I’ve mentioned before that I loathe the word “diet” and, of course, this includes all of those gimmicky diet books. While these days some of them do have solid nutritional information, it’s the misleading titles that really bug me.
I understand that best sellers and catchy titles go hand in hand and that a book titled “Healthy Eating” is probably not going to fly off of store shelves. But anything resembling “Lose weight, eat what you want, and sit on your butt” grates on my nerves like fingernails on a chalkboard. If it sounds too good to be true then it probably is.
Losing weight is hard — it takes commitment, dedication and a complete lifestyle change, not a diet book with empty promises. Now, with that being said, not all diet books are full of baloney. Every now and then I’ll get ahold of something fantastic yet realistic. These three pass the {Nourish} test:
n Written by David Zinczenko, editor-in-chief of Men’s Health, “The Abs Diet” is full of realistic recommendations for a healthy nutrition plan. Sensible advise — like don’t starve yourself, eat more frequent-yet-smaller meals, drink plenty of water, and steer clear of soft drinks and other foods containing high-fructose corn syrup — are sure to lead to a leaner midsection.
Is this revolutionary information or a recipe for washboard abs? I don’t think so. But “The Abs Diet” is a good way to control weight in a healthy way without counting calories, carbs or fat grams and without cutting out whole food groups.
n “The Skinny Rules,” by Bob Harper of “The Biggest Loser” fame, gives 20 nonnegotiable rules to help readers get away from a reliance on processed foods, refined grains, sugar and artificial sweeteners, and fast and fried food.
“The Skinny Rules” offers a month’s worth of rule-abiding recipes for breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks.
There are great tips for how to stock your fridge, freezer, and pantry — and ideas for weekend meal-prep to set yourself up for success when the workweek gets too busy to cook.
Some of my favorite “rules” that I implement into my own life are Rule 3: Eat protein at every meal; Rule 5: Eat 30 to 50 grams of fiber every day; Rule 8: Learn to read food labels so you know what you are eating; Rule 12: Make one day a week meatless; Rule 15: Make your own food and eat at least 10 meals a week at home; and Rule 20: Plan one splurge meal a week.
n Now, this last book may be a little controversial, but I like it. Health and nutrition journalist Alisa Bowman’s “Seven Day Slim Down” is based on the premise that most of us are vitamin D deficient, especially in the winter. Our bodies make vitamin D from sunlight, and during those overcast short days of winter we can easily go into vitamin D deficiency, making us moody and lethargic, more likely to pull the covers back over our heads in the morning and grab a sugary sweet doughnut for breakfast rather than get up for egg whites and oatmeal after an early sweat session.
“Seven Day Slim Down” gives you information and meal plans to super dose your body with vitamin D to lift those winter blahs, eliminate cravings, and burn fat, especially the fat around your midsection.
While vitamin D is probably not going to make you slim in seven days, implementing vitamin D-rich foods, Bob’s skinny rules, and an abs friendly lifestyle will get you there sooner rather than later.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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