Customer Reviews

Natural Hormonal Enhancement

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As a personal trainer and a lifetime drug-free bodybuilder, I am constantly searching for new material to help me better understand the underlying principles of optimum health and optimum physique development. Rob Faigin's Natural Hormonal Enhancement stands out as an honest attempt at getting to the essential information-- in fact, there isn't a page of filler in the entire book. Faigin lays out the results of thousands of scientific studies published in recent medical journals, and the information is so clearly laid out that it will leave you wanting to read more. I could summarize the book, but a fantastic summary (as well as the table of contents) already exists on the NHE website: www.extique.com. The only books that I've discovered up until this point that I whole-heartedly recommend are this one, Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill by Dr. Udo Erasmus, and Dr. Michael Colgan's Sports Nutrition Guide.
Enjoy the read, and let me know what you think!

...applicable health book I have read. Rob Faigin's physique speaks for itself. To clear up the point about beef and insulin mentioned by one of the reviewers: Rob Faigin makes it very clear that protein foods like beef also stimulate glucagon, a hormone antagonistic to insulin. As long as one reads the book thoroughly and doesn't overlook crucial points, Natural Hormonal Enhancement will clear up a whole lot of points that have been widely misunderstood.

For lack of superlatives original enough to sound convincing I'll say it straight and simple: Don't miss out on this book! Natural Hormonal Enhancement marks the beginning of the hormonal revolution that is changing our understanding of health and metabolism forever.

Learn how to enhance your physique the natural way, by eating smart and optimizing your own hormonal release. Finally, someone who is not afraid to explain exactly why the USDA, FDA, Atkins and all the others are all telling half-truths! Backed with detailed explanations of chemical reactions within the body, this is a diet book written for those who want to burn the fat but enhance the body. This is the only program I have seen that offers extensive footlists for the avid reader to research for themselves, in order to more fully understand the lies that have been promulgated by the "health industry." If you are serious about being healthy and not just emaciated, you MUST read this book. I've tried it and feel more mentally lucid, my energy swings were replaced with level balanced energy, and my high blood pressure leveled off. A must read!

This book really ties it all together. Over the years I have read many of the better known diet books. While many are contradictory, virtually all of them agree that sugar should be avoided, if not eliminated from the diet.

Focusing on the hormonal response to food, as Rob Faigin does in this book, it becomes clear why sugar and other refined carbohydrates are so bad, if consumed on a daily basis. One reviewer (who apparently didn't read the book carefully) asks: "If the whole goal is to work the ATP/CP and Glycolytic system (glucose as source of energy) then why would you refrain from ingesting carbohydrates". The response is: that is NOT the "whole goal", or even a part of the goal. On page 166, Rob Faigin states: "The notion that glucose (derived from dietary carbohydrate) is necessary for energy fails to appreciate the fact that free fatty acids (derived from bodyfat and dietary fat) can, like glucose, be broken down to ATP. And...free fatty acids are the superior of the two fuel sources for 95% of your daily activity." The goal, as is implied by the title of the book, is to control the hormonal response to food!

That same reviewer complained that Mr. Faigin used Muscle and Fitness "as one of his sources". I couldn't find that source mentioned anywhere in the more than 1,484 references cited in the 20 Chapters of the book. Clearly this book is well documented with citations from over a thousand articles in well respected scientific publications. Even giving the reviewer the benefit of the doubt, so what if one source out of over a thousand was Muscle and Fitness?

This book is clearly NOT hype nor a waste of money. I highly recommend it.

NHE is incredibly well-researched, yet completely comprehensible to the average reader. Faigin seems to have quite a sense of humor, too. The cyclical eating plan is much more effective than both high-carb and low-carb diets for health, musculature and weight loss.
In response to the reviewer who discussed protein's insulin response, Faigin does address this point: on page 80, second footnote, he points out that amino acid profile, fat content and the degree to which a food has been processed all affect insulin response to protein. "Proteins like beef, which contain a high concentration of the amino acid lysine, tend to be more insulinogenic than other protein sources." NHE, however, does *not* rely on glycemic index and protein is considered a preferred macronutrient based on its thermogenic effect.

