5 comments about The Volumetrics Eating Plan CD.

1. This is a good book but obviously you need to be serious about a diet plan or no book will help.



2. I've been watching my weight for years - watching it go up, and up, and up. Until I found this book and it's companion, The Volumetrics Weight Control Plan, I was bogged down by a sense of helplessness and hopelessness. Now - not so much. It didn't turn me into a food saint overnight, but it made me look at what I was eating and choose better ways to pack everything I really liked in 1800 calories a day. I started doing that, and I started losing weight immediately. This eating plan (hate saying the word "die-it") really works, and kids, if it works for me - the self-pitying fat lady - it'll work for you. It's got great recipes and sound medical research to back up the premise. It's not flashy or glitzy. She's not trying to sell supplements or miracle cures. She just tells you how to feel full on fewer calories. There's nothing revolutionary about the science, just the presentation. If you want to lose weight permanently - this is the books, kids. You'll feel full, eat all those things you love, and lose weight. Honest!



3. The Volumetrics Eating Plan is not a short-term diet book, but provides recipes and ideas on how to eat for the long term. It shows you how to eat fewer calories by making what you eat less calorie dense. It does this by focusing on foods with high water and fiber content. The Volumetrics approach emphasizes foods with a low "energy density," (calories) that are high in water content such as fruits, vegetables, and soups. The idea is that low-calorie, high-water, high-fiber foods generally make you feel full faster so you consume fewer calories overall. The author's research shows that by emphasizing these high-water content, low-calorie-dense foods, a person feels satisfied on many fewer calories per day.
   
   The diet is balanced in terms of carbohydrates, protein, and fat, and does not eliminate food groups. The author divides foods into 4 categories based on whether a food has less, equal, or more calories per serving than its weight in grams. Category 1 foods should be emphasized and Category 4 foods should be eaten in small quantities. Category 1 foods include such foods as non-starchy fruits and veggies, nonfat milk, and broth-based soups; Category 2 foods include starchy fruits and veggies, grains, cereals, beans, legumes, and low-fat meats; Category 3 foods include meats, cheeses, pizzas, French fries, breads, cakes, and ice cream; and Category 4 foods include crackers, chips, candies, cookies, butter, nuts, and oils. The Volumetrics eating plan allows you to eat your favorite foods occasionally so that you don't feel too deprived and go off the program.
   
   Included in the book are menu planners and 125 recipes with color photographs. The book also provides worksheets for tracking your food intake and weight. Examples of recipes include: Baked Berry French Toast, Vegetable Party Platter, Sesame Mushroom Kebobs, Corn and Tomato Chowder, Minestrone Soup, Almond Chicken Salad Sandwich, Buffalo Chicken Wraps, Charlie's Greek Salad, Tangy Cole Slaw, Tabbouleh, Balsamic Dressing, Minted Broccoli, Ratatouille, Tofu Pad Thai, Nouveau Lamb Stew, Shrimp Creole, Chicken Parmesan, Risotto Primavera, The Aristotle Pizza, and Maple Crème Caramel.
   
   The content of the book includes:
   1. Welcome to Volumetrics
   2. Your Personal Weight Management Plan
   3. Breakfast
   4. Appetizers, Starters, and Snacks
   5. Soups
   6. Sandwiches and Wraps
   7. Salads and Salad Dressings
   8. Vegetables and Vegetarian Dishes
   9. Meats
   10. Fish and Shellfish
   11. Poultry
   12. Beans, Rice, and Grains
   13. Pasta and Pizza
   14. Desserts and Fruit
   15. Your Personal Eating Plan
   
   Barbara Rolls is a professor and nutritionist who worked with the National Institutes of Health, and is well qualified to write this book. The menu is structured and could be time-consuming, yet this should be a good plan for slow and steady weight reduction if you are motivated to put the time into it. It is based on emphasizing low-calorie, high-fiber, high-water-content foods in order to slowly reduce your caloric intake and allow you to lose weight and keep it off. I also recommend a companion book, THE 3:00 PM SECRET: Live Slim and Strong, Live Your Dreams



4. I ordered this book from Amazon, and since I start read it I just loved it. I have tried some other diet plan, mainly are South Beach and Artkins. They worked on me, I lost 15 pounds, but I do not think I can continue to do that. I can not eat fruit and my body felt very very tired, and I was in bad mood. I use this volumetrics Eating Plan, I lost weight, the most important is I feel very good and very comfortable. I can eat a lot fruit and every day I feel very satisfied, and I still lose weight. I am doing very good and I feel I can follow this plan for life. The book says this is not a quick fix but a life style change. I really agree. I feel so good so I invite you to try.



