The Core Balance Diet: 4 Weeks to Boost Your Metabolism and Lose Weight for Good [Hardcover]

Marcelle Pick MSN OB/GYN NP (Author), Genevieve Morgan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 14, 2009

Is your weight gain making you miserable? Have you noticed that you’re packing on pounds in unpleasant new places? Or is the scale—and the way you feel about yourself— just stuck, no matter how much you diet and exercise? If you’ve struggled without success to lose weight and keep it off, there’s always a reason, and—surprise!—it probably has little to do with how hard you’re trying or how many calories you’re counting. Now a pioneering practitioner of women’s health care shows why willpower doesn’t work in the long run and, finally, gives you a solution that does.

Marcelle Pick, co-founder of Women to Women—one of the first clinics in the country devoted to providing health care for women by women—draws upon decades of experience, her patients’ and her own, to solve the mystery of the stubborn weight gain. Explaining the science of the body with uncommon clarity, she describes the complex web of connections—between organs and systems, hormones and other biochemicals—that keep your physiology in balance and your metabolism functioning well. Because when it isn’t, your body reacts by packing on protection in the form of pounds that won’t budge, an excess that can be so harmful and intractable that Pick has named it “toxic weight.” Bringing your body back into Core Balance is the only way to heal your metabolism, soothe your body, and lose the weight for good.

The Core Balance Diet is a breakthrough plan designed to restore your body’s equilibrium and return you to a healthy, sustainable weight. With her engaging style, Pick explains six common biochemical imbalances—digestive, hormonal, adrenal, neurotransmitter, inflammation, and detoxification—and helps you determine which is affecting you most. In the first two weeks, she teaches the simple lifestyle changes and smart nutrition choices that will show you how to tune into your body and identify your fundamental obstacles to weight loss. Then Pick guides you through a customized two-week program geared to restoring your Core Balance and shedding those toxic pounds once and for all. Far from depriving yourself on this program, you’ll eat—often and well—enjoying delicious recipes made from whole foods that give your body the support it needs to heal. At the same time, you’ll start to explore underlying issues and emotional patterns that may be getting in your way, as Pick connects self-care with self-knowledge to show you the way to lasting wellness.

By picking up this book, you’re about to toss out the old way of thinking about yourself and your weight. The Core Balance Diet heralds a whole new chapter in weight loss, proving how easy it is to work with your body and the right foods—not against them—to rid yourself of weight and unhealthy habits for good. Within a month, you’ll be on your way to a lean, fit, and balanced body that is ready to support you—and look great—for  the rest of your life.

 

Editorial Reviews

Review

“If you're tired of the same old diet books that promise transformation and give you disappointment, then do something new and nourishing for yourself. Learn from a woman who has dedicated her life to providing the kind of holistic care women need to get to the root of why they can't create the balanced, healthy body they long for. The Core Balance Diet takes you through the process Marcelle has used with hundreds of patients—a process that works. I highly recommend it!”

– Cheryl Richardson, author of The Art of Extreme Self Care, The Unmistakable Touch of Grace, Life Makeovers, and Take Time for Your Life

“The Core Balance Diet is full of practical and accurate information that can help women regain metabolic balance so they can lose weight and gain vitality.”

– Christiane Northrup, M.D., author of The Secret Pleasures of Menopause, The Wisdom of Menopause, Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom, and Mother-Daughter Wisdom

 “Marcelle Pick is on the forefront of a revolution in women’s health and weight loss. The Core Balance Diet is brilliant—it gives women all the tools they need to change their lives forever.”

– Frank Lipman, M.D., author of Spent and Total Renewal

“In The Core Balance Diet, Marcelle Pick has created a sensible program for women to finally reach and maintain their optimal weight. She takes a holistic look at our lives and lifestyle to get us the best results. Ultimately, what’s best for our weight is best for our overall well-being. This book will be a boon to many. I’m thrilled that it’s available!”

– Liz Lipski, Ph.D., CCN, CHN, Director of Doctoral Studies, Hawthorn University and author of Digestive Wellness and Digestive Wellness for Children

 

About the Author

Marcelle Pick, MSN, OB/GYN NP, co-founded Women to Women with a vision to change women’s health care. The clinic pioneered the combination of alternative and conventional medicine, using a holistic approach that not only treats illness but also helps women make life choices to prevent disease. Women to Women continues seeing thousands of women from around the world each year.

Marcelle Pick earned a B.S. in nursing and a B.A. in psychology from the University of New Hampshire and an M.S. in nursing from Boston College–Harvard Medical School. Certified as a nurse practitioner for both OB/GYN and pediatrics, Pick has served as medical advisor to Healthy Living magazine, lectured on a variety of topics, and appears regularly on television to discuss women’s health.

