Cheryle R. Hart M.D. | Mary Kay Grossman
1 Everyone should follow this method!!!!
This book is a wonderful guide and should be used by everyone, whether they have diabetes/insulin-resistance or not. This book has already helped my lose 15 pounds in just a few months and has changed the way I eat. I like it becuase it is not a "diet", it is a new way of eating that is easy to follow for life.
This book shows how you can control your body's response to what you eat by balancing carbs with protein. It is very easy to understand and as long as you are willing to learn about portion control and read food labels, you can master the method easily.
The best part about the method is you get to eat everything you like, in the right portions when you balance it properly. You can have a small dessert with a glass of milk, for example. With this method, you will not feel deprived, you can actually eat more! My co-workers are amazed that I can eat every couple of hours throughout the day and still lose weight - I just eat the right combinations of foods.
This book makes learning the method simple, with descriptive lists of what proper servings are and what to eat from popular fast food restaurants. It also helped change the way I think about exercising - more isn't necessarily better!
I recommend this book to everyone I know - my friends, family and co-workers - and I recommend you give this method a try, too!
2 It helped and is helping me
I started doing the Atkins diet, but found it hard to stick with. This book showed me a way of eating that help me shed 25 pounds and reduce my headaches I would get from eating carbs. It is an easy read and the food charts, eat what with what, have been very helpful.[...]
3 lots of info
Finally some information on the subject that I could understand.
this book make sense and was very help full. I like how they
re-arranged the food pyramid for people with insulin resistance.
4 Fascinating and Helpful but Still a Diet
This is really a wonderful book. It is written simply, especially if you have ever been to a nutritionist or done exchanges before, and has a wealth of good information.
I tried it for a week and I felt great. I had less headaches and less cravings. I lost three pounds. I, however, still have a lot of emotional eating issues so I found that I was mentally still treating this like a diet so I returned to binging for othe reasons.
If you do not have emotional eating issues and meet the quiz that is in the book (or take one online, you can search for it easily) then I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how simple and effective it is.
I highly recommend this!
5 A Miracle
I decided to buy this book after I was diagnosed with insulin resistance. I had failed at the traditional low-fat, high-carb diet over and over again. My eating felt totally out of control, I was always starving, and packing on the pounds.
Its been a month and I've lost a healthy 8 pounds using the general principles of this book. I'm not one that likes to "count grams" whether they be carbs, fat, or protein, but I do pay attention and do my best to follow their formula. I've also disregarded their emphasis on low fat products, but am no where near the Atkins insanity.
The biggest difference for me is that I am no longer hungry all the time. Before, I never felt like I had any will-power. Now I know that there were forces beyond my control willing me to eat more and more. Now, I do have will-power. I control how much I eat and what I eat and allow myself the occasional splurge when I feel like I need it.
For the first time in years I have a sense of hope that I can conquer the one issue in my life that has seemed insurmountable-- my weight. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is tired of feeling hungry and losing the battle.
The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5, is the lack of recipes and the emphasis on low-fat foods, which usually taste inferior and in most instances have close to the same amount of calories as the regular.
Good luck!
6 It's not your fault, it's your food!
This book could be a bit simpler to understand, but this is it your answer for weight loss, preventing diabetes and treating polycystic ovarian syndrome. You don't have to live without carbs for the rest of your life. You don't have to starve yourself thin (like that really works anyway). What you need is this book!
The authors explain why you keep regaining that weight, or can't lose it in the first place. The problem is not your willpower, it is the typical Western diet of refined foods. Following this plan you can learn how and what to eat so that you can eat what you like and still lose weight. Insulin resistance is the culprit for obesity, heart disease, high cholesterol and many other problems. This book will show you how to eat better, for life!
7 Easy, Flexible and Works Really Fast!
I started following the Insulin-Resistance Diet after learning from from my doctor that my blood sugar levels indicated I was close to getting diabetes. I already knew that my blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyderide levels were high. The possibility of getting diabetes too finally got me scared enough to make some lifestyle changes - which for me were following this diet and walking 30 minutes a day 5 days a week.
In just 2 months on this diet and walking routine these were my results:
- I lost 22 pounds
- Blood pressure went from 130/90 to 130/70 (almost normal)
- Blood sugar dropped from 6.0 to 5.7 (top of normal tange)
- Total cholesterol dropped from 167 to 127 (normal range)
- Cholesterol:HDL ratio went from 5.0 to 3.6 (normal range)
- Tryglycerides dropped from 207 to 120 (normal range)
Now, after one more month I've lost an additional 11 pounds.
A friend of mine also got inspired to follow this diet and in 1 1/2 months she lost 15 pounds and her total cholesterol dropped from over 300 to 150. We were both amazed at how fast this diet works for both weight loss and correcting blood chemistry. Also to our amazement, neither of us experienced feelings of cravings or deprivation - you eat so well on this plan. It's not really a diet but rather an eating strategy that is healthy, flexible and easy to follow. I think the greatest gifts of this book are it's emphasis on how the timing of eating affects weight loss or gain, and the effort by the authors to make the diet as easy and flexible as possible. I can't say for sure if this diet will work for everyone, but IMHO, I think it's likely one of the best and most realistic (in the sense that people can actually DO it) answers to a lot of America's overweight problem. I hope it catches on in a big way. Many thanks and kudos to the authors!