5. I am finding this book difficult to read. I am sure the information is useful, but I find myself struggling to get through it. Having read several healh-fitness-diet related books, this one was disappointing.

5 comments about Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal.

1. According to this book, slaughterhouses are unpleasant places to work, and often injury-prone. Eric Schlosser relates some anecdotes and statistical data to back this observation up, among others of similar obviousness.
   
   It's interesting, to read about the meat packing industry, or the development of mass-produced frozen french fries. I'm glad I did. But what all of this does *not* amount to is a savage, or well-developed, indictment of the fast food industry.
   
   Instead, Schlosser presents a world with almost an endless supply of villains, only a few of which are actually a Wendy's, Subway, or Burger King. The meat-packers promote line-speed over the safety of their workers; agri-business colludes to keep the prices down of their growers; scientists design food-additives with unpronounceable (and, therefore, scary) names; advertising agencies target our children; machinists design equipment that increase efficiency, making work more and more unskilled; governments work in collusion with private industry, opening up our schools to advertisements; etc. Perhaps the meat-packing industry has developed in the way it has to take advantage of the fast food industry's explosive popularity and subsequent demands. And, yes, Schlosser makes the point that fast food execs could "insist on changes" in their supplier industries (and, in fact, sometimes they do). But on the whole, the problems that Schlosser finds in these industries are general problems that can be found throughout nearly all large industries, and the world over.
   
   He finds a young, un-unionized work-force. He finds robberies and crime. He finds unsanitary working conditions. He finds communities changing, and losing their one-time local identities. He finds workplace injuries. He finds the threat of disease. He finds poverty. He finds incompetent government bureaucracies. He finds greedy executives, and children swayed by targeted advertising.
   
   But these are not problems of fast food alone, and they cannot all be laid at the doorstep of Ray Kroc. Indeed, often fast food comes out more of the hero in this book than not; it provides higher quality meat than our school's cafeterias and employs the young and minority workers who might not otherwise be able to find jobs. The fast food companies, themselves, wind up curbing the worst excesses of the industries that market to them. And because they are so sensitive to market pressures, we find that McDonalds spearheads efforts to "go green," or eliminate genetically modified food, even when not prompted by social campaigns or legislation (even if Schlosser never feels that they go far enough).
   
   I'm sad to hear of the rancher who commits suicide due to market pressures working against independent cattlemen such as himself. But the connection between that rancher's depression, and Carl Karcher's decision to expand from Hot Dog carts to restaurants is... slender, at best, and probably, actually, non-existent. In the end, the litany of problems that Schlosser identifies in this book are often horrible, I'll agree, but they are problems that are endemic to large-scale human organization, in both the public and private sector, and the reality of modern-day economics. (And some of the "problems" aren't even really problems, such as the racial integration of Colorado Springs and other mid-west communities, brought about by the low-skill job opportunities presented by McDonalds, et al.; Schlosser links such immigration to rises in crime, etc., but that seems to me to be a fairly close-minded attitude, and close to bigotry.)
   
   This is a well-written and fascinating book, filled with tid-bits of history that I wouldn't have learned otherwise, and I enjoyed it enough to give it four stars. But, as an "expose" on the fast food industry, it falls short, and cannot reach to the fifth.



2. Well we all know more or less the content but I am still eating fast food. If you change what you are eating you are just fooling yourself. We all know fast food is bad, but tastes good.



3. After reading this book, it seems as if the fast food industry is the only industry that was able to slide through the civil rights revolution and the workers' rights campaign back in the 20th century. If you're munching on a burger from a fast food restaurant (or should I say, shack), please put it down for you're own health.
   
   There are several things that might be in there that you wouldn't want to eat. You never know if you got the burger that has the severed remains of a worker's finger/arm/leg. Schlosser writes of how fast the assembly line is moving, putting pressure onto the workers, making them lose accuracy and precision in their jobs that they "trained" for (a few days watching a video). This loss of accuracy can lead to some unpleasant surprises when you bite into your burger.
   
