Diet Health Books

This is an excellent book for health, weight loss and potentially a plethora of physical ailments. I know people who have cured everything from migraines to IBS following this plan. The information is solid, reliably cited and the recipes...to die for. I especially like the zucchini hummus, tastes just like the authentic middle eastern version, minus the gas! If you want to feel better, look better and eat delicious food while getting there, get this book. It's worth it.

I am surprised that this book has not already been reviewed. It unlike anything on raw food. It gives details of the diet from Cherie who walks the walk. When reading this book I became amazed. I saw Cherie at a booth during a Vegetarian Event last year. I thought she was around my age. In reading the book she is old enough to be my mother. That is an endorsement for this book. She must be in her mid 60's.

Of the recipes I have tried the cashew yogurt worked and tasted good. The zucchini hummus will be made again this week. I have shared the mexican-style seasoned cabbage with people at worked and everyone loves it.

The two other authors Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina give a thoughtful and scientific basis for raw food. Becoming Vegan by these authors is a wonderful book that any vegan should have.

This cookbook is worth buying even if you are not on the Alli Program. The recipes are healthy as well as tasty. All of the recipes are reduced fat. Glad I bought it!

I bought this book when I purchased my starter kit - and the book is going back. While the recipies look very tasty, I was not at all impressed by the fact that the only nutritional information is for "The Complete Meal" and not for the recipie by itself. For instance, they will give you a recipie for a granola, but then there is a section for "complete the meal" which adds 1/3 cup of 2% milk. The nutrition information was given for a serving of the granola with the milk.

While the granola looked delicious, I drink skim, and I really don't want to figure out the difference in calories/fat between skim and 2% milk. Same goes for trying to figure out the difference in calories between a grain (ie brown rice) that I have in my pantry and orzo, which I don't keep stocked, and I'm not even sure if its in my grocery store.

I like freedom and flexibilty when cooking/eating, and while the recipies looked great, I don't find it to be at all useful for the way I cook and build meals, which is mixing and matching things I have on hand, and using leftovers.

I have plenty of cookbooks that provide detailed nutriont information for each recipie, I will use thoes and return this.

I was very surprised to see the other review for this book, but then I saw the line about the person NOT owning it. I preordered this book, and like the other reviewer, felt that the recipes would be the same...however, I forgot to cancel the preorder, so lo and behold, it arrived at my house in mid-December. This has become my FAVORITE diet cookbook! Unlike the South Beach Diet cookbooks, which contained laundry lists of ingredients and yielded usually unflavorful dishes, the Alli Cookbook contains (1) many, many more recipes than are found in the main book--250 pages of recipe text alone, (2) food for a large variety of tastes including vegetarian, (3) carefully thought out and easy to prepare dishes, (4) creative and interestingly seasoned dishes, and (5) dishes you would never think you would find in a diet cookbook. I am somewhat of a picky eater when it comes to "healthy foods" and I was still able to find dozens of recipes to suit my tastes. The bottom line is that this cookbook has helped me succeed on the Alli plan by adding needed variety and easy-to-cook dishes to my meal plan -- so much so, that even when I get busy and forget to take the pills for several days, I still lose weight and almost never feel deprived. I don't think I would be at the point in the diet with the recipes in the Alli Diet Plan book alone, and I credit this cookbook. (Since starting the diet in mid-November, I've lost 15 pounds, even with some cheating around the holidays, and I'm within 10 pounds of my overall goal.) If you want to enhance your chance for success on the Alli plan and want to enjoy some really flavorful dishes, you need to add this book to your Alli toolkit!

Works perfectly with the Alli plan. Very good ideas and great tips. I would recommend this to anyone wanting to lose weight the right way with the help of Alli.

I don't own this book...BUT I do own the "Alli Diet Plan" book. The recipes on the sample pages of the cookbook are exactly the SAME as the ones in the diet plan book (except for the page numbers, of course). The only difference appears to be that you can tear-out the restaurant guide.

This book was more informative than I could of ever imagined. I changed the way I ate before ever finishing the second chapter.
Great book with very important facts especially if you are diabetic or could be.