8 This really worked for me. Easy to follow for life.
I can't believe I'm saying that a diet worked for me, but this really worked for me! For about ten years I was around 20 pounds overweight even though I ate less than my peers, exercised regularly, and ate (what I thought was) a very healthy vegetarian diet. Finally a few years ago an endocrinologist diagnosed me with PCOS. He put me on 850 mg of Metformin, 3x a day. The medication helped me get back to my normal weight, but I didn't like the side effects.
This past year another doctor of mine mentioned The Insulin Resistance Diet book. I was skeptical at first since I never had much luck with any type of diet, but I decided to give it a try. If you're interested in nutrition topics, you'll find this book a very easy read. I finished it in a few days. I talked to my endocrinologist about lowering my Metformin dosage at the same time I started the Insulin Resistance Diet. He agreed to lower it to 500 mg, 3x a day. Within about four months of following the Insulin Resistance Diet, I've lost 15 pounds. The concept itself is easy to grasp with a little practice, and carrying it out is easy too because I can still eat anything I want to eat as long as I follow the link-and-balance method described in the book. Diets that tell you to eliminate complete food groups never sounded right to me. You won't have to do that on the Insulin Resistance Diet. I'm actually eating more food and more often than I used to eat, and yet I'm losing weight. A friend of mine who doesn't even have insulin resistance followed this plan and lost 30 pounds. We both kept commenting on how easy it is to follow, and how surprising it is to see the weight come off since it feels so easy.
The only aspects that I personally didn't find very useful were the recipe section, the suggestion to use artificial sweeteners, and the sections dedicated to fast food and frozen prepared meals. Perhaps this is appealing to the majority of readers, but if you like eating all-natural foods, you might not find those sections useful either. You can still get so much out of this book, even if you ignore the recipes and the suggestions to use artificial ingredients. (In fact, sometimes I even cheat a little on her lowfat emphasis and the weight still stays off.) Since I found this plan (I don't even like calling it a "diet") so easy to stick to, I've found that on the rare occasions that I cheat on it, it's very easy to get right back on track. In fact, cheating on the plan helped remind me how well it works-- I recently skipped the balancing and was quickly reminded how spacey and tired I feel when I don't follow it.
At my last follow-up with the endocrinologist, my male hormone levels were still elevated, unfortunately, but he was happy to see that I hadn't gained weight and said I could stay at my new lower dosage for now. So I can't say for sure right now that the Insulin Resistance Diet is curing my PCOS, but I can definitely say that it helped me lose 15 pounds very easily. I really hope this works as well for you as it did for me. Tip: I used a free online food journal that helped me calculate the grams of carbohydrates and protein. Good luck!
9 Best Book Around on Insulin Resistance
This is a great book.
I totally disagree with a new reviewer who said the authors don't go into enough detail about the diet. That is all they do! Some folks need to read the book over twice (there is a huge support group over on the www.soulcysters.com website), to "get it" but it's an easy read and very well written as well.
Like some reviewers and followers of the plan, I totally ignore their "low fat" recommendations, and just "link and balance" my protein with carbs as explained in the book. Low fat diets never worked for me, they only left me hungry, so I just ignore the advice. I lost weight anyway.
I wish the authors would now come out with a good cookbook!
Great plan that cured my mood swings and insulin resistance. The best around, because you can just about eat anything you want if you cleverly "link and balance" your proteins with carbs, as explained in the book.
I love eating this way and will do so forever!
10 Okay, but not in depth
I was a little disappointed in this book since it was highly recommended to me by my doctor. It is a good overview of insulin resistance problem and explains the balance between carbohydrates and protein very well. I would have liked to see more detail on the diet itself, other than write down what you eat, balance carb w/protein, exercise, etc. I found the Good Carb Cookbook more helpful with the diet (recipes, GI tables,
Carb tables, etc.)
11 LOSE WEIGHT AND FEEL BETTER
THIS BOOK WAS A GREAT HELP IN UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM OF INSULIN RESISTANCE AND HOW TO CONQUER IT. THE DIET IS EASY TO FOLLOW AND YOU DO NOT FEEL DEPRIVED...AND IT WORKS!!! YOU NOT ONLY LOSE WEIGHT YOU FEEL SO MUCH BETTER AND HEALTHIER. I WOULD RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE ..IN FACT I HAVE! AND THEY LOVED IT TOO.
12 Love this lifestyle change
I went to my doctor and found out I was insulin resistant. After 3 wks on the plan I have lost 12 lbs and have lots more energy. I struggled with many other diets and only put the weight back on after feeling deprived and too tired from lack of real nutrients. I only watch that my carbs and protein are linked and balanced and drink plenty of water. This is also an excellent diet for those gals suffering from pcos and infertility stemming from insulin resistanc.
13 Absolutely Wonderful!!
Once you read through this book and put it into practice, if you are carb sensitive, you will lose weight. I've tried watching what I eat to where I was eating 1500 calories a day but I could not lose weight. I bought this book and in 4 months I lost 30 pounds. It's very important to balance you cars and protein and eat no more than 30 grams of carbs every 2 or 3 hours. If you follow that advice it will come off. I am 39 years old and of all the diets I have been on this is the only one that works for me.