   But burgers aren't the only things that one must look out for; Schlosser also writes of an account in which a whole man fell like a vat of lard taht was still churning. Was the lard reclaimed? No. It was shipped out; the packing companies decided profit was much more valuable than honoring a man and his untimely death.
   
   The disgusting facts don't even start at with the meat-packing industries! In the farms in where the cattle are raised, the calves are fed the remains of cows and other animals. Trash even. The unsanitary conditions also turns stomachs. If you were to take a tour in one of these facilities, the regular person is denied access to the killing level. Schlosser elucidates the scene: knee-deep in blood and feces.
   
   Overall, this was a very well researched book. Even though I'm not an avid fast-food eater, this has still deterred me away from eating it unless I know what's in my food.



4. I will warn all of you future readers: this is a great book and is rather historical in content. Contrary to my common thought that this whole book was bashing the fast food industry, it really did neither. Instead he really shows how fast food originated, how it affects industry (especially industrial agriculture), and why we love it so much. Fast food infiltrates everyday life for much of the world. Read the book to see why and how this came to be. I thought it was a fantastic book and a big eye opener.



5. ... I am honestly flabberghasted this book has such a high rating. I had to read it for a school seminar class and I was only able to read the first half. Even that was a struggle. But I had to stop after that. I just couldn't take the drone any longer. A large portion of my classmates didn't read it and the ones that did skipped the first half and just read the second half which was apparently more interesting. But whatever; I don't even care. This book is not worth money or reading time.

5 comments about How to Eat Fried Worms.

1. They are 7 and 9 and loved the movie so i got this for a car trip. Great idea!



2. Because of the bet ,Billy is in a uncomfortable position of having to eat fifteen worms in fifteen days. The worms are supplied by the owner who's motto is " the bigger the better". At first Billy didn't know that the boy was going to make a bet saying, I bet you can't even eat your mom's casserole; so then the boy said I bet you fifthly dollars that you fifteen worms in fifteen days" and so then billy said; yes I can". So that's how all this mess came about . so now the fun and games begins. Will billy be able to eat"fried worms".... Read it and see.



3. Because of the bet ,Billy is in a uncomfortable position of having to eat fifteen worms in fifteen days. The worms are supplied by the owner who's motto is " the bigger the better". At first Billy didn't know that the boy was going to make a bet saying, I bet you can't even eat your mom's casserole; so then the boy said I bet you fifthly dollars that you fifteen worms in fifteen days" and so then billy said; yes I can". So that's how all this mess came about . so now the fun and games begins. Will billy be able to eat"fried worms".... Read it and see.



4. How to eat Fried Worms
   
   Do you want to hear about the world's best book? Well, I will tell you about the book if you read. I read the book 'How to Eat Fried Worms'. I will tell you about the book, my favorite character, why I like it and why you should read it.
   
   A boy named Billy and his friends had a bet that Billy cannot eat 15 worms in 15 days. If Billy wins the bet he gets $50. But if his friends win, Billy has to pay $50. Billy has to eat fried, boiled and mashed worms. One time Billy's friends treid to trick Billy, but her did not get tricked. My favorite character is Billy, because he is a person who tries new stuff, like he is eating worms. Plus, I like how he acts. He acts like he could do it becuase he said, " It is going to be easy".
   The reason I liked this book is because it was disgusting and cool. It will make you curious about what will happen next. you should read book because it is differnt and interesting. If you are a person who likes gross stuff you should really read the book. I told you all I know about the book. I hope you read it. I know you will like it.
   
   Shruth vennapusala



5. How to eat Fried Worms
   
   Do you want to hear about the world's best book? Well, I will tell you about the book if you read. I read the book 'How to Eat Fried Worms'. I will tell you about the book, my favorite character, why I like it and why you should read it.
   
   A boy named Billy and his friends had a bet that Billy cannot eat 15 worms in 15 days. If Billy wins the bet he gets $50. But if his friends win, Billy has to pay $50. Billy has to eat fried, boiled and mashed worms. One time Billy's friends treid to trick Billy, but her did not get tricked. My favorite character is Billy, because he is a person who tries new stuff, like he is eating worms. Plus, I like how he acts. He acts like he could do it becuase he said, " It is going to be easy".
   The reason I liked this book is because it was disgusting and cool. It will make you curious about what will happen next. you should read book because it is differnt and interesting. If you are a person who likes gross stuff you should really read the book. I told you all I know about the book. I hope you read it. I know you will like it.
   
