Diet Health Books

You: On A Diet doesn't just lay out a diet plan, but addresses what goes on when we eat and the various chemicals in our bodies that effect our behaviors and body shape.

Part 1 is a sort of introduction to your body.

Part 2 is about appetite, your digestive system, inflammation, body fat, metabolism, and exercise. If you have ever wondered how food acts in your body and how food can effect how you feel and whether you store fat or burn it, this is the section for you.

Part 3 focuses on how your mind effects your diet - emotions and psychology.

Part 4 outlines the actual You diet and exercise plan and has a whole chapter about staying on plan by making "YOU-Turns" whenever you fall off the plan (and who sticks 100% to any diet 100% of the time?).

The appendices cover medical intervention - drugs that cane help you lose weight, plastic surgery for saggy skin, and various bariatric procedures (stomach stapling, etc.).

Throughout the book are little cartoons that illustrate the points made in the text. I found these helpful even though I am not a visual person.

My main criticism is that they trot out the same old low-fat advice that hasn't helped America yet, and that they promote unhealthy vegetable oils. Neither do I believe that saturated fat is the enemy, though Mehmet and Oz do.

This book is a good start, but I urge people to go beyond this and read more about vegetable oils and saturated fat and see if Mehmet and Oz are right in their views or not. Personally, the only oils I allow in my house are olive and coconut. Yes, coconut oil is a saturated fat.

Excellent book, highly recommended for everybody who needs to understand how the body works and to start a healthy nutrition. Very good indeed.

I am still working through the volume of information contained in this book. And, no, I am not skipping ahead to the chapter with their actual diet in it just yet! As someone who has struggled with my weight off and on (more on than off), I know I need to learn the why I am fat, not just the how to be thin, and I think I found the book which will truly educate me. The text is written in everyday language that you and I speak to each other, not medical high brow stuff. From the tone, I know I would also enjoy this book on tape! My only criticism, which may or may not be fair as I see the merit in it, is that some of the pages are overwhelming with "tips" in one corner, and a cartoon in the other, and the actual text from the page before somewhere in the middle. Sometimes this busy-ness gets in the way of the awesome information contained in all these sections -- if that makes any sense.

Anyway, I strongly recommend this book. I also strongly recommend catching the doctors on the Discovery Health channel when they are on. I love their down to earth approach to health. I would love to have them clean out my refrigerator and scare the fat off me with their outside the box tactics. They are just wonderful! More Manuals please!

I found this book to be invaluable. Although I have finished reading it, I keep it close for reference. Now I finally understand why I have such a tummy and I'm getting rid of it!

The premise of this book is intriguing - if we would only eat like our caveman ancestors, we wouldn't have the weight problems that are so common these days. However, the authors show a complete ignorance of what our ancestors actually ate, so as far as I'm concerned, the book starts out on the wrong foot.(It wasn't easy being a caveman, you know. They had really short life spans for a reason). Who has time to "forage" for every meal they eat? No red meat, no sugar, no processed flour, etc. Lots of walnuts, fish, and some chicken. Some of the ingredients they use with their menus would be difficult for me to find in my area. So why is this diet book any different from anyone else's?
It has some cutesy drawings, I'll give them that. But the constant attempts to be funny really got on my nerves. Then comes all the science - dozens of terms for different enzymes and parts of our digestive systems - hey, I'm not that up on science. After about 10 pages of it, I was totally confused. I just want to lose some weight, guys, not get a Bachelor's Degree in biology!
It really boils down to doing the same thing all other diets will tell you to do - don't eat any processed foods, get lots of excersize, drink lots of water. The kicker to this book is that the authors state you will love losing weight so much on their plan, you will never go back to eating the way you did before. Yeah, right.

well written, absolutely excellent research and convincing arguments backed with study after study. Everyone should read this book, regardless of present health condition. However if one is suffering from any of the major diseases or ailments prevalent in this society, this book should be mandatory!!

The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-term Health
This book has life-changing information. But don't let the fact that it is a description of many studies be a deterrent to reading it: the book is written in an extraordinarily readable style.

I GOT THIS BOOK AND COULD NOT PUT DOWN! I ONLY WISH I WOULD HAVE HAD IT SHIPPED FASTER TO ME.
GOOD SHAPE, GREAT SREVICE. NICE PRICE!

This book will blow you away! I was shocked at what I thought was healthy to eat but isn't. Very eye opening. The person who wrote the negative review and directed you to this website http://www.westonaprice.org/bookreviews/chinastudy.html.
Does not have a brain. The credentials of the person who wrote this Anti-China Study article has a BS degree in History. I Don't think I am going to listen to him over a doctor who has spent most of his life researching this data. Be careful which reviews you read and who is writing them. The China Study is very scientific and trustworthy.

