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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #121687 in Books
• Published on: 2004-03-29
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

From Amazon.com
Impressively modern in design, The No-Grain Diet brings a realistic viewpoint to the problems of weight loss in a genuine effort to improve the health of an ever-growing number of obese Americans. Offering a variety of "food plans," along with a set of techniques aimed at controlling emotional eating and cravings for "bad" foods, Dr. Joseph Mercola clearly understands how to motivate us--in one section, he suggests that rather than "living by the scale," we measure our success in relation to the fit of our favorite pair of slightly-too-snug jeans. Many recipes are included, most of which are free of the boring flavor substitutes so common in diet books.

The diet itself combines several familiar concepts. The "no grain" model emphasizes organic vegetables and quality protein, with limited fruits and absolutely no simple carbs. Mercola's idea of "quality protein" is somewhat startling--he is deeply concerned about toxins, and urges grass-fed beef over potentially mercury-filled fish. His main point is frequently reinforced: refined grains of any type are basically deadly and eating them should be viewed as an unhealthy addiction.

Here, the book veers off in a new direction: rather than gently nudging our habits in a new direction, he suggests we break what he insists is an addictive cycle with a method called "EFT," or "Emotional Freedom Technique." As a way to avoid surrendering to desires, his system of tapping acupressure points and repeating affirmations is used to overcome them. While repeat dieters will understand the necessity of examining emotional ties to food, Mercola's voice becomes a tad strident, and possibly downright offensive to those with a different opinion on what constitutes an addiction. --Jill Lightner

From Publishers Weekly
"Don't be surprised if you never again want to eat starches, sweets, and grains!" Osteopathic physician Mercola stands on the shoulders of Atkins (and gives a nod to Gary Taubes, author of the New York Times Magazine cover article many believe blew the lid off high-carb, low-fat diets forever) to make big claims in this guide for overweight readers. Mercola's diet, which he's honed for over a decade at his Illinois wellness center, offers "near miraculous results," and will allow its followers to "permanently conquer food cravings," he says. The secret to lasting weight loss, according to Mercola, is to cut out starches, sweets and grains entirely. (Dieters on the maintenance program are allowed "healthy" grains-buckwheat, quinoa, etc.) But though Mercola offers three different eating plans (The Booster, The Core and The Advanced Food plan) and plenty of no-grain recipes, his program goes beyond mere dieting: Mercola is a proponent of the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), a kind of "psychological acupressure" that he says is "the equivalent of AA for grain addiction." Developed by Gary Craig, EFT involves tapping on pressure points in the face and upper body while repeating a healing, key phrase, such as "Even though I want to have pizza, I deeply and completely accept myself." Mercola's course for weight loss is an intensive one, with rigorous rules and plenty of additional components-lifestyle changes, supplements and self-affirmations-that take a lot more energy than calorie counting. But that's the whole point, Mercola says, because cutting back on calories or carbs alone leads to temporary weight loss at best. For those willing to dedicate themselves to such a program, Mercola's guide may offer real results, and the case studies he includes should certainly help with motivation.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Book Info
(A Plume Book) Consumer text offers strategies for stopping carbohydrate addiction for losing weight and maintaining optimum weight. Discusses the biochemistry of weight loss, losing carbohydrate cravings, and supplements. Also offers meal plans and recipes. Softcover, hardcover not available.

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Customer Reviews

Where has the concept of balanced eating gone?
I found this book in the library and checked it out because I was curious about the accupressure techniques. I already knew, and had been trying, the basics of low-carb eating for several months, but had not been able to get past the cravings for comfort foods such as mashed potatoes, a steaming bowl of real oatmeal on a cold winter's night, acorn squash, brown rice, thick crusty slices of fresh organic whole grain bread, and just out of the oven chocolate chip cookies.

This book had the opposite effect on me from the concept it was trying to prove. It helped me to think about food in a different way. What was making me such a "bad" person that I couldn't stay with a low-carb plan? Was I really addicted to carbs like an alcoholic is to alcohol, as this book states? Did I really need to use a technique the rest of my life to abstain from foods that certain so called experts have decided are bad for us?

What if there is another explanation for what has been going on for the past 20-30 years. What if our bodies actually have the ability to let us know when our habits have become unbalanced. What if cravings for real food (not junk) are actually the result of the huge increase in the consumption of processed convenience foods. I've certainly consumed my share over the years.

