5/10/2010

The Perricone Weight-Loss Diet: A Simple 3-Part Plan to Lose the Fat, the Wrinkles, and the Years [Paperback] Review

The Perricone Weight-Loss Diet: A Simple 3-Part Plan to Lose the Fat, the Wrinkles, and the Years [Paperback]INTRODUCTION:

Over the last 2 months, I have lost over 40 pounds in fat.I have gone from 220 lbs to 180 lbs.In addition, I am walking 90 minutes a day or jogging 4 miles a day along with a variety of other activities.Essentially, I've changed my lifestyle, both in terms of diet, supplementation, and exercise.A large part of this weight loss and lifestyle change I attribute to many of the strategies I adopted by watching Dr. Perricone's PBS special, followed up with, of course, completely absorbing the information contained in Dr. Perricone's book, "The Perricone Weight-Loss Diet".

BOOK SUMMARY:

Dr. Perricone starts in PART i by making his case to you the reader, for the "Inflammation-Fat Connection", laying down basic principles that establish micro-inflammation as the root cause of the problem, and obesity simply a side-effect to this problem, along with various other aging ailments.He establishes that his strategy to deal with weight loss, is by dealing with micro-inflammation, the root cause, through diet, exercise (and other lifestyle changes), and supplementation.By attacking micro-inflammation, you not only achieve success with the battle of obesity, you also achieve success on a variety of other aging fronts.Essentially, Dr. Perricone presents this argument as an anti-aging program, focusing on weight loss as the emphasis for this book.

In PART II, the core of Dr. Perricone's book, he presents his 3 step program:Food, Supplements, and Lifestyle.In Step One, 10 specific food groups are presented to focus on, and these groups will surprise you.This is not a rehashing of the government food triangle by any stretch.The foods range from wild Alaskan Salmon, to Avocado and Acai, to Spices, Red Chile Peppers, and Yogurt.Each section provides a description of the food "supergroup", the factors that contribute to weight loss, the top choices, and the runner-up choices.In Step Two, Dr. Perricone provides his top 12 nutritional supplements that contribute to the reduction of micro-inflammation, the reduction of insulin resistance, the balancing of blood glucose, etc.Each section lists and describes each supplement, along with tips, and dosage recommendations.Step Three, describes the lifestyle changes to be implemented, including the benefits of exercise, fact sheets, safety tips, etc.

Part iii is called "THE PLAN", and this is where Dr. Perricone provides his 14 day weight loss diet.This section attempts to bring together the information from Part 1 and Part 2 with a sample program for weight loss.Various tips, suggestions, and reminders introduce the plan, followed with a rigid 14 day regimin, an ecclectic recipe section, a thorough Appendix that covers dieting questions, a complete Resource Guide, References, and Index.

PROS:

1.EXPERTISE
This is not an ordinary dieting book.Dr. Perricone is a leading researcher on the subject of anti-aging, and his theories, approaches, and research represents the cutting edge of modern thought on the subject.Every claim he makes, is backed by thoroughly researched scientific data.His reference section speaks volumes.Not one claim is made in this book, without completely documented case studies from reputable resources and noted scientific peer journals.If you are interested or curious on the subject of aging, when Dr. Perricone speaks, you should listen.

2.APPROACHABLE
This book is completely approachable.Dr. Perricone gives you 10 food groups, and 12 supplements to learn.That's basically it.The solution is elegant in design.You read the section on the food or supplement you're interested in, and learn not only what it is, but WHY it is important to your weight loss goals, what it does to your body physiologically, and what studies prove its positive properties.

3.COMPLIMENTARY
This book compliments all approaches to weight loss.It is not really just a diet.Moreso, it is a strategy.Dr. Perricone takes weight loss from a different point of view.Tackle the inflammation problem, and the weight will come off.Various foods, supplements, and lifestyle changes approach this objective in a synergistic fashion.This means that each positive thing you do, compliments all of the other positive things you are doing with your body.Each anti-inflammatory, each antioxidant, each metabolic or thermogenic enhancement in your diet or lifestyle, works with all the other changes you are making to yourself.So, Dr. Perricone is not reinventing the wheel.He is simply presenting some basic food and lifestyle change recommendations, with modern science to back up his reasons why these changes are good for you.You can implement this strategy on its own, or, use it in conjunction with other diets or programs that appeal to you.Dr. Perricone is simply teaching you, the reader, 10 foods, 12 supplements, and an anti-inflammatory lifestyle that you can focus on in order to make your body the youngest and healthiest it can be.

