Customer Reviews

The Hamptons Diet: Lose Weight Quickly and Safely with the Doctor's Delicious Meal Plans

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1 star:		(5)

 

 

The latest offering from this former Medical Director of the Atkins Center is his best work yet - from both a reading standpoint and with the viewpoint of the average dieter (in other words, with a realistic assessment of what the average person is and is not willing to do on a long-term basis) considered.

The Hamptons Diet focuses on controlling the number and quality of carbs eaten while eating the right types of food and fat. This book is much lighter on the actual science (the part that goes right over most reader?s heads anyway) and a lot heavier on the simply explained How-To?s (the part the average reader benefits from the most.)

The Hamptons Diet introduces several new food pyramids, instead of just turning the Standard USDA food pyramid upside-down. This strategy will help you to make wise food choices from each food category while not making you feel hopeless about *never* again eating [whatever your favorite is]. For each of the food groups, there is a separate pyramid that presents the basic choices in levels of desirability - in other words, choices can be made that are always desirable and preferred over all others, even if the other choices are not actually prohibited, per se. In the protein pyramid, processed and fried meats are not actually prohibited, but they are undesirable in comparison to the other choices, so they appear up at the peak of the pyramid, with a recommendation to limit their consumption. There are separate pyramids for vegetables, grains, fruit and sugars, fats and oils. Whole grains and legumes are allowed on the Hamptons Diet, in varying amounts depending on your individual needs/progress.

I can definitely see myself sticking to this one for the rest of my life, and I find myself becoming quite fond of the taste of mac-nut oil!

Dr. Pescatore explains clearly in the Hamptons Diet that where he differs from Dr. Atkins is in the amount and type of fats he recommends, not the basic principles. The Hamptons Diet prescribes the regular use of macadamia nut oil as the sole added fat, in place of all other choices. Because macadamia nut oil contains equally balanced omega-3 and omega-6 fats and is also the richest in monounsaturated omega-9 fats with a high smoke-point, he says it is by far the healthiest choice for everyone.

I am sure you are wondering about the differences between this plan and the South Beach Diet, given the similarity in their names and the timing of their publication. In this low-carber's opinion, the Hamptons Diet is far preferable. I base this opinion on the fact that while dairy products are not encouraged in large amounts on the Hamptons Diet, you may still choose to eat the less processed, full-fat, pure forms of these foods when you do choose to eat dairy. South Beach encourages liquid margarine substitutes in spite of warnings against hydrogenated and trans-fatty acids, and also encourages non-fat or low-fat dairy substitutes, in spite of the fact that the lower-fat versions of these foods consist mostly of chemicals.

One of Dr. Pescatore?s strongest consistent messages over the years, a message for which he has earned my utmost respect, is that we should ALL be eating REAL FOOD - the less processed, and the less manipulated, the better. He warns to never eat trans-fats, margarine, hydrogenated fats, or - this will be surprising to some - canola oil (completely man-made, and highly refined.) He also discourages the use of grapeseed oil.
Dr. Pescatore refers specifically to protein shakes, bars, and most commercially produced low-carb snack foods as ?crutches?. He states unequivocally that there is no such thing as a ?net? carbohydrate, and while still encouraging high fiber foods, says that the only number that counts on any label is the official total carb count. (Talk about taking a stand - hear, hear! for the complete lack of potential confusion in this message! HOW REFRESHING IS THAT.)

Dr. P also encourages organic foods, while recognizing that not everyone will be able to afford to eat organically all the time, including himself. He recommends if you can only afford to eat one organic food on a regular basis, to make it eggs. Organically-raised eggs tend to have a perfect 1 to 1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats, while the omega-6 fats (the ones we tend to get too many of) in commercial eggs can appear in a ratio of as great as 19 to 1!

It appears that even if his body is in the Hamptons most of the time these days, Dr. P's wallet and sensibilities have remained firmly in middle America. That is just one of the reasons that I recommend that you RUN - Don't Walk - and get your own copy of the Hamptons Diet.

HAMPTONS DIET SUMMARY:
- Encourages use of Australian macadamia nut oil in place of all other added oils and fats
- Encourages organic foods and discourages all highly processed foods
- Restricts total carb intake according to weight loss or maintenance phase, with no truly forbidden foods
- Introduces a whole new set of new food pyramids to help dieters make wise choices from each food category
- Encourages moderate alcohol consumption

This is one of the best diet books and healthiest plans I have ever read - and I've read a lot! It combines the Atkin's diet with good science and common sense. It finally taught me about the different oils - oincluding the canola oil myth. It is far superior to the Southbeach Diet book(which never seems to give a real diet plan, just menus). The two things I would change about the Hampton's book: 1. Give a more definite protein portion size (the recipes seem to be about 4 to 8 ounces per serving)and/or total daily protein count 2. Include a carbohydrate table. However, all in all, an excellent book!

I am so glad for the Hamptons Diet. If you take time to read this book and learn from Dr. Pescatore's 11 years of practicing nutritional medicine, you will see that this is the future of weight loss. It is the first sane, practical approach that I have ever seen. I can't tell you how much better it is than South Beach and heads and tails above Atkins. Talk about sellling one's soul. Atkins sold out long before he died and Agaston signing a deal with Kraft is like signing a deal with the devil. I could never recommend my patients to follow the Atkins program but thought I could recommend South Beach but I was upset by the lack of depth of any knowledge or information in that book.

