I'm a retired librarian who reads books on nutrition. The career I wanted was the one Dr Hyman has. I invested in a couple years of premed studies after_ my post-bac degree and then worked for a year at the med school in the city where I was living then. I did this because I wanted to help people avoid the problems I'd had with my health. My spouse is in his 50s, as is Dr. Hyman. I mention this because older people (me) will heal, but will do so more slowly - and I've noticed this in reviews and talks I've listened to - so don't give up if you are trying to use this program.
In late January Dr. Hyman interviewed via podcast others of his ilk on his "Facts or Fat" health summit. At that time we purchased this book. We've been eating a grain and dairy free diet much like what he describes for almost 2 years - 75% of our dinner plates covered with veggies and grass fed, or wild caught meat, (red, white, fish), 25%. No processed food. Bullet proof tea or coffee in the AM - with grass fed collagen, usually veggie leftovers or healthy raw stuff at lunch. It was hard at first, but has become much easier as we don't spend as much time preparing food, nor do we buy as much food now as both of us have gradually lost our excess weight (and visceral fat) and are not as hungry as we were when we started the program because our gut microbiota were used to our over consumption of refined carbohydrates - on what we believed was a "healthy" eating regimen. Also we've begun to exercise again - we feel so good.
This book explains why the scientific advice given about food consumption by our government agencies is wrong and how we got in the fix of believing that a "low-fat, healthy whole grain diet" is the best diet for optimal health - It provides this explanation more briefly than Gary Taubes, whose two books are very detailed - but also very readable - depending on your level of interest and whether you want to change your diet or just educate yourself. Taubes is a science writer, Hyman is a doctor who has seen a lot of patients. Hyman's book includes recipes. Taubes book (why we get fat and what we can do about it) has a printable sheet for your frig, but iirc, no recipes. Hyman explains briefly but very clearly why we need good fats in our diets (and what they should be) and what the ratio of omega 3s to omega 6es should be (not information that is easy to find elsewhere, imo). It also exonerates all of us who have felt bad because "common knowledge" dictates that it is our fault for being overweight - we are lacking in will power and don't exercise enough, of course - when the actual reason that we have gained weight is because of the disproportionate amount of refined carbs in our diets that causes metabolic syndrome, or insulin resistance. But we need good, healthy fats to support the function of the approximately 3 lbs of fat that compose the tissue of our brains. This is problematic on a Western diet and there is so much conflicting information (and research) on this topic. This book has addressed all of my questions and concerns such as, what about fiber, what about the best oil or fat, what about supplements. How much protein do I need. What kind of carbohydrates can I eat. Does red meat cause cancer. Why is my friend looking /feeling so poorly on statins - should women use them, etc.
Book is divided into 4 parts, 1) how we got to this state, 2) why eating the right kinds of fat is so important 3) a plan to follow 4) cooking and recipes. It explains bad food combinations like refined carbs and fat. It explains the complexity of research that tries to isolate nutritional elements of the diet. It explains new gen lab tests (such as the CardioIQ test offered by Quest) that will help you and your functional medicine doctor determine your actual risk of CVD - because they tell you the diameter of those tiny LDL particles, rather than just their frequency.
I like Dr Hyman's efforts to build consensus around this topic. For example, for many years I've been curious about the Ornish diet and lifestyle modifications - because they are reportedly very successful, but I've always known I'd have trouble staying on a diet of less than 10% fat - even with lots of help from a good "social network". Dr Hyman is generous and kind as he explains why the research doesn't support such extreme dietary modification.
I do wish our medical system was more "responsive" to our basic human needs - such as "why am I sick, how can I get better by changing or supplementing my diet". I've been among those in "ordinary poor health" (Linus Pauling's phrase) with problems that conventional medical doctors would NOT or could NOT treat because I cannot use big pharma developed drugs. This book is a major departure from others like it because the program it describes is one that you can maintain for many years for the purpose of either staying healthy, or regaining good health - and you'll never be hungry and you'll also NOT lose your mind as you age. Give it a try - having done so with my partner we both won't ever go back.
This book is really an important book. It's not that you can't get this information from other sources, it is_ nothing new really. But it contains all_ the answers and info you will need to figure out how to eat to be healthy. Dr Hyman has been asked by the Cleveland Clinic to set up a functional medicine clinic. Functional medicine does_ teach nutrition and does try to help patients find the root cause of their chronic disease. It isn't just about checking your vital signs and writing a prescription for a drug. Our bodies can heal and we are all smart enough to figure this out but the costs of our health care are absolutely mind boggling and this is going to get worse because the western world is exporting its cheap processed food to the entire globe.
