The verdict is in: those simple carbs we've been living on are killing us. For good health, we've got to get our blood sugar under control and stop... read more

The verdict is in: those simple carbs we've been living on are killing us. For good health, we've got to get our blood sugar under control and stop the incessant cravings. Or so says Dr. Arthur Agatston, author of The South Beach Diet. The first half of the book details the science behind the diet. Most of the explanations revolve around why things you thought were healthy—-orange juice, wheat toast, carrots—-are actually evil. To avoid blood sugar surges, Agatston created a modified carbohydrate plan, recommending plenty of high-fiber foods, lean proteins, and healthy fats, while cutting bread, rice, pastas, and fruits. Major differences from other diets include a lack of concern over portion size and a serious indifference to exercise. Feeling full while on a diet is a beautiful thing, but it seems odd that a cardiologist buries his exercise recommendations in a solitary sentence.

The last half of the book covers his three-stage plan; daily diets are mixed with recipes, some of which are from South Beach restaurant chefs. The most restrictive period lasts just two weeks, enough time to stabilize your urges and lose a few pounds; stage two adds fruits and a handful of other carbs, while stage three is meant to last the remainder of your life, with occasional lapses for white bread or birthday cake. While the diet is sound, the book could be better organized. The first half mixes scientific study with anecdote in a seemingly random way, while the mix of meal plans and recipes can be confusing. Still, the recipes are varied and tasty, and you'll never feel deprived, unless you currently happen to live by bread alone. --Jill Lightner (hide)

Designed to catapult your body into a state of fat meltdown, Dr. Atkins's diet has taken America by storm. It targets insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar... read more

Designed to catapult your body into a state of fat meltdown, Dr. Atkins's diet has taken America by storm. It targets insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. The bodies of most overeaters are continually in a state of hyperinsulinism; their bodies are so adept at releasing insulin to help convert excess carbohydrates to fat that there's always too much of the hormone circulating through the body. This puts the body into a bind; it always wants to store fat. Even when people with hyperinsulinism try to lose weight--especially when they cut fat but increase carbohydrate consumption--their efforts will fail. This is why Dr. Atkins refers to insulin as "the fat-producing hormone."

Dr. Atkins's diet is extremely low in carbohydrates, which helps to regulate insulin production and decrease circulating insulin; less insulin soon results in less fat storage and fewer food cravings. The diet is far from torturous, though--those who've tried it attest that hunger is not a part of this plan. Ninety percent of Dr. Atkins's patients--more than 25,000 of them--have experienced dramatic weight loss. The book includes recipes for such luscious, low-carb dishes as lobster soup, zabaglione, sea bass, and blueberry ice cream, and even includes a carbohydrate gram counter and menus. (hide)

Barry Sears looks at why Americans still have dietary problems in spite of following the advice of experts. Challenging the current recommendations for a high carbohydrate diet, Sears... read more

Barry Sears looks at why Americans still have dietary problems in spite of following the advice of experts. Challenging the current recommendations for a high carbohydrate diet, Sears looks into man's history as well as the diets athletes succeed best on, to build a new dietary picture. Anyone looking for better health through an improved relationship to what they eat should put this book on their list. (hide)

Top 10 Sonoma Diet Power Foods for weight loss and health.Portion sizes made easy with The Sonoma Diet Plate and Bowl guidelines.Detailed meal plans for surefire weight loss... read more

Top 10 Sonoma Diet Power Foods for weight loss and health.

Portion sizes made easy with The Sonoma Diet Plate and Bowl guidelines.

Detailed meal plans for surefire weight loss success.

Smart Food Combinations that make each food even healthier.

The science behind the diet—learn why it works!

Mouthwatering recipes, rich in flavor and nutrition.

