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The reality is that extreme diets that promise instant results just don't work. For one thing, you lose muscle and water, but little fat, and may seriously jeopardize your health in the process. For another, restricting certain foods and food groups deprives your body of essential nutrients. In the end, the faster the pounds come off, the faster they pile back on. After seeing many of his patients fail on these kinds of fad diets, and suffer health-threatening side effects, Dr. Steven A. Schnur, founder of the largest cardiology practice in South Florida, developed a new, breakthrough program. "The Reality Diet" is not low carb, low fat, or high protein. Instead it is rich in a wide variety of foods that are high in one key fat-fighting ingredient-fiber. Not only does fiber stop hunger, it also significantly lowers the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and a host of other illnesses. Flexible and forgiving, "The Reality Diet" is for real people living in the real world.
The Reality Diet: Lose the Pounds for Good with a Cardiologist's Simple, Healthy, Proven Plan
Steven A. Schnur, MD
Avery (2006)
ISBN 9781583332504
Reviewed by Cherie Fisher for Reader Views (5/07)
Over the past 15 years I have tried many diet plans and found that most of them did not work over the long-term. They either were too restricting, too complicated or too time-consuming. Dr. Schnur’s approach to weight loss is a simple, commonsense approach. “The Reality Diet” is not a fad diet for people who want to drop the weight overnight. It is a long-term lifestyle change.
As a cardiologist, Dr. Schnur was alarmed at how many unhealthy diet plans are available. As he tried to help people who had significant damage from unhealthy lifestyles, he knew there had to be a better way. He began studying everything he could about the subject and came up with a simple, healthy approach to weight loss. Dr. Schnur explains in the beginning of the book that “...you will lose eight to ten pounds, mostly fat, in the first month – no water or lean muscle, but that weight will stay off. “The Reality Diet ensures that you eat the right carbohydrates, the right proteins, and the right fats and, unlike any other diet out there, plenty of satisfying, healthy fiber.” His premise is that fiber is very filling so we eat less of it and don’t feel the hunger pangs during the weight loss process.
The plan is based on eating the right food, portion control and exercise. He completely disagrees with the diet plans that say you do not have to exercise. Exercise helps raise your metabolism, increase your energy and you will burn calories by exercising. The quality of pounds that a person burns are much more likely to be fat than lean muscle mass.
“The Reality Diet” is broken down into chapters and starts with Dr. Schnur debunking many of the diet and exercise myths out there. He spends several chapters explaining in a lay person’s terms the reasoning behind the “Reality Diet.” The last section of the book includes a meal plan and recipes for 8 weeks worth of the plan. I have been sampling the recipes and I almost feel guilty eating them because they are so tasty. And the directions are simple enough that a novice cook would be able to tackle this diet plan. Imagine a diet plan where you can have caramelized banana and peanut butter toast for breakfast, Maryland crab cake salad for dinner and strawberry shortcake napoleon for dessert? I am sold!
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