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What the Fat?: Fat's IN: Sugar's OUT Practical guide and recipes
This book is more than just a diet plan or a cookbook – written by the Fat Professor, the Whole-food Dietitian & the Michelin-trained Chef – it’s a new way of eating that will change your life. For good. Low carb healthy fat eating has never been so easy. Welcome to the ultimate practical "how to" and scientific guide.
243 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 27, 2015
233 people are currently reading
227 people want to read
About the author
Grant Schofield
11 books6 followersGrant Schofield is an art teacher and gifted artist.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
January 22, 2019
I was recommended this book by a friend of mine who has gone LCHF rather than Keto, to giv me a realistic view of the change, and I thought this book perfectly fit.
I liked that you could jump straight to the basics, or spend time understanding the science behind what sugar does to the body and its impact, and how carbs add to that - very good for me to understand as both my parents as Diabetic.
Having three authors feed into the process and view points was great and provided a balance.
Definitely great to see advocated for LCHF and how the changes can have great impacts. Am buying for my parents !!
I liked that you could jump straight to the basics, or spend time understanding the science behind what sugar does to the body and its impact, and how carbs add to that - very good for me to understand as both my parents as Diabetic.
Having three authors feed into the process and view points was great and provided a balance.
Definitely great to see advocated for LCHF and how the changes can have great impacts. Am buying for my parents !!
March 1, 2023
This book, the information inside it, made me so angry. I've been overweight my entire life, including the times when I was going to the gym 5 days a week and eating 'healthy', according to common practice and governmentally sanctioned nutritional guidelines - which can be traced back to a decision by the United States' government in 1977. For no proven scientific reason whatsoever but possibly massive financial ones, they decided to decree that fat was bad and we should all eat carbs as proposed in their newly designed food pyramid. Because the sugar industry didn't want research coming out that showed that their product was harmful (diabetes, heart disease, everything ever) and people should stop eating it. I'm not diabetic, or clinically obese, or have a condition caused by sugar or anything like that but my life would have been so so much better if as a child I was told this instead of taught to recognise the food pyramid and given rice cakes to eat.
Carbohydrate is not an essential nutrient. Your body can make it and if you stop eating it you'll be better off. Sugar is basically toxic; it literally corrodes parts of your body and produces an infinite amount of health problems.
Read this book. Stop eating loads of carbohydrates like wheat and pasta and potatoes and corn and fructose from too much fruit and galactose from too much milk, and fucking sugar. Feel better. Have more energy. Have a clearer brain. Lose weight. Live longer. Have a better quality of life, both now and in your old age. Stop (well-intentionedly) poisoning your children's bodies and minds.
Conditions a Low Carb Healthy Fat diet helps with: Diabetes, pre-diabetes, psoriasis, liver disease, heart disease, high cholesterol, low cholesterol, the wrong sort of cholesterol, obesity and being overweight, eczema, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, intestinal issues like IBS, erectile dysfunction, depression, depressing food, various inflammations, anything to do with fat or blood sugar or insulin, and a whole bunch more conditions with ridiculous scientific names that have either come from eating too much sugar and carbs or not eating enough healthy fat.
Conditions a Ketogenic diet will help with: all of the above, plus reducing epileptic seizures in both frequency and severity in like 90% of people, as has been proven and used since the ancient Egyptians, and was widely prescribed for this purpose in the early 20th Century before lithium was widely used.
Conditions a Ketogenic diet *may* help with (more research needed but promising research and logical mechanisms why in place to explain the effects it has): Slowing/preventing the spread of certain types of cancer, ameliorating neurological symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (several people have told me this has worked for them or their kids), helping with the management of Poly-Cystic Ovarian Syndrome, helping reduce and eliminate Acne.
1.03.23 Still angry. Less weighty. 43kg(95lbs) lost from highest weight.
Carbohydrate is not an essential nutrient. Your body can make it and if you stop eating it you'll be better off. Sugar is basically toxic; it literally corrodes parts of your body and produces an infinite amount of health problems.
Read this book. Stop eating loads of carbohydrates like wheat and pasta and potatoes and corn and fructose from too much fruit and galactose from too much milk, and fucking sugar. Feel better. Have more energy. Have a clearer brain. Lose weight. Live longer. Have a better quality of life, both now and in your old age. Stop (well-intentionedly) poisoning your children's bodies and minds.
