ZC seems to work for charles’ gang, but I find almost-zc lets you be a little less anal and a little more socially flexible. I do like that a healthy community of zc’ers exists, though, because it’s a nice counterpoint to the “don’t you need to eat more veggies?” that I sometimes encounter.

While I mostly eat from the outer band of the grocery store, I do eat out fairly often. I manage to avoid going nuts at various chains, so I find Kessler’s inability to do so kind of…well, weak.

At most chain restaurants, you can get a salad and a piece of grilled meat. It’s just not that hard. Even at McDonald’s, I can get a McDouble (no ketchup, no American cheese) and a side salad. I shuck the bun and throw it on the mixed greens. This has the advantage of costing about $2. Dressing is nice (their caesar is the lowest carb at 2g), but I can usually manage with the mustard, onions and pickles.

So, I think Kessler is a weak sister, in short.

I never eat wheat on purpose, however. I can’t digest gluten, so that’s not even a temptation for me. If it were, I suppose I might eat more junk food, but I don’t know.

I used to miss both beer and bread, but now even the smell of it just reminds me of the effects, and I’m not even tempted. It’s been just over a year since I’ve banned gluten from my life, and since most gluten-free bread is *loaded* with carbs, I tend to reserve it for treats. Gluten-free bread is also really pretty awful except for a few recipes of my own that work for me, so again…not a big temptation.

I do disagree with you on Kessler’s book. I think it has some good points but it isn’t the end all be all as some people indicate. I do believe that the main point of the book is that food scientists have found out over time, especially the past 30 years what really makes our palettes go wonky, and that does get people to eat more than they realize. I think it is best to stick with the foods that aren’t on the store shelves and only have 1 or 2 ingredients.