   Shruth vennapusala

5 comments about I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence.

1. I love this book. It is really fun and Amy Sedaris is very funny! It is a great book for your coffee table. She has some good advice and some great recipes!



2. The best! You'll enjoy everything about this book if you have a sense of humor.



3. Dear Amy -
   
   I like your book. No, I love it. No, wait, I totally *heart* it, in fact. It is way awesome. Much like you. I bet you throw the craziest parties. Will you kindly invite me sometime? I know I'm one of those annoying vegans who will totally muck up your dinner menu, but I promise to make it up to you by bringing plenty of booze.
   
   Anyway, back to your book. Why do I *heart* it so? Well, the pictures totally kick it; it takes a special lady to pull off the bottomless-but-for-pantyhose look. Your gourmet masterpieces look yummy despite the animal ingredients. And your diy décor is do-able even for the not-so-crafty among us. Googley eyes on peanuts! Who woulda thunkit? And you're so retro, too, Amy! Like a Fiona Apple video, or those `70s douche ads that all us hairy-legged feminist bloggers like to pass around on the internets. I LIKE YOU is, like, the perfect coffee table book for people who think people who have coffee table books are kinda sorta pretentious jerks. For reals.
   
   But wait! There's more! Your book also has words! And they make me laugh, and laugh, and laugh. And then chortle and guffaw. And then some more lolz. Your sections on entertaining the elderly, babycakes (sorry, "children"), ladies' nights and "when you get to play nurse" (not as fun and/or dirt-ay as it sounds) are especially amusing. Even the book flap provides several minutes of enjoyment.
   
   In sum, Amy, you give this misanthrope hope! Plus, you taught me how to locate my vagina with a hand mirror. I will always remember you for that. With much fondness and warmth. Make of that what you will.
   
   hugs & kisses
   
   - k
   
   PS - Did you by chance ever go by the name of Charlene, maybe in the early `80s? Because you totally remind me of Dr. Stephen Colbert, DFA's ex-lover of the same name. No? Whatevs, nm.
   
   PPS - I know it's you.
   
   PPPS - I am eagerly awaiting my dinner party invite.



4. Can you believe this book???? Practical, funny, creative, liberated, boy it just racks up positive adjectives, doesn't it? But be forewarned, it's also revoltingly gross here and there and above all this is comedy, not a foray too far into Martha Stewart territory. But then again, if you needed me to tell you that you probably don't know who Amy Sedaris is. I had fun reading Amy Sedaris' assault on vulnerable Eisenhower-era values, actually learned a thing or two, and, who knows, might try a few of her recipes next time I'm feeling antidisestablishmentalitarian. And, oh yeah, her, ahem, charming wit is amusing too. (Marbles in the medicine cabinet?! What to do with organic lemons? Where the heck does she get that stuff?) I'm a fan of books that walk the thin line between parody and information, offensive and endearing, and gods help us, the irreverent I Like You does that extremely well.



5. enjoyable but would have liked it to be a little more off than if was.

5 comments about Essential Etiquette Fundamentals, Vol. 1: Dining Etiquette.

1. The last book on CD my wife and I bought was terrible: mens' voices for female characters, etc. And what's the alternative on the radio? Pop music or Howard Stern? I spend twenty percent of my waking life in my car. I might as well spend it wisely. The Food Scholar is easy listening and presented in a way that makes the information easy to learn and remember.



2. A good etiquette book should sit on every professional's bookshelf alongside "how to win friends" and "7 habits." I purchased this book along with Essential Etiquette Fundamentals, Vol. 2: Wine Selection & Etiquette and The Etiquette Edge: The Unspoken Rules for Business Success to cover all the bases. These books do an excellent job covering the important etiquette skills often overlooked in today's environment. Although often underappreciated, exhibiting proper etiquette signals to others (especially your boss and clients) that you are well educated, care about detail, and have respect for others. I highly recommend these books for anyone new to the business world or for those of us who may need to brush up on the basics.