 

Product Details

• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: Hay House; 1 edition (April 14, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401922015
• ISBN-13: 978-1401922016
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (64 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #170,360 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Marcelle Pick, MSN, OB/GYN NP, co-founded Women to Women with a vision to change women's health care. The clinic pioneered the combination of alternative and conventional medicine, using a holistic approach that not only treats illness but also helps women make life choices to prevent disease. Women to Women continues seeing thousands of women from around the world each year. Pick earned a B.S. in nursing and a B.A. in psychology from the University of New Hampshire and an M.S. in nursing from Boston College--Harvard Medical School.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

131 of 132 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loaded with useful health & diet tips, April 14, 2009

By 

Susan Schenck "award-winng author of two books" (Cuenca, Ecuador) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Core Balance Diet: 4 Weeks to Boost Your Metabolism and Lose Weight for Good (Hardcover)

The Core Balance Diet is a must-read for women who have, well...gotten off balance (which would include probably 85-95% of American women). And Marcelle (with Genevieve) include six common ways that we have lost our balance: digestive, hormonal, adrenal, neurotransmitter, inflammatory, and detoxification. Which of us has not experienced imbalance in one of those areas, let alone two or three?

Marcelle challenges the woman who thinks she would be too overwhelmed to make some dietary and lifestyle changes: "If you could help your partner to lose weight, or help protect your child's health, by changing what he or she ate for a month, wouldn't you try and do it? Now, aren't you worth that same amount of attention?" And she is only asking you to try her program for a month! After that, she assures you, you'll be free from your food addictions and hooked on your feeling great!

Balance, as you might suppose, also entails eating approximately a 30/30/40 ratio of healthy fats, protein and complex carbs (though not as strict as the Zone Diet). But it includes much, much more than that.

The book begins with an explanation of how imbalances lead to weight gain and aging and provides a layman's easy-to-read explanation of the systems.

Marcelle provides a Core Balance quiz for you to determine which of your systems are weakest. This is followed by a chapter on each system. Each chapter (which is delight to read even if they don't apply to you as much as the others) contains the following: information on the imbalance and how to correct it; sidebars and boxes with interesting tidbits of info; a list of "Marcelle's prescriptions " for that imbalance; diagnostic tests to note the progress of that imbalance; foods to include and foods to avoid; supplements to take; "a day in the life" schedule for the lifestyle changes needed (exercise, when to eat, self- nurturing, etc.); a one-week menu; and frequently asked questions.

There are also 60 pages of recipes. Except for the medical diagnostic tests, this is a complete do-it-yourself book.

True to the Hay House spirit, there is also a chapter on the mind-body connection with the cute title, "Your Issues Are in Your Tissues" which alerts you to negative thinking and self-destructive behavior patterns that can sabotage your health.

I have read hundreds of books on health and nutrition (even wrote one myself!) and I give this book a hearty two thumbs up! I learned lots of interesting tidbits, such as how the liver is taxed on a low-fat diet, how Vitamin D deficiency is linked to obesity, and how not flossing can lead to body-wide inflammation. The only thing Marcelle could do to make it more complete would be to have a chapter on the importance of eating more raw foods since a raw diet taxes the digestive system far less.

This is a diet that can be, with a bit of imagination, used by anyone who has any dietary slant (vegan, vegetarian, raw fooder, etc). For example, if one is raw vegan, substitute raw hemp protein powder in place of meat and don't cook the vegetables.

106 of 108 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Core Balance Diet, April 15, 2009

By 

Linda B. "Core Balance Convert" (Portland, ME USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Core Balance Diet: 4 Weeks to Boost Your Metabolism and Lose Weight for Good (Hardcover)

I opened the Core Balance Diet expecting to fail, to not follow the plan, to not see results. I was willing to give it 30 days, which in the whole scheme of things was small in comparison to the years I neglected my health.

I was very impressed with the recipes in the book. Not only were they easy to prepare, but they were downright delicious! I had my favorites, which I made on more than one occasion. After a few weeks on the plan, I had a feel for what was 'allowed' and was able to make some minor adjustments without affecting the plan.

I have a hard time planning meals and eating early, so I decided I would double up on the recipes and freeze individual portions to take to work - this one choice is why I was able to stick to the meal plans so closely for the 30 days!

I only had a few issues overall. I was very fatigued the first few weeks, but it got better as the month wore on. Marcelle explained in the book that this was from the body releasing the toxins I had stored in my fat cells, so I wasn't concerned. My energy did start to come back. The only other issue I had was that I was so 'satisfied' all the time that I had a hard time fitting in the snacks between meals!

Not only did my digestive system balance out and act 'normal' for the first time in decades, but I lost 15 pounds over the course of the month. I am 5' 9" tall, and started the program approximately 60 pounds over weight, for those who might wonder.

The biggest news, is that I tried going back to my old eating habits, and my body very clearly told me it didn't like my 'old ways'! I have decided to stick with the healty lifestyle ongoing.

Thank you Marcelle!!!

72 of 75 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Some good information mixed with some questionable., June 28, 2009

By 

MJWIL (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Core Balance Diet: 4 Weeks to Boost Your Metabolism and Lose Weight for Good (Hardcover)

I thought this book had a lot of good information about how the bodies metabolism works, how it can get screwed up and what one can do to heal it naturally. However, I found some of the claims about certain herbs and how to use them not very well supported. I also found the book too much of a marketing tool for expensive programs or products offered by the author's clinic. While I have no problem with that information being shared, it was the constant loop back to them I found somewhat offensive.