I have been instructed to dramatically change my diet (permanently). I have no weight problem (35 years of cardio and watching fat content) but I do have sugar related issues I need to deal with. I am supposed to cut my carbs to below 80 grams per day (or lower).

Questions: (a) best book(s) to read (b) what can I eat for breakfast? I have eaten cold/hot cereal for almost everyday for the last 50 years so I am clueless as to what I can eat (besides eggs). I have a list of all of the foods and the carbs they contains but that doesn't help define a diet. (c) I have been eating sandwiches for lunch for most of my life. I can only eat salads with chicken so often --suggestions? (d)) since both my wife and I work, we eat out a lot. Any thoughts on how to manage eating out and maintain a low carb diet?

Thanks in advance

Go to the "Quick Links" on the right side of the page,and read "Which Low Carb Plan is right for me?" It'll give you kind of an overview of what's out there!

Hi there! Maybe I can at least point you in the right direction. Have you read Dr. Bernstein's diabetic diet book? Also, check out the book on The Zone and Atkins For Life. I think these would be really helpful.

For breakfast I often eat frozen berries smothered in cream or half-and-half and have some type of meat to go with it. I haven't been able to eat anything high-carb first thing in the morning without paying dearly for years now, but unfortunately fell too far off the breakfast wagon and try as I might I can't get my tastebuds or stomach interested in an early breakfast.

Lunches can be interesting. (My husband comes home for lunch almost every day.) You can eat just about any type of sandwich you like wrapped in lettuce, and you can also buy LC bread (although I think it tastes like a sponge) and make sandwiches with that. You might try to vary your lunch menus between salads, sandwiches, wraps and so forth. Low-carb tortillas are also available.

Eating out is oooohhhh so easy compared to low fat! Several restaurants have LC menus, including Ruby Tuesday, T.G.I.Friday's, Blimpies, and Carl's Jr (Hardee's) new thicker pattied $6 burger (they will do a 'protein wrap' on any sandwich you like, wrapping it in lettuce instead of putting it on a bun). Red Robin has two excellent dishes on their menu (Cobb Salad and Baja Chicken). Both are LC. We also have a favorite Chinese restaurant that has a nice buffet where we can pick and choose and leave the high-carb behind. I usually eat salad, shrimp without the breading dipped in a bit of hot mustard and sesame seeds, vegetables in very thin sauce, the filling from egg rolls and whatever else I can find. I know some have buffets where you pick the ingredients and have the cook fix it right there which would be an excellent option.

I might mention again Atkins For Life. It has not only great information on the glycemic index of foods, but also menu plans for various carb levels (80 carbs per day included) and recipes, too. I read this book real early on and am very glad I did because I picked up things from it the others were missing.

In my opinion, Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution, by Dr. Richard Bernstein is the book to read for understanding the effects of carbohydrates on blood sugar.

He also has an excellent website at http://www.diabetes-normalsugars.com/

May I recommend Life Without Bread, Dr. Lutz, M.D., and Dr. Allan, Ph.d.

They recommend 72 gms carbs per day to balance your body.....i.e., all the health problems, sugar, heart, digestive, depression, etc.