I first heard an interview with the author of this book on the radio. I was very interested in the subject, as I have been trying to lose weight for some time with limited success. When I read the book, it really made me think twice about everything I was eating. I took the plunge and eliminated 90% of all sugar and refined foods. In 3 months, I have dropped 20 lbs and feel great. In addition, our grocery bills have actually gone down! I have since bought three more copies for family members.

Even though I gave "Sugar Shock" three stars, I want to say up front that I DO like it; it has made clear to me how sugar has messed my life up and I have been in so much denial about my reliance on it. I really am like an alcoholic or crack addict! I have not yet stopped eating sugar - it's scary to think about trying to do it again and failing again, but I am feeling more concern for my health and damn it, I want to live a real life that's not clouded by the stuff.

The reason I gave this book three stars is because of the author's presentation; she frequently reads like an ad, not a book. She'll say things like, "...John showed classic signs of sugar addiction, which I outline on my website and blog site www...." It's so infomercial-y. I tried to overlook this but it kept coming up through the book. Although this doesn't dilute her message, the constant referral to her web site and commercial references like that make her sound like she's more interested in marketing her company and herself than she is in her message. In other words, she can be annoying.

Also, I felt she spent too much time on how sugar is ruining our lives - but little space on how to practically eliminate it. She offers a list of seven tips on getting sugar out of your life but if I am a sugar addict, I need more than that.

I would have liked to have learned more about her own experience than just about when her dr told her to drop sugar and she did and it changed her life. I would like to have heard about if she had sugar withdrawals so strong she thought she would scream or if she ever experiences cravings now. She doesn't really talk about herself much apart from that initial "burning bush"-like moment at her dr's office -- which doesn't inspire me much. I've had those moments, too, and make a great start but then fail.

I do believe her when she says it changed her life but for most addicts of any kind (note I said, "most") it's not just "I decided to stop and I did and my life is SO much better!" That's the issue with addicts: we all WANT to stop but it's hard to do it, so we feel trapped. HOW do we get out?

On another note, I was surprised to see an endorsement on the book and a review here from Jimmy "Livin' La Vida Low Carb" only because on his web site he seems really into artificial sweeteners (which I am, too) but the author of this book does not recommend them at all. Whatever!

The authors of "Sugar Shock" make a convincing case to significantly cut down, if not completely eliminate, sugar from our diets. I'm going to try it for sure.

I read this book 5 months ago in the hopes of learning more about refined sugar and it's adverse affects on the body. I ended up not only learning that, but losing 22 pounds.
Sugar Shock is well-written, fast-paced and full of useful information about uncovering why we feel like crap when we eat overly-processed, starchy and/or sugary crap. What I thought was a healthy diet (juice, bagels with fat-free butter, frozen yogurt, bread, etc) was really just making me cranky and overweight.
I owe Connie everything for writing this book. Once you understand the how sugar affects you, it is much easier to make positive changes that will stick for life.

I stumbled upon this book a few months ago when I was doing research on no sugar diets. It documents the story of Connie Bennett, a certified holistic health counselor and the author, who is hypoglycemic. Bennett explores the addictive nature of sugar and the effects it can have on your health. The book is co-authored with Dr. Stephen Sinatra, M.D.

Before Bennett was diagnosed with "reactive hypoglycemia," or low blood sugar, she suffered from seemingly unrelated symptoms outlined in the first chapter of Sugar Shock! The symptoms ranged from mood swings and drowsiness to fainting and nightmares. Her hypoglycemia was finally remedied by simply by eliminating sugars and refined carbohydrates from her diet.

She provides the readers with a "sugar free" shopping list. Products available in just about any grocery store that are absolutely sugar free. She defines the confusing terms used in product labeling such as: reduced sugar, no sugar added, sugar free and clarifies the difference in their meanings.

She also lists sugars and sweeteners to watch for that are "hidden" on food labels and the other names for them such as high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, and concentrated fruit juice, and concludes that they should be strictly limited or for some people (those who think they might be suffering from Sugar Shock!, eliminated altogether.)

