Dieting Books

I do not have anorexia but Learned so much from this book My friend and I went through it like it was a college class. We loved it. We did the work and reaped the rewards. Thanks, Kitty

This book is very heavily based on cognitive and rational-emotive therapy as a way to control emotions, and therefor destructive eating patterns. Dr. Sandbek talks about the differences between constructive negative emotions (like sadness) and negative destructive emotions (like depression), and their consequent constructive and destructive behaviors. You learn to recognize that destructive emotions come from distorted thoughts. He recommends taking all the ugly things one says to themselves and thinking of it as a seperate internal voice. Then you learn to argue with and defeat the "Voice." Dr. Sandbek also emphasizes time management and stress reduction techniques. On the negative side Dr. Sandbek doesn't appear to have an iota of a feminist perspective in him (at one point he recommends anorexics look Playboy so they can see how much thinner they are then women "men consider attractive"), which is startling considering how many women this disease affects. This isn't too much of a concern however, since clearly his intent is to help women overcome disempowering emotions and behaviors, with clinical proven cognitive tools.

This book was very helpful to me. Very thoughtful and clear. Glad I bought it.

I was not into fasting until I came across "The detox mono-diet, the miracle grape cure and other cleansing diets by Christopher Vasey, and soon my fridge became home to over 15 pounds of organic grapes. Now began a minute scrutiny of the book so that I could find out firsthand what this book and the fasting regimen is all about.

Part I of the book explains the nature of illness and the role of toxins. This is followed by an introduction to the grape cure as perfected by Johanna Brandt. There is a neat summary of the steps involved in the cure, namely, elimination, fasting, role of the grapes, raw diet, and finally, hypo-toxic diet.

The physiology of fasting is explained on the basis of autolysis. When food is withheld completely, the body resorts to autolysis and extracts nutrition from the non-essential reserves like tumors, ulcers, fatty deposits, as well as toxins. Once these resources are depleted, the body will look to digesting the vital tissues and organs, but that is an extreme measure taken only when there is total and prolonged starvation. Fasting is recommended until there is a true need to eat instead of just the desire. The importance of consuming sufficient quantities of water is mentioned clearly.

During fasting autolysis and the regeneration of healthy tissue go on simultaneously. There are recommendations for assisting the various excretory organs with their function, for example, enemas for the digestive system, various herbs for the liver, kidneys and the lungs and sauna / hot baths for the skin. The more accumulated wastes in the body, the more there is a possibility of healing crises like skin rash, oozing pimple, rheumatic pains, eczemas, bronchitis and catarrh that may last from a few hours to a few days but must not be suppressed or feared. The cleansing practices must be continued throughout the fasting and into the next phases.

Now comes the mono-diet in which all foods except grapes are excluded. The physiological process of autolysis, assimilation of nutrients for tissue regeneration and elimination of toxic wastes that have been set in motion during fasting are simply carried on further for the entire period of the grape mono-diet.

In my experience, grapes do satisfy hunger so there are no pathetic dips in energy level and enthusiasm. During a period of one day of fasting followed by five days on grape mono-diet, I was able to carry on with all my usual household chores, shoveling snow, studies requiring sustained mental focus, daily exercise and yoga, plus two hour-long sessions of weight training, all without feeling week, wasted or worried. On the contrary, I felt strong, well, free, full of purpose and accomplishment and had tons of time on my hand.

After a few days on the grape mono-diet (length varies from person to person) it is time to switch to a regimen in which grapes are still the main meal but other fruits, and then milk, buttermilk and cottage cheese are included. Then comes the fourth phase of raw food diet. A chapter gives the benefits and disadvantages of raw food diet as well as a regimen to follow.

A gradual introduction to mixed, hypo-toxic diet makes the fifth and the final phase of this practice. The stress is on eating small quantities of healthy food so that the body is able to maintain the de-toxified state.

The personal experience and observations of Johanna Brandt given in part II of the book are fascinating and they open the reader's eyes to the fact that for health, what you don't eat is as important as what you eat.

Anyone contemplating a grape mono-diet must read the chapter six diligently and learn all the indications / contra-indications for the mono-diet. Johanna Brandt was able to cure herself of cancer using the grape cure and she gives a list of other illnesses that can be treated but the grape mono-diet is a serious therapeutic regimen. Even though the process appears to be simple, for people with any illness, it is best to have clinical supervision from a health practitioner who is familiar with the grape mono-diet.

