The Protein Power Lifeplan Gram Counter (Mass Market Paperback)

by M.D. Michael R. Eades (Author), M. D. Mary Dan Eades (Author)
Key Phrases: dried pine nuts, roasted cured, roasted dark meat, New Zealand, Chocolate Bar Hershey, Candy Bar Hershey (more...)

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; 1st edition (January 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446608246
• ISBN-13: 978-0446608244
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #77,889 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

137 of 143 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Portable companion guide to ideas in Protein Power Lifeplan, December 10, 2000

By	Levi Wallach (Vienna, VA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Protein Power Lifeplan graham counter

The Protein Power Lifeplan Gram Counter is a companion to Dr. Michael Eades' and Mary Dan Eades', M.D.'s recent "Protein Power Lifeplan," a follow-up to their popular "Protein Power" which was published in 1995. The Eades are a husband-and-wife team that has a joint practice where they dish out the same advice as in their books - that of a restricted carbohydrate diet. But unlike the much more popular Dr. Atkins Diet, the Eades concentrate much more on gaining the best nutritional bang for your buck on the few (at least on the initial phase of the diet) carbohydrates you can have on their diet. The gram counter is helpful as it counts not only carbohydrates, but also fiber, protein and the breakdown of different fats that make up their nutritional philosophy.

This gram counter does not go into the philosophy behind their diet, so I'll try to summarize it here: it is not fat that makes us fat, gives us diseases like diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, etc. Rather it is sugar. Starches, since they are basically the same thing as sugar (just chained together and easily broken into their component sugars in the digestive process), are counted as well. The body produces the hormone insulin when carbs are ingested. The more carbs we have in our diet, the more insulin is produced. Insulin is used by the body to remove sugar from the bloodstream, where it can cause harm. Unfortunately, according to the Eades, the insulin that removes it can also cause devastating harm, including all the above-mentioned ailments and then some. In addition, when exposed to these large amounts of insulin, the body slowly becomes more and more resistant to the hormone and the body has to produce more of it to have the same effect, so it is a vicious cycle. The end of this cycle results when the body is so resistant that it simply can't produce enough and adult onset diabetes occurs.

Of course the Eades are quick to point out that this is a theory that has not been proven via huge double blind scientific studies, but rather hinted at by smaller studies indicating the validity of components of the theory. However, they also point out that the whole idea behind fat causing all these health problems in the first place is also just that - an IDEA. It is a hypothesis that the whole medical industry latched onto 25 or 30 years ago, because it made some logical sense at the time, and has only recently started to let go on the edges despite there being absolutely no proof that low fat diets are conducive to health, and many that indicate the exact opposite.

The carbohydrates listed are based on the "Effective Carbohydrate Count" or ECC, which subtracts the amount of grams of fiber from the total carbohydrate count to give a more accurate nutritional picture, since the normal digestive process does not absorb fiber.

As far as the fat breakdown in the gram counter goes, they break fats down into mono-unsaturated fats and saturated fats, as well as both Omega-6 fatty acids and Omega-3 fatty acids. The media and medical communities have concentrated on saturated versus unsaturated fats, missing many finer points that the Eades contend are important in terms of fat consumption. According to them, the body needs all types of fat and can actually saturate and desaturate dietary fat when needed. What is more important to look at, they say, is whether the fat is one containing primarily Omega-6 fatty acids as opposed to Omega-3's. Most people get way too much Omega-6 compared to Omega-3 because most of the polyunsaturated vegetable oils used for cooking both commercially and in the home contain mostly Omega-6. Omega-3's are found in fairly less common items like some fish like sardines, salmon, tuna, and cod-liver-oil. Though they do not specify these in the gram counter, in the main book, they do continually stress the importance of avoiding "trans-fats" which are fats (primarily soybean but also other vegetable oils) that have been synthetically altered in order to stay solid at room temperatures. These are in most processed foods (look for the words "partially hydrogenated"), plus just about all mayonnaise and margarine. The body does not know what to do with these fats because they aren't natural, so it just uses them in its cells like all other fat, and this can cause many health problems. The Eades suggest using only butter (also clarified butter), olive oil, and nut oils for cooking, sauces, etc., canola-oil mayonnaise, and avoiding foods that contain anything other than these oils, and especially anything with trans fats.

Basically, the book is not of much use without the underlying theories behind it, but as long as you understand these, it is of enormous help. I would have preferred some sort of indication of trans-fats and perhaps a rating of how good a particular food was in terms of its anti-oxidant content, but I guess you can't have everything! Adding these other readings might have added too much bulk to the book. Right now it is slightly smaller than most small soft cover books, and is less than half an inch thick, yet covers all food groups in good detail. It is organized well and it does not take you a couple of minutes to sort through all the myriad varieties of different foods, the way some of the more comprehensive food counters do. I guess it depends on what you're looking for - portability or thoroughness, though even the most thorough of the other food counters do not break foods down into Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids.

74 of 76 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Guide to Meaningful Nutritional Numbers, July 6, 2000

By	Al the Pal "Al the Pal" (The Fruited Plain, United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

I started the "Protein Power" lifestyle change nearly a year ago and am maintaining my weight loss by "keeping score" of what I eat. This guide is an essential reference on that count. I wish I'd had it when I started last year. It is especially handy if you are traveling on this diet; it is not as bulky as the whole Protein Power book. (See my review of "Protein Power"; "Prove Your Mother Wrong, Eat Prime Rib!")

It is arranged by food groups: Breads, Cereals and Grains; Dairy Products; Fish, Seafood and Shellfish; Fruits and Fruit Juices; and so on. I never realized how many species of fish we eat until I leafed through that section! They list lots of foods I didn't even know were edible or available.

It lists the ECC (Effective Carbohydrate Count), Fiber, Calories, Protein, Saturated Fat, Monounsaturated Fat, Omega-6 and Omega-3 fat ratios as appropriate for each category of food. All foods omit some of the categories that are not significant for them. All foods list the Calories and Omega fats.

There is a good introduction with some backround information on why each category scored for each food is important. It does not go into any detail about the whole diet plan, so this is truely a supplement to the original diet book. There is also a brief area in the back with lists of "rich sources" for several key nutrients.

If you have a thorough understanding of the "Protein Power" diet and lifeplan and why this data is important, this book will be a valuable reference. I wouldn't buy it until you have read the complete diet book unless you are just looking for a "calorie counter."

52 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Pocket Guide, Wish it had weights, March 20, 2000

By A Customer

I am finding this handy little book very useful for knowing not only the Carbo content of a lot of food, but also the fat, types of fat and the total calories. Surprisingly, Butter is a good source for Omega 3 oils.

My only wish is that they would include gram or ounce weights for the portions of food measured. For instance, how do I measure Eggplant slices by the cup? But overall, very helpful.