I found this book to be highly informative (especially the sugar free shopping list). Though I enjoy wine occasionally, I have cut virtually all sugar from my diet and have seen major changes for the better.

I did not find this book to have any "solutions." It was simply the usual self-help book which never goes to the root of any problem.

Roth has created a wonderful, insightful compilation of exercises which, when combined with a lot of hard work on your part, can change your life. She will change your feelings about yourself and about why you eat. The exercises take a long time to get through because they are so emotionally demanding, but it is a worthwhile process. If you are ready to take a hard look at what really motivates you to open your cupboard, and examine those dark feelings you hide even from yourself, buy this book.

I love this book. I'm actually still doing the exercises in the book. I believe there are almost 90 exercises. Geneen requires you dig deep. The first few days of doing the work, I was a mess. I have used food to not deal with my emotions for so many years, that it actually brought me back to my emotional self as a teenager. My first diet started when I was 15 at 102 pounds! I had went over that 100 pound mark then, started my first diet, and never dealt with my emotions after that unless it involved food. I'm almost 40 years old now and thought this vicious cycle would never end. The more I dieted and deprived myself, the more I weighed in the end.

My mom told me about Geneen Roth when I was in my early twenties and she stopped dieting then and never struggled with food since, but I couldn't give up that the next diet would be the miracle that I needed! I was at most lowest point recently and read another book of Geneen's 'When Food Is Love.' I was hooked! That book was a great read, but this allows you to do the work.

I've finally given up the word 'diet' in my vocabulary, in my life.

This book is not what I expected. It's more of a "workbook" instead of a book to read. I was thoroughly disappointed.

Having struggled with an eating disorder for the past 10 years of my life, I was certain that I would never have a healthy relationship with food again. But, then a good friend gave me Geneen's book, and I have not looked back since on those doubtful thoughts. This is a truely incredible program that, when followed and supplemented with Geneen's books "When Food Is Love" and "Feeding the Hungry Heart", can and will take the word "diet" out of your vocabularly forever. I have never felt better about myself and have never actually lost weight while still eating anything I wanted.

Have not made all the recipes but looks easy enough until I read the recommended key ingredient was a sugar substitute that I had to order on line, (xylitol). Brown rice syrup is also hard to find that was in a lot of ingredients.

This is a good book for anyone with diabetes or just wanting to take care of themselves. I rated it 4 stars because some of the ingredients are not easy to obtain but overall it is good.

I purchased this book because I felt that my diabetes was starting to control me instead of me controlling it. The recipes are easy and delicious too. I strongly suggest this book to anyone who wants to eat healthier.

Reversing Diabetes: Reduce or Even Eliminate Your Dependence on Insulin or Oral DrugsThank you for the book. Was very satisfactory. I will order again.

I'm not much of a cook. Routinely, I'd just grab and go in order to keep up with my fast paced lifestyle. But since the doctor diagnosed me with Type 2, I realized that I had to make some changes. Part of my new lease on life included eating healthier. Reversing Diabetes Cookbook: More Than 200 Delicious, Healthy Recipes is heaven sent. The recipes are easy to follow and the meals I've made so far are OUTSTANDING. In fact, what prompted me to write this review is the grilled terriyaki salmon I just prepared. Magnificent. I just had to share my findings with others.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to transition to a healthier way of life. Consequently, I've lost 15lbs.

This is an absolute must for anyone who needs a quick, yet thorough guide to the many ways gluten-free living affects your life and the lives of those around you. The recipes in it are great, the helpful tips are priceless, and Lowell's sense of humor and understanding is really refreshing. I bought a copy for my grandmother, who at almost 80, has finally acknowledged the extent of how gluten has affected her. I have recommended it to co-workers who are gluten intolerant, and to folks I've encountered who have family members who are celiacs, and need help understanding how to deal with it. Also a huge help in understanding how to take control of your treatment and get the best care possible from your doctors!

This was a gift to my daughter who has been diagnosed with celiac disease.
She says it is a wonderful resource.

This book really helped me when I was new to Celiac Disease. It has a lot of useful info.