The China Study is a wonderful book. It is all about nutrition and now we should eat and not eat. I haven't finished it yet, but it is fascinating. A friend recommended it and I highly recommend it to anyone that is wanting to better their health through natural processes and natural foods. It is a real eye opener!!!

Let me first say that you need to read the whole book first. I know a lot of people that are excited to start and they are really dont read all the book. This is the only way that you are going to really the results that your body needs and want. I believe that is why a lot of people call the book a crock. Also please buy the companion book because it is great to take to the grocery store.

A friend of mine that has cancer daughter bought her this book. I am so fortunate that I picked up the book off her coffee table and flip through the pages. The best thing that has ever happen to me and my husband. It meant for us cleaning out our food pantry. I am a O and husband is a B blood type. If you do this change you need to have your family on board. Especially if their is different blood types in your home.
It is expensive at first, because you will have to give away or gradually stop using your avoid foods. We gave away a lot of stuff. My family started right away. I stopped coffee right away which if you know me I was a Starbucks addict. I still have a balance on my card which I will use for soymilk. I had already stop using splenda, boy after I stop their stock will go down(smile)
We are going in our third week and now that we have all our food in the pantry.
What I really like is I am never hungry. Before I started this blood type diet and I dont want to say diet because it is just a change of the way of eating. There is so much food to eat and I promise you will never be hungry. Before I started this process I felt 75% of myself. I am 50+ and now I can say I am 100% of energy in these short weeks. I have lost weight and I am going to start by exercising in a couple of days.

Buy and Read this book, I wish I would have known about this a long time a go.

This book attracted my attention as it focused on blood types. I've been following the recommendations for the past six years and it has helped address many of my issues without having to goto a doctor.

I have also recommended this regimen to my husband and sons which they in turn have seen good results.

More over this book now acts as a reference and I consult it many times each week.

And that is why I have also recommended this book to many of my friends and relatives.

Originally I heard about this book from my boyfriend's mother, who is a cancer survivor. I had tried numerous diets over the years, including Atkins, Weight Watchers, Fit for Life, NutriSystem and so on. The diets would usually work and I would lose weight (mind you, I am not even obese, just wanted to shed some excess weight). However, like most people I was tired of diets and fads that made me lose weight, just so I could gain it right back after eating "normal" again. I was much more curious about finding a permanent way of eating that would be beneficial to my health, and of course my waist line. I wanted to find a lifestyle change I could stick to.

Being the naturally curious person that I am I figured I give this book and the "diet" a try. This was about 2 weeks ago.
Originally some of the concepts or avoids were hard for me to fathom. I am NOT the typical type 0 but a B+ and also should not eat anything that contains wheat. Up to then wheat was the main part of my diet!

The more I read the more I realized that a lot of the beneficial or neutral foods are the things I actually like and love already (thank god I can have all the dairy in the world). At first I could not even fathom not eating wheat products. I also cannot have chicken, which I really liked and I am supposed to eat venison, rabbit, lamb and goat/goat cheese, which I really hate. Luckily turkey and beef are neutral and salmon is beneficial, which makes the meat section easier for me.

The findings so far have been astounding though. I have lost 6 lbs, my energy is higher than it has been in years, so are my moods! I feel "happy" and I am not constantly tired. I also don't have issues with indigestion like diarrhea, gas, and heartburn, which I have battled for over 20 years. Also, I do eat a lot, I just don't eat the stuff I am not supposed to eat and I am still dropping weight.

Of course, a lot of the findings here are common sense. We should all avoid fructose corn syrup, processed foods and junk food but there is something to be said about how I feel on this diet. I am honestly considering staying on this plan until I die and I am only 38 years old.

I am not concerned about lack of research. If I do something and it makes me feel great and seems to be beneficial on all levels, why would I need some scientist to validate it? I am also quite amazed at the overwhelming amount of 5 star reviews here! If this would be quackery, I would think the majority of people rating this book would have already discovered so.

I was really excited to buy this book because I had heard so much about it from friends and needless to say, I'm so glad I brought it for myself. It's very interesting and so so true. Now I know why I get certain reactions when I eat food that aren't right for my blood type. This book is a must have in my opinion.

If your goal is to read a book that will provide you with peer reviewed articles cited, scientific studies referred to, etc. before you try the diet then you should save your money because you will not find these things here. If all you do is read the book, and you want hard science, look elsewhere.

BUT, if you are willing to experiment with your diet based on anecdotal evidence only because you want to feel and look better than you have in years, buy this book.

In the past I have had trouble with weight and also a great deal of trouble with PMS. For years I have tried to find answers to the problem, but nothing ever did the trick. I would try to eat "healthy" foods, whole wheat homemade baked food, light meats like chicken, soy, lentil soups... things that I thought were good for me. What would happen is that I would feel so tired all the time and gain weight. Terrible! The times I gave up and ate red meat were the times I was my thinnest, but I never got rid of the PMS.

