Curves [Hardcover] Review

When reviewing this book, I was curious to see if it differed much from the Member Guide that can be purchased at any Curves For Women gym. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it did: thorough and simplified explanations of metabolism and biochemical aspects of dieting, information on different herbs and vitamins that enhance health in a variety of areas, a Curves workout for home, a stretching chart, success stories, and more.

Chapter 1 gives a brief history of the Curves For Women franchise, why Curves For Women differs from other weight-loss plans (it's the only plan where you don't have to diet forever to maintain weight-loss), the missing link in weight-loss (metabolism), and an overview of the rest of the book. At the end of every chapter is a Curves success story.

Chapter 2 addresses "metabolic magic", and how to escape the diet trap of a slow metabolism. This chapter explains how hormones work against us, how to control starvation hormones, why dieters plateau, how dieting chews up muscle, how to make muscle and why it's so important for metabolism, and one of the secret ingredients of the Curves eating plan: you eat more to increase metabolism and retain weight-loss! Chapter Two also addressed how to do a "Metabolic Tune-Up", what to do if you fall off the diet, and a descripion of the three Phases of a Curves eating plan.

Chapter 3 explains the symptoms of carbohydrate sensitivity, and has two tests to determine if you need to be counting calories or carbs. It is explained why carbohydrates can be so bad for you, and how there is a new epidemic of insulin resistance that is causing an alarming increase in Type II diabetes. In order to be liberated from fat-storage mode, it's important to eat an adequate amount of protein, so there's a great deal of information about protein, how it aids muscle, and why drinking lots of water is important for preventing ketosis.

Chapter 4 contains a list of "free foods" that you can eat in any amount, and a 7 page chart that shows you the carbohydrate grams and calories of many common foods.

Chapter 5 outlines the carbohydrate-sensitive eating plan, and includes a 25 page meal plan for every day of the week, for 5 weeks. The meal plan also provides a calculation for carbs and calories for each and every portion.

Chapter 6 outlines the calorie-sensitive eating plan, and also includes a 25 meal plan lasting 5 weeks, including carb and calorie counts.

Chapter 7 discusses general nutrition for healthy body, including protein, fats, butter vs. margarine, essential fatty acids, fiber, carbohydrates, water, salt, artificial sweeteners, alcohol, and phytochemicals.

Chapter 8 shows you how to buy good cuts of meat and tell the difference between fresh fish and not-so-fresh fish, and gives cooking tips and general information on foods such as legumes, vegetables, seeds and nuts, dairy and eggs, and condiments. There is also a section on how to read a food label, tips for eating out, and eating on the job.

Chapter 9 features the Curves-At-Home workout that lasts 30 minutes. The purpose of the home workout is to strengthen every major muscle group, give your heart and lungs a good aerobic workout, and increase the flexibility of your joints. So even those who are not a member of a Curves For Women gym can benefit from the Curves workout by doing exercises at home. All you have to do is buy an exercise tube (stretch cord) that is four feet long. There are pictures showing each exercise of the at-home workout along with detailed instructions. Also included is the exact same target heart rate chart and Curves Flexibility Exercises (after work-out stretching) that is found in the Curves For Women fitness centers.

Chapter 10 deals with enhancing your workout at Curves, for those women who are already members. It also features pictures of each of the machines used in the gym and how they are used. For example, you'll see 2 pictures of a woman using the squat machine--one standing, and the other squatting. The same is illustrated for every machine/exercise, as well as detailed informaiton on how to use the machines correctly and maximize benefit--including tips for Curves pros.

Chapter 11 discusses total health supplements for enhancing the Curves program, such as daily supplements, minerals, antioxidats, phytonutrients, amino acids, and more.

Chapter 12 addresses special health concerns such as arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, preganancy and menopause. There are numerous medical studies that are cited, as well as advice and information on how to maximize your health when dealing with these conditions. This chapter even discusses herbs such as black cohosh, licorice, don quai, and red raspberry and how they can help menopause. This section is 31 pages long so there is a lot of helpful information on understanding these conditions which will empower you to make informed choices about your health.

The last part of the book is the Curves Daily Planner which includes shopping lists for both the carbohydrate-sensitive and calorie-sensitive eating plans, recipes, multivitamin/mineral supplement shopping list, daily meal planner, Phase 3 re-training your metabolism chart, and a weekly progress report.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants or needs a change in lifestyle in order to become more fit and healthy. There is much here that will inspire, encourage, and motivate--as well as empower you to take responsibility for your health and your happiness.

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