On the whole, this is a decent book. There is some very practical advice for dealing with celiac disease in a world where most people have never heard of such thing. Some very tasty recipes are listed. But the medical inaccuracies made me wonder how thoroughly the author researched her information before publishing it as a "bible" for all to take as the gospel truth.

Also, I found her attitude to be a bit testy in some parts. For example, the author says that if you're eating at the house of a friend or family member and they forget to make gluten free accommodations for you that it's no accident. And then she goes on to give several sharp tongued comebacks that you might want to try. I really don't feel as though when people forget to make a dish without wheat that it was malicious, and they truly did just forget. This was not the only instance. There were several other parts of this book where I noticed a defensive attitude, as well demanding. Don't get me wrong, I have definitely had to learn to stand up for myself when asking what ingredients are in a dish in restaurants and other situations. But maybe showing a little grace and less attitude would make situations work out better?

The many ideas given (eat the inside of sandwiches, eat the top off of canapes, avoid the crust) can give a true celiac serious consequences. Sometimes, a person can eat gluten with no obvious side effects but do great "silent damage" to one's intestines. There are complications to celiac disease such as refractory sprue and collagenous sprue. I have these complications due to not being strict enough when following the gluten free diet.

Central Message:
Eat only a potato 3 hours after a protein-included dinner and you'll
have sufficient serotonin for the night and next day.

Disagreement: Only for the night.

It's spooky how on-point this book is for people who are sugar-senseitive. Since reading the book, I'm eating more potatoes. :) I'm also eliminating the refined white flour products. However the hard part is giving up sugar and caffeine. This is like giving up breathing and walking. It's a heck of a challenge and I'm hoping the book will get me to do it.

The author does a great job of explaining complex medical concepts simply, and giving a rational basis for her recommendations. Her writing style is very clear and comprehensible.

The info is great, the book is great, but there's more info in the more recent books.

I wish I'd stumbled across this book years ago! I knew I had a problem with sugar that was unlike other people, but no one really believes in sugar addiction or sugar sensitivity, so I received no help, or even empathy, elsewhere. Some weight loss gurus suggest there is a link to "emotional eating," and urge people to get help with that, but that is an entirely different matter than having a skewed biochemistry. Overall, it was a relief to know what was wrong with me, and what I could do about it. I'm slowly working my way through this program and the results have been almost immediate. I have my life back again, and the depression, quick temper, unproductivity and overly emotional feelings that permeated my life for so long have all but evaporated. I have done a lot to "fix" myself in the past, and now I know why it wasn't working on this problem. Everything fell into place when I read this book. Anyone with this problem will know in the first five pages if this is right for them, and subsequently on every page thereafter. It is worth the small investment, and there is amazing support on the online community as well. At the heart of it all, it is obvious author Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D., clearly just wants to help anyone she can. This is another reason the book and program are so powerful.

There are some things that trouble me about this book, like push snacking to mealtime. Hum... and her idea of snacks is what sparks the whole sugar sensitivity process. I like Suzann Somers' book is better; she explains the carbs. This book just tells you to keep track of what you eat, when you eat and how you feel after eating whatever it is you eat. I think you should watch what you eat and you should know what you're eating. This book makes very few explanations about what each food is and how it helps your mind, except by saying eat protein and don't eat refined sugar.

I ordered this book with high hopes. I opened it this morning anxious to see what all the buzz is about vitamin D. On page 13, I find a subtitle "Vitamin D helps Alot." How can you possibly believe any writer or editor who thinks 'alot' is a word? All credibility is now destroyed. No matter what these two say, I will look upon it with suspicion. Please people, either learn to spell, learn what words are or get spell check. Or maybe get a decent copy editor? This is third grade stuff. I closed the book and am sorry I spent money on it.

I was just diagnosed with Vitamin D deficiency and my doctor prescribed 50000IU per week for six months. I was eager to learn more (and try almost anything) but the recommendations weigh so heavily on a carnivorous diet that they are of little use to me. Departing from a vegetarian lifestyle conflicts with my own personal values and ethics. Dr. Dowd offers no dietary alternatives or substitutions for those of us who choose this path.

If you are a vegetarian, you may want to keep looking. I will.