Recently my doctor said I should remove yeast from my diet entirely which meant a lot of foods had to be eliminated. Once again I did a lot of cooking - but because my diet was so restrictive I really noticed how certain foods made me feel. Anything with wheat in it made me feel just awful. I mentioned this to my doctor who then asked my blood type... and so I bought this book.

In two days I found my energy levels and mood to be enormously improved. In 4 days the rash I have always had on my upper arms went away and my arms are a smooth as a baby's behind! Overall, my skin is softer and just healthier looking. I sleep deeper and awaken feeling good. My mood is so stable, I am not irritated or blue half the time - I just feel GOOD. My concentration is better, I feel sharper. As to wieght loss, I feel like I am losing but it is only day 7.

Speaking of weight loss, many people speak about this as a diet book and talk about how much they have lost - but that isn't what this book is about. This is a lifestyle change, and I can tell you that if I can feel this good and yet remain my current weight I would still count myself as lucky. This type O will never miss wheat - or the other things I should not eat - and why would I? I do not remember the last time I felt this good. I don't pick up a hammer and start hitting my knee in spite of the pain, and I won't eat a bagel for the same reason.

Can't recommend this book enough - why not try it?

My husband was recently diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and our nurse encouraged us to get this book to help with understanding what were acceptable "choices". WOW! This book is terrific, it includes information on carbs (our eating method as of a 1 month ago) and has all sorts of restaurant information as well as common and not so common foods... Anyway, I recommend this book for anyone... It's reasonably priced, so I'd get one to put in your cars and in your office and home so you can always have one handy.

Great book to help you keep track of those calories. I live in Sacramento and recently joined Mama Bootcamp Body by Code and her program requires that we keep track of calories. Being the complete idiot that I am when it comes to calories, I quickly bought this book and it has helped a lot. There are a lot of items listed which is very helpful for people like myself who know nothing about calories :) I'm losing fat and feeling great thanks to Mama Bootcamp and my wonderful Calorie counting book. I love it!!!! Highly recommend!

This book gives all the info you need in a convenient carry size. Very easy to use.

I was just recently diagnosed as a borderline diabetic and I am trying to control it by food. This book is extremely helpful. I take it everywhere I go. My food BIBLE!!!

I needed something small to carry in my purse, and a friend had this. Very easy to use, and I'd recommend it to any friends who needed help counting calories. The price was right, also.

The author gives you 8 steps to health and happiness. Easy read and identifiable with the Law of Attraction we all know as The Secret. The best book on achieving happiness and all you want for me is Living The Secret Everyday: My Secret Workbook because it all makes sense, shows you how and also like this book takes you each step of the way.

Thought a bit preachy about vegeterarinism. Felt author spend too many chapters on trying to convince the benefits of vegeterian diets. Also recommended people have occasional colonics. A treatment that has been researched and have been not found to release toxins and well as cleaning the colon to prevent diseases. And as a nurse can say that colonics can be harmful and dangerous. This author has no medical background to recommend fasting or any type of so called body detoxification.

This is certainly an important subject; and I applaud people who address the issues adressed in this book; however, Quantum Wellness does not do a good job of explaining the material. The author makes statements; but does not document her findings. This is not a reference book by any means; more a description of her own journey.

I wanted to respond to those reviewrs who have criticized vegan diets and think they are unhealthy. Here is a recent statement made by Dr. McDougall who has supported a plant based diet for years.

Plants--the Original Sources of Protein and Amino Acids

Proteins are made from chains of 20 different amino acids that connect together in varying sequences--similar to how all the words in a dictionary are made from the same 26 letters. Plants (and microorganisms) can synthesize all of the individual amino acids that are used to build proteins, but animals cannot. There are 8 amino acids that people cannot make and thus, these must be obtained from our diets--they are referred to as "essential."

After we eat our foods, stomach acids and intestinal enzymes digest the proteins into individual amino acids. These components are then absorbed through the intestinal walls into the bloodstream. After entering the body's cells, these amino acids are reassembled into proteins. Proteins function as structural materials which build the scaffoldings that maintain cell shapes, enzymes which catalyze biochemical reactions, and hormones which signal messages between cells--to name only a few of their vital roles.

Since plants are made up of structurally sound cells with enzymes and hormones, they are by nature rich sources of proteins. In fact, so rich are plants that they can meet the protein needs of the earth's largest animals: elephants, hippopotamuses, giraffes, and cows. You would be correct to deduce that the protein needs of relatively small humans can easily be met by plants.

In regards to buying your meat from farms and ranches that treat animals humanely do so if you can, but realize that most meat is coming from large operations. The Union of Concerned Scientists released a report on how "the U.S. livestock industry has been undergoing a drastic change over the past several decade. Huge CAFO's (confined animal feeding operations) have become the predominant method of raising livestock, and the crowded conditions in these facilities have increased water and air pollution and other types of harm to public health and rural communities.

