Reddit reviews Carbophobia: The Scary Truth about America's Low-Carb Craze: The Scary Truth About America's Low-carb Craze!

First, get tested for celiac disease if you haven't. There are blood tests for it, and an intestinal biopsy is the best diagnostic. If you have it, then you have to avoid gluten.

You could also have non-celiac wheat or gluten sensitivity. There's no lab test for it, but it definitely exists. The diagnostic process for NCGS is basically just a matter of trying a gluten-free diet. If you get better on the gf diet, and then worse again when you go back to eating gluten, and you don't have celiac disease or a positive allergy test to wheat, then you very likely have NCGS.

It can get complicated because people with NCGS may also be reactive to some foods without gluten, so they don't feel OK on just a gf diet. But this may not apply to neurological issues.

I've also encountered that dismissive attitude about gluten sensitivity from vegan/plant-based people. It's very irritating - gluten actually did a lot to ruin my life. Dr. Greger probably didn't intend it this way, but the cover of his book Carbophobia shows a guy terrified of a piece of bread, and it could be interpreted as a mockery of celiac disease. People with CD often have to be careful even that they don't accidentally eat bread crumbs. Bread (with gluten) IS poison for them, and eating bread every day COULD kill them, in a variety of ways.

First, well done and welcome to the sub. You're making a great decision, and I wish you all the very best with it.

> 1) I want to be healthy, I'm worried I'll gain lots of weight through eating mainly carbs. Does anyone have links to cheap and easy recipes?

As others have stated, carbs are not the enemy. The key is avoiding excessive fat and processed carbs. Here is a great book about the low-carb high-protein craze. (Not an affiliate link)
> 2) I don't like meat substitutes, or tofu, can I base my diet purely on fruit etc.?

Absolutely! I eat fruit throughout the day and have a cooked meal in the evening. I don't use meat substitutes very often, and find that if I marinade and then bake the tofu the texture improves. Having said that, I only eat tofu maybe once or twice a month. The rest of the time it's fruit, veggies and pulses.

> 3) How cheap/expensive if your diet lifestyle? I'm not on a big wage, but I want to make sure my cosmetics aren't associated with animals either, any UK brands? Apart from Lush?

We're on a budget too, and find that it works out cheaper than buying meat. For example, a kilo of chickpeas might cost me €1.50. I can use them to make loads of falafels or lots of chickpea curries. Compare that with the cost of meat for the curry!

Cosmetics, my wife buys vegan brands, I'll have to ask her which ones. She also makes all the soap that we use, so we save money there too - 24 bars of that probably costs us less than €5.