As a cardiologist, monounsaturated fats are the healthiest fats to eat and Dr. Pescatore should be applauded for pointing that simple fact out and taking the time to explain how to understand cooking oils - by far the most misunderstood yet critical parts of our diet. And he does it in such a way that I have photocopied that chapter and hand it out to all my patients and they are all enjoying it much more than SB. I don't know what his interest in MacNut oil is but I sure wish I had thought about it - good going and keep up the great work Dr. P

I don't know about anyone else, but I have been doing this diet wihtout using macadamia nut oil and have had the same amazing results as the people in his book. I am using olive oil and some other oils and doign really well and have lost 18 pounds in one month following this program - the most weight I have ever lost. I had to read the book twice to see that Dr. Pescatore is simply giving us a healthy way to eat for the rest of one's life. He is trying to make sense of all the fads and trends out there to make low carb a sustainable way of life and to be healthy in the long run. I am so happy for Dr. Pescatore and The Hamptons Diet and I can't wait to lose more weight

Until I found The Hamptons Diet, I spent countless hours explaining to my clients why Atkins and South Beach were not the right way to lose weight and eat healthy. Dr. Pescatore's healthy approach to weight loss, taking the best of controlled carbs and the Mediterranean diet built on a whole, organic foods platform is right on the money! And anyone who knows even a little bit about the science of fats knows that monounsaturated fats should make up the majority of everyone's fat intake. My clients have found Macadamia nut oil at all their local health food stores and are making sure that the local grocers stock it, too. And while it costs more than the junk oils they're used to, nobody seems to mind spending a couple of dollars more for the results. They can't believe something that good can be healthy. So thank you Dr. Pescatore, now my clients can just buy The Hamptons Diet and spend all the extra time we spent on nutrition doing a few extra sets to get ready for the beach this summer!

As a physician, I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of this book and have already stared incorporating it into my practice. I am seeing amazing results with my patients and their weight loss and more importantly their health. Believe me, I have read almost every diet book out there and this one makes the most sense. I believe in low carbs, as I too was trained by Dr. Atkins, but always felt a bit uncomfortable with all that fat. As far as I know, this book is the only one that differentiates the good and bad fat backed by science. This book will ignite the medical community into learning about the power of nutrition. Furthermore, the recipes are outstanding, never could I have thought of some of these recipe ideas.

I'm a tried and true veteran dieter (just ask my husband). This diet is effortless because the recipes are so wonderful. This way of eating can easily become one's lfestyle. Concerning the price of MacNut Oil: Yes it is expensive, but I only use a 1-2 tablespoons/day and it is delicious. I pick the recipes that are affordable for our family. Many of the food such as ground chuck, chicken breast, and eggs are foods we normally eat. What's wonderful about this book is that the recipes make these foods taste amazing. I love this book. It's is easy to read. This will be a dietary lifestyle for me and my family. THANK YOU Dr. Pescatore!!

Finally, a diet that actually works and is easier to stick to than Atkins or South Beach. With easy to follow instructions, delicious recipes and ingredients it's easy to stick with it! I've lost 20 pounds already.

Who knew eating whole foods could actually help you lose weight and save money? Thank goodness for Dr. Pescatore. Had it not been for the Hamptons Diet I would have continued eating prepackaged so called low carb foods - like the Atkins foods - and watched both mine and my families cholesterol soar... not to mention my wallet thin out. This diet is so simple to follow and is affordable to anyone who enters any supermarket anywhere in the world. While it seems most diets these days are geared towards people who can spend exorbinant amounts of money on pre prepared foods - Dr. Pescatore's The Hamptons Diet is the first diet actually geared towards lower income families... like mine.

If you've read the South Beach Diet book or one of the Atkins books, then you've already learned everything that author Pescatore presents in this second-rate offering.

Reduce (or eliminate) your consumption of simple carbs (refined flour, sugar, etc.), increase your consumption of lean meats, fish, vegetables, and high-fiber fruits, and drink alcohol in moderation, if at all. That's the book. Most of the book is comprised of recipes which seem to require a Hamptons-sized income to afford the ingredients (poor folk, apparently, don't deserve to be thin).

Oh--then there's this: a running theme throughout the book is the author's rant against most cooking oils (they're bad for us, we're told). Canola oil is especially bad for some reason (we're never told exactly *why*), and olive oil is only good if you buy the expensive "estate-bottled extra virgin" variety, whatever that is.

But, lucky for us, Pescatore offers an alternative: macadamia nut oil. And not just any Macadamia nut oil--Australian macadamia nut oil. And not just any Australian macadamia nut oil, but a specific brand of the oil. This brand is difficult to find in the U.S., but Pescatore helpfully provides us with a web address for the manufacturer. Guess who happens to own this Australian macadamia nut oil company? Yup. Noneother than the author himself.

Now, for all I know, his whole story about the virtues of macadamia nut oil is completely true. The problem here is one of credibility. The fact that the single most important ingredient in his entire diet--the one thing, in fact, that differentiates his diet from all the other low-carb plans out there--is a product that he himself manufactures and sells, leaves a bad taste in the mouth, and leads one to question the motives behind everything else he recommends.