Review of  More Splendid Low-Carbing
By Dana Carpender, Low-Carb author and creator of "Hold the Toast"
 


By Dana Carpender, Renowned Low-Carb Diet book and low-Carb cookbook author
and the creator of "Hold the toast" (12/11/2002)

It would be nice if I could tell you that mine is the only low carb cookbook worth buying. It would be nice - but it would be a big fat lie! There are several good low carb cookbooks out there, and I just found a really wonderful one in my mailbox.

I've already reviewed Jennifer Eloff's Splendid Low Carbing - I think it's terrific - so it's not a big surprise that I'm also giving a great review to More Splendid Low Carbing, Jen's new cookbook. To me, one of the marks of a great cookbook is when I flip through it, looking at recipes and thinking, "Darn! I wish I'd thought of that!" More Splendid Low Carbing is full of things like that. From some great beverage ideas - Ginger Beer! Cranberry Iced Tea! Lemonade Concentrate!, and some neat breakfasts - Mock Danish! Breakfast Burritos! through some killer entrees - Balihai Chicken, curried, with coconut milk, and a hazelnut crust! Salmon with Fruit Salsa! More Splendid Low Carbing is full of ideas I wish I'd had. Higher praise I cannot give.

This is a particularly good book for those who are on Induction, or who have to maintain Induction levels of carb intake - 20 g. or less per day - to keep losing or keep weight off. Every single recipe is below 10 g. of carb, and half are below 3 g. - a truly remarkable feat. Further, it offers some very useful info on the Fat Fast (a great way of jumpstarting ketosis, or knocking off a few pounds fast, or losing that impossible-to-shake final fifteen pounds), including Fat Fast menus.

All in all, More Splendid Low Carbing is a terrific addition to every low carb cookbook library. You'll only find it at Jen's website, www.Sweety.com OR at www.Low-Carb.us Go take a look!

To purchase any of Jennifer's excellent cookbooks from: 
www.Sweety.com (Jennifer) or from www.Low-Carb.us  
simply Click here: "ORDERING Jen's SPLENDID cookbooks"


Copyright © 2002 Dana Carpender, www.holdthetoast.com All Rights Reserved.
Is Splenda Really Splendid?
Sweetener Gains In Popularity, Spurs Cookbooks and Recipes


by Mary Shomon   of  www.thyroid-info.com/index.htm

July 10, 2003 -- If you haven't seen the little yellow packets peeking out alongside their blue and pink friends at restaurants and coffee shops, you will soon. Sucralose (known by its brand name, Splenda) is making waves throughout the nation as the newest, hottest artificial sweetener.

splenda.jpg - 7431 BytesSucralose is derived from table sugar -- sucrose -- but is chemically modified so it has no calories, and so it is not perceived by the body as a carbohydrate. Unlike carbohydrates, sucralose is not broken down during its passage through the body. It can be used by diabetics, and by people who want to control their blood sugar.

In determining the safety of sucralose, the manufacturers state that the FDA reviewed data from more than 110 studies in humans and animals. Supposedly, many of the studies were designed to identify possible toxic effects including carcinogenic, reproductive and neurological effects, and no problems were seen.

Of course, we've heard this all before with many products -- everything from cyclamates, to saccharine, to aspartame, to HRT -- I think the only way we'll really know if there are problems from sucralose is after years of regular use, or more intensive, long-term studies. For example, some undocumented reports claim that sucralose may be able to cause problems with the thymus gland, liver and kidneys. So ultimately, there is probably still some risk.

But from the readers contacting me, I'm not hearing from people indicating that they have any obvious reactivity to sucralose, as many people do with aspartame (which in some people is known to cause headaches, and other neurological symptoms, sometimes within minutes of exposure.) Personally, I tolerate saccharine well, but I don't like the taste. I don't tolerate aspartame at all, and I don't like the taste. Aspartame gives me a major headache, and sometimes makes me feel dizzy, so I try to avoid it as much as possible.

To me, sucralose tastes the best of all the artificial sweeteners, in fact, I can't tell the difference from sugar. I have no side effects from it. So, if I have to choose from the yellow, pink or blue, it's going to be the yellow packets for me!

Ultimately, you're probably better off with a natural sweetener, such as stevia, than an artificial one like sucralose. But while stevia is great for sweetening coffee, tea, or yogurt, for example, it doesn't really work for baking and as a food ingredient. There, the issue is, are you better off avoiding sugar and replacing it with sucralose than using regular sugar, or one of the sweeteners that have demonstrable side effects, like aspartame?

My personal preference is to use the Splenda as a way to stay on my lower-carb, low-glycemic Thyroid Diet. If it allows me to indulge in treats periodically and that helps me eat more healthfully overally, then I feel it's a fair tradeoff.