After reading this book, 3 months ago, I started Vitamin D supplementation at 4000 IU's per day. The information in the first-few chapters, alone, was compelling enough to persuade me to supplement with Vitamin D. In fact, I bought Vitamin D supplements before I even finished the 4th chapter. Normally, I am very skeptical of information pertaining to health and wellness; that is, I force myself to find several other sources and corroborate the facts before I finally commit to make suggested dietary changes. However, after reading only a few chapters detailing Dr. Dowd's personal story and the chronicles of his patients and their case histories - I realized I was Vitamin D deficient. I saw such a eerily similar comparison between the case histories in this book and what I was currently suffering from. I knew I was missing Vitamin D. I was completely convinced that I should start Vitamin D supplementation. I realize this review is not a review on Vitamin D supplementation, nor is it a chance for me to ramble on about me. I'm supposed to review this book and tell you whether or not I think it's a good read. And just so we're clear, the book is not only a good read, but a must read. Oh and I'm getting to the review part.


I have never written a book review before (or at least to the best of my knowledge). I took the time to review this book because it changed my life in a very positive way. I believe that if you follow the advice written in this book, it will change your life as well. Sounds like a big statement, but it's very true. Before reading the book I was suffering from all sorts of ailments. I was in a mt. bike accident in 1997, where I suffered 13 fractures and started my lifelong journey of tolerating pain in nearly every bone and joint I had. Here's where it gets interesting.

I used to own a landscaping business that I had started in college, so I was constantly out in the sun. When my "real" job was enough to pay the bills, I sold my landscaping business. About 8 months after selling my business, what used to be "tolerable" pain, soon became pain I could barely deal with. , I had pain ranging from fatigue to arthritis, tendonitis to muscular atrophy; I even started getting acne (I'm 31 years old and never had it before). I went to a plethora of doctors to see why I was falling apart: Internists/Generalists, Endocrinologists, ENT's, Orthopedic Surgeons and Dermatologists. Unfortunately, they didn't help much. They tried to help by prescribing anti-inflammatories, antibiotics for the acne (which came back every time I stopped the antibiotic), physical therapy, and pills that I never took, but nothing worked. Even more unfortunate was the fact that not one doctor tested me for Vitamin D deficiency. I find that very odd since I visited nearly every specialty doctor I could find and not one of them mentioned Vitamin D deficiency. This goes to show just how groundbreaking and revolutionary the information presented in this book is.

The Vitamin D supplementation was so effective, I decided to take it a step further and follow a few of Dr. Dowd's dietary suggestions. More recently, I've decided to cut out cheese and whole grains as I really thought moderation was OK. Then I noticed, every time I ate cheese or whole grains, I felt kind of crummy. Now, I am 100% committed to Dr. Dowd's diet and D supplementation. I noticed the more suggestions I followed from this book, the better I felt. The end-result is, I now feel great - and I will be purchasing more copies of this book, as every family member and friend that I have, will be receiving the Vitamin D cure for Christmas.

My doctor told me that I had slight Vitamin D deficiency so I purchased this book to find out more about it. To my surprise it said that most Americans have a deficiency of this Vitamin. This was an interesting read.

This book is very informative. I was tested for Vitamin D lately and came up 27. Desired range is 70-100. So I was really ready for this information. I had been taking cod liver oil for ages but now I need to add more D3 supplements.
The diet info is very good also, although he's preaching to the choir with me.

This cookbook is so USED at our house that big chunks are coming out of the binding! It's great! Namely, the Pancake and Chocolate Cake recipes! I gave copies to my sister and parents, too; so that when my son visits them, they would have a ready supply of recipes to keep him fed. Well worth every penny!