I read this book about one year ago and decided to give it a shot. First off, this book is not only about dieting, its also about how to exercise to achieve good health. I am 41 years old and have been as heavy as 226lbs. I had been an on/off again weight lifter for years, and tried to lose weight via cardio and dieting with less than spectacular results. All of the diets that severely limited calories left my body weak and caused joint injuries that I am suffering through to this day. I tried normal calorie intake with low fat high protein with vigorous weight training and 45+ minutes of cardio four times per week, but never got below 20% body fat at about 190lbs.

When I went on the Fagin diet I noticed that I lost a predictable amount of weight each week, about four pounds for the first 1.5 months. I kept the nut consumption low, the oily fish consumption high, and made sure to get lots of extra virgin olive oil as well. I am rarely hungry with this diet, and when I am I just eat a few small pieces of chicken breast dipped in olive oil, or a table spoon of olive oil or peanut butter and I am not hungry for a couple of hours. I never feel weak or tired like I do on low-fat-high-protein diets, nor perpetually injured as on low-carb diets. My weight loss on low fat diets was never impressive, with a max weight loss of 15 pounds with very hard work. This is explained by the carbs creating an insulin response to store fat instead of burning it, according to Faigin. Low carb diets worked OK for me for a while, but after a few months I would feel like I was slowing wearing down, joints become stiff and I started losing energy becoming tired and suffering from joint pain. This was due to the perpetual glucagon catabolic cycle tearing my body down, according to Faigin.

The bottom line is Faigin accurately predicted every problem that I have had with low carb and low fat diets. Faigin also accurately predicted the outcome if I used his natural homoronal diet and exercise regimen, which was a lower weight set-point, feeling younger, less tired, faster muscle growth and I only work out not even twice per week. I hope everyone else gets as spectacular results.

This book is the Health Bible for those who wish to lose weight and keep it off. And for those who wish to stimulate their own's bodies' production of the all important Human Growth Hormone by combining exercise and the proper nutrition. One of the most important books I've ever read. Mr. Faigin's research is thorough and the book is well footnoted with the medical references he sites. The downfall of the human diet is historically mapped, starting with the change to grains during the Agricultural Revolution. Degenerative diseases began to afflict mankind at that point, then the diseases made further quantum inroads with the invention of processed foods. This book is a must read. It gets a bit technical with the explanations of the endocrine system and so forth, but this is knowledge that we all should be aware of.

Rob Faigin has authored a very powerful book which is both informative and compelling for the lay person and the health professional alike.

This material is not meant to fulfill the extremes of chemicaly induced gauntness or artificial muscle-head aesthetic typically showcased in television and newstands as attractive.

In applying the techniques that are well defined, one will discover a lifetime's practice of a balanced diet (without calorie counting)and exercise (without overtraining)that does not require undue denial/suppression. The common denominator to all of the aforementioned habits(whether as a cause or effect)are hormones. Specifically, insulin, glucagon, testosterone and hgh. It is then no surprise to learn that as we reflect back to the times in our life when we felt most alive, energetic, optimistic and yes, happy, we were most hormonally charged. Conversely, when we were most unhappy, depressed, lethargic, we were hormonally imbalanced, as in our teens (unless you were highly active with exercise, which of course promotes hormonal output). If you are seeking the fountain of youth, look no further than the powerful resources within your own body and supporting/optimizing their natural functions.

As a person who is hereditarily pre-disposed to diabetes and heart disease, this book has provided me with the necessary tools to subvert these formidable life draining diseases. As further testimony, a close friend of mine was suffering from off-the-chart triglycerides and high cholestorol and couldn't understand why. After reading a section of the book on insulin, I realized his daily regimen of Jamba-Juice fruit smoothy was the culprit. Sure enough, as he stopped taking this everday, his levels dropped dramatically. There you have it, factual evidence to support the thesis. Although, don't take my word for it. This could perhaps be the most well-researched/bibliographed book I have ever read, good thing you put that law degree to use Rob. I would sooner consult this book on that basis than any of the complacent medical "professionals" who perpetuate disease containment through synthetics as their methodology to health.