Conditions a Low Carb Healthy Fat diet helps with: Diabetes, pre-diabetes, psoriasis, liver disease, heart disease, high cholesterol, low cholesterol, the wrong sort of cholesterol, obesity and being overweight, eczema, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, intestinal issues like IBS, erectile dysfunction, depression, depressing food, various inflammations, anything to do with fat or blood sugar or insulin, and a whole bunch more conditions with ridiculous scientific names that have either come from eating too much sugar and carbs or not eating enough healthy fat.
Conditions a Ketogenic diet will help with: all of the above, plus reducing epileptic seizures in both frequency and severity in like 90% of people, as has been proven and used since the ancient Egyptians, and was widely prescribed for this purpose in the early 20th Century before lithium was widely used.
Conditions a Ketogenic diet *may* help with (more research needed but promising research and logical mechanisms why in place to explain the effects it has): Slowing/preventing the spread of certain types of cancer, ameliorating neurological symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (several people have told me this has worked for them or their kids), helping with the management of Poly-Cystic Ovarian Syndrome, helping reduce and eliminate Acne.
1.03.23 Still angry. Less weighty. 43kg(95lbs) lost from highest weight.
May 5, 2017
Before you read it, you should be aware that this book is first and foremost about sport nutrition.
It uses common sense, and you can apply some of things written in this book even if you aren't a elite competitor. There are better books about nutrition though, and one shouldn't begin with this one.
And as far as sport nutrition, there is still much research to be done about the low carb, high fat diet, but the results so far as promising enough to give it a try. Trial and error is what the authors also encourage throughout their book.
It uses common sense, and you can apply some of things written in this book even if you aren't a elite competitor. There are better books about nutrition though, and one shouldn't begin with this one.
And as far as sport nutrition, there is still much research to be done about the low carb, high fat diet, but the results so far as promising enough to give it a try. Trial and error is what the authors also encourage throughout their book.
December 29, 2021
It is an important caveat for all athletes looking into Low-carb, Healthy Fat. They flat-out agree that endurance athletes need to add carbs to their diet. However, if your default is LCHF, your cross-over point from burning fat as fuel to burning carbs is at a higher pace (as mentioned in "Endure" from Hutckinson). It means you don't really need extra fueling in-race up to 2 hours. 1000-1200kcal/hr with 2500kcal worth of stored carbs is plenty of you consider your fat-engine will still cover something. Interestingly, elite athletes with NO LCHF-lifestyle STILL get three times more fuel from fat-burning (with less oxidative stress, thus less inflammatory response) than normal runners do without a LCHF-lifestyle. This drives the same point home as "Racing Weight" from Fitzgerald; that the body will adapt to training-demands, regardless of the supply (nutrition). Luckilly, your finely-honed fat engine still covers your ass after carb-loading for three days prior to an endurance race. Again some food journals and recipes included, makes it well worth your time!
December 16, 2022
This book was recommended to me by my doctor (I am a PCOS patient albeit a very much non-obese variation of PCOS).
I had my doubts as I usually eat copious amounts of carb (plus other food groups), still feel hungry and still remain rake thin. I looked at the recipes and thought there was no way they could taste good and fill me up but I’ve actually loved the two dishes I’ve cooked from this book so far…and mostly felt reasonably satiated. The problem I find with a good number of recipes (or I guess the LCHF diet in general so the fault is not entirely this book’s) is that it’s difficult when you are time poor and need to cater for several diets/age ranges (I have an 18 month old and 4 year old), and not to mention expensive (I guess higher quality foods=greater expense but the fact remains that it’s more expensive). I was also hoping for a greater number if recipes in the book, but overall, pretty good.
I had my doubts as I usually eat copious amounts of carb (plus other food groups), still feel hungry and still remain rake thin. I looked at the recipes and thought there was no way they could taste good and fill me up but I’ve actually loved the two dishes I’ve cooked from this book so far…and mostly felt reasonably satiated. The problem I find with a good number of recipes (or I guess the LCHF diet in general so the fault is not entirely this book’s) is that it’s difficult when you are time poor and need to cater for several diets/age ranges (I have an 18 month old and 4 year old), and not to mention expensive (I guess higher quality foods=greater expense but the fact remains that it’s more expensive). I was also hoping for a greater number if recipes in the book, but overall, pretty good.
