Most Helpful Customer Reviews
212 of 216 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Linking and Balancing Really Works, March 22, 2001
With middle age approaching, and after several unsuccessful dieting attempts, I didn't think I would ever lose all the extra weight I had been carrying around. I went to Dr. Hart's Wellness Workshop last year truly in despair. Dr. Hart and Mary Kay were genuinely interested in getting to the bottom of my problem. Using their simple-to-follow eating plan, I have lost 50 pounds in the past year, lowered my cholesterol, and I feel great. I haven't been "on a diet", but have learned to change the way I organize my meals and think about foods. I even went on vacation, ate and drank what I wanted, and still came home a pound lighter! Use this book to lose weight, but teach its principles to your family too, so they can avoid developing insulin-resistance and the diseases related to it.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
204 of 211 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Easier to understand, simpler to follow than most diet books, September 10, 2002
There are quite a few books that propose a similar theory about food, diet and health. But "The Insulin-Resistance Diet" is probably the easiest to understand, the best-written and most no-nonsense of the lot. The basic theory is this: an excess of certain types of carbohydrates, namely sugars and starches, exhaust the body's ability to respond to insulin. Insulin is the hormone that allows your body to use sugar (glucose) which is the basic gasoline that runs your muscles and brain. We break starches and complex sugars like the high-fructose corn syrup in your soda and the sucrose in your coffee, plus the starches in breads, cereals and vegetables down to that basic component glucose. Only then can the body fuel itself. But, too much starch, too much sugar and the body, over time, loses its ability to respond to the insulin that's released, and we get Type II diabetes. We still can make insulin, but no longer make the receptors that pick it up. When insulin and receptors bind together, it sends a message thats tells the cells what to do with that glucose. The solution here is to eat a combination of carbs with protein to prevent too much insulin from having to be released, and to avoid high-glycemic foods, which means those foods that break down into LOTS of glucose. This is so simple. I've been doing this for a month, and I've lost a bit of weight, which for me is a difficult thing. I feel far less hungry if I follow the ideas here--mixing cottage cheese with lower glycemic foods like potatoes or whole grain rye, avoiding white rice, sweets and other problematic foods. I still sneak an ice cream or a roll once in a while, but I know how to balance it with a high protein, low fat cheese or tofu. While I have to watch that I don't eat just carbs for a meal, it is rewarding not to feel so hungry. Hey, this works.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
428 of 450 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's not so much what you eat, but how you eat it....., September 27, 2002
THE INSULIN-RESISTANCE DIET was written by Cheryle Hart, a medical doctor trained at the Mayo clinic, and Mary Kay Grossman, a Registered Dietician. The authors bring the most-up-to-date research into the discussion of how to lose weight and keep it off. Their theory resonates with me. My experience has shown me that simply eating less (especially fat) and exercising don't make a difference. When I was younger, I used to be able to keep weight off with ease. When I reached my fifties, the going got harder. I eat much less today than ever. I don't drink alcohol or soft drinks. I don't eat desserts. I seldom eat bread, and when I do it's usually multi grain. I eat lots of fish and chicken, yogurt and cottage cheese, vegetables and fruits. I exercise moderately by walking, climbing stairs, parking far from the door. I do stretches every day (sit-ups, etc.). I've started the insulin diet because it makes sense. Basically, I eat about the same things I have been eating, but do it differently. The authors show you how to "link" foods so that the compliment each other and induce the body to make less insulin. Insulin is the hormone our ancestors needed to deal with the starving times. Today, most of us aren't starving most of the time, so insulin actually becomes dysfunctional. The authors explain the process--how our bodies manufacture too much insulin in response to the foods we eat and when we eat them--and how it can lead to Type II Diabetes. Then they explain how you can change the pattern and be healthier--and slimmer. Carbohydrates can be a problem, but you should not give them up. The authors suggest carbo-depriving can make you unhealthy. Diets overly reliant on protein can cause kidney damage. Balancing what you eat is the key. Our ancestors did not eat steak everyday. Survival and reproduction required some protein and fat, but most likely they ate lots of plants and fruits. But this information isn't new. The USDA has been saying for years we should eat vegetables, fruits, protein, and some fats and complex carbohydrates. Grossman and Hart suggest the way you combine these foods can actually help you lose weight and keep it off. The book contains food lists, recipes, and meals. Also included are lists of items you can order from your favorite fast food joint. Apparently, you can find healthy choices in even the worst circumstances.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192250339_.gif){kind=small}