14 This book started me on a path to improved health
My new doctor thought I might be glucose intolerant and suggested I do some research on the topic. I headed for Amazon.com and purchased this book within a few days of my doctor's appointment. As I read through the book, discovering I had all the characteristics of being insulin-resistant, I began to make some of the changes discussed- choosing foods that were on the lower end of the glycemic scale, limiting myself to no more than 30 grams of carbohydrate per meal, linking carbs with protein, waiting 3 hours between meals before consuming anything with carbohydrates, and eating 5 meals per day instead of 3. My goal was to feel better as I felt tired and sluggish a lot. At my next doctor's appointment (3 weeks after the first), I was feeling much better and.... I had lost 7 lbs. without even trying to lose anything! I was merely putting into practice some of the suggestions I had read to help me get rid of feeling so tired and sluggish. As time went on, I felt better and better and had renewed energy. My doctor even said I was all smiles and my eyes glowed. And the weight loss? At a return appointment three weeks after the first, another 7 lbs. were off, and 3 more weeks after that I had lost another 5. Combining this healthier eating plan with exercise, I feel fantastic! I no longer have that mid-afternoon slump, have come off caffeine (except for one cup on Saturday and Sunday mornings), and have more energy than I ever thought possible! I have also lost 30 lbs. in 4 months, gone down 2 clothing sizes, and have even won a Presidential Physical Fitness Award. I am never hungry and I know I can eat this healthier way forever. You don't have to count points like some diet programs and write everything down- who can do that for the rest of their lives? I am working towards another Presidential Physical Fitness Award and am very thankful my doctor put me on the right path to regaining my health and fitness. All I know is this book made a big difference in my life and whenever anyone asks me about my weight loss and energy, I enthusiatically share with them this book which put everything in perspective and helped me improve my health so drastically!
15 The Best Book on Insulin Resistance
This is the best book I've come across on Insulin Resistance.
I'm sorry some of the reviewers below found fault with it, but as a person who has been on every diet created, I have finally found one that lets me lose weight without deprivation.
No, you don't have to eat frozen dinners, rubber fat free cheese and food with chemicals, contrary to what the reviewer below stated.
You eat what you CHOOSE. That's the difference between this and other plans - nothing is off-limits, you just make choices within certain guidelines and parameters. You learn to link and balance carbs with proteins.
I have never felt healthier in my life and love this eating plan.
Remember the book is just a guideline - it's just the principles learned that work. For example, I don't believe you have to go as low fat as the authors state, but I don't believe Atkins is healthy either. So I use my common sense and go midrange. For example, I'd prefer to use a good nonhydrogenated reduced calorie margarine rather than butter, and 1% milk instead of whole milk. It's all about choices. You're in charge. That's what's so great about this eating plan.
I highly recommend this book, just remember to tailor it to your own preferences. You make it your own diet. What other diet can make such claims?
16 A bit hard to follow, but full of good information...
I have read this once already, and am halfway through it the second time. Some of the text is hard to follow, and it is generally hard to read due to layout and choice of font. However, there is a lot of good and current information in this book about insulin resistance (this being my unprofessional opinion). I plan to take this to my next endocrinologist appt to get his professional opinion on it. The reason I give it 3 stars instead of 4 is due to some puzzling contradictions -- I won't tell you what they are, since I may be the only person confused.
17 The Best Book on Insulin Resistance
This is an excellent book, suitable even for vegetarians (which I am) which many "lower carb" books are not.
It makes sense, gives simple, general guidelines even a moron could follow.
Best of all, it helps you lower your carbs without really giving up much. It's just a new way of balancing carbs with proteins...AND IT WORKS!!!
In regard to the reviewer below who criticizes the book for it's old fashioned "low fat paradigm"...well in a sense I do agree. Yet past experience and gut instinct tells me that when you lower your fat content of food, you also lower your calories and lose weight faster.
However, the neat thing is you don't have to count calories to lower them. What I do is, when I eat at home I try to make wise, lower fat choices without going into a "deprived" mode. In other words, if I want to eat a high fat cheese or use a recipe that needs whole milk not skim milk, I still use it, while still applying the "link and balance" principles of this book. Link and balance is a way of balancing your carbohydrates with proteins to avoid an insulin spike, as explained in the book.
This book has something for everything. Please don't let one negative review sway you from purchasing this book. I have lots of low carb and reduced carb books, and this is the best I ever purchased.
It's changed my health and weight for the better, and I'm so glad I purchased it. It's a definite winner!!!
18 A feasible, flexible, sane approach to diet and nutrition
This is by far the best book I've read on the benefits of eating a higher (as opposed to high) protein diet. The authors give an easy-to-follow but detailed explanation of what insulin resistance is, why you want to control it, and how to do that through diet. Best of all, their recommendations are do-able -- they're simple principles (eating carbs with protein, limiting the amount of carbs eaten in a two hour period) that can be applied to a variety of diet preferences and lifestyles. It involves some tweaking of what you eat, when, but not the drastic (and, to me, completely impractical) overhaul that many high-protein diet plans do. My one criticism is that the author's presentation of their eating plan is a bit confusing in spots (and that may account for why another review here discounts the book as just another low-fat eating plan -- it's not that, at all). I had to go over it a couple of times to understand what exactly I was supposed to do to put their principles into practice. But overall it's a wonderfully sensible book, non-threatening, with eating guidelines I think anyone should be able to live with and benefit from.