Bonus: Diet guide pullout to make following the diet a breeze when on the go. (hide)

Bill Phillips is many things to the people who listen to this audiotape: personal trainer, motivational guru, nutrition consultant, personal-success coach. As he reads his bestselling book, he... read more

Bill Phillips is many things to the people who listen to this audiotape: personal trainer, motivational guru, nutrition consultant, personal-success coach. As he reads his bestselling book, he inspires, cajoles, instructs, and sometimes gives listeners a kick in the gluteals. The goal is for the listener to transform his or her body in 12 weeks, and in the process learn that changing one's physique can help one make other changes. The audiobook is spiced up with the comments and testimonials of those who've already done it. The effect is something like an infomercial, except that you've already bought the product, and you don't have to listen to a hired audience clapping. If you follow Phillips' program, you're your own audience. And, if you like your performance, the applause is what you feel inside. (Running time: 2 hours, 2 cassettes) --Lou Schuler (hide)

The message of this book could be a blessing or a curse, depending on your perspective. There is no hard science, no clearly-defined plan, and no lists of... read more

The message of this book could be a blessing or a curse, depending on your perspective. There is no hard science, no clearly-defined plan, and no lists of food to have or have not; instead, you'll find simple tricks that boil down to eating carefully prepared seasonal food, exercising more and refusing to think of food as something that inspires guilt. It's both a practical message and far easier said than done in today's "no pain, no gain" culture.

Author Mireille Guiliano is CEO of Veuve Clicquot, and French Women Don't Get Fat offers a concept of sensible pleasures: If you have a chocolate croissant for breakfast, have a vegetable-based lunch--or take an extra walk and pass on the bread basket at dinner. Guiliano's insistence on simple measures slowly creating substantial improvements are reassuring, and her suggestion to ignore the scale and learn to live by the "zipper test" could work wonders for those who get wrapped up in tiny details of diet. She sympathizes that deprivation can lead straight to overindulgence when it comes to favorite foods, but then, in a most French manner, treats them as a pleasure that needs to be sated, rather than a battle to be fought.

A number of recipes are included, from a weight-loss enhancing leek soup to a lush chocolate mousse; they read more like what you'd find in a French cookbook rather than an American diet book. Most appealingly, these are guidelines and tricks that could be easily sustainable over a lifetime. If you agree that food is meant to be appreciated--but no more so than having a trim waist--these charmingly French recommendations could set you on the path to a future filled with both croissants and high fashion. --Jill Lightner

Amazon Exclusive Video Click here to watch Mireille Guiliano introduce French Women Don't Get Fat to Amazon customers.

Gather Up Your Friends Click here to learn how to create your own reading group around French Women Don't Get Fat.

Stuffed Cornish Hens
Serves 4

When I grew up, the holidays always meant lots of visitors and a series of requisite celebratory meals, mostly at lunchtime. This easy dish was always on one of the menus. Mamie was usually busy (what else during late December?) and would make the stuffing in advance so lunch could be ready in less than an hour. The recipe serves a family of four for lunch in style, but double the ingredient portions and obviously you are ready for a full table with guests.

Ingredients:
2 Cornish hens (or poussins)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons chicken stock
Stuffing:
2 cups water
2/3 cup brown rice
1/2 cup mixed nuts (pine nuts, walnut pieces, whole hazelnuts)
2 tablespoons golden raisins
1/3 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon parsley, freshly minced
1 teaspoon dry herbs (chervil and savory or rosemary and thyme)
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. For stuffing: Bring water to a boil. Add rice and cook for 15 minutes. Drain and mix well with remaining ingredients. Season to taste and refrigerate overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Rinse Cornish hens, dry the inside with paper towels, and season. Add stuffing loosely and truss hens. Reserve remaining stuffing in aluminum foil.
3. Put hens in baking dish and brush them with melted butter and other seasonings. Put in oven and baste 10 minutes later with chicken stock. Continue basting every 10 minutes. After the hens have cooked for 20 minutes reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and put the remaining stuffing in a small ovenproof dish. Roast the hens for another 20 minutes. Serve (half a hen per person) immediately with a tablespoon of stuffing on each side of the hen as garnish.
N.B. For a wonderful tête-à-tête romantic dinner, serve one hen each with a vegetable then dessert. I have prepared it successfully to my husband on Valentine's Day. While the hens are in the oven, you have time to concoct a little dessert, et voilà, you can pop a cork of bubbly, sit for candlelight dinner and have your husband serve dessert.