June 19, 2017
- would be good to have on hand as reference guide
- makes a very compelling case for going low carb
- probably enough for people to use as a guide if they don't have any existing health issues but would want proper guidance if trying to do lchf properly
- recipes seem a bit complicated
- meal examples would be helpful
- should also include more information about socialising aspect of eating out etc.
- makes a very compelling case for going low carb
- probably enough for people to use as a guide if they don't have any existing health issues but would want proper guidance if trying to do lchf properly
- recipes seem a bit complicated
- meal examples would be helpful
- should also include more information about socialising aspect of eating out etc.
July 19, 2019
Simple and to the point.
Although at times the author gets ahead of himself or back tracks to explain, the book is a practical and basic approach to HFLC diet and training. The key is activity with diet shifts into a lifestyle is what makes the difference. The book simply introduces the HFLC life style and consolidates the research to back the HFLC approach WITH training and real life examples.
Although at times the author gets ahead of himself or back tracks to explain, the book is a practical and basic approach to HFLC diet and training. The key is activity with diet shifts into a lifestyle is what makes the difference. The book simply introduces the HFLC life style and consolidates the research to back the HFLC approach WITH training and real life examples.
December 31, 2019
Good book (or so I thought) and I have no doubt it has worked for many but this set me up for a year of yoyo dieting and feeling below par. I also enjoy being hungry and found the satiety provided by this diet to be rather boring. If I work hard and get hungry then food is a reward. If you are fit, healthy and within your BMI range then I would recommend avoiding this book altogether. Eat everything in moderation and enjoy life.
August 6, 2019
Just as innovations in racing cars are often applied to ordinary vehicles to make them better, faster, safer, so goes with sport. Yes, this book is about athletes maximising their performance but it can be applied to anyone who just wants to improve their health, strength and quality of life.
Very practical, easy to follow and apply.
Very practical, easy to follow and apply.
April 18, 2019
Not a whole lot of tactical info here
The book explained the topics, but where concrete tactics were needed they weren’t there. It’s too bad because I know the authors are in the field and can offer this knowledge.
The book explained the topics, but where concrete tactics were needed they weren’t there. It’s too bad because I know the authors are in the field and can offer this knowledge.
August 12, 2019
I have been experimenting myself on this LCHF diet, and found that once i eat a bit more carbs, my whole body gets very tired. The brain can not focus, needs to take a nap.
This is a very new way to look at our nutrition pyramid, and i think we should dig deeper.
This is a very new way to look at our nutrition pyramid, and i think we should dig deeper.
September 22, 2020
A Badly-Needed Resource
There are many books on low-carb/keto diets, fat adaptation, etc., for regular folk—often it is unclear how to adapt the advice in them to athletic performance. This book is for athletes, and it is seriously helpful.
There are many books on low-carb/keto diets, fat adaptation, etc., for regular folk—often it is unclear how to adapt the advice in them to athletic performance. This book is for athletes, and it is seriously helpful.
May 20, 2022
A really good reference to have on hand for any keto questions I have, and also has great simple recipes. It is very easy to read and science based. Am pretty sure I will refer back to this book often.
May 24, 2017
Interesting read whilst my computer was playing up this morning. Simple to understand, but with science to back it up if you want to learn more about why it works. Some nice recipes too :)
April 21, 2018
Love this way of eating. Great recipes.
September 1, 2018
Loved reading this book due to my anxiety and my IBS issues. I have found that certain aspects I agreed with.
September 6, 2018
The whole book is summarized in page 59.
There are some cool recipes too.
There are some cool recipes too.
October 21, 2018
The perfect combination of science, food nutrition and great recipes for improving your diet.
January 7, 2019
It's exactly what I thought it would be. I did like seeing a section on cooking with the recipes.
February 9, 2019
Excellent scientifically backed information
March 31, 2019
Good overview of macronutrients and recipes to provide inspiration to put LCHF food choices in to practice.Love the breakfast granola.
