research on nutrition and writing and lecturing round the country.

He recommends approx 60g of carbs a day, emphasising fresh meat, fish, cheese, nuts, vegetables and fruit, dairy, cheese and plenty of good fats, and avoiding processed and starchy foods, such as cakes, biscuits, cereals, sweet desserts, etc. He bases his recommendations on the fact that the human body evolved on a “Hunter/Gatherer” diet of fresh meat which was hunted and any berries and seeds that could be gathered in season. As a species, we ate this way for millions of years, and it is only in the last 5,000 or so that cereals and cultivation have been introduced into our diet, which, evolutionarily speaking, is only yesterday. This is far too short a time for us to have evolved an efficient way of digesting high starch foods, and this has contributed to many of the diseases of modern civilization, eg, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and, of course, obesity (especially since we have been advised by well-meaning health professionals to base approximately half our diet on starchy foods ever since the 1970s!)

I have followed this way of eating for almost three years now and have dropped from a size 18 to a size 12/14 without really noticing. I must say that it has done wonders for my health - I sleep very soundly, my skin has improved and I feel fitter and healthier than I have ever felt; I feel strong and full of energy yet more relaxed and peaceful at the same time. My cholesterol ratios and blood fats have also improved.

For me, who used to be a serial dieter (I joined Weight Watchers and successfully lost (and regained!!) weight on their plan six times over 20 years), this is The Answer. I am active on the internet helping to run support sites for other low-carbers, and I write a regular recipe column for Carbhealth Magazine which has subscribers in the US, Canada and the UK. Best of all, I never have to worry about my size again!