Thanksgiving dinner with Chasity

Manning's family concluded with two cheesecakes, pumpkin and chocolate

chip.

"They loved them and ate

them all," said Manning. "When they asked where I got them,

I told them they were low carb, from my store."

Chasity and her husband Erik

Manning, both of Fayetteville, opened the doors of Diet Delicious just

after that Thanksgiving feast with family. Specializing in low-carbohydrate

foods for dieters on Atkins, Sugarbusters, South Beach and The Zone, and

for foods good for dieters and bodybuilders, Diet Delicious is located

on Ga. Highway 85 in Fayetteville, just north of Allan Vigil Ford.

"You can get everything

from the grocery store here, only low-carb. There's pasta, rolls,

breadsticks - all the ingredients for Italian and Mexican meals,"

said Manning.

Gazing at the items on the

shelves at Diet Delicious makes it apparent that an Atkins dieter isn't

limited to meat and vegetables. Manning has a diverse selection of snack

foods, cereals, candy, carbonated beverages, even cocoa for a cold Georgia

night. There are baking supplies and muffin and cake mixes. Many of these

are made with Splenda, which doesn't have the aftertaste of other

sweeteners, because it's made with sugar.

"People on low-carb diets

usually just eat eggs and bacon for breakfast," said Manning. "But

we have waffles and bagels."

Before opening, Manning did

her research. She read all the low-carb diet books, so that she would

be able to advise her customers on what would fit in their plan at a particular

time. Many of those books are on sale in the store. And she lived low-carb.

As a petite young mother with

rheumatoid arthritis, the weight gain from childbirth was hard on her

body. With exercise not an option, Chasity Manning began following the

low-carb plan of South Beach in September. So far she's lost 35 pounds

and gone from a size 14 to a size 8.

The only bad thing about being

on that diet was the lack of variety, she found. She saw a need for a

store like Diet Delicious, where low-carb dieters can find everything

they need and not be tempted by pans of high-carb sweet rolls.

For Manning, Diet Delicious

is about providing dining options. "You can't go out to eat

Italian food if you're on these diets, but you can make it at home,"

she said. "Ragu, for example, has 32 grams of carbs, and most of

it is sugar. Our sauce has four grams, and none of it's sugar. Ours

is also high in fiber, and it's good."

One repeat customer came in

saying the sauce is wonderful, shared Manning.

It's almost as though

all forbidden food has been returned to the low-carb dieter. With low-carb

bread, Manning can make grilled cheese, one of her former favorites. Chips

and dip are in, too.

Individual cookies can be found

for only 99 cents. One of Manning's customers comes in every day

for a cookie, protein bar and a low carb drink.

If you miss sweet tea, you

can add Splenda; it tastes just like it, said Manning.

These low-carb dishes don't

break the diner's bank, either. For a fettucine alfredo meal, just

add chicken to the Atkins Quick Cuisine version, retailing for $4.99.

Without the chicken added, it has 70 percent of the recommended daily

allowance of protein.

Creating healthier meals, even

for a family that's not dieting, is possible. Where the Diet Delicious

products cut sugar, they often increase fiber. And they also are often

low in sodium, great for diabetics or hypoglycemics.

"One of my customers has

an adult son with Down Syndrome. He has lost over 100 pounds on Atkins.

She was so happy to see our store open with a huge variety of foods he

can now eat," said Manning.

Other customers have driven

from metro Atlanta locations like Decatur, specifically for items like

Just Cheese, a one gram of carbohydrates snack that's also gluten

free, for $2.99.

"Who says you can't

eat pasta or cheesecake?" concluded Manning. "Our cheesecakes

are delicious and low-carb. You can have your cheesecake, and your cocoa

- and even have marshmallows on it! There's no reason not to

start a low-carb diet."

For more information call Diet

Delicious at 770-719-1514.

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