"A groundbreaking 2006 United Nations report found that raising animals for food generates more greenhouse gases than all the cars and trucks in the world combined. Luckily, we can help fix this problem by changing our diet. According to a 2006 study done by researchers at the University of Chicago, most Americans can reduce more greenhouse gas emissions by becoming a vegan than they can by switching to a hybrid electric car. They found that eating a vegan diet prevents the equivalent of 1.5 tons of CO2 emissions every year, more than the 1 ton of CO2 emissions prevented by switching from a typical large sedan to a Toyota Prius."

If you can stomach to really see how the meat on your table is handled while it is still living visit this site: http://www.chooseveg.com/animal-cruelty.asp

How about this fact: Cows have a natural lifespan of about 25 years and can produce milk for eight or nine years, but the stress caused by factory farm conditions leads to disease, lameness, and reproductive problems that render cows worthless to the dairy industry by the time they are four or five years old, at which time they are sent to the slaughterhouse. Cows would naturally make only enough milk to meet the needs of their calves (around 16 pounds a day), genetic manipulation, antibiotics, and hormones are used to force each cow to produce more than 18,000 pounds of milk a year (an average of 50 pounds a day). "

Few consumers realize that veal is a direct by-product of the dairy industry. In order for dairy cows to produce milk, they must be impregnated. While female calves are slaughtered or added to the dairy herd, many male calves are taken from their mothers when they are as young as one day old and chained in tiny stalls to be raised for veal. The confinement is so extreme that they cannot even turn around or lie down comfortably. As author John Robbins notes, "The veal calf would actually have more space if, instead of chaining him in such a stall, you stuffed him into the trunk of a subcompact car and kept him there for his entire life."

Choosing to go vegetarian wasn't that difficult for me. Choosing to go vegan was a lot harder. It isn't convenient but I do believe I eat a better and healthier diet than before. These two quotes along with the video I linked to above really helped push me over the edge in making a change in my diet.

?Choosing to go vegetarian is simply a matter of living according to the values so many of us hold dear, such as being fair and kind to others. Most people would never dream of cramming up to 11 egg-laying hens into a file drawer-sized cage, ripping the testicles out of a screaming baby piglet, or cutting the throat of a cow as she stares back at you with her big brown eyes. How then, as compassionate individuals, can we justify paying others to carry out these atrocities on our behalf?"

"The average vegetarian saves the lives of approximately 95 animals each year. That adds up to thousands during a lifetime. Every time we eat, we are making a powerful choice that has profound consequences on the lives of animals. At each meal, we make a decision between supporting cruelty or living compassionately."

Lastly my husband and I have a wonderful collection of vegan cookbooks. There are a lot of resources that make such a diet very practical.

Add my name to the list. I am now a fan of Kathy Freston and enthusiastically endorse Quantum Wellness: A Practical and Spiritual Guide to Health and Happiness ... a definitive, instructive, and intriguing book on ways each of us on can protect the environment, improve our state of health, and sense of purpose. Her methodology makes it easy for people like me who have difficulty changing bad habits. Lao Tzu, Father of Taoism, once said: "The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step". To me, his philosophy is the essence of this delightful book. The author asks the reader to take small steps while changing bad habits into good ... and then increase the level of difficulty while developing confidence and improving skill levels.

She calls it Quantum Wellness. I call it, a marvelous way to make a difference in the world. She shows the cause and effect we have with plants, the environment, and especially animals. After researching the severe and harsh conditions in which animals are housed, fed, and killed ... I am having a difficult time eating my top sirloin, nowadays. If we are what we eat, I need to eat something else! (The book provides viable alternatives.)

Readers should note the author focuses not on just one aspect of improving one's lifestyle; she gives salient advice on taking care of your spirit, mind, and body (multi-dimensional experience). I have a friend who smokes, drinks alcohol, and is morbidly obese. I asked why she engaged in destructive behavior. She answered: "Because it makes me feel good at the time". The problem with her reasoning is she feels good for a few minutes, only to feel badly for a lifetime. I purchased an extra copy of the book for her. It is a perfect reference source for anyone with low self esteem. All steps in the book will require some sacrifice. However, if you are willing to inconvenience yourself for a few minutes (i.e., exercise thirty minutes daily) I believe you will reap the benefits of Quantum Wellness for a Lifetime. Reviewed by Reginald V. Johnson, Upper Saddle River, NJ

This book is simple, practical and contains great ideas, but I personally don't like the constant need for the "make-ahead recipes" (mostly purees and juices). If you have the time and freezer space to prepare and store 13 varieties of prepared half-meals, fabulous! But if you are looking for recipes that ask for ingredients you always have in your pantry or fridge, this book is not for you.

