Rating: 
Summary: Attention PMS Sufferers
Review: I ordered this book after hearing of Dr. Schwarzbein's named mentioned by a few celebrities. While I am not a diabetic or severly overweight, at age forty with two children and a husband, I felt horrible. I had PMS so bad for two weeks out of every month I felt like it was taking over my life. I was always in a terrible mood, stressed out, like a stick of dynamite ready to go off. What I read in this book astounded me! It was as if I was reading an exact description of me. I lived on a high carb, low fat diet for ten years. I craved pasta, and coffee all the time. I craved pasta so much that I ate for lunch and dinner daily usually with a vegetable and no meat. I realized after reading the book that I was eating almost no protein at all. I began eating balanced meals immediately that included natural fats and proteins, and cut out pasta, bread, and sugar from any source other than fruit. In two weeks, I felt like a million bucks. NO PMS!! None, for the first time in years. I could not believe it. I kept up the eating plan and lost ten pounds in 5 weeks. I have 20 extra baby pounds that I was struggling to get rid of for 4 years! Even better, I hardly drink coffee any more. This book was an easy read only taking about 3 nights. I would suggest this book to anyone who generally doesn't feel well and wants to feel 100 times better whether it's PMS, fatigue, stress, etc. Dr. Schwarzbein makes so much sense. She points out that we as Americans are getting sicker and sicker eating what the "expert" researchers say we should. We, as Americans are living on medications for all sorts of ailments. Dr. Schwarzbein has the answers to why that is happening. Read the book. You will be throughly enlightened.
Rating:
Summary: Finally!
Review: Finally, a low carbohydrate food program whose primary objective is optimum health with weight loss a fabulous by-product. Yes folks, I've read them them all...Protein Plus, Atkins, The Zone, Carbohydrate Addict's diet, etc. Each one has something to offer and a special "twist" (like eating a reward meal at night on the c.a. diet), but in The Schwarzbein Principle, the author, Diana Schwarzbein explains why some of the unlimited foods like pork rinds, some sausages and meats are not good for us. And no, it has nothing to do with saturated fat...but the fact that they contain "damaged" fats, nitrates and additives. She also explains why, unlike the other programs, non-starchy vegetables do not need to be counted towards your carbohydrate count! Makes sense to me! This book has all the medical insights one could ask for and is very easy reading. I found her program to be much more balanced than some of the other low carb programs which seem so extreme. You will find her story delightful as you read how she basically "stumbled" onto the low carb scene through her medical practice. When you see her 4 week sample food program you'll want to start the next day. Good reading, great program!
Rating:
Summary: It works! It really, really works!
Review: I have been joking with my friends for the last three years that I should write a "diet" book based on my great experiences with a diet I was forced to adopt due to numerous food allergies. Little did I know that that book already exists! I had been diagnosed with 33 allergies and once I removed those foods from my diet, my body changed dramatically! Not only did I lose 20 pounds, I cleared up my acne and gained so much energy that I became somewhat of an athlete. To top it all off I am constantly being asked for my ID when I go out and at the age of 32 am being mistaken for a woman in her early twenties by twenty-somethings themselves! I had attributed all of this to removing the allergenic foods and, though that is most certainly a part of it, after having read this book I can now see WHY I've found such success. I have had to remove all processed foods, stimulants and sugars due to my allergies and what's left is exactly what Dr. Schwarzbein recommends! I have unwittingly been following this whole foods diet (protein and fat included) for the last three years. So, buy this book, give the diet a month with NO CHEATING and you will be amazed! You will no longer have cravings PERIOD (I find it takes about 2-3 days to get rid of the actual physical cravings and then you have to deal with the mental part of it) and your body will thank you. I guarantee that in a year's time you will reap all of the benefits she touts in her book! Thank you Doctor!
Rating:
Summary: Setting the record straight
Review: Several reviews back, a reviewer claimed that Dr. Schwarzbein is a quack and not board certified in internal medicine or endocrinology. I did a search, and web site for the American Board of Medical Specialties (the umbrella organization for the 24 approved medical specialty boards in the United States) states that she is indeed board certified. She is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, with a general certificate in internal medicine and a subspecialty certificate in endocrinology as well as diabetes and metabolism. Check your facts before making false accusations!
Rating:
Summary: Everything Schwarzbein says in this book is true!
Review: I started eating three months ago according to the Schwarzbein Principle. I wasn't overweight, but I was a little "thick around the middle" and had a lot of fatique. I also had very high tryglycerides. (I was eating a lot of high-carbohydrate, vegetarian foods.) After three months I can report that my energy level is much better, my trygycerides improved very quickly and are now almost normal, my cholesterol dropped by 27 points and the ratio of HDL to LDL also improved. (Given all the fat I've been eating, this is amazing, but true!) Oh, I almost forgot, I also lost about 8 pounds and now have a slim, flat stomach without even trying. I'm also never hungry, and I no longer crave ice cream, cookies, or sugared drinks. My favorite dessert is now cheescake with real whipped cream. I also eat lots of meat, eggs, cheese as well as lots more vegetables. This book is contrary to everything that you've been taught about food, fats, low-fat diets, etc. But everything Schwarzbein said has proven to be true. Fat doesn't make you fat or cause all those health problems! The real culprit is sugar and the insulin it produces.
