Weekend Cooking: Losing Weight and Eating Right

I always wonder what percent of people vow they'll change their ways starting on January 2. Of those changes, dieting has to be near the top of the list (along with exercise and budgeting). I don't usually make resolutions, but after a month or so of holiday eating, I'm usually ready to get back to our usual healthful way of eating.

I don't review dieting books as a rule because (1) I don't have a lot of experience with dieting and (2) I'm too lazy to do the research to evaluate the truth of what the books are telling us. Thus I was surprised to notice five sane-sounding diet-related books cross my desk this season. I thought I'd feature them today, in case one or more resonate with you.

To reiterate: I haven't double-checked the truth of any of these books. Impressions are my own, and I leave it to you to decide how closely you want to follow their advice.

What to Eat When by Michael Roizen and Michael Crupain, with Ted Spiker (National Geographic; December 31). I generally trust National Geographic to get their facts and science right, so that's a big plus for this informative and fun to read book by two doctors who are associated with The Dr. Oz Show. The general idea of What to Eat When is that our internal body clock should be dictating the timing of our meals, so that when we eat is just as important as what we eat to gain optimum health, lose weight, and decrease our stress level. The book reviews a lot of research into circadian rhythms, human and animal behavoir, and physiology. The authors note that it's not just our own body rhythms that matter but also that of the natural bacteria in our guts (our microbiome). The book provides a 31-day plan to help us make the switch from typical Western eating patterns to a more healthful one. It offers lots of tips, including foods to focus on and foods to avoid and advice pertaining to specific health and life issues. (review copy provided by the publisher)

The Mojito Diet by Juan Rivera (Atria; December 18, 2018). This diet book is written by a medical doctor who trained at Johns Hopkins, but now teaches a Columbia, has a Univision television show, and sees patients in Miami. The general idea of The Mojito Diet is to provide a 14-day weight-loss and heart-healthy diet with a Latin twist and--yes--cocktails. Generally the author advocates for a highish protein, lowish carbohydrate diet, with intermittent fasting, that follows DASH principles. The book discusses the science behind the diet and includes menus and a detailed plan to lose weight relatively painlessly. Once your goal is met, you can continue to the chapters that offer a maintenance plan. Near the end you'll find a variety of cocktail and food recipes, most with Latin American flavors. Cocktails are allowed a few times a week, and dessert can be substituted if it has about the same calories as a mojito. The recipes looked appealing and doable. Many dieters will appreciate the guide to eating out. (review copy provided by the publisher)

The DASH Diet Mediterranean Solution by Marla Heller (Grand Central; December 24, 2018). This diet book is written by a registered dietician and nutritionist who trained at the National Institutes of Health and who has written several DASH diet books. In case you don't know, DASH stands for dietary approaches to stop hypertension. A diet good for your heart is also good for your general health and weight. The general idea of this DASH book is to give the well-known diet a Mediterranean perspective to help you have a healthy cardiovascular system, control diabetes, and lose weight too. The book explains specifically which fats, proteins, and carbs to eat, and even helps you stock your pantry and survive the grocery store. You'll find easy to remember "rules" (like "put color on your plate"), and the author provides meal plans that look easy to implement. There are lots of charts for quick referral and to make it simple to figure out what to cook and eat. There is also a recipe section, with (no surprise) Mediterranean-inspired dishes. (review copy provided by the publisher)

Gut Reactions by Simon Quellen Field (Chicago Review Press; January 8). This informative book is written by a chemist and all-round science geek. The general idea of Gut Reactions is to learn how to create a new, lower set-point weight and thus achieve better health. The book discusses carbohydrates, fats, and proteins and shows us exactly what each one does for and to our bodies. We also learn where these nutrients are in our foods. Moving beyond just diet, the book also discusses lifestyle issues and then puts all the information together to explain metabolic rate, hormones, and our microbiome. This isn't really a how-to diet book, but it is filled with interesting science about physiology, nutrition, and intermittent fasting and includes plenty of illustrations and photographs to aid our understanding. There is also information about food cravings and addictions. The book includes some fun quizzes to help you determine your relationship with food and also offers advice for understanding your own metabolism. (review copy provided by the publisher)

Dressing on the Side (and Other Diet Myths Debunked) by Jaclyn London (Grand Central; January 8). This book is written by a registered dietician and nutritionist who is currently nutrition director at Good Housekeeping. As is obvious, the general idea of Dressing on the Side is to debunk dieting myths and help us gain a more positive perspective on health, eating, and weight. The book goes into the science of nutrition, offers guides for evaluating the different popular diets, and helps us navigate the tons of information and tips we get from both the media and our friends. The guidelines in the book are down to earth and easy to implement and focus on healthful eating and drinking, such as how to determine when we've had enough to eat, how to eat dessert every day, and how to make sane food choices. The book is written in a fun, conversational style and addresses real-life issues like our financial budget, time constraints, and how to survive parties and the holiday season. Good graphics and easy-to-absorb charts and guides help you stay honest and accountable to yourself and offer advice for shopping and for eating out (at all kinds of restaurants and even when traveling). (review copy provided by the publisher)

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Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page.

NOTE: Mr. Linky sometimes is mean and will give you an error message. He's usually wrong and your link went through just fine the first time. Grrrr.
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