Thank you so much for your wonderful cook book. I felt it was wrote just for my family!. I have 3 boys and my youngest is 16 months old and has severe food allergies to nuts, eggs and dairy. Since finding out his allergies at 12 months I have felt stumped with what to make for family meals that we can all eat with out feeling like a short order cook make separate items for Levi. Due to his asthma and food allergies he is small for his age and I am always worried hes not getting enough carbs. For months now we have been feeding him fruit, veggies and meat almost only because I can only find limited things to mean his restrictions. But to much fruit and veggies was upsetting his tummy so when I started looking for allergy cookbooks I was disappointed that they all were for the top 8, I didn't want to take out more out of his diet than I had to until I came across your cookbook. It was exactly the same allergies we have I was soo ecstatic I immediately ordered it and called my mom to tell her there was hope! Thank you so much. I have had in only 2 weeks but have made at least 8 items so far and the whole family loves it. finally we are having family meals again! This book has been such a answer to prayer! My kids who are all skinny love the latkes and I'm happy to make something that will stick to there bones, and the chocolate chip bunt cake is a favorite here now, I even made it in regular pans for a birthday cake because my 6 year old loved it so much asked for it for his birthday! And tonight we are trying the wheat germ and jam chicken recipe.

I just want you to know how much I love this book and I am so thankful that you took the time to compile all your egg, dairy and nut wisdom for other moms out there with the same battles.

I bought this book because over the years I have grown into several food allergies. Which is a huge bummer. But, this book has helped me be able to make food that I can enjoy. Its an awesome book!

I bought this cookbook about a year after my daughter was first diagnosed with food allergies, and it has been a wonderful resource for me in the kitchen. Before I bought this cookbook, I used to make two meals, one for my daughter and another meal for the rest of us. With these recipes, I found that I could make one meal that was safe, and that tasted great, for the entire family! I recommend this cookbook to everyone struggling to find ways to feed their Allergy Family!! - Owner, Meraby's Allergy Family Foods

I highly recommend this book to anyone that has to cook for a loved one with dairy, egg, and nut allergies. You really take for granted the foods you eat every day untill they become unsafe for a familiy member. I was thrilled to be able to make pancakes, cookies, and cake for my daughter with these allergies. She is my youngest of three- so we all eat foods prepared with recipes from this book- and they are good. The recipes are easy to follow and use common ingredience. It has been really difficult to find resources for these specific food allergies. This book is great!!!

Most people have a distorted view on fats and how the body uses them. Most think all or at least most fat is bad for your body.

Fat is not just fat. It's an essential part of our physiology.

This books is the unbiased truth about fats. It just lays it out there. However the book is technical.

Very good, but more technical than most of the lay public would apt to read. It's great for those studying nutrition, medicine, chiropractic, biochemistry, physiology etc...

I think she did an excellent job and it's a great reference book.

I am currently persuing a masters in International Marketing and my dissertation area is the ethics of food marketing. Mary Enig's masterpiece has given me the first major glimpse of a similar type of lobby which the cigarette industry persued for decades,has been evident in the food industry for the last 30 yrs or so. I am trying to identify any research out there which the edible oil industry knew about and should have taken account of, when propagating their edible oil agenda. From reading Mary's book, there is a strong suggestion this research is available. Anyone out there who can point me in the right direction, please know I would be humbly grateful.

On a personal note, the coconut oil is a real treat. All my life I have been plagued by sore and septic throats around this time of year. My experience this year suggests that I have discovered through Mary's book an excellent remedy for this ailment, as at each sign of the condition asserting itself, the coconut oil has done it's thing. Thank you Mary.

This information came from a PhD physician. It's not myth and Dr. Enig is not trying to sell you ANYTHING. She gives reports from studies, including "double blind", from prestigious universities. One of the main reasons we're not given this info freely is that corporations selling products that would sales would be greatly affected don't want us to know this information. In some cases we have been and are being told outright lies for the almighty dollar. Don't take my word, read the books, read the actual studies from places like Harvard that have known the truth but the truth has mysteriously become very difficult to obtain.

Omega 3, Omega 6, which industry association is lying about properties of fats. These were all confusing mysteries that have been cleared up by the author in this easily understood book. I keep referring to it and feeling satisfied that I have received the definitive facts on the subject.

This book explains what trans-fatty acids are and which fats are really healthy. Most of the common press has been feeding us industry propaganda. This book simply explains the different types of fats and what they do. You will learn about the harmless nature of saturated fats that has been mistaken for the harmful nature of trans-fats. Most studies in the last 50 years failed to separate the two.