19 Finally!! An answer to my prayers!
I can not sing the praises of this book enough! I had been diagnosed years ago with PCOS, and had suffered with infertiliy for years, but I was led to believe that my being overweight was causing the PCOS. Through this book, I discovered that insulin resistance was causing the PCOS and the weight gain. I have been following this plan for almost 6 weeks, and as of this morning I have lost 20 pounds. And not only that, I feel better! I have so much more energy! And after a few days on the diet, my cravings for high-carb. foods has gone away! I no longer get desperate and edgy when I get hungry. I don't have a problem with delaying a meal for a couple of hours anymore.
Thank you SO much Dr. Hart and Ms. Grossman!!
20 Mostly just a low fat diet
I was disappointed with this book. While it stresses the importance of eating enough protein to balance with carbohydrates, the authors seem to treat all carbohydrates the same, without emphasizing the difference between starchy and non-starchy carbs. The authors are apparentlly unwilling to break from the low-fat paradigm that has dominated diet books for the past 30 years. They recommend questionable foods that I will personally never eat again, such as frozen microwavable dinners, white bread, non-fat "cheese" and margarine. I think a much better book on Insulin Resistance is Syndrome X by Jack Challem, et al. I have also just purchased The No-Grain Diet by Dr. Joseph Mercola, which looks at first glance to be an excellent book, and deals with many of the same issues. I'm convinced, by my own experience, that a diet with too many grains, and especially flour can lead to insuin resistance, so I was dismayed to learn that these authors do not really recommend cutting these way back.
21 Great Book, This Diet Works!
I came across this book by accident, having learned about it while I was reading an article about treating hypoglycemia (a condition I've battled for 10 years now). I decided to give it a shot, and I'm so glad I did!
There are certain parts that are technical, and a little too complicated for my non-scientific brain, but I was able to understand the main point, and it's basically this: to keep blood sugar levels balanced, you need to balance the amount of carbs and proteins in each meal. In the end, it's a mathematical equation: no more than 35 grams of carbs ("good" carbs only!) per meal, and for every 14 carb grams, you must eat 7 protein grams.
The book goes on to illustrate examples, plus it provides menus and recipes. But what I liked best was that once I understood the concept, I could implement it anywhere, and it's not difficult to do, as long as I make sure that I always eat more protein than anything else (please keep in mind that this is a watered-down description). And also, this is not an extreme diet, it's just basic science and nutrition, and it can be practiced as a lifestyle. Although I don't have weight problems, when I began to eat using these concepts, I lost a good 7 lbs. in the first 2 weeks, and I notice that when I stick to it, I always look and FEEL great.
22 Excellent for cravings and tiredness
This is an excellent guide for those of us who feel tired and have carb cravings. It does a good job of explaining things without being too technical. It really helped me as a first step in controlling my cravings and weight.
After reading other books on insulin resistance, the only negatives I have to say about this book are:
There is little information on the importance of exercise in beating insulin resistance. It is a must for getting rid of insulin resistance and increasing energy.
There is little distinction made between "good" complex carbs and "bad" ones other than the amount you can eat at one time. From my experience there is a big difference in how they make you feel and their effects on cravings. For some people like me, wheat really cranks up my cravings and mood swings while rice, potatoes etc don't have as much of an effect.
23 This Book is the Best
Ignore the last review.
Many people, like myself have great success with this program.
If you think the carbs are too liberal, eat less. This is a plan, not a diet. There's no rule set in stone that says you must eat an alloted amount of carbs per meal. YOU choose the amount, but you can't go over a certain amount. Also the protein you must eat with the carbs greatly dissipates the high glycemic content of any carbs that are high glycemic to begin with.
This is a wonderful book. It encourages lots of veggies, you can even eat fruit! Try that on Atkins! you make this plan your own, so you are never deprived.
I agree I don't like the "low fat" emphasis. But guess what, I just ignore that advice, and eat lots of healthy fats.
Still I give this book five stars, even with the author's outdated view of fats. The rest of the wonderful information in this book more than compensates for it.
That said, I sure hope the authors revise this book and leave out the "low fat" recommendations. I just ignore them.
Great book!
24 Not a diet for people with a problem other than overweight
This diet is certainly an improvement over the average American diet, but the title is a bit misleading. I ordered it because I was diagnosed as being insulin resistant (Type II diabetes or almost there). As it turns out, this book is for weight loss only and will not work to alleviate symptoms for someone who has a medical problem. The plan is way too liberal with carbs for someone who is truly senstitive to carbs or who is so insulin resistant that they have developed noticeable symptoms other than weight gain. It bashes fat and tries to combine its principles with those of the American Heart Association's low fat diet. The Schwarzbein Principle by Diana Schwarzbein and Nancy Deville is a much better choice for anyone who needs to do more than lose weight.