Jon Graham has skillfully translated this book from French. It is brief and easy to read. All benefits and pitfalls of the system are brought out quite well. Enough warnings are given so that no one tries a foolhardy experiment. The wise and informative approach of the author is apparent throughout the book. I strongly recommend not only this book but also the system of grape mono-diet to all seekers of health.

Vatsala Sperling
Author of:
A Marriage Made in Heaven
How Ganesh Got His Elephant Head
How Parvati Won the Heart of Shiva
Ram the Demon Slayer
Hanuman's Journey to the Medicine Mountain
Karna: The Greatest Archer in the World

I would highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to lead a healthier lifestyle. It has great insight and recommendations for better living. Throw out the ding dongs and fruit rollups and start reading this book! [...]

Finally, I think someone has gotten through to me to get me to eat healthier. The motivation? Avoiding cancer and other diseases. Dr. Slaga breaks it down simply: some foods cause cancer, while others help prevent it. Which would you rather eat? He itemizes the different vitamins, minerals, supplements etc. that fight disease, and explains how they work within the body to do so. He provides a list of "super foods," the foods that are the absolute best for you, so you can concentrate on those if you'd like. And he provides a bunch of recipes incorporating his recommended foods so you can work them into your lifestyle. This is not a diet book! This is a book that can help you live a healthier and longer life, if you just listen to Dr. Slaga's message. I can't recommend this book highly enough. Since I read this book, I have been incorporating items like soy, flaxseed oil, fish oil, nuts and dried fruits, etc., into my diet, and I look forward to reaping the results.

This book is wonderful for anyone considering detoxing. It is VERY practical, telling you how to maximize your cleansing results without depriving yourself. For example, when discussing these that should be reduced/cut out before starting a detox, smoking is mentioned. It lets you know that for the best results, smoking should cease, but if you are unable to handle this, it gives alternatives that gradually reduce the smoking and load on your body. There are a variety of plans: 30 day make over, 9 day intensive, weekend energizer, mono-diet, etc. Color pictures are included also. Also, focuses on detoxing your life. Ways to calm and replenish the spirit (like mediatation) and detoxing your home environment. The diet was easy to follow and has been a life style change to me. The book was infomative and helpful, and I am better for it

This is a very easy to read book on demistifying detox. I like the pictures and colors. I recommend this to someone who is new to detoxing or someone who wants user friendly instructions. It is a simple book for those on the go who don't always have time for themselves.

Authors Lea Ann Holzmeister and Patti B. Geil have complied a great reference book on nutrition as it relates to diabetes. It actually does take you from A to Z with information on everything that you might need to know a little about. It deals with alcohol, antioxidants, blood fats (Lipids), caffeine, calories, carbohydrates, insulin issues, cholesterol, glucose intolerance, kertones, preventing diabetes, metabolism, protein, and weight control as examples of how broad in scope the information is within these pages.

The book also gives you definitions of terms and organizations and treatments so you can also expand your over-all knowledge of how to deal with this disease. It is simply written and easy to understand. Nothing complicated about the book, which would make it a good book to gift to someone with diabetes. It is a quick education on this disease and a book that one should have in their medical reference library at home.

The basics of nutrition and how it relates to diabetes is covered in Diabetes Nutrition A To Z, a primer which explains everything from carbohydrate counting, fats and fiber to sugars and side effects of common diabetes drugs. The A-Z arrangement lends to quick look-up referencing.

Rumor has it Dr Walker lived to be 120 years old!!! If anyone can confirm this for me please do. You must read Dr Walker's complete set of 8 books - they could change your life - they did for me. Now I want to live to be 120 as well....

I understand that Norman W Walker died in 1984 at the ripe old age of 118. He was a Brit, and became a "raw foodist" early on in his life in response to his own medical ailments.

I am delighted to see this book still available for purchase. I got mine about 25 years ago (give or take) and it was falling apart from use before I misplaced it. A guide to recipes created to give the body what we need to be healthy, it still holds strong in light of new vitamin and mineral discoveries made in the last few years. Now that I have discovered I have Type II Diabetes (too many years of self-indulgence; I should never have stopped using this book), I have dug out my beloved copy and am making Broiled, Marinated Chicken which I remember fondly (I never liked chicken before!)There is also a Baked Cod Stew that I will be revisiting as it was a big hit in my house many years ago and will hit the spot again. I highly recommend that you try the recipes in this book - they are timeless and excellent!

