Carbohydrates Can Kill

Reviewed By Michelle Bush, English Adjunct Professor, Fort Myers, FL

Losing weight is not a race or a beauty contest, but a serious task in rescuing one’s health and life    -Dr. Robert K. Su

Before reading Dr. Robert K. Su’s Carbohydrates Can Kill, I had flashbacks of the myriad books I’d read about carbohydrates in the past. Many were boring and told of the wonders of carbohydrates, wonders I had not discovered after following their respective advice. However, I plunged into the book because I’m an avid learner, and after speaking with Dr. Su personally, I grew fond of him and his ideologies regarding a healthy lifestyle. Carbohydrates Can Kill is an amazing book, the way it was written, the information and research it contains, and the personal experiment conducted by Dr. Su brought to mind Jeff Goldblum’s performance in The Fly.

Like Goldblum’s character, Su writes in narrative form the step by step observations of his experimentation. The art of narration separates Carbohydrates Can Kill from its predecessors.  The use of anecdotes makes the text easy and enjoyable to read. My favorite tale is that of July 14, 2004. Su relives the Busch Gardens experience with his grandson, which not only substantiates Su’s beliefs in the metamorphosis he’s undergoing but also weaves a beautiful tale of family and familial values. The description of the outing places readers in Busch Gardens, and we get to visualize Dr. Su carrying his sleeping grandson to the family meeting point. What’s most fascinating about the story is that Dr. Su had to walk a mile or more with a sleeping child in his arms and a stick of cotton candy in his hand. At the end of his journey, we learn that he’s monitoring his bodily reactions, which are positive in response to his new found lifestyle.

The information and research provided is interesting, countering much of what we’ve been led to believe true about carbohydrates. For example, for years, we’ve been led to believe that calorie counting helps weight loss and more “good carbs,” less fat equal weight loss. Those who have counted calories for years know that counting calories does little to promote weight loss without incorporating other dietary components that some find less than desirable and do even less to promote overall health. Dr. Su disproves the calorie counting theory by experimenting with and between both: counting carbohydrates and/or calories, noting affects and effects. Again, like Goldblum’s character, Su clearly and graphically explains the bodily reactions of various scrapes, scratches, bumps, bruises, and cold symptoms in the absence of modern medicine. Unlike the character, Su is delighted by the outcome, and so is the reader.

Dr. Su encourages exercise, providing direct evidence of the impact exercise has in his daily life. Ironically, unlike promoted exercise regimens, Dr. Su begins light and never exercises to the point of exhaustion. The reader is led through the exercise process thinking, “I can begin with two push-ups a day?” He shows the impact of doing two opposed to none, which is total encouragement for those who balk at beginning with 20, 10 even. We are shown real before and after pictures in photos provided from a family vacation, his daughter’s wedding, and finally, a picture as recently as 2008. As in The Fly, we witness the metamorphosis: a picture of health without pills or grave restrictions.

As a female, “Glycemic Index and Breast Cancer” and “Glycemic Load and Breast Cancer,” were of particular interest to me. Males may find comfort in topics related to prostrate cancer and erectile dysfunction while the elderly may find relief in the topics related to vision and muscle degeneration. There is something for everyone who is health conscious. In light of the current state of health care in America, we would be wise to at least try to help ourselves by adhering to and following Dr. Su’s example, and always remember... “Losing weight is not a race or a beauty contest, but a serious task in rescuing one’s health and life.”

July 9, 2009