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Mark Hyman, MD
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A Changed Life (One Year After Reading This Book)
Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2017
This book changed my life. I read the book exactly one year ago and can't believe the changes in my body. I've always tried to eat healthfully -- whole grains, low fat, dairy -- but as I have aged, I was starting to notice that I couldn't lose weight anymore. I also was forgetting things and was noticing that my skin was very dry. I thought that this was just natural with aging (after all I'm in my 50s). I had run blood tests with the doctors and was always told that I was "normal." I'm 5' 5" and weighed 150 pounds a year ago -- I was becoming overweight and on the verge of having to buy a new wardrobe because my stomach was getting too big. That's when I started Hyman's eating plan. I love bread and really couldn't imagine a life without it; however, I finally decided to brave it for three weeks to see if I would really feel any different (like Hyman claims).On July 8, 2016, I removed all sugar, grains, and dairy (except for pastured butter) and added more veggies, sweet potatoes, pastured beef, fresh organic chicken, pastured eggs, tofu, nuts, and healthy oils. It was tough the first week -- my body felt a bit weird, I got a strange headache on the first night, and figuring out what to eat in a pinch was especially hard. However, I really enjoyed the food. I'm not much of a cook, but even I could figure out how to cut and sauté some squash. Surprisingly, after a few days, my body started to feel satiated -- I wasn't getting the munchies which had always sent me running to snack on cereal or bread. By the second week, I started to have more energy (like a LOT more energy) and suddenly I was thinking more clearly than I had in many years. By three months I noticed my skin was no longer dry and I rarely needed any lotion. By six months I noticed my fingernails were strong and growing very quickly. My hair's texture also changed -- it became thicker, straighter, and stronger. Oh, and I lost 15 pounds in one year without ever feeling hungry or deprived. (Just FYI, I've always exercised a bit, but I did not need to exercise more than normal for this to happen.)I know I probably sound like a hack for Hyman to get you to buy his book, but I'm not. In fact, I do have a few negative comments to make: 1) To be honest, I hate the title of his book -- it feels like some terrible diet plan, and I'm often embarrassed to tell people the name. Trust me, it is not a fad diet. It is a whole education and a new way of life. 2) I found the recipes a bit difficult (as I mentioned, I'm not much of a cook). Also, he uses a lot of exotic ingredients in his recipes and doesn't really think about things seasonally (that's important to me, so I'm trying to incorporate that in my own diet). 3) He is a bit paranoid about the government. I personally agree with a lot of his views, but some people find it off-putting.Since reading Eat Fat, Get Thin, I have listened to hundreds of podcasts about food, diet, health, and functional medicine. I discovered that this diet is very similar to a few other diets such as the Paleo diet or the Ketogenic diet. However, if you are new to this idea of adding more healthy fats in the diet and removing grains and sugar, I highly recommend this book first since Hyman does a great job of compiling and explaining the data in a simple, straight-forward way. While I didn't really find the recipes at the end that useful, I have a friend who cooked all of them and loved them. (Maybe I'll give them another try?)So after one year on this plan, the bad news is that I ultimately did have to buy a new wardrobe anyway -- only in a smaller size!
Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2017
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Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 29, 2016
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 9, 2017
On July 8, 2016, I removed all sugar, grains, and dairy (except for pastured butter) and added more veggies, sweet potatoes, pastured beef, fresh organic chicken, pastured eggs, tofu, nuts, and healthy oils. It was tough the first week -- my body felt a bit weird, I got a strange headache on the first night, and figuring out what to eat in a pinch was especially hard. However, I really enjoyed the food. I'm not much of a cook, but even I could figure out how to cut and sauté some squash. Surprisingly, after a few days, my body started to feel satiated -- I wasn't getting the munchies which had always sent me running to snack on cereal or bread. By the second week, I started to have more energy (like a LOT more energy) and suddenly I was thinking more clearly than I had in many years. By three months I noticed my skin was no longer dry and I rarely needed any lotion. By six months I noticed my fingernails were strong and growing very quickly. My hair's texture also changed -- it became thicker, straighter, and stronger. Oh, and I lost 15 pounds in one year without ever feeling hungry or deprived. (Just FYI, I've always exercised a bit, but I did not need to exercise more than normal for this to happen.)