25 worked wonders for me!
I think this book is great!! I have tried other diets and exercise plans but none worked for me. I am a very self disciplined person and it wasn't like I didn't stick to the other plans..I did and htey just didn't get me anywhere. I think the main reason is that I do have an insulin resistance problem which makes it extremely hard for me to lose weight. When I finally got diagnosed with this by my Dr I went out and got losts of books on the subject..this being one of those books. By far it was the easiest to understand and follow and so I decided to try to follow this book first. In less than 1 month with no exercise at all (although I do intend to add exercise to my plan in the near future) and adhering STRICTLY to the link/balance theory I have lost 20 pounds! I also upped my water intake from pretty much nothing a day to 10 cups a day (carrying a bottle with a straw makes it much easier to do this) I am thrilled! The only downside that I would say is that I wish it had more fast food info in it but other than that I think it is super and would highly recommend it to anyone else who has insulin resistance problems. I don't think it would work as well as it did for me if your insulin was fine..I am actually eating more calories now than I was before so I don't know how that would affect someone whose insulin is working right. But for pre diabetics or those with insulin resistance (PCOS) try it and I think you will be amazed. I sure was!
26 It's not so much what you eat, but how you eat it.....
THE INSULIN-RESISTANCE DIET was written by Cheryle Hart, a medical doctor trained at the Mayo clinic, and Mary Kay Grossman, a Registered Dietician. The authors bring the most-up-to-date research into the discussion of how to lose weight and keep it off. Their theory resonates with me. My experience has shown me that simply eating less (especially fat) and exercising don't make a difference. When I was younger, I used to be able to keep weight off with ease. When I reached my fifties, the going got harder. I eat much less today than ever. I don't drink alcohol or soft drinks. I don't eat desserts. I seldom eat bread, and when I do it's usually multi grain. I eat lots of fish and chicken, yogurt and cottage cheese, vegetables and fruits. I exercise moderately by walking, climbing stairs, parking far from the door. I do stretches every day (sit-ups, etc.).
I've started the insulin diet because it makes sense. Basically, I eat about the same things I have been eating, but do it differently. The authors show you how to "link" foods so that the compliment each other and induce the body to make less insulin. Insulin is the hormone our ancestors needed to deal with the starving times. Today, most of us aren't starving most of the time, so insulin actually becomes dysfunctional. The authors explain the process--how our bodies manufacture too much insulin in response to the foods we eat and when we eat them--and how it can lead to Type II Diabetes. Then they explain how you can change the pattern and be healthier--and slimmer.
Carbohydrates can be a problem, but you should not give them up. The authors suggest carbo-depriving can make you unhealthy. Diets overly reliant on protein can cause kidney damage. Balancing what you eat is the key. Our ancestors did not eat steak everyday. Survival and reproduction required some protein and fat, but most likely they ate lots of plants and fruits. But this information isn't new. The USDA has been saying for years we should eat vegetables, fruits, protein, and some fats and complex carbohydrates. Grossman and Hart suggest the way you combine these foods can actually help you lose weight and keep it off.
The book contains food lists, recipes, and meals. Also included are lists of items you can order from your favorite fast food joint. Apparently, you can find healthy choices in even the worst circumstances.
27 Easier to understand, simpler to follow than most diet books
There are quite a few books that propose a similar theory about food, diet and health. But "The Insulin-Resistance Diet" is probably the easiest to understand, the best-written and most no-nonsense of the lot.
The basic theory is this: an excess of certain types of carbohydrates, namely sugars and starches, exhaust the body's ability to respond to insulin. Insulin is the hormone that allows your body to use sugar (glucose) which is the basic gasoline that runs your muscles and brain. We break starches and complex sugars like the high-fructose corn syrup in your soda and the sucrose in your coffee, plus the starches in breads, cereals and vegetables down to that basic component glucose. Only then can the body fuel itself.
But, too much starch, too much sugar and the body, over time, loses its ability to respond to the insulin that's released, and we get Type II diabetes. We still can make insulin, but no longer make the receptors that pick it up. When insulin and receptors bind together, it sends a message thats tells the cells what to do with that glucose. The solution here is to eat a combination of carbs with protein to prevent too much insulin from having to be released, and to avoid high-glycemic foods, which means those foods that break down into LOTS of glucose.
This is so simple. I've been doing this for a month, and I've lost a bit of weight, which for me is a difficult thing. I feel far less hungry if I follow the ideas here--mixing cottage cheese with lower glycemic foods like potatoes or whole grain rye, avoiding white rice, sweets and other problematic foods. I still sneak an ice cream or a roll once in a while, but I know how to balance it with a high protein, low fat cheese or tofu. While I have to watch that I don't eat just carbs for a meal, it is rewarding not to feel so hungry. Hey, this works.
28 A Must-Have for Anyone With PCOS!
After being diagnosed with PCOS and struggling with weight for 10 years, I have finally found an eating plan that I can stick to. The low carb diets worked for me, but they were impossible to stick to for very long, and the weight usually came back (along with a few extra pounds). This plan is easy to follow, and it feels more like an eating style, rather than a diet. Although I've found the weight loss to be slow, I've decided that slow loss that I'm able to maintain is better than a quick fix where the weight comes right back. I've been on the plan for about three months, and I've lost 11 pounds. (11 pounds in the first two months, nothing this past month, but nothing gained either!). I definitely recommend that anyone who has struggled with weight loss, PCOS-related or not, give it a try.
