The Carbohydrate Addict's Healthy Heart Program: Break Your Carbo-Insulin Connection to Heart Disease

WITNESS DR. RACHAEL HELLER'S AMAZING RESULTS ON
THE CARBOHYDRATE ADDICT'S HEALTHY HEART PROGRAM

[show before and after photos]

                                        BEFORE                                AFTER
BLOOD PRESSURE:                220/120                                110/70
TOTAL CHOLESTEROL:        250                                        178
TRIGLYCERIDES:                385                                        98
BLOOD SUGAR:                        DIABETIC                                NORMAL
HEART RISK RATIO:                HIGH RISK                                LOW RISK

Are you a carbohydrate addict at risk for heart disease?
o After eating breakfast, are you hungry before lunchtime?
o Once you start eating snack foods or sweets, is it hard to stop?
o Does stress, exhaustion, loneliness, or boredom make you want to eat?
o Have you been told that you're overweight or have high blood pressure or adult-onset diabetes? Or do any of these disorders run in your family?

SCORING: IF YOU ANSWERED "YES" MORE THAN ONCE, YOU'RE PROBABLY A CARBOHYDRATE ADDICT AT RISK FOR HEART DISEASE

Compatible with the American Heart Association guidelines, The Carbohydrate Addict's Healthy Heart Program gives you the carbs you need and love every day while cutting your risk for heart disease.

The authors acknowledge that this book is not for everybody. It is not for the healthy eater who may enjoy second helpings of pasta but isn't compulsive or excessive about eating carbs. It is for the true carbohydrate addict who intensely craves sweets and starches and has a hormonal imbalance that can lead to heart disease if untreated.

The aim of this program is to "help balance insulin levels and reduce the insulin resistance that leads to carbohydrate cravings, easy weight gain, high blood pressure, abnormal blood fats, adult-onset diabetes, and heart disease." The program involves three basic steps: (1) reducing the high-carbohydrate foods that you eat and increasing their quality; (2) choosing supplements that balance insulin levels; and (3) choosing insulin-regulating physical activities. The writing is clear and inviting. The authors explain medical concepts such as Insulin Resistance Syndrome simply and clearly. They also narrate their own health and weight-loss struggles, adding a personal touch. About 60 recipes are included.

This program, while it does emphasize eating more protein and fewer starchy foods, does not raise the fat and protein intake to unhealthy levels, like many low-carbohydrate diets. You are encouraged to eat one "Reward Meal" that is one-third high-carbohydrate (preferably a high-fiber rather than sugary choice); the other meals include "low-carbohydrate vegetables" that are fibrous but not starchy. An appendix explains how to make this program compatible with the dietary guidelines of the American Heart Association and other health organizations. --Joan Price