Thanks for the life-long gift!

First off, I am an overweight woman in her early 30's and I AM ADDICTED TO CARBS/SUGAR!! My husband, however, (who loves to bodybuild and trains for triathalons) easily does this diet, swears by it, loves it, promotes it, and has helped me attempt it a few times. So I feel my review will be good for both men and women, any class, whether you bodybuild or whether you are like me - I sit in my chair, drink coffee, love to shop, and go "uhhhhh" when my hubby says: "Are you going to the gym tonight?"

Here's our experience:

First off, this is scientific. It's accurate. What Rob says is IT. It's not the Atkins diet - it's much more reasonable. You deplete your carbs for the first week, but soon add them in, just not too much. For my husband, he does this with ease, sticks to the program. For me, the first few days are AWFUL and I get very irritable and angry. But if I hang in there, hour by hour, it goes away; and then I feel.........WONDERFUL. My energy, my blood sugar, my mood, all level. My cravings disappear. I am not hungry; sometimes I forget to eat. No bloating, no gas, I feel light, I feel strong. Why I go off this and binge, I don't know. I am a person with very low self-control when it comes to eating. I enjoy pleasure, I love chocolate, cake, sugar, even cereal, so it really takes discipline, but it confuses me as to why I behave this way, because when I am following NHE I feel so great and healthy, don't crave or need sugar, and I know I am doing many positive things for my body. I also lose weight easily (which, for me, is my main reason for doing this. However, as I am pre-dispositioned for diabetes, and I am now in my 30's, not getting any younger, I am considering doing this for health reasons, not just to fit into my skinny jeans! So here is the success I have had each time I have done this:

1) when I was 21 I did this for one month but didn't have time to exercise. Just with the eating portion of the plan, I lost 10 lbs in one month. Had I exercised I could have increased weight loss by 50-100%.
2) 10 years later, when I was 31, I started this on January 1st (of this year). In 9 days I lost 9 lbs. After that I wasn't so strict. I did cheat more than I should have, but I tried to follow it the best I could, and I exercised 4-5 days a week, weights and cardio, and lost 17 lbs in 6 weeks.

Now for my husband's success on this plan (and he has done this for longer than 6 weeks!)

I have seen my husband go back on this plan 3 times. Each time he loses a significant amount of weight. A few years ago he lost 65 lbs in 6 months. This time he started on August 1st. In one month he lost around 25 lbs. Today, November 6th, he has lost 56 lbs. 56 lbs in 3 months!! Amazing! But here is someone who works out most days and isn't tempted to cheat. So really, it's all what you put into it, but either way, you'll lose something!

Don't forget, it's a lifestyle. Take advantage of sunlight. Exercise "intelligently", not harder but smarter. Do your research/reading on growth hormone. Understand what it is your body is doing and it will give you more motivation to do it! I think this is part of my problem as I have not actually read the book in 10 years. I memorized most of it but would like to go back and refresh my memory as to all the many reasons why this plan benefits my body. But one thing I always remember (when I am not on this plan) is how GOOD I feel when I am on it. I feel crummy with too many carbs - bloated, icky. On NHE I feel like a well-oiled machine! So I am stocking up today on groceries, starting this tomorrow, and on my way to my final goal: 25 lbs until my Mexican cruise, 45 lbs for the year!! Whoo hoo!

I have been reading about low carb diet since Dan Duchaine Bodyopus and other bodybuilding reference site & or books. There seems to be much disagreement to what is best for optimum result & health. This 1 book has brought enough evidence on the table to get me to try the plan the moment I finished reading.... I highly recommend the book... The plan, time will tell but I do not see how it would fail.