For many people, making the switch to a low-carb, high-fat (LCHF) diet has been life-changing. It is believed that this lifestyle can help in many areas, including weight loss, stabilising blood sugar, improving cognitive function and reducing the risk of heart disease.
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Adopting an LCHF lifestyle seems easy in theory. All you have to do is reduce your intake of carbohydrates and replace them with healthy fats. But practically, it is challenging – particularly when it comes to making a variety of delicious dishes that fit into the diet’s framework. If you are feeling uninspired, or don’t know what to cook, here are 10 books that can help.
1. Optimum health
If you are in the beginning phases of your LCHF diet, 63 Days To Optimum Health by Sally-Ann Creed is the best book to get you started. Creed is a functional integrative nutritional therapist, speaker, researcher and product developer. In her latest book, she explains the underlying principles of good health and provides tried-and-tested scientific advice. 63 Days To Optimum Health guides you through the first two months of your new health journey and includes meal plans, check lists and pages for you to make notes.
63 Days To Optimum Health
Author: Sally-Ann Creed
Published by: Human & Rousseau
Date published: January 2019
2. Keto guide
While it has been around for a while, the keto diet (which centres around LCHF) has seen a rise in popularity in the last two years. For those who want to try it, this book is for you. The title says it all: The Keto Diet: The Complete Guide To A High-fat Diet With More Than 125 Delectable Recipes And 5 Meal Plans To Shed Weight, Heal Your Body & Regain Confidence by Leanne Vogel. It may be a mouthful, but it contains all the information you need to start your keto diet.
The Keto Diet - The Complete Guide to a High-Fat Diet, with More Than 125 Delectable Recipes and Meal Plans to Shed Weight, Heal Your Body, and Regain Confidence
Author: Leanne Vogel
Published by: Victory Belt Publishing
Date published: April 2017
3. Easy and slow
In winter most of us crave hearty meals, but making then can be time-consuming, especially when it comes to ensuring these meals meet your dietary requirements. Fortunately, there are slow cookers, and there is also Easy Low-carb Slow Cooking by Robin Donovan. The book is filled with flavourful recipes that you can make in a slow cooker. Donovan is a New York Times bestselling author and with this offering he shares simple meals that require less prep and cleanup, plus it meets the dietary requirements for a low-carb diet.
Easy Low Carb Slow Cooking
Author: Robin Donovan Published by: Rockridge Press
Date published: August 2016
4. Primal comfort
If you are looking for comfort food with none of the guilt, The Primal Low Carb Kitchen by Kyndra Holley will sort you out. Using principles from the Paleo/Primal diets, the book has a host of recipes that include favourite comfort foods that are healthier than the original versions, so you can enjoy them any time – not just on cheat days! Think Chicken and Waffles, Shepherd's Pie, Loaded Sweet-potato Bites and Coconut Cashew Crusted Chicken, all made to suit your LCHF dietary requirements.
The Primal Low Carb Kitchen
Author: Kyndra Holley
Published by: Page Street Publishing Co.
Date published: June 2015
5. Banting baking
Being on an LCHF diet doesn't mean you have to give up desserts forever, as there are plenty of options for those with a sweet tooth. If you are a fan of baking and want to make treats that the whole family can enjoy, The Banting Baker by Catherine Speedie is a must-have in your cookery-book collection. The book shows that the LCHF diet is not about deprivation but about substitution. It has recipes for indulgent but healthy breakfasts, snacks, breads, wraps, pizza as well as sweet treats.
The Banting Baker
Author: Catherine Speedie
Published by: Jacana Media
Date published: October 2016
6. Happy eating
For a good all round cookbook that covers all the bases, Eat Happy: Gluten Free, Grain Free, Low Carb Recipes Made from Real Foods For A Joyful Life by Anna Vocino is a good book to have in your collection. There are 154 delicious grain-free, gluten-free recipes that are also free of any processed sugars. The recipes are easy to make and are filled with flavourful recipes that the whole family will enjoy. They cover all the proteins, vegetarian dishes and desserts.
Eat Happy: Gluten Free, Grain Free, Low Carb Recipes Made from Real Foods For A Joyful Life
Author: Anna Vocino
Published by: Telemachus Press
Date published: October 2016
7. Lekker cooking
If you think cooking with fewer carbs means that your meals will be boring or bland, think again. Low Carb Is Lekker by Inè Reynierse is filled with unique dough recipes, which means you can enjoy bread, muffins, doughnuts, nachos, pizza, vetkoek and koeksisters – but this time round without the carbs. The recipes range from simple to gourmet and are filled with local favourites and global classics.
Low Carb Is Lekker
Author: Inè Reynierse
Published by: Struik Lifestyle
Date published: February 2015
8. Good fats
An LCHF diet doesn't mean you can now eat ALL the fat. You have to eat the right kind of fat, and Frances Monson McCullough helps you learn about this in her innovative cookery book The Good Fat Cookbook. The book explores the vital health properties, weight-loss and anti-ageing benefits of good fats, with solid evidence to back up her claims. Fats like butter, chocolate, eggs, coconut, olive oil, avocado, fish and shellfish fall in the 'good' column and McCullough also provides more than 100 recipes for delicious meals that contain them and more.
The Good Fat Cookbook
Author: Frances Monson McCullough
Published by: Scribner Book Company
Date published: July 2007
9. Keto living
If you are struggling to adjust to the keto lifestyle, let Suzanne Ryan motivate you to continue with her book Simply Keto. In the book, Ryan details her weight-loss journey through adopting a keto diet and focuses on the emotional aspects of the change. She offers insightful tips and inspirational anecdotes based on her experience to support others as they aim to change their lives through adopting a keto lifestyle.
Simply Keto
Author: Suzanne Ryan
Published by: Victory Belt Publishing
Date published: December 2017
10. All veg
LCHF doesn't mean you survive on meat alone. There are a number of dishes that can be made to accommodate both LCHF and vegetarian diets. Ketogenic Vegetarian Cookbook by Jessica Henderson is filled with delicious recipes that are easy to make. So if you lead a busy lifestyle, this book will help you make healthy meals that don't take up too much time.
Ketogenic Vegetarian Cookbook
Author: Jessica Henderson
Published by: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Date published: August 2016
PHOTO: iStock/KucherAV
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