3. I will be graduating from college this year and have started to interview for jobs. I have a decent GPA, am in the career placement office every week for advice, and have spent hours polishing my resume. I thought that I had all my bases covered. Then I started actually interviewing for jobs. I have already had three interviews that included meals and two "mixers" with drinks and appetizers. It was a little overwhelming. I could tell there was an order to things I did not completely understand. A friend recommended this Dining Etiquette CD, so I ordered it. I had yet another meal during an interview after listening to it. It made a big difference. Knowing what to do at every turn during the meal was a confidence booster and I am sure it helped me appear more polished and professional. I HIGHLY recommend it, Two Thumbs Up.



4. After a few months as a first year associate at my law firm, one of my former law school classmates told me that their firm had sent its new associates to an etiquette class. I decided that it might be a good idea for me to brush up on my etiquette skills as well, so I purchased this CD and also the Food Scholar Wine Basics CD. I recommend both for new professionals to prepare them for any "dining" situation they may encounter in their first jobs. These situations frequently fall into the "you don't know what you don't know" category of student knowledge.
   
   I, for one, had very little experience in more formal dining situations upon graduating from school. This CD was just what I needed to get myself up-to-speed. It is well-organized and well-presented, covering a number of very specific situations that convey the elements of common sense and consideration that underlie all etiquette.
   
   The author thankfully avoids spending time on how to arrange the seating at a state dinner. What he offers is practical, usable advice on the types of real social interactions that occur in all kinds of business. A very useful CD and well worth the price. Definitely five stars.



5. This is a great, straightforward reference. It covers everything any person needs to know about dining etiquette without any useless "filler" material. The audio format is great and the speaker is one of the best I have listen to.

5 comments about Skinny Bitch: A No-Nonsense, Tough-Love Guide for Savvy Girls Who Want to Stop Eating Crap and Start Looking Fabulous.

1. What a fun and interesting book! It took a lot of guts for these women to put themselves and their lifestyles out there in such an in-your-face way. I appreciated the fact that they pulled no punches and were unapologetic about their choices. I also have the cookbook and it is excellent. It's easy to give a negative review if something does not concur with what you already believe, but it's more difficult to be open-minded and try something different. Of course, since I adhere to a mostly vegan diet, I was already in agreement with their choices. Telling how animals are abused in the production of America's insatiable appetite for meat is not an "animal rights rant." It's a truth that everyone who eats meat should have to face before they make that choice. Another book, called Baby Boomer Bachelorette: How to Have Sex at Least Once More Before You Die recommends the same type of diet. She describes how the vegan diet helped her skate through menopause, unlike most middle-aged women, who suffer terrible symptoms, and usually end up on harmones or other medication. This book also contains some great dating advice for the over-40 crowd!



2. This book is a vegan propaganda piece. Crudely written with the intent to scare you out of your current eating patterns. Unfortunately, once they disgust you, call you names and generally make you feel pretty bad, they give no useful advice on how to embark on this new lifestyle. Hey, I don't offend easily, but I just paid money to get called all kinds of filthy names and go to bed hungry!!!



3. A fast, easy to read book with interesting eating/food facts. There were also product lists, info and websites that I'm going to check out. The only thing that I didnt like was the harsh language they used to make their points, they could have kept it classy and made the same point. Read it, open your eyes, then, GO Vegan!



4. I understand that there are things in this book that some people found offensive, BUT...
   
   I have done layman's research inside and outside of medical school libraries for years. There was a time when my son could hardly walk because of constant fatigue. Countless ER visits and three hospitalizations later, I embarked on a journey away from convenional wisdom, and a journey that eventually led to my being able to watch my son run and play again like other children. I have read this book and I love it. Yes, yes, yes, of course there are some inaccuracies. But I was pleasantly surpised at all of the tidbits of ACCURATE info that there is. This is a book that touched on many of things that I have learned and have used throughout the last 15 years. And despite the rants I have read from some angry reviewers, the content is not only generally benficial, but it is generally relevant to the goal as well. Ya, Captian Obvious, the authors do try to scare the reader out of eating meat, but I enjoyed getting my butt kicked. And no, the authors do not preach against protein, they preach on where we should look for protein. There are plenty of scientists and clinical practitioners, including at least one published neurosurgeon, who would have little beef (hehe, excuse the pun) with this book, but would rather stand up and clap for two authors who are willing to sell to the masses the labored over research that is often ignored. I have lived by some of the information in this book long before this book was published, and so I can without pause state that there is great stuff to be learned here. The book ain't a Bible, but it is a good thing...