Hot Chocolate Soufflé
Serves 6

During the season of overindulgences—Christmas, New Year and all the festivities in between—there is in our home a succession of store-brought, traditional goodies: Bûche de Noël (yule log), marrons glacés (glazed chestnuts), the 13 desserts of Christmas in Provence. This is not to say that the holidays don't bring out the baker in all of us, but whether it is to give as gifts or to maintain tradition, people do load up with holiday sweets from pastry shops (as I can attest from seeing from the window of our Paris apartment the annual long lines of people outside the pastry shop across the street). When I grew up, however, come New Year's Day, and there was a home-cooked chocolate ritual. Our big festive meal was on New Year's Eve, which left New Year's Day as a quiet, family "recovery" day. (I appreciate some reverse the big meal day… or have one both days.) Anyway, for us, breakfast was well… late (especially for those of us who went partying after dinner), and limited to a piece of toast and a cup or two of coffee. Lunch was mid afternoon and usually made up of leftovers or an omelet, but the first dinner of the year was marked with a special dessert. The simple meal at the end of a week of overindulgences consisted of a light consommé, some greens, cheese, and the chocolate treat. There were no guests, plenty of time, and Mamie was ready for the flourless soufflé. She is a chocoholic and it would be unthinkable to start the year off without chocolate. So, what better way to end the first day of the New Year than with one of her favorite chocolate desserts as both a reward and I'm sure good-luck charm?

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 cup unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder
1/3 cup sugar
4 eggs at room temperature
2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
Pinch of salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 1-quart soufflé mold by lightly buttering it, dusting the insides with sugar and tapping out the excess. Place mold in refrigerator.
2. Pour the milk, cocoa powder and sugar into a heavy saucepan and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over moderate heat while stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and cook while stirring until the mixture thickens (about 10 minutes). Transfer to a bowl and cool slightly.
3. Separate the eggs and stir the egg yolks into the warm chocolate mixture. Stir in the butter.
4. Beat the egg whites until they reach soft peaks. Add the salt and beat until stiff. Whisk half of the egg whites mixture into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the remaining whites gently with a spatula. Pour the mixture in the soufflé mold and smooth the top.
5. Bake in the lower-middle shelf of the oven until puff and brown for about 18 minutes which will give you a soft center. Serve at once with softly whipped cream.

Red Mullet with Spinach en Papillote
Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
8 fillets of red mullet, about 2 ounces each
1 lb. spinach, washed and dried in a salad spinner
4 teaspoons shallots, peeled and sliced
8 slices of lime
4 tablespoons of crème fraîche
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Cut 4 pieces of parchment paper (or aluminum foil) into squares large enough to cover each fillet and leave a 2-inch border all around. Lightly brush the squares with olive oil. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Put the spinach in the center of each square and top it with a tablespoon of crème fraîche. Top with two fillets and add one teaspoon of shallots, two slices of lime. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Fold up the edges to form packets. Put the papillotes on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes. Serve at once by setting each papillote on a plate.
N.B. You can use sole or snapper instead of red mullet

Pappardelle with Spring Veggies
Serves 4

Ingredients:
12 ounces pappardelle
1 lb. green asparagus
2 cups fresh peas, shelled
2 tablespoons of shallots, peeled and minced
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup of pine nuts, toasted
1 cup freshly grated parmesan
1 cup roughly chopped parsley
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Cut off end of asparagus and blanch in salted water until just tender (about 5 minutes). Blanch peas separately for about 1 minute.
2. In a heavy saucepan, gently sauté the shallots in olive oil until they begin to turn gold. Add peas and asparagus and cook for a few minutes.
3. Cook the pappardelle in boiling water, drain and pour into saucepan. Add pine nuts, parmesan and parsley and season to taste. Serve immediately.

Croque aux Poires
Serves 4

Ingredients:
4 slices of brioche
2 ripe pears
2 tablespoons of sliced almonds
2 tablespoons of honey
1 tablespoon butter
1. Peel the pears and cut into small cubes. Melt butter in a saucepan and sauté the pear cubes for 2-3 minutes.
2. Arrange pear cubes on brioche slices. Cover with honey and almonds. Put under broiler for two minutes watching carefully. Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche.
A yummy dessert also wonderful for a weekend breakfast or brunch.

(hide)

If you're a Weight Watcher, this collection of 500 recipes in a handy loose-leaf binder could put you in the fast lane on the road to success. This... read more

If you're a Weight Watcher, this collection of 500 recipes in a handy loose-leaf binder could put you in the fast lane on the road to success. This cookbook is designed for Weight Watchers' 1•2•3 Success program: points are assigned to foods based on fat, fiber, and calories, and your daily point allowance is based on your current weight. So you can eat what you want, as long as you don't go over your allotted points. The better your food choices, the more you can eat before you run out of points.