We are, everyone of us, individuals with individual needs. The problem with each diet program that is promoted, including vegetarianism, is that only a portion of the population can thrive on it. It is just plain misleading to state that a particular way of eating is best for everyone. Could it be that the real reason a person isn't able to stay with a diet in which a part of the food chain is missing is because this person's body needs those foods to thrive?

This book promotes an extreme and unrealistic plan for eating, then states that it must be used for the rest of your life to keep weight off. While I now eat mostly organic foods, Mercola takes even this a step further by stating that only grass fed beef should be eaten, that grain fed beef could make you fat. The constant reminders to only use this and not use that in his recipes was extremely annoying. The recommended foods list was confusing and contradicted itself in several places. And I was put off by the general tone of arrogance that ran throughout this book.

Do we really need another "expert" making money off of people by promoting fears about food and insisting that their's is the "right" weight loss plan? Take a long look around. None of the ideas promoted by the weight loss industry have worked long term, have they.

Canada has a national program guideline called Vitality. The concepts are: Eat well. (To me that means concentrate on real foods for the majority of my meals.) Live actively. (What do I enjoy doing that gets me moving around?) Think well of yourself. (Accepting yourself as you are right now is how long lasting changes have a chance to begin.)

Do you think you could live the rest of your life eating well, living actively and thinking well of yourself (and others)? How about making our own choices instead of following someone else's rigid plan? Please listen to your own body. Pay attention to how you feel when you eat this or that. This is what I chose to do. Now the extra weight and inches are beginning to come off of me on their own.

Skewed muddled thinking throughout, makes no persuasive case
We all agree that refined grains are not health foods, so the only question pertains to whole grains. But Mercola doesn't address it. Yes, there is an epidemic of heart disease, obesity, and diabetes, but it certainly is not due to whole grains, because, for the most part, people are not eating them, and certainly not obese people. Mercola's case centers around insulin, and a train of havoc that follows from its release. However, in his rant ravings, Mercola makes a flying leap from what is, in fact, normal physiology (the metabolism of carbohydrate by the human body) to disease. The whole idea that I eat potato, or a bowl of brown rice, and therefore alarms go off inside my body, my blood sugar goes soaring out of control, and metabolic mayhem follows is pure fantasy. The burning of carbohydrate as fuel is as natural for a human being as breathing air (in fact, it's the main reason you need to breathe air). In the topsy-turvey world of Mercola, plain carrots are fattening. That's right, they raise your triglycerides and get deposited all over your body as fat. Haven't you noticed that among carrot eaters? But whole raw milk, with that rich, thick layer of cream on top, that's not fattening. Like other newsletter writers, Mercola picks and chooses articles from the medical literature which he thinks supports his position, while glibly ignoring the ones that contest it, like for instance the myriad of studies which show that increasing whole grains in the diet promotes slenderness, arterial health, and protection from diabetes. I am a 52 year old man. I am 5'6" and I weigh 135 pounds. My body fat percentage is very low. I eat a diet that is high in fruits, starchy vegetables, whole grains, and nuts. I eat practically no animal food of any kind. I am practically a total vegan. My blood cholesterol last checked was 150. My triglycerides were 35! (Normal triglyceride according to Medicine is supposedly 75 to 150) My blood sugar was 84. These results are totally in contrast to what Mercola's ideas would predict. And believe me, there is nothing special about me. It has nothing to do with me having some unique metabolic type or other fanciful notion from the mind of Mercola. I do not think that grains are as valuable as fruits and vegetables, nor do I think they should be given as much importance in the diet. Yet, leading nutritional doctors whom I respect (including Dean Ornish, John McDougall, Andrew Weil, Michael Klaper, Neil Barnard, and others) all believe there is a place for whole grains in a healthy diet. The Egyptian workers built the Pyramids on a grain-based diet. The Roman Army conquered the world on a grain-based diet. There are many causes of degenerative disease in modern life, but eating whole grains is not one of them.

I just don't trust it....
As a previous patient of Dr. Mercola, I experienced being put on a program which basically drained me financially. A high number of tests were recommended and taken, and one treatment ended up being very painful for me, which I later found out was completely unnecessary. Needless to say, I had a very bad experience at his clinic, spent lots of money (nothing was covered by insurance), and got no better. It's difficult for me to trust what this person says or writes. Also, the products he recommends are the same ones he sells via certain manufacturers/distributors through his website. He's a business like any other business, and what is the bottom line for most businesses? I'm sure we all know that one...