5. This book is absolutely disgusting with no merit whatsoever. The "scientific " evidence they spew is SO offbase........and spew they do....I'm no prude, but their language is shocking and revolting! Do they really believe they are going to shock people into cutting out soda or aspartame by calling them horrible names, and using the most foul language I have ever read in a published book?? I am absolutely amazed that this book was actually published, AND placed in a prominent spot at Barnes and Noble!! What is happening to this country?? It says on the cover "Best Seller"..........say it aint so!! It must just be another lie these two shameless, uneducated, lowlife women are trying to perpetuate! People, DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY!!!!

5 comments about Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly.

1. this is such an awesome book. he's one cocky guy but man is this a good well written book introducing you to the underground cooking culture and what really happens. i dont cook and i still was entertained. i read the entire thing in two sittings thats how into it i was.



2. I am giving this book a 5/5 because throughout the whole book, you are entertained, and want to keep reading. You find out how he makes his way through the cooking career, how he makes his way to the top. This book describes to you what goes on behind the scenes in the kitches and how crazy it can be. I recommend this book to everyone!



3. This is a great book, a MUST have for any chef!!! Bourdain is one of a kind.



4. This guy rocks, and his books are as good as his tv show (No Reservations).;)



5. For anyone who's ever done any kind of commercial cooking this book, and it's earlier version, is a MUST read. I'm a retired line cook and I can assure all potential readers that Tony knows of what he speaks. For 'civilians', the avid home cook or the addicted restaurant patron, this clever work gives an engrossing, entertaining and sometimes scary peek behind the restaurant kitchen door. Chefs and cooks are, well, just people, but there is something special about people who want to please hundreds of anonymous diners; stay true to their own standards and achieve the respect of thier peers. As Tony says, it is one of the hardest, yet most rewarding, and crazy jobs in the 'every-day' world.
   Anthony Bourdain is one of my 'cooking gods' because he specialises in classic, time-proven dishes; he knows that all the world's great food is, basically, 'peasant' food, not the titivated, sculpted, value-added 'art works' on a large white plates -- and he's a good writer. I too write -- was once a food writer and journalist -- and I know how hard it is to combine the two jobs. This work is honest, controversial yet extremely fair in its assessments of the high-pressure world of the New York and American restaurant scene, then and now. I strongly recommend that you buy this book and then graduate to Bourdain's absolutely fantastic "Les Halles" cookbook. I use it, refer to it or just fawn over it at least three times every week. With over 25 years experience under my (large) belt, his Les Halles book 're-taught' me and gave me new inspiration to take up semi-professional cooking again, just for the pure joy of producing really special, simple, dishes. Please buy all his books; Bourdain is an honest, decent and admirable cook (I hate the term 'chef').
   (No I'm not Tony Bourdain!) Just a genuine fan who appreciates his sharing of a once 'hidden' and unsung profession.
   William Kenneth Halliwell
   Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

5 comments about Relax Your Way to Thin! Hypnosis Weight Loss Motivation.

1. I had gone to a Hypnotherapist before to lose weight and did not have much luck. However, I decided to try Trevor's method...and it works!! My eating habits changed dramatically after only listening to the cd twice. It is the most relaxing experience I have ever had. This cd allows you to fall asleep, so I listen to it while I am going to bed. It says that even if you do fall asleep your sibconcious will receive the messages that Trevor sends, without a doubt, it does! I am really amazed by this cd! I am getting ready to order his cd's for exercise and to quit smoking.
   
   Thank you Trevor!!!



2. This didnt work for me. Maybe because everytime I turned it on I fell asleep. Good way to fall asleep if you are having trouble. Bad way to lose weight.



3. After having so much success with Trevor's cd "Your Power Within" I had to try "Relax Your Way to Thin." I've lost 17 pounds so far and it is fantastic! I've never wanted to say I'm on a "diet" and I didn't really want to change my eating habits. But, after listening to the cd, my whole attitude about food and healty eating habits started changing. It made me realize that I wasn't denying myself anything by eating healthier, I was actually giving myself more. The weight started coming off, I'm feeling great and I'm sleeping soundly. Awesome CD, I highly recommend it for anyone wanting to loose weight.