Rating:
Summary: Can't stop talking about this book
Review: This book has seriously changed my life. A friend recommended this book to me, I actually wasn't interested in reading it, but thought I'd give it a chance. Since reading the book, I can't stop recommending it. I have lost about 12 pounds, but the weight isn't what matters to me anymore! I have stopped obsessing about my weight and now focus on my HEALTH. The book is written in a way that complicated medical terminology is broken down into easy-to-understand english. It focuses on everything being connected in a way I never even thought about before - for example - I am sleeping better than ever in my life (for those of you who have trouble sleeping, I never even concidered sleep to be an issue when reading this book, it just so happens to be an added bonus! - I have always had trouble sleeping - not anymore!!!)
This is a great gift for those in your life who are looking for the answer like the rest of us WERE!
Rating: 
Summary: Accelerated Metabolic aging,,,,blah blah blah
Review: Don't get turned off by my title. I think this is one of the best health/nutritional books out there because it does not start with the typical " have you tried so many diets and failed, well this is the diet for you ". Diana's book was very straight forward and easy to understand. She follows each chapter with someone's real life experience which I found to be encouraging. However, my husband (who also read the book)and I felt that Diana talked too much about accelerated metabolic aging to the point where it turned us off. She also wrote about how medications will eventually kill -- so get off medication. I don't agree with her on that point because there are many people out there who are on medication for serious illnesses and unless she can come up with a specific cure for strokes, diabetes, depression, cancer then she should lighten up on the topic. Having said that, most of her book was on target, providing the one useful fact that everyone should know, if you can't grow it or pick it then don't eat it. In other words, there is lots of healthy food out there to choose from instead of stopping at the nearest Burger King for cheeseburger, fries and shakes. She has guidelines that a normal person such as myself can live with, unlike Dr. Atkins who says no carbohydrates for the first two weeks. Both my husband and I read her book and followed her guidelines and we both were losing weight and feeling good. I must admit that I do have a sweet tooth and salty fingers so I have "fallen" off the wagon but I plan on watching what I eat so I will pick up my copy Schwarzbein Principle to give myself a refresher course. I did buy her second book but I would have to agree with one of the reviewers of this book, it is similar to the first book (like a movie sequel). The first book is the best so don't bother to waste your money.
Rating:
Summary: It works! It really, really works!
Review: I have been joking with my friends for the last three years that I should write a "diet" book based on my great experiences with a diet I was forced to adopt due to numerous food allergies. Little did I know that that book already exists! I had been diagnosed with 33 allergies and once I removed those foods from my diet, my body changed dramatically! Not only did I lose 20 pounds, I cleared up my acne and gained so much energy that I became somewhat of an athlete. To top it all off I am constantly being asked for my ID when I go out and at the age of 32 am being mistaken for a woman in her early twenties by twenty-somethings themselves! I had attributed all of this to removing the allergenic foods and, though that is most certainly a part of it, after having read this book I can now see WHY I've found such success. I have had to remove all processed foods, stimulants and sugars due to my allergies and what's left is exactly what Dr. Schwarzbein recommends! I have unwittingly been following this whole foods diet (protein and fat included) for the last three years. So, buy this book, give the diet a month with NO CHEATING and you will be amazed! You will no longer have cravings PERIOD (I find it takes about 2-3 days to get rid of the actual physical cravings and then you have to deal with the mental part of it) and your body will thank you. I guarantee that in a year's time you will reap all of the benefits she touts in her book! Thank you Doctor!
Rating:
Summary: The "stars" have it!
Review: I bought this book BEFORE checking out Amazon's customer reviews, which is not something I normally do. I thought the book was very well written and logical. Since I have tried Atkin's and it worked, I saw, while reading The Schwarzbein Principle, no reason why it should not work as well. I decided to check out the reviews just to see what others thought.I must say something I find rather interesting about the reviews: those very few who panned it obviously (1) did not read the book closely enough (she SAYS be careful about sausages, bacon and prepared meats, for Pete's sake!); (2) did not really follow the diet (Cheerios??!! Come on!) or (3) made a blatantly false statement (Yes, Dr. Schwarzbein is a medical doctor. Another reader pointed this out, but I would like to add that making false statements in print about someone is libelous.) The one thing about Atkins I think is a little bizarre, is the induction phase is so limiting regarding carbohydrates. He only wants you to eat about three cups of veggies, if it is salad, but if you substitute broccoli for salad, you can have only 1/2 cup (instead of a cup). This seems pretty limited for a food that is so nutritious, particularly since a cup of lettuce has, on average, only about 2 grams of carbs and not much nutritive value. Dr. Schwarzbein, on the other hand, does caution about types of fats plus encourages more good vegetable consumption. The overwhelming positive statements about the book have really provided additional motivation to try this lifestyle. I can't wait to see the results!
Rating:
Summary: I was mislead and gained weight
Review: Many of the principles of this book sounded so good and right to me when I first read it. However, i can contribute my weight gain of 15 to 20 lbs the "facts" I learned in this book. I started eating more butter and mayonaisse and eggs and cheese. The insulin info was helpful, but I do not endorse her dietary recommendations.
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