Diet and Fitness Roundup

Susan B. Hagloch, Dover, OH -- Library Journal, 1/31/2006

With spring come the robins and the daffodils—not to mention a new crop of diet and fitness books. Each has its own slant to appeal to various readers. There’s the scientific approach, the easy program, and the no-pain, no-gain workout, but at all of their cores is the message of eat less and exercise more. Any of these books would make a useful purchase for public libraries, but the starred titles are of particular value.

Acquista, Angelo, M.D., & Laurie Anne Vandermolen. The Mediterranean Prescription: Meal Plans and Recipes To Help You Stay Slim and Healthy for the Rest of Your Life. Ballantine. Mar. 2006. c.320p. index. ISBN 0-345-47924-6. $24.95. HEALTH

The diet of people living on the Mediterranean rim has often been cited as remarkably healthy despite its heavy proportion of fats. Acquista maintains that this is owing to the fact that most of those fats are monounsaturated; plus, there is little meat and dairy. His principle thesis, however, is that Mediterranean people are healthy because they do no rely on processed and fast foods. Fresh, unprocessed ingredients are the linchpin of his program. Included are some very appealing recipes.

Beare, Sally. 50 Secrets of the World’s Longest-Living People. Marlowe: Avalon, dist. by Publishers Group West. Jan. 2006. c.320p. index. ISBN 1-56924-348-4. pap. $15.95. HEALTH

Originally published in the United Kingdom as The Live Longer Diet in 2003, this revised, expanded edition by nutritionist Beare examines the lifestyles of the people of Okinawa, Japan; Symi, Greece; Campodimele, Italy; Hunza, Pakistan; and Bama, China. Their combined wisdom is distilled into 50 general principles, but the overriding themes are, again, unprocessed foods, with monounsaturated fats and small amounts of meat, dairy, and alcohol.

Clower, Will, M.D. The French Don’t Diet Plan: How To Eat Rich Foods for Effortless Weight Loss—And Never Diet Again. Crown. Apr. 2006. c.320p. bibliog. ISBN 0-307-33651-4. $24. HEALTH

Clower, a French neurophysiologist, is the author of The Fat Fallacy: The French Diet Secrets to Permanent Weight Loss, which explicates his theme. This follow-up puts into daily practice his basic principles: eat a wide variety of fresh, unprocessed foods in reasonable amounts; incorporate into your daily routine physical activity such as walking, cycling, and stair climbing; and take time to enjoy your food for its sensual pleasure.

Daugirdas, John T., M.D. The QOD Diet: Eating Well Every Other Day. White Swan. Feb. 2006. c.156p. illus. ISBN 0-9774614-0-8. pap. $18.95. HEALTH

“QOD” is physician shorthand for the Latin quaque other die, which means every other day. Daugirdas believes that by virtually fasting every other day and eating normally (that is, reasonably) otherwise, you can fool your body and keep it from activating its starvation response, which slows down metabolism so that weight loss is stopped cold. Daugirdas points out that some people have physical conditions that preclude their using such a plan, but he maintains that most can benefit from it. Good for fad diet readers.

Greenberg, Rena. The Right Weigh: Six Steps to Permanent Weight Loss Used by More Than 100,000 People. Hay House. Jan. 2006. c.256p. ISBN 1-4019-0687-7. pap. $14.95. HEALTH

Greenberg—an ordained minister who leads weight-control seminars for major corporations—serves up a strongly spiritual program that includes visioning, meditation, and self-hypnotic techniques to assess and correct self-defeating attitudes and promote self-awareness and positive thinking. Her 40-day plan also encompasses broad dietary advice. This is unusual among fitness titles in that it does not contain specific recipes or diet plans, but it may appeal to New Agers.

Katzen, Mollie & Walter Willett, M.D. Eat, Drink, and Weigh Less: A Flexible and Delicious Way To Shrink Your Waist Without Going Hungry. Hyperion. Apr. 2006. c.304p. bibliog. ISBN 1-4013-0249-1. $23.95. HEALTH

Katzen is the beloved author of many vegetarian cookbooks, e.g., the best-selling Mollie Katzen’s Vegetable Heaven. Here, she teams up with a Harvard epidemiologist to present a healthful, tasty answer to the carbophobic diets that were popular until quite recently. Drawing on mainly fresh vegetables and fruits, grains, and a little meat and dairy, Katzen’s program shines with her proven prowess. Stock up on this one.

Malkov, Roman, M.D. The Carb Cycling Diet: Optimize Your Health, Lose Weight—Without Giving Up the Foods You Love! Hatherleigh. Apr. 2006. c.288p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 1-57826-203-8. $23.95. HEALTH

Speaking of carbophobes, Malkov, a nutritional consultant for the Russian national athletic team, also aims at this audience with a system for adapting the Atkins/South Beach tenets to a more sustainable (and healthful) level. By alternating normal carb days with limited carb intake, people, he claims, will achieve all the benefits of the carb-free diets without the health risks. This book has missed the boat, since both Atkins and South Beach have been abandoned. Only the die-hard loyalists are still limiting carbohydrates, and they probably will pass on Malkov’s book anyway.

Reames, Robert. Make Over Your Metabolism: 4 Weeks to a Faster Metabolism and a Fitter, Firmer Body. Meredith. Apr. 2006. c.256p. ISBN 0-696-23055-0. $24.95. HEALTH

Reames, the chief fitness consultant and trainer for the Dr. Phil Show, offers easy-to-follow workouts featuring stretches and cardiovascular conditioning at both beginner and advanced levels. Consistent, sustained cardiovascular exercise is scientifically proven to increase metabolism and will thus make the body burn more calories. In addition, there are tips for nutritional improvements. Reames’s excellent exercises will no doubt find a wide, appreciative audience given his public profile.

Reinagle, Monica. The Inflammation-Free Diet Plan: The Scientific Way To Lose Weight, Banish Pain, Prevent Disease, and Slow Aging. McGraw-Hill. Feb. 2006. c.276p. bibliog. ISBN 0-07-146471-9. pap. $24.95. HEALTH

Inflammation, the hot new concept in health and weight control, attests that some foods, particularly those high in Omega 6 fats (e.g., meat and dairy products), cause inflammation that leads to allergies, arthritis, depression, cancer, and other ailments, including obesity. Health writer Reinagle serves up a diet high in good Omega 3 fats and low in Omega 6 ones, which will purportedly improve health and help one lose weight. It’s no accident that her regimen echoes the same recommendations that we have heard for years: eat lots of fruits, vegetables, and fish, and small amounts of lean meat and dairy. An acceptable diet wrapped around a gimmick.

Thompson, Rob, M.D. The Glycemic-Load Diet: A Powerful New Program for Losing Weight and Reversing Insulin Resistance. McGraw-Hill. Apr. 2006. c.256p. bibliog. ISBN 0-07-146269-4. pap. $16.95. HEALTH

A leftover fad linked to the anticarb craze is the notion of glycemic load. Too many carbohydrates cause your blood sugar to rise, with a later sudden drop (hyper- and hypoglycemia). This contributes to insulin resistance, high cholesterol, and weight gain. Like other writers in this roundup, cardiologist Thompson plugs a diet of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, which are good for you, no matter your reason for eating them. Another one for the fad conscious.