4. I would have to disagree with Karen K who said the voice and music were irratating. I found the narrators' voice to be extremely soothing and the music to be beneficial and relaxing. In fact, for all the hypnosis tapes I've ever used, this is by far the most relaxing. I'm able to go into an extremely deep trance and always come out with the suggestion at the end (that's how I know I didn't just fall asleep). I only gave it 4 stars so far, but will update it in a couple of weeks when I see how well it works. I've been using it twice a day for two days, today is the third, and haven't seen any changes in my appetite or eating yet. It says to use it for 21 days. I don't know if that means you'll only see significant results after 21 days, or what, but I'll keep this review updated to let you know if I've lost any weight. If not, then at least I have had some incredibly relaxing sessions while I'm listening to the tape.
   
   Day Five: I found when I went to the market I chose only healthy foods and stayed away from the junk food without even thinking about it. I checked the fat content on all food even if it said "light" or "low fat." When I saw chocolate and thought I'd like some it was immediately followed up with the thought that I didn't want to buy it. The hardest part is getting out of the store without the junk in the cart. At home, I've noticed I have not wanted to eat between meals.



5. Relax Your Way to Thin! Hypnosis Weight Loss MotivationI was very skeptical about trying this, but a friend of mine went to a hypotist and lost 40 lbs. I thought I would try it on CD as I had trouble "sticking to" a diet, but was too skeptical to invest the $200 my friend paid her hypnotist. The first week I actually lost 4lbs without conciously being aware of even dieting. I noticed I seem less hungry and am not attracted to the junk food I used to eat too much of. I thought it sounded kind of off the wall to try loosing weight this way, but it has really made a difference and I would recomend it to anyone. I have been listening to it for 2 weeks and have lost a total of 6lbs without really trying.

5 comments about In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto.

1. I almost put this book back on the shelf after seeing its sub-subtitle: "Eat Food, Not Too Much, Mostly Plants." I thought, well, duh, who doesn't know that? I expected yet another rant that we're eating too much of the wrong food, which isn't new and isn't helpful.
   
   But this book posits some interesting reasons why we're eating too much and even more importantly why we're not eating *food*. Until I read Chapter One I had not even considered how long it's been since I looked at an item of food as something in and of itself instead of just as a collection of nutrients. Our grandparents looked at an orange and saw an orange; we look at an orange and see part of our daily allotment of Vitamin C. Yet we really know very little about what's in an orange that's protective to our health. We should eat it because it's delicious and has been part of the human diet for centuries, not because some expert tells us to.
   
   Mr. Pollan also advances the idea that we don't spend enough on food, that if we can afford to we should spend more. This seems counter-intuitive, but in fact he's right. When you spend $6 for a half-gallon of organic, non-homogenized milk, or $4.89 a dozen for eggs from pastured chickens, you really become conscious of the food you're eating.
   
   At the end he provides some practical advice on how to avoid the pressures that cause us to eat too much of the wrong things.
   
   With the rise of the farmer's market in most areas we now have more opportunity than we've had in decades to eat real food. Try it, you'll like it -- that applies to both this book and the real food it advocates.



2. If this fabulous book becomes a best-seller, as it should, if enough people read and follow its advice, if we can manage to get the kids on board with healthy eatting (PLEASE write a kid's version, asap), we can put the food processors, food "scientists" on notice that their imitation food is at least one contributing factor behind so many "new" epidemics: bi-polarity in children, autism, ADD, allergies, asthma, diabetes I & II, obesity, etc etc etc.
   Thank you Michael Pollan for stating the case for real food so very well. This Saturday, I'm off to the farmer's market.



3. You really have to read Pollan's masterpiece, "The Omnivore's Dilemma," to appreciate this one, which functions as a kind of coda to Omnivore's exploration of industrial farming and its effects on the food supply. In "In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto," Pollan's attack on nutritionism--the separating of a food into its components--certainly puts the lie to "alternative" medicine health gurus like Andrew Weil, who sometimes seem to push pills (vitamins, anti-oxidants, etc.) as heartily as his counterparts in traditional medicine. According to Pollan, there is no magic substance, whether it be oat bran or omega-3 oils, that can bestow health. He points out that human beings have thrived on all kinds of different diets, the so-called Western diet excepted. He convincingly argues, citing infant formula as just one example, that efforts to reduce a valuable food to its components are primitive at best and that attempts to define what comprises a healthy diet, like the emphasis on low fat consumption, have been just plain wrong. Shop the outer walls of the supermarket, he advises, looking for the real food: vegetables, fruit, fish, and meat. Stay out of the middle, where the "whole grain" junk food and "heart healthy" cookies dwell. This is an interesting and sensible book full of good advice that is ridiculously easy to follow. Despite some of the more enthusiastic reviews, I do have to say that for middle-aged readers the notion that if you follow Pollan's precepts you will live longer and avoid devastating diseases is a bit silly. (Pollan does not make this claim.) Who can predict such things? However, for those who choose to teach their children or grandchildren to eat well---what better gift for the next generation? Reader: if you can't cook you are going to have to learn.