29 If you have PCOS....
you really should check this book out. There isn't a lot of direct reference to PCOS in this book, but if you do your research you'll find that Insulin Resistance is named as a probably culprit of PCOS. There are many Low Carb programs out there and I've tried them all only to revert back to my old eating habits and regain weight that was so hard to lose. The Link and Balance approach outlined in this book is one that really could be done forever--it's easy to do and satisfies the needs to eat some carbs. Makes a lot of sense to limit the amount of carbs eaten within a 2-hour window and always balance them with adequate protein. I've even been able to find fast food meal solutions and eat socially without feeling left out or deprived.
More interesting info contained in this book is Dr. Hart's info on Neurotransmitter precursers and the role they play in food cravings and appetite control.
I recommend this book to anyone who struggles with ongoing weight issues Insulin Resistance or not. And, if you've got PCOS this program along with glucose lowering meds could be the solution you've been looking for.
30 For women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome - worth looking @
For women with PCOS, this book offers a "palatable" alternative to the more popular low-carb diet books like Atkins.
Visit any PCOS community site ie SoulCysters.com, PCOSupport.org, or the PCOS Usenet groups, and you'll find it's quite the 'buzz' and for good reason: It attempts to address the 'core' of the disorder: Insulin Resistance.
Online, women with PCOS have reported great success with losing weight on this plan.
Note: this book isn't just for women with PCOS, as Insulin Resistance can strike all.
I would also suggest that readers check out "Managing Insulin Resistance." It's a fine companion for this book.
31 STUFF AND NONSENSE!
I was amazed and the nonsense in this book! The idea you could lose weight by eating protein with everything, and I mean anything, just does not fit. There does not seem to be good nutritional advice. The links and balances was cute, but seemed a bit too complicated for everyday use. This book would be good for those who do not really want to lose weight, but like to read about it.
32 Very Helpful!
A friend recommended this book to me, and I must say it is a very good tool for anyone seeking to understand the relationship between food and the body. It serves as a guide to learning how insulin affects fat, and includes balanced eating methods, strategies for eating right, recipes, and even recommended snacks. The book offers unique useful tips and answers questions like How much protein is too much? and What types of fat are good for you? One tip I found interesting was the "two-hour fat window," in which the authors recommend you "eat frequently and think small" because the body will either use carbohydrates as energy or turn them into fat, so you must be careful not to eat more carbohydrates than your body can use for energy in a two-hour time period. The book also includes self-tests so you can better understand your body and its dietary needs. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is searching for a healthy, balanced way to lose weight, and anyone who is searching for a healthy, balanced way of eating.
33 Easy, effective--and somewhat incomplete
This book addresses the needs of the many people in our society whose insulin response has gone astray, resulting in symptoms like high blood pressure or high cholesterol and triglyerides.
The major pro of the this book/diet is its ease. The book itself is very well written and the diet plan easy to follow.You'll probably be finished reading the book in a couple of days.
The plan is effective. I dropped 15 cholesterol points and 113 triglycerides in one month. I did not lose a lot of weight, but I did lose some. I knew the plan had to be doing something when I lost the weight and suddenly stopped craving crunchy snack foods.
Now for the cons. The diet does emphasize protein, a higher amount than usually recommended. The book appropriately calls attention to this fact, but does not highlight that as part of the natural digestion process, animal proteins do leave some toxins in your system which the liver and kidneys have to clean up; thus this diet will put more stress on these organs. This casts a shade of doubt on the diet and is one of the reasons I don't give the book five stars.
Another reason I didn't give five stars is because in its simplicity I feel that an important, more advanced point was left out. The book failed to give enough stress to the fact that some carbs are much better than others. This point is brought out much more clearly in other books such as "The Good Carb Cookbook." In failing to highlight this, readers are not given information which could give them an extra boost.
This book plus another which delineates the difference between highly refined carbohydrates and low glycemic response carbs would probably be best. The Link and Balance system that "The Insulin Resistance Diet" recommends is important--it's ridiculous to assume that I'll never eat another piece of white bread--but part of the equation is missing.
34 Unbelievable!
I bought this book as a result of a link Amazon gave me when I ordered another book on insulin resistance. I didn't even look at it right away and once I did, I was blown away. I always had so much trouble losing weight, despite being on innumerable diets. Lately, I had been doing low-carb, but that does become difficult to follow long-term. The link-and-balance system that the authors describe in great detail works great for me and I can already feel good results after two weeks. I wish I had looked at this book first! I've become an evangelist for what I believe could be my last diet. It's amazing that something so simple works so well.
35 big help
This book was a big help. I saw how despite what some of
the famous diet doctors say, I can enjoy carbs sometimes if they
are balanced with protein and vegetables. This common sense
system really works, and the book was well worth the money.
