This could have been a much shorter book; on dozens of occasions, I found myself thinking, "Oh, come on; skip the theory, and let's cut to the chase! Enough obscure biochemistry already, just tell me what to eat, and we'll be all done!"
Well, OK; I'm impatient. And too much theory is always preferable to too little. The diet recommendations are basically the sound, healthy diet recommendations we've been getting for years: eat whole grains, more fruit, more vegetables, less fat, less sugar, and exercise more. The presentation is unique, in that Dr. Barnard suggests that this diet will somehow 'trick' our genes into making us slim. Well, this diet would make anyone slim, regardless of their genetic structure. Perhaps the book sheds light on why what happens, happens; but the actual recommendations are nothing new. I deducted one point for this reason alone; taking the same, tired old idea and putting a new wrapper on it doesn't make it a new idea. This book is not about do it yourself gene therapy, despite the sexy title; it's a vegetarian diet, and that's it.
One thing that I did like was the included meal planner; Similarly, I also appreciated the many, many recipes that make up the last half of the book. It's nice to start a diet with much of the hard work - the diet planning - already done for you. There's also a sourcing guide, if some of the raw materials prove hard to find. Something that is absent, is a discussion of vitamin and mineral supplements (although Dr. Barnard does mention the importance of B12). Multivitamins are a contentious issue; many feel that 'you can get all the nutrition you need with a knife and fork', while still others feel that concentrated multivitamins are not well absorbed, and tend to pass through the system without providing benefit. Personally, I believe high quality multivitamins are important; but aside from suggesting the consumption of any common, inexpensivemultivitamin, Dr. Barnard makes no suggestions, one way or the other.
Dr. Barnard also does not mention alcohol consumption in his book; nor does he mention artificial sweetener use.However, on websites that he has participated in creating, he warns against alcohol consumption (cancer risk).I guess that, after making the major change to a vegetarian diet, Dr. Barnard felt we might need a drink.He might well be right.
The diet does not include specific portions; indeed, Dr. Barnard suggests that you let hunger be your guide. He does provide a 'rule of thumb' that you should consume 10 calories daily for each pound of your target weight; that is, if you want to wind up at 150 pounds, you should consume 1,500 calories daily. But this is only a guide, not an absolute.Indeed, he warns against eating too little, and suggests that we should eat second helpings if we want them.There's no reason to go hungry on this diet.
The diet is largely a subset of a vegetarian diet in nature, but Dr. Barnard does not present it as such; his presentation seems to be coming entirely from a 'whats best for you' approach, which winds up being essentially a vegetarian diet (minus high fat items, like nuts).The motivation seems to be based purely on health, not ethics.However, it is difficult to determine to what degree his health beliefs have been influenced by his moral stance; Dr. Barnard is a strong supporter of a strict vegetarian diet, which means no consumption of animal flesh or animal products such as eggs, milk, or butter.He is also an outspoken critic of using animals for medical testing purposes.
In reviewing the reviews of his earlier works, people tend to fall into three categories: Those who felt Dr. Barnard was trying to trick them into vegetarianism, and were very angry as a result; those who were confused, because the philosophy of this book runs counter to high protein/low carbo books, such as Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution; and those who had actually tried the diet, and experienced dramatic weight loss.It is worthwhile noting that, while there have been many criticisms of Dr. Barnard, there have been NO reviews in which someone actually followed the diet, and failed to lose weight.Say what you will of it; the diet does appear to deliver the goods, while providing good nutrition from a solid scientific base.
(Yes, it's vegetarian.Get over it.)
While I lack the medical background to either validate or challenge his statements, I can tell you that the actual recommendations are largely in keeping with what you've been getting from everyone from the National Institute of Health to your local physician.(By comparison, high protein/low carbohydrate diets are pretty much universally condemned by government health agencies, universities, local health boards, and both doctors and dietitians around the world.)Whole grain foods, less processed food, less fat, less salt, less sugar, more fruits and vegetables, more exercise... sure it'll work. It's even safe. If you're looking for a sensible, sane, balanced approach to weight loss that is both informative and supportive, you might want to check this book out.
After all, it's gotta be better than eating a hundred grapefruit.
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Turn Off the Fat Genes: The Revolutionary Guide to Losing Weight (Paperback)Product Description: Breakthrough genetic research indicates that genes are not just on/off switches for characteristics we can't control (like gender or eye color). Some genes, including those that shape our bodies, actually adapt to outside influences. In
Turn Off the Fat Genes, Dr. Neal Barnard draws on this cutting-edge research to create a revolutionary new program to help your body sculpt away excess pounds by activating thin genes and suppressing fat ones. The heart of Dr. Barnard's book is a three-week gene-control program specifically designed to help you identify your gene types by asking questions like:
What's your genetic taste type?
Do you strongly dislike Brussels sprouts? Are some desserts too sweet to eat?
Is black coffee undrinkable?
If you answered yes to all three questions you're a genetic bitter "taster" or
"supertaster" (as opposed to a "nontaster"). On page 24 you'll find out how to work with your genetic taste type.
Is your appetite becoming harder to control?
Have diets made your appetite unpredictable? If so, your hunger-suppressing leptin gene might need a tune-up. (See page 59.)
Do you gain weight more easily than your friends?
Do you have difficulty losing weight no matter what you do? If so, the genes that set your metabolism might need a boost. (See page 71.)
Do you hate exercise?
If so, your genes may have overloaded you with sluggish Type II muscle cells. Learn how to change them on page 100.
Once we understand how the genes that control shape can be influenced, we can enjoy virtually the same effortless weight control as naturally thin people and reveal the healthy, vital body that nature intended us to have.
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Many who write on the subject of nutrition and health are intelligent, educated and knowledgeable. Honest Nutrition by Ira Edwards is noteworthy because the author writes as a health consumer; he does not have a health product or service to promote. To his credit, Edwards has no bias for or against conventional medicine, alternative medicine or herbal healing. He lays out the benefits, problems and costs of various nutritional, herbal and medical modalities with careful attention to biochemical realities.
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