This cookbook is for those who want to eat healthier and still eat the classic/standard American diet. Though it takes a little planning ahead and thinking about the details these are fairly easy steps toward better eating. Lapine includes helps for store bought items that make it easy to improve standard meals. All the purees can be made ahead and frozen for later use. Most if not all the recipes have more than one healthy addition or change. I love the Brainy Brownies and the Triple Stuffed Potatoes. My family raved about them, too. (I didn't hide the ingredients as much as play a guessing game with them after they ate them, of course.) I plan to prepare more recipes and continue to make the ones we've already claimed as ours.

I did spend some time with Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious and like The Sneaky Chef better because of the multiple changes per recipe. I didn't care for the font choice in The Sneaky Chef, though. The ingredients are printed in orange and black. The orange amounts were challenging to read.

basically, Missy tells us how we can puree fruits and vegetables that are high in fiber, vitamins and antioxidants and add them to basic recipes so that they're undetectable. the purees are a little time-consuming to prepare, but once you have a stockpile of them, you can use them in virtually everything. (i freeze mine in ice cube trays, then store them in airtight freezer containers - usually 3 large cubes are enough for a recipe).

once you learn how much, or how little puree you can get away with, the possibilities are endless. the best part is if you're dieting, this is a great way to get extra nutrition (and fiber) without adding a lot of calories. i've even come up with my own veggie/fruit combos to puree.

my one concern was how the processing and cooking affects the nutrients of the veggies, so i did some research....and for most veggies, as long as you keep them under a certain temp (like maybe adding them towards the end of the cooking), the nutrients remain....some, like tomatoes and carrots actually need a little heat to break down the cell walls and make the nutrients digestible.

Missy has put some great info in the book and my favorite part about it is that it's really inspired my creativity in my everyday cooking. whenever i pick up any recipe now, i instantly think about which puree i can sneak into it, or how i can enhance the nutritional value in some other way. i no longer feel guilty when i have to resort to one of those frozen skillet meals or jarred pasta sauce; i just add some frozen veggies (fortunately, we like to eat them whole, too) and drizzle a little olive oil on top at the end ;-)

This book is terrific. My two children refuse to eat vegetables and one refuses to eat fruit. I've used many of the recipes to hide nutritious food and the kids are loving it, and have no idea what they are really eating! Like many parents, I was sick of the food fight. Now we're all happy at the dinner table.

I've long looked for a cookbook that took favorite dishes and made them more nutritious. My children eat nearly any vegetable I put before them -- but what they really love are foods like macaroni & cheese, buttered noodles, white bread, mashed potatoes, etc. This cookbook has completely changed the way I cook. When I made the chicken nuggets (which had an unbelievable amount of pureed vegetables hidden underneath the whole-grain breading), my husband & children said, and this is a direct quote, "These are the best chicken nuggets you've ever cooked!" I am now adding vegetables purees to everything -- beef stew, chicken noodle soup, tacos, spaghetti, buttered noodles, mashed potatoes .... I think that every mother in America ought to read this cookbook just to rethink ways to cook favorite recipes. Even the way I make popsicles has changed.

I would like to note that I also bought a copy of "Deceptively Delicious," which had a cute cover that caught my eye at Target. If you are trying to pick between the two, I have this advice. If you are a visual person, you will might be inspired by the D.D. book, for it had a very talented graphic artist design the book. It is adorable as much as a cookbook can be. But if you want the best content, by far the Sneaky Chef is superior. The recipes are better, the quality of the content overall far better, and the author has real-world experience in nutrition and cooking and food writing. If you take the time to read both books thoroughly, and then to test a few recipes from each, you will see exactly what I mean.

This is the best health/nutrition/cookbook I have ever owned. I am so glad that I found out about it. It reveals many health issues of which I was unaware. From what oils should and should not be heated to the dangers of cooking with aluminum cookware. This is a must read for all who value their health and longevity. The little anecdotes at the sides of the page are extremely enlightening also. DEFINITELY worth the money [in fact worth more...but don't raise the price;)]

This is an excellent book, and one that has opened my eyes to so many possibilities concerning how to eat well, particularly as I get older. As well as recipes, there are explanations about cholesterol, heart disease, cancer, and other helpful, intelligent explanations for why Americans have so many illnesses, compared to other peoples. I would recommend it to anyone who cares about well-being and eating nutritious meals that are not expensive. It takes a change of mind set to cook according to many of the recipes, but is well worth it.

Nourishing Traditions is an exciting book for me as it makes sense of healthy eating and shows up all those fad upon fad books. She is keen on what kept many many old and ancient civilisations healthy and it seems that natural fermentation and natural ways of keeping foods from going off also promote good digestion. I can't explain it as well as she so I wont. I was converted from the moment I read her. It was easy for me to get absorbed and remember what she said, so I am happy about that too... many health books go way over my head. The recipes I've tried are good and the general advice is helpful. I love the book... it's my food and health bible now.