I know I probably sound like a hack for Hyman to get you to buy his book, but I'm not. In fact, I do have a few negative comments to make: 1) To be honest, I hate the title of his book -- it feels like some terrible diet plan, and I'm often embarrassed to tell people the name. Trust me, it is not a fad diet. It is a whole education and a new way of life. 2) I found the recipes a bit difficult (as I mentioned, I'm not much of a cook). Also, he uses a lot of exotic ingredients in his recipes and doesn't really think about things seasonally (that's important to me, so I'm trying to incorporate that in my own diet). 3) He is a bit paranoid about the government. I personally agree with a lot of his views, but some people find it off-putting.
Since reading Eat Fat, Get Thin, I have listened to hundreds of podcasts about food, diet, health, and functional medicine. I discovered that this diet is very similar to a few other diets such as the Paleo diet or the Ketogenic diet. However, if you are new to this idea of adding more healthy fats in the diet and removing grains and sugar, I highly recommend this book first since Hyman does a great job of compiling and explaining the data in a simple, straight-forward way. While I didn't really find the recipes at the end that useful, I have a friend who cooked all of them and loved them. (Maybe I'll give them another try?)
So after one year on this plan, the bad news is that I ultimately did have to buy a new wardrobe anyway -- only in a smaller size!
A Changed Life (One Year After Reading This Book)
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 9, 2017
This book changed my life. I read the book exactly one year ago and can't believe the changes in my body. I've always tried to eat healthfully -- whole grains, low fat, dairy -- but as I have aged, I was starting to notice that I couldn't lose weight anymore. I also was forgetting things and was noticing that my skin was very dry. I thought that this was just natural with aging (after all I'm in my 50s). I had run blood tests with the doctors and was always told that I was "normal." I'm 5' 5" and weighed 150 pounds a year ago -- I was becoming overweight and on the verge of having to buy a new wardrobe because my stomach was getting too big. That's when I started Hyman's eating plan. I love bread and really couldn't imagine a life without it; however, I finally decided to brave it for three weeks to see if I would really feel any different (like Hyman claims).Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 9, 2017
On July 8, 2016, I removed all sugar, grains, and dairy (except for pastured butter) and added more veggies, sweet potatoes, pastured beef, fresh organic chicken, pastured eggs, tofu, nuts, and healthy oils. It was tough the first week -- my body felt a bit weird, I got a strange headache on the first night, and figuring out what to eat in a pinch was especially hard. However, I really enjoyed the food. I'm not much of a cook, but even I could figure out how to cut and sauté some squash. Surprisingly, after a few days, my body started to feel satiated -- I wasn't getting the munchies which had always sent me running to snack on cereal or bread. By the second week, I started to have more energy (like a LOT more energy) and suddenly I was thinking more clearly than I had in many years. By three months I noticed my skin was no longer dry and I rarely needed any lotion. By six months I noticed my fingernails were strong and growing very quickly. My hair's texture also changed -- it became thicker, straighter, and stronger. Oh, and I lost 15 pounds in one year without ever feeling hungry or deprived. (Just FYI, I've always exercised a bit, but I did not need to exercise more than normal for this to happen.)
I know I probably sound like a hack for Hyman to get you to buy his book, but I'm not. In fact, I do have a few negative comments to make: 1) To be honest, I hate the title of his book -- it feels like some terrible diet plan, and I'm often embarrassed to tell people the name. Trust me, it is not a fad diet. It is a whole education and a new way of life. 2) I found the recipes a bit difficult (as I mentioned, I'm not much of a cook). Also, he uses a lot of exotic ingredients in his recipes and doesn't really think about things seasonally (that's important to me, so I'm trying to incorporate that in my own diet). 3) He is a bit paranoid about the government. I personally agree with a lot of his views, but some people find it off-putting.
Since reading Eat Fat, Get Thin, I have listened to hundreds of podcasts about food, diet, health, and functional medicine. I discovered that this diet is very similar to a few other diets such as the Paleo diet or the Ketogenic diet. However, if you are new to this idea of adding more healthy fats in the diet and removing grains and sugar, I highly recommend this book first since Hyman does a great job of compiling and explaining the data in a simple, straight-forward way. While I didn't really find the recipes at the end that useful, I have a friend who cooked all of them and loved them. (Maybe I'll give them another try?)
So after one year on this plan, the bad news is that I ultimately did have to buy a new wardrobe anyway -- only in a smaller size!
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 18, 2023
Top reviews from other countries
Eileen C
Great ideas - love it!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 28, 2019
Mrs. Barbara Griffiths
Love fat lose carbs
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on October 2, 2018Amazon Customer
Great book, the diet really works
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 16, 2016