36 Not a Good Diet
This is one of the worst diet books I've ever tried. Terrible recipes full of fake, tasteless, plastic fat-free foods. The food on this plan gave me horrible cravings because I wasn't eating enough fat. Also, the authors don't address sugar cravings and hypoglycemia. So I made the chocolate cake and ate half of it at once and then made myself throw the rest out so I would stop eating it. I stopped using this plan after a day or two, it was obvious it wouldn't satisfy me and my energy wasn't great either.
37 Great rewards of weight loss & increased energy level.
After my mom was diagnosed with insulin-resistance, I reluctantly went in for the blood test. Yep... positive. But at least I had a reason for being only 30, a good 20 lbs. overweight and always tired. I was given information from the doctor but found this book and it explained to me in much simpler terms what I had and how to control it, without starving. The book even helps you determine if you have insulin resistance without the blood test.
I'm losing weight and the best benefit is that my energy level is way up. Other slight health problems are fading away with the extra weight and better eating habits. And the book even gives clues as to how to eat fast food & convienence (frozen) foods without blowing it.
38 excellent book
This was an excellent book. It was very easy to follow. I have been trying to lose weight ever since my last child ( 21/2 years ago) and had not been successful. I had tried many different diets along with lots of exercise programs but most were very complicated and I ended up making two sets of meals, one for my family and one for me.
Then I came across this book it was very easy to follow and made a lot of sense. I had gestational diabetes with my last child and this book is really close to the same diet plan I was put on to control the diabetes, just not quite as restrictive. I can make the same meals for the whole family and just link and balance. After two months I have reached my goal weight and I also feel better and have more energy. This is more than a diet, it is a life style change and is so easy.
I highly recomend this book it is wonderful!!!!!
39 Highest Praise for The Insulin Resistance Diet
THE INSULIN RESISTANCE DIET is intellegent and easy to understand even though it explains a fairly complex bio-chemical process of the human body. The science seems sound, and the conclusions logical. The explanation of insulin resistance answered questions that have nagged at the back of my mind all my life. This makes sense.
I applaud the authors for making the nutritional plan -- the "DIET" -- so easy to understand and easy to follow. This is a real-life way to eat every day. It's not something you will follow for only a few weeks, and then crash on your birthday or thanksgiving. You don't have to be hungry all the time. You don't have to weigh every portion. You don't have to buy special foods or supplements. You can really live your life without making food THE CENTRAL ELEMENT (unless you really want to).
I can use the link-and-balance plan just as easily as a guest in someone's home as I can in almost any restaurant. With a little planning, I can eat almost anything, anytime, anyplace without having to make MY DIET NEEDS the biggest deal in town. Now I can eat regular food, without going hungry, WHILE ACTUALLY IMPROVING MY HEALTH and LOSING WEIGHT. (Actually, that IS a pretty big deal!)
I have been on (and off) diets for almost 30 years. I was put on 1000 calories per day by my doctor when I was 9 years old. His suggestions included things like: "Have only one egg for breakfast," "Have one piece of toast instead of two," or "On your toast, use only a little jam and no butter" ...
What eggs? What toast? What BREAKFAST? I ate less than any kid I knew, and still I kept gaining weight. My mother was put on 300 calories a day by the same doctor at that time. Twenty years later, she died at age 67 of kidney failure caused by chemotherapy. By that time, she had been a diabetic for about 15 years, and her blood sugar had seriously damaged her kidneys. Statistically, she died of Cancer -- but before cancer replicated its very first cell, diabetes (and its precursor insulin resistance) had already inflicted its fatal wound.
I am now fifteen years younger than my mother was when she contracted diabetes. THE INSULIN RESISTANCE DIET may give me a chance to live without diabetes. Perhaps its precursor, Insulin Resistance, has not yet sealed my fate. While the jury deliberates for the next 15 years, I may be able to significantly reduce my body's resistance to insulin, and thereby get a verdict of "NOT DIABETIC". That is my hope. That is why I give this book 5 STARS.
40 Excellent choice if you have PCOS!
I was recently diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome after trying unsuccessfully to become pregnant. My doctor told me I was insulin resistant & I looked everywhere for a book that would not only inform me regarding what exactly insulin resistance is, but help me take charge of my own health by teaching me make successful changes. This is the book!!! I read the entire book in one and one-half days, and found myself continually reading sections to my husband. I couldn't put it down! It was the missing link of info that I needed to do my part to keep my insulin resistance in check and work to prevent it from becoming Type II Diabetes. I have been using the Link-and-Balance program and I believe I can do this. Today I saw my OB-GYN and was so excited about this book that she decided to get it. This book has changed the way I think about food, including explaining why I couldn't resist carbs & sweets. Now that I am linking my carbs with the appropriate amount of protein, I have been able to manage the cravings. This book has everything, medical info, and personal roadmaps for success and even troubleshooting in case you need to adjust what you are doing to fit your own needs. The menu portion is great (I have tried three main courses already---the chicken enchillada are wonderful!) and it made shopping easy. I can't say enough about this book. I feel like it was written for me! My sincere thanks goes out to the authors!!!
