Customer Reviews

The 3-Season Diet: Eat the Way Nature Intended: Lose Weight, Beat Food Cravings, and Get Fit

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As a person interested in nutrition and holistic approaches to health, I read and used concepts from this book and in my opinion it deserves a five start rating! The techniques the author presents work, and the plan is really easy to do. I lost weight and felt better incorporating the "large mid day meal" concept and it works well for my busy household to eat more lightly in the evening, not to mention my digestion. Sometimes I just have to depart from the "seasonal" concept of which foods to select (gotta have that almond butter!), but overall it makes good sense to eat what is in season...it is always fresher and tastier! His recommendations on arising earlier in the morning and going to sleep earlier at night are also solid basics to regain and keep ones health. This book is a definite keeper!

I love Ayurvedic eating, but this book twists the idea of eating seasonally too far. I am a Vata type and tried eating a low-fat diet for a week this spring. The author asserts that since spring is a Kapha season we should eat low fat to counteract Kapha. But spring in the northeast U.S. can be cold and the low fat diet made me feel awful - constipated and unsatisfied. I think we need to pay more attention to our bodies and only some attention to the seasons. On the plus side, he is correct that if one eats lightly in the evening it easier to sleep better and get up earlier. So this information was quite valuable. Some of his facts are a little skewed in places. In debunking other diets he says that the Zone would work but nobody can stay on it because it doesn't offer enough variety. I think there are much more serious problems with that type of eating that the author doesn't get into. I found the Burn Rate Diet book to be much more scientific and explains why many of us (not all) need some fat and protien at all meals. The 3 Season Diet could drive my blood sugar up and down the wall (and I already take the herb he mentions to help with that!)

I believe this author is on to something in his theory about eating "with" the seasonal harvests and cycles of nature. Looking back at my own dieting "history" and the various types of diets I've tried, I can see why they were successful or not, depending on the time of year I attempted the diet. He proposes that people should eat high protein/high fat in the winter, low fat low cal in the spring, and high carb in the summer. The duration of the shifts are dependent on what basic body type you are--summer, winter or spring. So in looking back, I can see why a high carb diet was successful for me in the past, since I started it in the summer, and a high fat/high protein also was successful for since I started it in the winter. It also explains why they worked for me initially but stopped working as the seasons changed and I ended up abandoning the diets.

I feel the book is slanted towards his own body type, and those that are the same as he would benefit the most from his book. I also wish the author would have explored the topic in a more in-depth fashion.

The teachings of ayurveda have been around for 5,000 years and in this book Douillard brilliantly some of these lessons to light for those of us in the Western world. Although some of his ideas fly in the face of traditional American dietary advice (but what is that anyway), the results of following his program are undeniable. I have been on the health and nutrition bandwagon for a long time and this book has helped me reach my weight loss goals better than anything else I have tried. I have lost 35 pounds in 3 months and feel great. It truly is a lifestyle change and re-education, not just another one of the countless fad diets that are out there. His program makes a lot of sense once you are willing to get past your own ego and the "logic" of the dietary advice that we have been misled with in this country for so long. Buy this book, check your ego at the door, and be read to lose weight and feel great!

This is a fantastic book on nutrition and health. I recommend it to all. While reading this book, I was able to pinpoint my eating behaviors that led to my cravings, and make changes to my diet to end them.

I read this book years ago after having sworn off other diet and nutrition books. I had tried them all (raw food, macrobiotic, etc). Dr. Douillard's book helped me learn to listen to my body and adjust according to the seasons.

The 2 biggest insights this book gave me:

1. Eat 3 meals a day, no snacks, biggest meal at lunch, eat a light early dinner.
2. Eating with the seasons.

I used to be a grazer and constantly snacked and usually ate my big meal for dinner at the end of the day.

Dr. D's way of eating took some adjustments. The first few days I tried eating a large, relaxing lunch during the work week without any distractions I felt awkward and worried that I was wasting time. (I almost always ate at my computer while I worked).

But I was quickly hooked, and have been for 4 years now! When I eat a large, relaxing lunch my digestion is strong, I have no cravings, and I stay energized and focused all afternoon.

I also switched to eating an early, light dinner which has been the single most important tip I can pass on to anyone who struggles with belly fat or insomnia. I wake up brighter and perkier too.

Sometimes I get lazy and rush through my lunch or eat a decadent dinner late at night and I am always immediately reminded that it just doesn't work for me.

Eating with the seasons helps me stay attuned to nature's natural detox cycle. (He explains it in detail in this book).

This has been so profound for me that I continue to recommend this book to friends and clients, and have had the joy of watching them enjoy the same benefits: balanced weight, less cravings, more energy, better digestion, and less colds and flus.

I hope this book has been as beneficial for you as it has been for me.

I read this book a year ago after it was recommended at the yoga studio that I attend. It has some fabulous content. It's well explained but most of all, it works. I've been eating along these guidelines for the past year and I lost 10 lbs and have kept it off. Eating 3 meals a day and sipping hot water really does stabilize blood sugar. I was so suprised. It makes me feel great, have more energy and less anxiety. John Douillard has a lot of other content on his website too. He's constantly updating it with new stuff, YouTube videos and sending out e-newsletters. A lot of the ayurvedic nutrition tips he provides in this book and continues to provide online have helped me tremendously. I highly recommend it.

I love this book! I have been searching for the right kind of "diet" plan for a long time and I found it in this book. Douillard offers a sane, healthy, Ayurvedic approach to eating in harmony with the seasonal energies that is simple to do and effective. I loved all the comparisons of different diets and the way he explains why they only work temporarily. Following this plan allows me to eat what my body intuitively hungers for through the seasons while showing me which foods to reduce or avoid to achieve maximum health. I definitely recommend it.

I read this prior to attending a seminar by the author. The book is great, and explains the basics. Combined with the seminar - it really makes sense once you understand the theory of keeping a natural balance. I learned many more things to do to maintain balance in the seminar that are not in the book. If the book makes sense to you, I recommend attending the seminar for additional info, or reading from the authors web site for more info.

This book is an amazing journey detailing how our western society has forgotten to live in tune with nature.All around us the results of this are sadly evident in the obesity and illnesses we all currently face.
John Douillard has written a clear and factual account of how we individually can change our own welbeing - not overnight but gradually and simply.
Thankyou John for helping me to improve my lifestyle and health and that of my family.