CONS:

1.RIGID DIET
To be honest, I actually think the first two parts of this book are amazing, but the diet is seriously lacking in approachability, usability, and flexibility.I was surprised that Dr. Perricone, who clearly spent a tremendous amount of time organizing his data for the first two parts, sort of dropped the ball on the last part.The diet is really nothing more than a 14 day sample menu.

2.NOT USER FRIENDLY:
The recipes are fabulous, and the food suggestions are useful in seeing how one person might incorporate the Food and Supplement suggestions, but the diet isn't really very user-friendly.You can choose to follow the rigid 14 day plan if you wish, however, most of us don't work like that in terms of going to the store, making choices, cooking food, eating it, and in some way, continuing on with our lives.Most of us don't have the time or energy to spend making plans to follow a rigid 14 day menu.I would have preferred more in Part 3, of what we got from Part 1 and 2 of this book.

3.MISSING DIETING BASICS IN PART 3:
in PART 3, I would have liked to have seen Dr. Perricone focus on more dieting strategy in this section, perhaps going back to dieting basics such as portion control, food balance, calorie controls, etc.The 14 day diet works great as a SAMPLE, but not as a template.In this, the book leaves me wanting more.

MY TIPS:

Here is a list of some things that I think you'll find useful, that I can provide as someone who has actually used and implemented many of the resources from "The Perricone Weight-Loss Diet":

1.It's true that Dr. Perricone sells his own supplements, but he never suggests in this book that you are required, or need, to go through him for your needs. Every supplement is available from your local health food or vitamin store.

2.Don't "dive in" tommorow and make massive changes to your diet and lifestyle.Take it one step at a time, changing perhaps one or two things a day.Overdoing it is a mistake.Start with a basic vitamin, adopt and emphasize one or two food groups in your daily diet.When I started, for example, I began to use vitamins, and 2 or 3 antioxidants, along with creating a dinner menu that focused on barley, beans, veggies, and salad.After a few days, I introduced more foods, and more supplements, so as not to overwhelm my body or my psyche.Taking a "one change a day" approach seemed to work very well for me.

3.Learn the reasons "WHY" modern anti-aging scientific research points to the benefits of each food or supplementDon't just learn what each one is.Dr. Perricone gives you substantive reasons for changing your diet with 10 specific food groups, and supplementing with 12 specific products.

4.This is not a magic bullet.This is a book that you add to your library of knowledge.Detractors will tell you that Dr. Perricone is simply re-hashing the glycemic index, or overstating that you should "eat naturally".For those that say Dr. Perricone's information is "nothing new", I'd just simply point out that of course it isn't.This is not a fad diet.Dr. Perricone is providing meaningful backbone to an anti-aging growing body of science.He is providing us with an approachable guide to some specific, easily accessible items in the grocery store and at the health food store, that can make a deep impact on our lives.It is backed by countless research studies, peer journals, and good, hard science, with a thorough, well documented reference section that points any researcher to the already established body of knowledge out there in the scientific community.No, this is not a new, innovative way to lose weight.Instead, Dr. Perricone is organizing this information in an approachable format.Use this information with your other resources.Don't think of it as a dieters bible.Think of it as a textbook in your ongoing studies of your own body.

SUMMARY:
Like I said in the beginning, I've lost over 40 pounds in 2 months.I've made many changes, of course, to my lifestyle, that accounts for this weight loss.But every night, while eating dinner, I am perusing through "The Perricone Weight-Loss Diet", learning something new about the things I'm doing to my body, that are positive, and why I am becoming leaner and younger each day.Every clove of raw garlic I eat, every ALA and Astaxanthin supplement I take, is making a difference, 60 days later.There is a glow to my skin, an improvement in my daily living, a decrease in my waist line.Dr. Perricone is not the only reason why I've lost this weight, but what I give him is Kudus for providing me with strategy, reasons, and backbone to making life-long anti-aging changes which have clearly made a direct impact on my life.

I highly recommend that you pick up a copy of this book, and make it an integral part of your home library.

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