41 will not need another diet book
just received my copy of the insulin resistance diet and i thought it was just marvelous. It explained a lot of the things that would happen to me when i would eat to many carbs, tired, lazy not thinking clearly hmm how was i to know i didn't have enough protein to ofset an insulin rise in me that would cause this lethargic feeling. Anyway the book clearly explains how you can balance your food with enough protein, not count calories or fat( of course anyone wanting to lose weight will watch fat intake) and still lose weight.The book also clearly expains how we gain weight and how we can stop storing fat the minute you start the program, which i might add is very very easy. You might not think something this easy would be able to help you lose weight all i can say is read the book try it any you will be telling others because it will be very evident in the way you look and feel. It has only been a few days for me and i already feel lighter and not as tired when i eat now. This is only the begining will get back with you in about four weeks and let you know the results. The book was interesting and very easy to read satarting reading it for the second time last night.
42 Straight-forward and Understandable
I've had the book in my hands for a week and am surprised by how much of what I read I have retained. It is written using understandable language and not "medical speak." I have read other books on insulin resistance, and I have to say this one is the best so far! It is straightforward, to the point, and offers explanations in lay terms. I've learned so much in the past week about insulin resistance, and it offers workable solutions for how to combat it. I highly recommend this book if you really want to understand insulin resistance.
43 This is a very good way of life, a very good way to burn fat
I am a 16 year old male. Using the method described in this book I have lost 10 pounds within 2 months. You can eat whatever you want and still lose weight. I found out how to balcance my diet through this book. Thank You Dr. Hart and Mary Kay Grossman.
I would gladly put this book on my shelf so my freinds can see it.
44 Finally an answer about my body.
Finally an answer about my body. And so simple too. I've tried a million fads but this book makes complete sense. I couldn't believe I was told to actually eat cake and milk to lose weight by Dr. Hart. But she was right. I didn't have to give up anything. I just had to learn a little bit about my hormones. The Link and Balance way worked. I fooled my insulin. What a great little trick, what a great little book...How come no one said it to me this way before. I think this is the way we are supposed to eat. Get copies for anybody you know.
45 This diet is a breeze.
This diet is a breeze. Anybody can be successful on it. I lost 96 pounds using their Link and Balance Method. I feel 25 years old again -- and my health report looks that way too. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to safely lose weight without a whole lot of rules and regulations. It makes perfect medical sense. I know. I was a fat doctor. I now give copies of this book to not only my overweight patients, but to all those patients that need to develop correct nutritional habits.
46 Not Really a Diet, but a life-long eating plan
The word insulin in the title may mislead people to believe this is a book for diabetics. Nothing could be further from the truth. This is a book that contains an eating plan that, with little effort, could fit everyone's lifestyle. The simple premise of the book is to balance carbohydrates with protein for optimum results. Unlike so many popular diets, the authors (who have some pretty impressive credentials) realize that diets eliminating carbohydrates will not be successful forever. There may be some temporary weight loss with those high-protein, fad diets. The dieter might even reach goal weight. But, eventually, the weight will come back. With this book, nothing is forbidden. The dieter reading this book will be pleasantly surprised to learn how easy it is to lose weight without giving up your favorite foods. The book includes suggested menus and a collection of tempting recipes. It's a bargain for an eating plan that will not only shed pounds, but also will boost energy levels and provide effective secrets for healthy eating and weight loss.
47 Insulin Resistance Diet: How to turn off your body's fat mak
I'm tired of diets that tell me I can't eat carbohydrates. Eating a diet too high in protein is not realistic over a long period of time. This book offers a healthy eating plan that can be followed for life instead of a limited diet with unsatisfying choices. I'm happy I found this book and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a healthier way to manage their weight.
48 Insulin Resistance Diet: How to turn off your body's fat mak
I'm tired of diets that tell me I can't eat carbohydrates. Eating a diet too high in protein is not realistic over a long period of time. This book offers a healthy eating plan that can be followed for life instead of a limited diet with unsatisfying choices. I'm happy I found this book and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a healthier way to manage their weight.
49 Linking and Balancing Really Works
With middle age approaching, and after several unsuccessful dieting attempts, I didn't think I would ever lose all the extra weight I had been carrying around. I went to Dr. Hart's Wellness Workshop last year truly in despair. Dr. Hart and Mary Kay were genuinely interested in getting to the bottom of my problem. Using their simple-to-follow eating plan, I have lost 50 pounds in the past year, lowered my cholesterol, and I feel great. I haven't been "on a diet", but have learned to change the way I organize my meals and think about foods. I even went on vacation, ate and drank what I wanted, and still came home a pound lighter! Use this book to lose weight, but teach its principles to your family too, so they can avoid developing insulin-resistance and the diseases related to it.
50 Insulin Resistance Diet: How to turn off your body's fat...
I'm so glad I found this book! My mother is overweight and for years doctors simply told her to eat less. However, she eats very little, excercises constantly and continues to gain weight. She's tried several diets and the results have always been minimal. Finally, one doctor said she might be insulin resistant. This book clearly details how your body's metabolic system can function more effectively by linking protein with carbohydrates at every meal. Unlike other diets that ask you to eliminate carbohydrates, which is unhealthy, this book tells you how to effectively keep carbohydrates in your diet. Some great recipes are also included. This book is better than a diet! It tells you how to successfully boost your metabolism with the foods that you eat!
