This time of year in the Hamptons, well, pretty much at all times of the year these days, I try to watch what I eat. I’m not a big believer in low-carb anymore, and am a huge advocate of portion control, limiting the amount of meat, butter and cheese because of the crystal clear data that relates these foods to heart disease and cancer, and incorporating a weight lifting routine daily.

But I digress. The bottom line is that a lot of people are terrified of carbs and miss pasta thanks to an unrelenting belief in the Atkins diet, and they have been searching for a miracle. Well, it seems that the Japanese have come to the rescue.

According to Yahoo.com this morning – Shirataki noodles from Japan contain zero calories and zero carbs and are gaining a following amongst flab fighters around the country as a miracle alternative to traditional pasta. Lisa Lillien, who writes the popular “Hungry Girl” newsletter, is one of the product’s biggest boosters in the United States and endorses the variety made by House of Foods brand.

The noodles, which come in lots of familiar shapes such as spaghetti, angel hair, and fettuccini, are made of water and fiber from a plant called konjac yam instead of from wheat flour. They are naturally calorie- and carb-free, because the fiber they contain is not absorbed by the body.