I have to admit I was shocked by this book. But when you read it, it just starts to make sense. Too much sense really. This book is the exact opposite of everything we are told about healthly nutrition! Drink raw whole milk for example. But when she tells you why she feels this way, you think there must be something to this. It just makes too much sense. We put out a raw milk petition to make it leagal in our state. You don't know how many people we had tell us that they used to drink it as a kid & it never hurt them or their parents/grandparents did. How their cholesterol was just fine & dandy.
She also speaks of preparing our foods in ways that make them more digestable. Fermentation is a big one. We tried some recipes. Most of them have been really tasty! They do take more time, I should say prep. then you may be used to. If you stick to it, it will become habit. Like, "I want to make bean blah blitty blah for dinner tomorrow. I had better soak the beans tonight."
We have become so far removed from our food. Where it comes from & how it is grown. To truly enjoy food, we need to prepare it ourselves. Nourish our selves rather than being feed. There's a difference. You can feel it. Slow food nation...Slim nation.

This book just makes sense! It contains time-honored traditions for the health of you and your loved ones. Toss aside what the media is telling you; follow your natural, God-given instincts about nutrition and get this book!

I looked at this book for research purposes, not really interested in going on a diet right now... my general impression: The diet itself can be basically summarized in a page or two (it's practically on the back cover), so, really, you might think about borrowing the book versus buying for diet purposes, and writing the three phase plan down. The science behind the plan is, as most of dietetics, under question and debate, although there does seem to be a consensus that the American addiction to simple carbohydrates is a health problem. What is more interesting about the book is that a large chunk of it is devoted to recipes based on the phase of diet, a few which I have tried and seem to be worthwhile. Other people must also think so, as there have been spinoff south beach diet cookbooks that have also been successful (haven't tried them yet). So, one might consider purchase for that reason.

Dont waste money on this or any diet book.
Just get online and use a free calorie calculator, determine how many calories you can eat and loose weight, dont exceed that and step up excercise.
You dont need a book, just control how much you eat!!!!!

Finally, a member of the medical profession who has an inkling of human nature, a connection to something besides mere medical reality! I'm normally highly skeptical of such books and almost any medically recommended diet I've ever heard, seen, or smelt. This one is so firmly wedded to practical, everyday concerns and human nature that it simply blew me away. There is no fear peddling, no lecturing--just straightforward, easy to read and understand explanations. Above all, the diet is practical. Its only shortcomings are the considerations of time and expense, especially the latter. This is not so much a failing of the diet or the book, but rather that the agribiz megacorporations have decided that healthy food should be expensive, and food that is bad for you should be cheap. But I can guarantee one thing: you will be astonished at what food is healthy! This diet isn't hard--its tasty and fun!

Even if you aren't particularly overweight, this book is worth reading and serious consideration.

My wife and I have been on this diet for nearly 8 weeks now. In that time I have gone from 242 pounds to 208. I have been very good at following this diet with one small exception while eating out. My wife has had less success, but she is close to her target weight and had much less to lose than I did.

I believe the author does a good job describing the diet, the logic and science behind it and how the diet has evolved. It is interesting that weight loss for the patients on this diet was a bit of a happy side effect. The primary intention was to get patient's blood sugar and cholesterol levels in control. With diabetes in my family, as well as my wife's, this got our attention. We didn't realize what we were doing to ourselves with our earlier eating habits.

By itself, this book is only a start. I found it necessary to do more reading and looking at other cookbooks (including SBD cookbooks) to increase the variety. However, everything needed for the first few weeks is included. The knowledge gained by reading this book is enough to make healthy choices at the grocery and in restaurants.

As others have stated, this is not a "diet" as much as a lifestyle change. I have found that our food bill has increased somewhat, especially at first. We tried many new recipes and they often had ingredients that weren't in our pantry. This is not a complaint! We have discovered some wonderful new meals as a result of having our horizons opened. Some of those meals are in this book.

For your convenience, there is a Phase 1 diet plan already designed for you. The meal plan includes all the recipes for the meals and snacks. We tried this plan, but for two people it wasn't all that convenient. We spent a great deal of time preparing food - our evenings were consumed with cooking dinner, eating and preparing lunch and snacks for the next day. The included plan does a poor job for using leftovers and simplifying the food preparation. I believe this is due to the author attempting to provide more variety. After about a week, we abandoned the prepared plan and adopted our own version that fit our time budget. For this reason, I give this book 4 stars instead of 5.

