Fascinating take on SA’s most famous Banter

I’VE been a fan of Professor Tim Noakes ever since he wrote Lore of Running more than 30 years ago – his easy style of writing and love for his subject made running seem attractive even to couch potatoes.

Today he is better known as the South African face of Banting and is a passionate champion of this low-carbohydrate, high-fat lifestyle. Even so, I’ve never been able to “Bant” and always been rather in awe of the results seen on other people’s bodies due to this niche way of eating.

I say “niche” because our kitchens are based on carbs: meat and potatoes, samp and beans, curry and rice, spaghetti bolognaise, even humble bread and cheese are all such common pairings and it is, at least to start with, extremely hard to avoid starch.

A new book The Banting Pocket Guide tries to help you not only to avoid carbs but also to recognise which can be useful. After all, as this little book reminds us, Banting is about eating clean, fresh, real food – and that is good for everyone. Therefore, it really is not about cutting out carbs totally but rather about following a low-carb, healthy fat eating plan.

And, once you’ve read the biography of South Africa’s most famous Banter, you probably will be much keener to try it out.

Daryl Ilbury has written a fascinating take on Noakes which centres on the controversy caused with a Noakes tweet in 2014 on LCHF which threatened to derail his scientific career. He starts off with the cynicism of an experienced science journalist but as he explores further, he seems by the end of The Quiet Maverick to see the scientist as so many others do: honest, fearless and humble.

Moreover, it is clear that, unlike many of his critics, Noakes leads by example and follows the health guidelines that he preaches.

Tim Noakes: The Quiet Maverick by Daryl Ilbury is published by Penguin Random House and retails for R220. The Banting Pocket Guide by Noakes, Bernadine Douglas and Bridgette Alan is also published by Penguin and retails for R121.