I'll review this since their hasnt been a review and I remember that I had wanted there to be one when I bought it. Umm...this is a good diet book. There are two diets a 30 day one and a bikini one..and then a sample eating plan. there are several pics of the food and there are a lot of really great recipes...chicken tarragon, guacmole made of green beans, and others. I do reccomend it if you have her book Living Principal and want more diet info.

Good practical advice for a healthy way to cope with the obesity epidemics. So cool how to see that modern research like e.g. Gary Taubes' excelent "Good Calories, Bad calories" tend to support the conclusions of these early authors.

"Plenty of whole food and plenty of fresh air are not only the reliable treatment for overweight, but also the means to a full, happy, and long life" (p.11). This book is about dieting, and a guide to energy, food, fitness, and health. It explains why calorie counting and unbalanced diets do not work, but often lead to fatigue, depression, and malnutrition. Energy expenditure and balanced food intake will allow you to stay thin.

Chapter 8 "All you Need To Know" sums up this book in thirty short paragraphs on 6 pages. You can read this first as a quick guide to the rest of this book. It will give you the knowledge to eat wisely. The first ten points tell the effects of dieting on the human body. The next ten points tell why people in Western countries tend to get fat. The last ten points tell how to lose fat and gain health.

Following are some interesting quotes from this book. Page 26 notes those insurance company weight tables created during the Great Depression. (Were they ever proven to be valid?) When he added up the calories in the diet books he found their reasoning to be preposterous (p.34). Measurements showed that fat people ate less than thin people (p.35)! So the answer is "metabolism". After the author started running as a hobby, he lost weight and fat, and could then eat and drink what he wanted (p.43). Activity, not dieting, reduces weight and fat. Dieting causes a loss of glycogen and water, and low blood sugar levels. The result is weakness, depression, irritation, tiredness, and sometimes faintness and dizziness. Dieting is like famine or starvation, and causes involuntary changes (p.50). Dieting slows down metabolism, a fact that makes "most diet books so much waste paper" (p.59). Overfeeding causes a person's metabolic rate to speed up when asleep of at rest (p.62). Your metabolic rate determines whether you'll stay slim, or get fat easily. Activity will change your metabolic rate, exercise will build lean tissue.

Eating a lot of sugar is bad because it contains no vitamins or minerals. Its digestion subtracts nutrients from the body. The most nutritious parts of meat (blood and guts) are usually discarded (p.81). Heart disease and obesity become epidemic about twenty years after a population starts to consume more than seventy pounds of sugar a year (p.102). Be aware that many processed foods are high in sugar (Table I, p.115). Pages 127-8 tell of a painless and effortless manner to lose weight: eat four slices of whole wheat bread before each meal. If you want to lose fat and gain health, do not go on a diet and do not eat processed foods, especially sugar (p.129).

Some food of animal origin is exceptionally nutritious: fish, game animals and game birds above all. Their flesh is lower in fat, and their fats are high in essential fatty acids (p.15). (Another argument for hunting?) He tells of a study that compared runners to sedentary people; the former were lighter than the latter, yet ate more. "Lose weight, eat more. Gain weight, eat less" (p.175).

So what about all those "fast days" promulgated by some religions in the springtime? I think it was an attempt to modify people's metabolisms so as to extend dwindling food supplies. A true "miracle of the loaves and fishes"?

I bought this book and read it in 1 night and absolutely loved it. I have 50 pounds to lose and bought this book with the hope that it would be a great reference book to inspire me throughout the dieting process. I plan on keeping it with me all through the process and refer to it when I need to laugh or need that extra bit of inspiration as this book has both.

I laughed out loud reading this book. Joanne Kimes tells funny stories that we can all relate to while actually giving us information. It makes dealing with the stressful world of dieting a bit easier. I have already given a copy of this book to a friend who is also miserable on her diet... at least this will make her laugh.

Messina is a well-known name to vegetarians through her cookbooks, and to the science of nutrition through her scholarly articles. This book, though erudite and intended for dietitians, is valuable to everyone interested in vegetarian nutrition. I would recommend it to physicians, owners of diet salons, nurses, as well as every vegan who wants to understand the value of full nutrition. Great job!

Very thorough guide. Need to have a good grasp of nutrition concepts before tempting to read. Very helpful with up to date information any dietitian can appreciate.