For anyone heading down this weight loss path, I highly recommend a sugar substitute called Stevia. It is an extract of a plant that is very sweet and is sold in health food stores. Unlike the other chemical substitutes out there like Splenda, Nutrasweet and Saccharin, Stevia is a natural product that has been used for three decades in Japan with no reported side effects. The jury is still out on Splenda. There are different companies that produce Stevia extract, with different results. The best I have found so far is NuStevia No Carb blend. Good luck!

I really like this book. I found that by making just a few of the suggested changes, I lost 6 lbs within the first 2 weeks. For me, cutting the carbs is the right choice. I have not tried the "2 week crash" in the book. I don't know if I can completely give up the carbs I love. I have cut back on breads, pasta, etc. and now use "Splenda" for most things instead of sugar. It works. I feel better and have more energy. I'm also exercising a little more. South Beach works for me!

This book is filled with delicious recipes for Vegans. It was very helpful when I decided to go Vegan and was short on recipes to make my favorite foods.

This book is too "radically vegan" for my taste. And speaking of "taste", nothing in this book has any. What the heck is "vegan bacon", anyway? Why bother? I guess it's easy to be a skinny bitch if you never eat anything that tastes good. It would explain the "skinny" and also the "bitch"...
Now I understand. Thanks, but I'd rather not be either.

This book is full of non-facts, psudeo-science and outright lies. It's is just another fad diet book, where just like any other of these bad advice books- you can lose a few pounds then gain it all back.

It has a hidden vegan agenda- nothing wrong with being vegan mind you, but why not be honest about it?

Advices goes from the "of course, heard it a thousand times" to completely wacky.

Most of the recipes are about as nutritionally balanced and tasty as eating the book itself.

And, to top it off there's a undercurrent and subtext of hateful anger in this series of books.

The first book that was written was very informational and started me on a kick to truly look at ingredients and find out what is in my food. This book however is not necessarily realistic in adding these recipes to your diet. A lot of the recipes call for coconut oil and have fake cheeses and meat that you could use. Soy is a big ingredient in a lot of the fake foods. Research done on soy shows that too much consumption can have a negative effect on your diet, especially if you have hypothyrodism or other ailments. There is research that goes both ways but too much of a good thing isn't always good. I guess you need to do research what you eat and find if it truly is good for you. I don't condone it, I just don't eat a lot of it. I do have this book and haven't really made much out of it. I am not in to eating fake food and would rather eat and buy things that are natural... so if you like that route too... I don't recommend it. If you are in to fake foods and coconut oil... go for it.

Does lasagna, potatoes au gratin, or a brownie sound good? I thought so!

This cookbook has includes a wide range of foods that are fantastic every-day choices. Another plus is that most of the ingredients are repetitive so you can stock your pantry and have some pretty versitile menu options.

Below are the sections:
Breakfasts
PMS Snacks
Appetizers
Soups & Stews
Salads
Sandwiches
International
Italian
Down Home Cookin'
Staple Meals
Dressings, Sauces & Substitutes
Happy Endings (Desserts)

A particularly helpful part of this book is the glossary which defines/describes most of the foods/ingredients that would not be commonly known.

This book has less raunchy language than the other Skinny Bitch book and I think they got it right with this one.

Highly recommend!

I enjoyed reading this book very much and am thankful it was given to me. I have had similar views about food and my own diet so I was immediately attracted to it.

Among other things I have taken away from the book is the idea that eating wholesome food is not about learning to grit my teeth and tolerate bad tasting things like vegetables and whole grains while heroically sacrificing the "delicious" fast foods and junk foods. It is about learning the truth that wholesome foods are actually the ones that taste good.

I especially liked that I felt convicted and inspired to change my eating habits. I have read some criticism that she says the same things over and over and does not provide more in depth knowledge, but for my part I don't think all the knowledge in the world will help me eat better. It is a matter of doing it, and of having the motivation to change, and I found the book encouraging and inspiring me to do so. I hope Tosca and others like her do say the same things, over and over and over again.

I dont do diets. I think most are fads and generally restrictive and unhealthy. I've been an athelete my whole life, but horrible with food. I've never considered myself quite over-weight, but I've always felt that I could stand to lose a few lbs. I read about Tosca in Oxygen magazine and was intrigued by this whole Clean Eating thing. I realize that most of it is a no-brainer in terms of what is healthy and what is not - but for me, my lifestyle is what made my habits so unhealthy. I work in NYC - the home of the Mocha Latte and ordering out for lunch. I was in the gym 5 days a week working out hard, but not seeing the result I feel I should have. On top of that I was tired alot. I bought this book and decided to give it a shot.
It's hard at first, changing everything about my daily habits - the food I buy at the grocer - forcing myself to NOT order out everyday - skipping the Venti Mocha Latte - making myself actually COOK meals!!
It's been almost 6 weeks now- and it is mostly become HABIT - I have come to enjoy grocery shopping and cooking at night - it's part of my routine. My backpack filled with the days food (I leave home at 7am and am gone till 6pm so I need to bring alot with me) makes me feel like I'm working out as I climb the stairs from Penn Station and walk the 6 blocks to my office. I've lost almost 12 lbs, my clothes fit better, my skin is clearer, my hair looks healthier and I am getting leaner all the time. All of my friends have taken notice and told me how great I look! I even quit smoking (my last vice)!!
I realize that all food plans do not work for all people - you have to be motivated, and have patience and the willingness to change your thinking.
If I had one negative thing to say about this book, its the title - this is NOT a Diet - it is a LifeStyle Change - and completely worth it!!