I've switched totally off of all diet sodas that contain aspartame, and have found that even a can of soda with aspartame has side effects for me. I've switched to Diet Rite cola, because it has sucralose and not aspartame, and, additionally, it has no caffeine, so I can avoid that as well. When I want a bit of caffeine, I drink Diet Snapple Iced Tea. Of course, this is all in addition to water (I drink two 32 ounce bottles a day, at least!)

My favorite protein shakes, Pure Protein canned protein shakes, have Splenda in them, and they are just delicious. VERY low-glycemic, and make a nice snack or treat.

And on hot summer nights, one of my new favorite treats is to take some lemon and lime juice, put it in the blender with ice and a little water, and make a "mock margarita." I serve in a margarita glass rimmed with salt. Almost no carbs, no sugar, almost no calories, but you get the feeling of drinking a frozen margarita!

Splenda is used to sweeten many other products including Diet RC Cola, Nestle Nescafe Frothe coffee drinks, Arizona Diet Iced Tea, Kraft Crystal Light ready-to-drink beverages, Ocean Spray Lightstyle juice drinks, Dannon Light 'N Fit smoothies, Breyer's no-sugar-added Fruit Bars, and Swiss Miss cocoa mixes.

A complete list of products that use Splenda is available online in PDF format.

Taking the low-carb/Splenda thing a bit further, you might want to check out a great new cookbook, More Splendid Low-Carbing, by Jennifer Eloff, a prolific cookbook author and low-carb expert (whis is also hypothyroid). Jennifer has spent years developing low-carb versions of so many wonderful treats, and I know your mouth will start watering when you hear some of the titles of the recipes:

  • Buffalo Wings
  • Mandarin Spinach Salad
  • Cauli-Fried Rice (tastes like Chinese fried rice)
  • Faux Mashed Potatoes
  • Zucchini Fries
  • Wholegrain Bread
  • Caramel Custard
  • Chocolate Mousse
  • Black Forest Cake
  • Homemade Chocolate Protein Bars
  • Gingersnaps
  • Brownies

These are just a few *of the many wonderful recipes for everythin from drinks to main dishes to treats that Jennifer has lovingly assembled.

More Splendid Low-Carbing is available from
Jennifer's site, sweety.com for $16.95 plus shipping.
 

5.0 out of 5 stars You should get these!, March 11, 2010
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
The books were shipped at lightning speed, I received them in enough time to take them on an out of state trip. I read them all, cover to cover, every second that I had free time on the trip. The recipes are well written, and in a format that clearly even an inexperienced cook can follow. I was surprised (pleasantly so!) by the author's creative use of baking mixes (her own recipes, no less) and by some of her solutions for common ingredients that we low-carbers thought we had to give up. (Sweetened Condensed Milk, anyone?) I am not a big dessert eater but found myself inspired by the large percentage of low-carb sweets available in these books. I am not successful at low-carbing sweets on my own, and here are hundreds of recipes for desserts (and bread!!!!) so I can have the things I used to. Thanks Jennifer!!

 
 
 
5.0 out of 5 stars I'm so glad Jennifer wrote these books, so sad she has stopped publishing new ones, January 29, 2010
By  Joan Bell (Florida, USA)

I own all of Jennifer's books, actually the LowCarb ones, and my family always has very tasty meals as a result. Jennifer does do wonders for regular food, but really, it's baking and desserts that she tends to really excel at. On the Low Carb Friends board, which I frequent, I notice she often chats and contributes recipes, and her Low-Carb breads are utterly amazing! Considering that breads are the very toughest food to make both low Carb and tasty, I'd have to say she has my family's respect and gratitude. We bake her breads almost every day of the year, save ourselves a bundle and always have fresh warm bread for sandwiches or French toast or grilled cheese and ham treats etc. I'm so sorry she stopped at 5 Lowcarb books, but that is quite a collection, and I have not found one yet that disappointments. So many times, I make lowcarb recipes that just do not work out very well, that could not have been thoroughly tested, and I feel so mad because the ingredients are costly. Not so with Jennifer's recipes.
 
5.0 out of 5 stars Yummy Low-Carb Desserts Just For You!, June 29, 2008
If you like making Splenda-sweetened desserts that contain just 10g carbs or less, then this is the book for you! This is the third in the "Splendid Low-Carb" series and Jennifer saved the best for last with these delectable desserts that will surely add a little something sweet to your low-carb lifestyle. Whether you like pies, cakes, cheesecakes, muffins, or cookies, then this cookbook has a little something special for whatever low-carb dessert you get a hankering for!

 

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