March 2, 2021
Good read for those wanting a low carb or keto eating approach. Some really interesting facts in the book about the way we eat.
July 8, 2019
Insightful Guide to Approaching a Low-Carb Healthy Fat Lifestyle
I really enjoyed this books focus on the athlete. The initial WTF book was a little too generic for me, however this one dove more into the science and how to apply it to training. Very digestible for the amateur endurance athlete I am.
I really enjoyed this books focus on the athlete. The initial WTF book was a little too generic for me, however this one dove more into the science and how to apply it to training. Very digestible for the amateur endurance athlete I am.
January 8, 2022
The standard diet in English speaking countries has been dominated by carbohydrates at the base of the food pyramid and the population has gotten fatter over the last 50+ years. For 40+ years there has been an effort to get people to cut back on the fat in their diet, both to keep their weight down and to prevent heart disease. Low-fat versions of food have displaced 'normal' versions in many cases (compare the fat content in the most commonly drunk milk today with the 1970s and 80s). People have continued to get fat and suffer from diabetes and heart disease.
In recent decades there have been various attempts to tackle this: from dividing fat into good and bad (mono-saturated, unsaturated, polyunsaturated), dividing carbohydrates into good and bad (low-GI and high-GI), fasting, Keto, Paleo, and low-carbohydrate diets etc.
What the Fat?: Fat's IN: Sugar's OUT Practical guide and recipes takes the view that fat has been unfairly blamed for our dietary problems. Claiming instead that fat should be the main source of energy in our diets rather than carbohydrates and especially sugar. In particular that carbohydrates (especially sugars) cause the body to produce more insulin than is healthy, with various bad side effects ranging from diabetes to stopping us feeling like we have eaten enough.
While the book talks about swapping fat for carbohydrates at the theoretical level, at the practical level it talks about swapping cauliflower for rice, lettuce for bread, spiralised courgettes for pasta etc. Given cauliflower, lettuce and courgettes have no fat this seems contradictory. Though it does mention increasing the fat content of other aspects of the meal. So in fact the swap is mostly swapping low carbohydrate vegetables for high carbohydrate vegetables and grain-based food (plus adding a bit of extra fat in other ways).
The recommendation on protein is in line with the WHO recommendation (1 gm per kg body weight per day). The book does clarify that grams of protein doesn't mean grams of high protein food such as meat because food like meat or cheese is about 25% protein so 70gm of protein requires more like 280gm of meat and/or cheese etc.
There is a bit about which fats to use and which to avoid but the secondary theme of the book is centred on unprocessed food. The rationale for this seems a bit more like a religion than science and the classification of what is processed and what is not seems a bit idiosyncratic. With many foods, I would have classified as processed, being classified as unprocessed!
The scientific explanation chapters are easy to read and understand for the layperson. The generalised diet principles chapter could have been better if it had explained more explicitly that you are swapping low carbohydrate vegetables for the high carbohydrate food in your diet plus increasing the fat content in other ways.
The recipe part of the book has examples of highish-fat-low-carbohydrate breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Many of them are variations on meals you probably recognise.
So apart from my quibble about the difference between the theory behind the swapping fat for carbohydrate and how it works in practice and some vagueness and apparent contradiction about processed foods, I'd recommend this book as a good introduction to a Low Carbohydrate High Fat (LCHF) diet (easier to digest than The CSIRO Low-Carb Diet Quick & Easy for instance).
Personally, having tried to follow the principles of the book I found giving up and substituting some carbohydrates easier than others. Not eating potatoes and pasta was easy. Not eating rice and bread and reducing the amount of fresh and dried fruit was much harder. I've also noticed that in many meals the high carbohydrate food serves the role of absorbing sauces in a way that most low carbohydrate foods can't replicate.
In recent decades there have been various attempts to tackle this: from dividing fat into good and bad (mono-saturated, unsaturated, polyunsaturated), dividing carbohydrates into good and bad (low-GI and high-GI), fasting, Keto, Paleo, and low-carbohydrate diets etc.