I have done weight watchers for years and yo-yoed, now that I'm eating clean, I'm not craving food like I was. I love how Tosca teaches and how informative she is.I feel like I'm treating my body the way I'm supposed to.

I started my road down eating clean by accident but a very lucky accident indeed!

I left the doctor's office and had gained a good deal more weight than I thought I had. He didn't say I should lose weight. As a weight lifter and someone who works out, I tend to not show extra weight like some. But that doesn't mean I shouldn't lose weight.

So on my way home, I stopped at my favorite grocery store and bought a book put out by "Men's Fitness" magazine. I stocked up on the foods it recommended (some I had never eaten before) and in one month I had lost close to ten pounds and felt great. Oh, did I mention I was never hungry? (In all fairness, I must tell you I log my calories and don't go over what I should eat.) It was a book on clean eating.

So I bought this book, "The Eat-Clean Diet" and read it all. I had already read most of the material in the previous book. But this book suggests sea salt. The first book I read recommends no salt for the most part. Of course, bodybuilders don't like salt as it tends to bloat you. I don't like much either so I still use very little but do use sea salt from time to time. With the right spices, you don't need salt.

At any rate, I found the recipes much harder to prepare and shop for than the previous book. I'm sure they're wonderful. But, I'm not a cook. So too many ingredients confuses me. The kitchen is not my favorite room.

There are not many recipes in the book. But this is not a cookbook. It basically explains the eating plan. And it's a wonderful plan! You can eat just about everything and create so many exciting dishes out of such items as plain yogurt and fat free sour cream and other things.

I recommend both the eat clean diet and this book.

- Susanna K. Hutcheson

Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Diet is perfect for the person who can afford expensive, organic food, expensive fish and expensive meat, or for the person who wishes for their nutrition to be the focal point of their life. It's perfect for the bodybuilder or fitness competitor, because that is what these people do for a living: they sculpt their bodies to earn a living.

However, for the average person, this book can be summed up by this: No Processed Foods, No Salad Dressing, No Soda (diet or otherwise), Nothing to Drink but Water or Tea, No Salt, No Butter, No Sauces...Basically, Nothing That Makes Food Taste Good. Oh, and NO Cream in Coffee Either. Choke it down BLACK. And no Alcohol If You Can Help It. Yeah. Okay.

I honestly did this diet/lifestyle overhaul for about a month before realizing that this is no way to live. Let's face it; who wants to eat salad with no dressing, who wants to deny the occasional burger and fries? Tosca does have some good points; drink lots of water, eat lots of fruit and veggies, and because of this book I kicked my diet-soda habit and stated taking flaxseed, a ridiculously healthy supplement. But jeez; Tosca, on the rare occasion I go out to eat, I don't want to order a plain slab of chicken breast and plain steamed veggies with no sauce, butter or salt of any kind and then not even consider dessert. I'm going to order what I want, eat it slowly and savor every bite and stop when I'm full. My god, what fun is life if you have to plan each and every meal, pack a cooler everyday, and never eat another doughnut? Trust me; this diet is way too restrictive and frankly unrealistic. Her recipes are complicated and expensive: Parchment Baked Chicken? Quinoa? Can you even find these in the supermarket? And how much are they? I tell you, my grocery bills went up tenfold when I was eating this way. And let me tell you, LIFE kept getting in the way. I'm a college student. I go out for drinks with friends once a week or so, I go to ball games and savor a hot dog and a beer, and I love ketchup on my eggs.

You'd be better off listening to Paul McKenna, he of the "I Can Make You Thin" plan. For god's sake, eat when you are hungry (for me, it's when my tummy gets rumbly) and eat what you WANT whether that's a salad, pasta or a sandwich. Eat SLOWLY and consciously, stopping every few bites to check for saiety. If you think you can stop eating, then do so. Trust me; when you know that no foods are off limits, you'll feel no urger to binge on them and you'll feel no deprivation. I've been eating this way for barely a week, and my clothing is already looser and I'm happier than I ever was on Tosca's diet. Trust me; you don't need to be this strict to lose weight. Just watch portions, exercise, and stop eating when you're full. That's all there is to it.