Recipes are varied and cover the whole gamut: sauces; breads; soups; meat, chicken, fish, and vegetarian entrees; pasta; vegetable, grain, and potato side dishes; and, of course, desserts. The recipes are more healthful but not drastically different from foods you and your family enjoy now. Many are familiar comfort foods, such as Pizza, Oven "Fried" Chicken, Beef Stew, Tuna Noodle Casserole, Chocolate Layer Cake, and Cheesecake. Internationally inspired favorites include Dolmades (stuffed grape leaves), Orange-Flavored Fajitas, Moo Shu Chicken, Tandoori Haddock, and Senegalese Peanut Soup. The nutritional breakdown for each recipe is more complete than in most cookbooks, and includes calories, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrate, fiber, protein, calcium, and Weight Watchers' points. --Joan Price (hide)

Eat everything. Concentrate on whole grains. Drink milk. Balance protein with carbohydrates. Avoid processed sugars. Do some exercise. The idea that a diet book making such proposals comes... read more

Eat everything. Concentrate on whole grains. Drink milk. Balance protein with carbohydrates. Avoid processed sugars. Do some exercise. The idea that a diet book making such proposals comes as a pleasant surprise shows just how far afield we've gone in the search for new ways to be fit. The only thing new about this diet by the editor-in-chief of Men's Health is its name, and this, one can presume, is because nowadays, a book simply called "Sensible Eating" wouldn't sell. The book's title is indeed misleading; only the final chapter deals solely with abs. The rest is full of rational recommendations for a realistic diet plan: eat more and smaller meals; have oatmeal in the morning for a nourishing breakfast; don't starve yourself; drink plenty of water; and stay away from sodas and foods that contain high-fructose corn syrup. Whether readers will, in the end, walk away with abs of steel is not really the point. They'll control their weight in a healthy way, without counting calories, cutting out whole food groups or supporting the beef futures market. Best of all, this book tells readers why it works: increase your body's metabolism, gain some muscle and fat burns away. The authors make this seem like a fresh and very attainable ideal.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. (hide)

Barry Sears looks at why Americans still have dietary problems in spite of following the advice of experts. Challenging the current recommendations for a high carbohydrate diet, Sears... read more

Barry Sears looks at why Americans still have dietary problems in spite of following the advice of experts. Challenging the current recommendations for a high carbohydrate diet, Sears looks into man's history as well as the diets athletes succeed best on, to build a new dietary picture. Anyone looking for better health through an improved relationship to what they eat should put this book on their list. (hide)

The Duchess of York is an odd candidate for the role of Everywoman, but in Dieting with the Duchess, she inhabits the part convincingly. She relates the trouble... read more

The Duchess of York is an odd candidate for the role of Everywoman, but in Dieting with the Duchess, she inhabits the part convincingly. She relates the trouble she's had controlling her weight, how living in the royal fishbowl exacerbated those problems (every fluctuation in her weight was noted by the voracious English media), and how she finally discovered a weight- management program she can live with through Weight Watchers (for which she's a spokesperson) and workouts with a personal trainer.

She enthusiastically relates all she's learned about diet and nutrition, which is (fair warning) the same basic stuff you'll find anywhere. And the book's exercise advice is all in the same vein. If there's anything here you don't know, then you really haven't cared enough to pay attention.

Fortunately, the book puts the basic information together in interesting ways. The recipes for dishes like pizza provencal, portobello mushroom panini, and gingered shrimp emphasize the idea that watching your caloric intake doesn't mean living without delicious food. And the exercise programs draw the distinction between exercising for general health and longevity and doing so for weight loss--a fine point that's often missed in mass-marketed fitness advice.

Mostly, though, this is a book about changing attitudes, about going from predominantly negative feelings about your body and your health to positive ones. Weight loss is a part of the equation for many women, but much more important is feeling a sense of control over one's body and one's health. Dieting with the Duchess may get you started on that path, if for no other reason than that it's comforting to know one of the most famous women on earth goes through all the same stuff you do. --Lou Schuler (hide)

The Rosacea Diet is a thirty-day plan to control your rosacea. You must have tremendous will-power to use this diet but it works. The Rosacea Diet Users Support... read more

The Rosacea Diet is a thirty-day plan to control your rosacea. You must have tremendous will-power to use this diet but it works. The Rosacea Diet Users Support Group confirms that it works! (hide)