4. As a Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator I am delighted that Pollan has put together one pouch with most all the jewels. The system while well meaning is not yet optimizing our access to the path of health.



5. I thought it was beyond funny that the first people Michael Pollan cited in his acknowledgments sections were his editors. I thought this book could have used some more editing actually. It was repetitive and overly sensational. I cook my own food and have a garden, and it still made me feel incredibly inadequate at providing for myself, which is ridiculous.
   
   I am not entirely convinced that we should completely denounce nutritionism and science because God does it better. Sounds like the same malarkey that challenges evolutionary science. And I thought it a serious weakness that Pollan uses food studies when it's convenient for his argument to do so.
   
   Kudos to Pollan for making a lot of this research and information approachable to the average American, but I feel like he's preaching the the choir. The people who really need to read this book probably can't afford it.
   
   Bottom Line: I celebrated finishing this book by serving myself up a HUGE bowl of Lucky Charms. Ah...high fructose corn syrup...it's been a while, my friend...

5 comments about The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals.

1. Omnivore's Dilemma traces our food back to its sources - and in many cases finds corn of all things! The author discusses industrial food production and the primary food chains from their sources to our kitchens. He covers processed foods, mainstream industrial farming, and organic foods. He also addresses how animals are treated - pretty scary. The information in the book is important and eye opening. The poignant take home message for me is that what we eat is so fundamental to life yet we leave it in the hands of others to grow, produce, and deliver to us. This book encourages a consciousness of where food comes from and persuades the reader to look for local organically grown foods or grow some themselves. I recommend this book along with another life-changing book, THE 3:00 PM SECRET: Live Slim and Strong, Live Your Dreams



2. When I opened this book, I expected something along the lines of the social history of food...but what I got was something much better!
   
   Pollan's writing, always self-effacing, humorous and insightful, became the perfect and certainly never preachy vehicle for a painless exploration of exactly what's on my plate and how it got there. Politics, animal rights, organic foods, economics and even mushroom-hunting all make an appearance amid farm machinery and well-cooked, tasty meals. Marvelous!
   
   His always-witty first-hand observations of the increasingly tragic state of affairs in American (and perhaps World) farming were not only informative but thought provoking. Visits to the grocery story will never be the same.
   
   I strongly recommend this book to anybody who has never set foot on a farm, to those who (like me) grew up surrounded by cows and corn, and to those who simply like to cook and eat...and would like to keep eating.
   
   We owe it to ourselves and our world to understand that our foodchains do not begin with the supermarket.



3. I could barely put this book down! The writing style is casual and gets a bit wordy and technical sometimes, but it's so worth it! All the information is really necessary to open our eyes about factory farms, our food supply and who's in charge of it!(I'm still shocked about all the conflicts of interest! YIKES!) I've seriously changed my eating habits! Read this book, I highly recommend it!



4. I have to admit that I did not finish this book. I got to the part where the author talks about really feeling his he-man roots and enjoys killing an animal. From a person who grew up inside a hunting culture, I can only say that from my perspective, he gets it all wrong. His conclusions are based upon an educated adult outside the hunting community and he assumes that hunting is "naturally" enjoyable. I can only say that my upbringing shows me that it is a terrible and terrifying experience to boys and that it is only peer pressure that causes them to start to like it in order to be part of the "adult" group. And then, they perpetrate this horror on their own children, and the whole sadistic cycle begins again. Please don't bother with his over educated conclusions, I think he just wants people to think he is "manly".



5. Simply put, if I could force one book upon every living soul, this would be the one. I don't see how anyone couldn't learn something at the very least, and more than likely it will change your way of thinking to some degree. It would bring the industrialized food market to its knees if even a percentage of people took this book to heart as much as I have.