What the Fat?: Fat's IN: Sugar's OUT Practical guide and recipes takes the view that fat has been unfairly blamed for our dietary problems. Claiming instead that fat should be the main source of energy in our diets rather than carbohydrates and especially sugar. In particular that carbohydrates (especially sugars) cause the body to produce more insulin than is healthy, with various bad side effects ranging from diabetes to stopping us feeling like we have eaten enough.
While the book talks about swapping fat for carbohydrates at the theoretical level, at the practical level it talks about swapping cauliflower for rice, lettuce for bread, spiralised courgettes for pasta etc. Given cauliflower, lettuce and courgettes have no fat this seems contradictory. Though it does mention increasing the fat content of other aspects of the meal. So in fact the swap is mostly swapping low carbohydrate vegetables for high carbohydrate vegetables and grain-based food (plus adding a bit of extra fat in other ways).
The recommendation on protein is in line with the WHO recommendation (1 gm per kg body weight per day). The book does clarify that grams of protein doesn't mean grams of high protein food such as meat because food like meat or cheese is about 25% protein so 70gm of protein requires more like 280gm of meat and/or cheese etc.
There is a bit about which fats to use and which to avoid but the secondary theme of the book is centred on unprocessed food. The rationale for this seems a bit more like a religion than science and the classification of what is processed and what is not seems a bit idiosyncratic. With many foods, I would have classified as processed, being classified as unprocessed!
The scientific explanation chapters are easy to read and understand for the layperson. The generalised diet principles chapter could have been better if it had explained more explicitly that you are swapping low carbohydrate vegetables for the high carbohydrate food in your diet plus increasing the fat content in other ways.
The recipe part of the book has examples of highish-fat-low-carbohydrate breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Many of them are variations on meals you probably recognise.
So apart from my quibble about the difference between the theory behind the swapping fat for carbohydrate and how it works in practice and some vagueness and apparent contradiction about processed foods, I'd recommend this book as a good introduction to a Low Carbohydrate High Fat (LCHF) diet (easier to digest than The CSIRO Low-Carb Diet Quick & Easy for instance).
Personally, having tried to follow the principles of the book I found giving up and substituting some carbohydrates easier than others. Not eating potatoes and pasta was easy. Not eating rice and bread and reducing the amount of fresh and dried fruit was much harder. I've also noticed that in many meals the high carbohydrate food serves the role of absorbing sauces in a way that most low carbohydrate foods can't replicate.
January 10, 2017
I really enjoyed every part of this book. Has taken me a long time to digest the information, but I have found it so helpful. I enjoyed reading some of the available science behind LCHF, but appreciate that this was summarized for readers who weren't interested in that part. It was refreshing to be able to read the stories of the three authors, as well as the smattering of sucess stories through the book. The recipes look great, and am keen to try them out. Have recommended this book to quite a few people and it is a good read for anyone stuck in the "cut the fat" mind-set.
August 7, 2018
Low carb high fat explained simply. So many books make it sound so difficult. This book was so easy to read. Explains why we should stop eating sugar and stop eating so many carbs. It is the first book I recommend to people when they want to go lchf. Great recipes also. If you want to heal your body or lose weight this book is easy to understand
August 31, 2018
Such a good book !
A refreshing change from the extremist diet books what the fat?! Advocates a litre carb healthy fat diet rather than requiring full nutritional ketosis. Easy changes that could save your life.
A refreshing change from the extremist diet books what the fat?! Advocates a litre carb healthy fat diet rather than requiring full nutritional ketosis. Easy changes that could save your life.
June 11, 2016
This book is informative and easy to read and understand which are both wins. I learned a lot. It has really given me something to think about.
May 12, 2017
Wow, what a great simplified review of the science behind the virtues of low carbohydrate high fat lifestyle. The approved high carb low fat diet of the not so distant past is responsible for lots of grief for millions of people. Start your day with a bowl of oatmeal, toast and marmalade, and the disaster is already under way. Instead, coffee with 18% cream, scrambled eggs with cheese and slices of bacon does the job. There is a nice array of recipes for the day's three meals, including low carbohydrate bread. As well, some personal histories, lab results and commentary are great additions.
Get this book. Follow its suggestions. Improve your life!
Get this book. Follow its suggestions. Improve your life!
October 3, 2017
An excellent primer on why we should be eating a lot more healthy fats in our diet. A keeper for the home bookshelf.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews