The Protein Power Lifeplan : A New Comprehensive Blueprint for Optimal Health

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Summary: Heresy
Review: I read this book in two days- l just could not put it down.
It all just seemed to make so much sense. But the proof is in the pudding-l am interested to see if a low carbohydrate diet really can lower my triglyceride and raise my HDL level.
I did have a couple of problems with it though. For one, they claim Vitamin E has been shown to greatly reduce the risk of heart attacks. Recent studies suggest this is not true. Another is using the paleolithic diet as a the model for ours. Im not sure that is really going back in time far enough. Great apes are probably quite similar to our more ancient ancestors and they are primarily vegetarians.
And lastly they stated the largely vegetarian Chinese have heart attacks at a rate nearly the same as ours but they neglected to mention that the Chinese smoke cigarettes at a higher rate than we.
But all in all it was one of the most interesting books lve read recently.

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Summary: I wish I could give a good review
Review: A BLOODY WASTE OF DOSH!
YOU CAN FIGURE IT OUT YOURSELF.........
SJW.

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Summary: Read it for yourself for YOUR health-not to please others!
Review: Hi guys - Well the Eades' have put a lot of things out there that many drs do not condone. But the bottom line is, it works. It works for many many people. Just like we do not all respond to the same anti-biotic, we do not all respond to the same diet. I read Molly's review too. I also checked her history. She has added a blasting opinion to every protein-based diet book in the review section, saying each book is a waste of money. Few found her reviews helpful. So, take it with a grain of salt, since she is very anti-protein!

This diet may sound way out there. BUT, the Eades go into great detail, explaining HOW the cells utilize what we eat, HOW they react and WHAT certain foods do to them. I will never buy margarine again! I did not realize what it was doing INSIDE my body. I followed a low-fat diet for a year on the advice of my dr. I GAINED 50 lbs. Unusual? Perhaps. I was critized, and told I must have been cheating. I wasn't. I ate mostly fruits and salads, with occassional meats. Following this plan, I have lost 10 lbs in two weeks. That is probably not typical, but I have an a-typical amount to lose. I am out to lose 150 pounds.

I am not wanting to lose 5 lbs to fit into a certain dress, I am trying to get a life back! I want to go to movie theaters again, ride bikes again, enjoy my life again. I for one, was tired of being trapped in this bodily prison that I thought I alone had created. I suffered from depression as well. The solution? Another pill. Well, the depression has lifted since following this diet. So have other symptoms, such as incontinence. The benefits are enormous.

This diet might not work for you, but what have you got to lose by trying? I can feel my body getting back into line. I am also hypoglycemic, and this diet has allowed me to get off the blood sugar roller coaster. I highly recommend it. If you are overweight by over 50 lbs, and your doctor is telling you that your only problem is will power, you owe it to yourself to try it. It isn't all will power - there are complex body chemistries at play. So to borrow a phrase, Just Do It! Get the book and change your life!

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Summary: Eat better, don't feel hungry and still lose weight!!
Review: I hadn't tried a diet in many years and have steadily put on pounds. Most diets don't work as we all know. You may lose a few pounds at first, but then you can't seem to lose any more. They mess up your metabolism and cause your body to go into starvation mode. Which means it hangs onto the fat as if your life depended on it. After seeing the great results many I know have had with the protein diet craze I decided to try it myself. Even though I have only lost a few pounds so far I know this should work. The biggest flaw with most diets is that you have to limit your calorie intake so much you are hungry all the time. Also, your body is used to taking in so many more calories that it goes into starvation mode. Then it takes forever to lose the weight. I know that if I stick with it (and I think I will)this should work because you don't have to feel hungry on it. I am a little leary of Atkins plan though. A friend told me about his plan of starting at only 20 carbs a day before I had read this book. Me and my husband both felt sick within the first couple days. It is extreme. I like the Eades approach of 7-10 effective carbs per meal. I think it is a much healthier way to go. We switched to this method and now we feel fine after having done it for a week. As for protein diets being unhealthy, I think it is completely in how you do it. I have heard people say you can eat all this bacon, hamburger (without the bun, of course) and so on. I think that is asking for trouble if that is all you eat on this diet. We all know there are healthier choices of protein: skinless chicken breast, turkey, lean pork, and of course fish and other seafood. That doesn't mean you can't indulge occassionally. Since we have been on this diet we have actually been eating more vegetables than ever, no ice cream, and no fast food. How could that be unhealthy? If you read it you will discover which vegetables you can have more of without going in excess of the carb allotment. Spinach, leaf lettuce, cucumbers, broccoli, and cauliflower are some of the best ones. You can also have more mushrooms (which is great for me.) As far as berries go there are many that are low in carbs that you can have some of when you have a sweet tooth. You get to subtract the grams of fiber from the total carbs per serving so you can have more of those that are lower in carbs.
I have also seen the new food pyramid, which someone else mentioned. While it doesn't completely agree with this plan it does show some of the high carb foods that should be eaten very sparingly: white rices, pasta, potatoes, white bread, and sweets. That part is in complete agreement with this plan. Although I know that many are criticizing these protein diets as unhealthy. I felt that way too before I started on it. Being very overweight is unhealthy and it perpetuates itself. You are tired so you don't do as much as you could, which leads to gaining more weight. Or, you are depressed because you are overweight so you figure, why not eat what I want anyway? If you follow this plan I feel certain you can lose weight, lower your blood pressure, and have more energy. If that is a problem, which it is for many that are overweight. Atkins diet I'm sure you could also lose weight on and maybe faster at first since it is so strict. I don't think I could have stuck with that. This way I feel that I will be more likely to stick with, lose weight, and be healthier. Since you can eat more vegetables on it. The middle part of the plan and the maintenace even allow for more carbs, so when you lose your weight you will be rewarded in being able to allow even more fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Looking forward to it!!

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Summary: Chose to be healthy! Kay
Review: I have tried a few to many ways of improving my health and reducing my weight and the Protein Power Diet by Dr's. Michael R., and Mary Dan Eades has proven itself to me and my family and friends. Anyone that knows me, knows I research everything that has to do with one's health, and this Protein Power Diet Book educates a person on just how the body functions with the right and wrong foods as fuel to make the body run like a well oiled machine or a rusty one. My husband and I tried it for 40 days. I lose 14 lbs. and he lost 11 lbs. His cholestrol was at 480. At the next lab test 45 days later it was at 295. My cholestrol was at a good level but needed to increase HDL. In 45 days it went from 43 to 65. My husband's HDL was 28, now 49. If you can stick with this diet for 2 week's your sweet tooth will decrease. The foods do satisfy you and is plentiful. And the ability to get out of bed and look forward to a day of work or fun does not feel like a horrible chore anymore. Nerves seem to be so calm now and attitudes are so much more managable. The body functions like that well oiled machine again. Anyone who struggles with dieting and health problems needs the help of this LifePlan, to make you realize you do have a life that can be lived and enjoyed. Yes, I did go off the diet for 6 months and my weight went up and my health went down. We returned to the diet, and we are starting to enjoy returning health again, especially after my husband's heart attack. Now his health has improve so much and we wish we never left the plan because his doctor's seen the down turn and now the great improvement over-all in his health. We learned our lesson. We are choosing to be healthy, we are sticking to the Protein Power LifePlan, for our very lives. And I hope others can benefit as much as we have. Here is to good health and happy lives.

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Summary: Amazon[.com]'s Reviewer Needs to get a Clue
Review: I'm an ex Army Master Fitness Instructor that has trained literally hundreds of young adults and helped them to lose weight, get in shape and recover from injuries, ... The carbohydrate heavy food pyramid has been discredited by many if not most of even the most conservative health practitioners. It is even about to be yanked and revised by dramatically lowering the suggested carbohydrate intake. Study after study has revealed how easilly carbs are converted into sugars and stored as fat. More studies have also demonstrated that those folks who restrict fat intake lower there cholesterol all right....even the good cholesterol (HDL) and restricted fat diets can even cause an increase in triglyceride levels. This is probably the best book on the market right now for those who want to lose fat effectively and safely.

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Summary: Rebuttal to Molly on Jan 14, 2000
Review: Molly -- There are literally hundreds of reviews of the Protein Power books from people who tried it and are amazed at the results. The health benefits have been confirmed by their doctors. As a nurse, don't you think you should give it a fair try and see the medical results for yourself before you condemn it? It seems that your attitude is shared by much of the medical community -- knock it before you investigate and throw it out because it isn't in line with the popular belief. Check your medical textbooks for the principles Drs. Eades espouse. They are right there in black and white and have been for many years. I lost almost 50 pounds and an amazing number of inches in just a few months on the original Protein Power diet. And within weeks I could walk uphill without breathing hard. People were surprised at the new roses in my cheeks; long shiny hair with no split ends -- the evident signs of good health.

You owe it too yourself to try it Molly -- have a friend explain it to you if you can't understand the book yourself.

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Summary: Sensible approach to diet!
Review: The doctors Eades debunk much popular diet myth, while presenting logical arguments based in objective research, encouraging us to readopt the diet that has healthfully sustained mankind for literally millions of years.

The doctors Eades really struck a chord with me and these days that's not too difficult. It's been my third week off coffee and I've feeling fantastic. The headaches are gone and no more acid stomach thanks to a coffee replacement I found called s o y f e e. Made from soya and I bought it online at www.s oycoffee.com. Simply marvelous, just like this book.

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Summary: Eat better, don't feel hungry and still lose weight!!
Review: This book is relatively extreme in the amount of protein and fat recommended. The two diabolically opposed gurus are Dr. Atkins, with a recommendation of almost 90% of calories coming from fat and protein, and Dr. Ornish, who recommends only 10% of calories via fat and protein. Drs Eades recommend a diet much closer to the Atkins diet. They recommend eating as much protein as you can, and don't worry about fat. This is good advice for obese patients looking to lose over 50 pounds, but may not be a great maintenance diet. A better long-term diet would be more like the one Dr. Sears recommends in his "Zone" books, which is 40% carbs and 60% fat and protein. In fact, my balance is about 50/50 and I'm about where I want to be. Just remember to include a good amount of protein in every meal, and avoid large carb-ridden snacks, and you'll lose weight. As far as Ornish's diet is concerned, well, SOME people have an excellent insulin metabolism system and can handle 90% carbs, but most of us CANNOT. 90% carbs is ridiculous, and is the main reason for American illnesses such as Diabetes, Hypertension, and Heart Disease, and in my opinion, even Cancer. The theoretical and statistical basis for these claims can be found in the book entitled The Failures of American Medicine.

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Summary: The Eades do it again!
Review: This is without a doubt the best diet I have ever tried...and the most medically/scientifically sound. I do wish they would stop dumbing down the process for determining protein intake, etc. For that reason I prefer the first book for accuracy's sake, but this one is LOADED with updated information that makes it a good companion to the first.

I had tried Ornish's plan in the past and my LDL levels were off the map as a result. I switched to PP and the return to health has been nothing short of miraculous in the eyes of my numerous doctors (one of whom is currently on this plan himself after watching my improvements!) I have PCOS and hypothyroidism. Ornish made the PCOS problems worse and did not help me in any way at keeping blood lipids in a reasonable range. The Eades's diet is amazing--it has totally made it possible for me to lose weight and conceive a child. I don't have enough stars to rate this book.