Review by M. Western:

Having waded through all 69 reviews, it’s clear that people are either strongly in support of Dr. Young’s approach to health and wellness (based on personal experience), or strongly against his ideas/theories. Really … check it out … you’ll see either five stars or one star.

Interesting though … if you read carefully, you’ll notice that most of the critics and skeptics haven’t even tried the program. Instead, they’re focused on attacking Dr. Young, his lack of credentials, his lack of published papers, his “mumbo-jumbo” science, etc., etc.

But honestly, who cares? I don’t care if he got his degree out of a CrackerJack box. Like most people, I want results that I can see and feel. And that’s exactly what I’m experiencing as a result of two things that are the cornerstone to his program: eating more greens and super-hydrating.

No need to follow all the fancy diets, either. It can be as simple or as difficult as you want to make it. Bottom line to his program entails 3 things:

1. Super-hydrate the body by drinking plenty of water (4-5 liters a day)

2. Alkalize the body by eating foods high in alkalinity (and this is where people get stuck … you don’t have to eat like them and fix all those fancy meals … simply increase the % of veggies at each meal).

3. Supergreens – if you can’t get enough veggies, and most of us can’t, then use the supplements or powder. I mean you really can’t beat them – 49 different organic grasses, vegetables and sprouts; as well as 125 different vitamins, minerals and amino acids.

What does all this sound like? That’s right … grandma’s recipe for “good health and longevity”.

Again, skip the skeptics and try it for yourself. No doubt your body will thank you for it!

Review by :

AFter 3 1/2 weeks of following the Youngs program:* I have lost 14 pounds
* All feelings of bloat and gas have vanished
* My energy has noticeably increased
* Every afternoon my brain got ‘fuzzy’ (dull, tired, hard to think) – this has entirely disappeared and I feel sharp and clearSeeing my great results, a close friend bought the book and is trying it, too. Her results have been even better than mine, because her severe asthma has already lessened in only 10 days.Some of the reviews here have critized the Youngs for various reasons:First, “Those who have lost weight on the diet is almost certainly for no other reason than it has the tendency to be low in calories.” Eating olive oil, avocados and nuts does NOT create a low calorie diet. Further, I have tried to lose weight in the past by cutting calories – and was spectacularly unsuccessful. We weight loss is happening because I am being cleaned from the inside out, and I can feel it clearly.Other reviews say this book is ‘”dumbed down” for the masses’ and others refer to it as ‘junk science’. I don’t need the blessing of “science” to attempt to heal myself. Are these the same experts who jeered at meditation, acupuncture and yoga? am responsible for my health, and the only authority I trust is my own body. It will give me all the feedback I need. I don’t need long scientific documents, or the approval of others. As for the claim that there is nothing new about this information – that is exactly right. Acidity and alkalinity have been discussed for decades. Does this mean we can only write books on subjects that are completely new?As for this comment: “for those of us in the real world, it’s more trouble than it’s worth.” Gee, and all this time I thought I was in the ‘real world’ and yes, I agree that it’s a lot of trouble. But how much trouble is it to be sick? To feel rotten? To be exhausted? To be fat? I really don’t want to be one of those people who becomes seriously ill and then looks back and says, “If only I had …”Several reviewers criticized the Youngs for selling supplements. Isn’t that the ideal work that we all wish for: to do what you love, make a contribution and be richly rewarded? Sounds ideal to me. And as for the comment that “you really can’t follow their program without their products.” … absolutely not true. I haven’t bought a single one of their supplements and am following their program without difficulty.This is quite amazing: “I tried to sell the products I bought, but the prices were too high for online sales” and then this same author refers to “greed for many of the MLMers who feed from its trough.” The writer admits that he failed in selling the products – yet obviously he was trying to do so. Does that mean he was greedy and trying to profit, too? Quite a contradiction. Does this program work for everyone? I have no idea. My experience has been nourishing and enriching but we are all individuals, with different bodies and different chemistries. Personally, though, I eat in a very satisfying way, it’s easy to follow the program, I feel better than I have in years and plan on living this way from now on. We must indeed listen to our own inner wisdom. Everything else is just static. If you’re wondering about the merits of this, try it for a couple of weeks and let your body give you the only answer that matters.

Review by Greg Link:

May 13th 2005. THis is the only diet book I have read that promotes true health and a sustainable life-long diet. I lost my entire goal of 30 pounds in 6 weeks!! I feel great. I did not increase my exercise beyond my usual 30 minute daily walk.

Update: It has now been 16 weeks and I have effortlessly lost an additional 10 lbs. for a total of 40 (227 to 187) . Most significant learning is the paradigm shift I have had from weight loss to a sustainable healthy diet (finally at age 55). This diet seems daunting at first but you will find it easy to follow once you retrain your eating tastes. I say retrain because I had a life-long aversion to vegetables and the more I have eaten the more I like them. The way you feel after “pigging out” on vegetables is a far cry from the sugar hanovers and bloated feeling I have experienced in the past with other foods. I have found my pallate has made a permanent change and I have aquired a taste for alkaline foods. (You can still eat bread and pasta with spelt flour). It is now effortless and sustainable. What a permanent gift. Do yourself a favor and test it yourself for 90 days. Loose your goal and enjoy a lifelong new weight and size. Dr. Young’s science is easily tested. Judge from your own direct experience not from others or your own skepticism.

As Jane Clayson of CBS Early Show said ” The crew at The Early Show jokingly refers to it as my “swamp water”: the concoction of GREENS I drink every morning, first thing, at 4:30 A.M. I know it sounds funny to say I drink my greens, but it’s a quick, natural, oxygenating boost–healthier than any jolt of caffeine.” (from the foreword to pH Miracle)

Review by Mickey:

I want to clear up several things that I’ve seen in the other reviews:

1. Robert Young does *not* own InnerLight. He developed the products and sold the company some years ago. I’ve been to see him speak, and during that presentation he told us how to skip the supplements, like he does in the book, and mix baking soda in water and make sure that 90% of what we’re eating is alkaline. In the book he even tells you how to choose a supplement or how to mix your own.

2. No one *has* to do the 3-week fast. He shows you the rapid way (3-week fast) but also how to make gradual changes to your everyday lifestyle. He presents a plan for those that are looking to change their lives slowly and those that are looking to change their lives drastically. Both are in the book.

3. And it is a lifestyle, this is not a diet. This is showing you how to change your life style.

4. He does *not* advocate staying away from all fats, or fatty acids. In fact, he proposes that we don’t get enough of the right fats (omegas, cold pressed oils, etc.) and we eat all of the wrong ones (trans fats).

5. Robert Young got his degree from the Clayton College of Natural Health, yet he was able to work as a microbiologist for many years. I do not liken his degree to a person who got a degree in Wicker Basket Weaving and is now purporting to be an expert on home repair, or someone who got some other useless degree, hasn’t worked in the field, yet continues to refer to themselves as an expert on the subject.

6. If the idea that alkalinizing is so goofy, how is it that other people are also publishing books on the same topic?

Having said all that, it’s clear to me that there are people looking to make a change and looking to apply effort, and there are those who want to continue to make excuses and complain about how they feel and look. The former can do nothing about the latter.

I am on the greeny supplements. I know they aren’t cheap, but since I stopped eating at McDonalds and Wendy’s, I don’t notice the cost at all. In fact, my body no longer wants many things it used to gorge on when it was acidic, and buying green things at the grocery store is usually much cheaper than going out for cheeseburgers and sub sandwiches.

My first six months on the greens led to a 10-inch loss around my waistline. I lost the taste for sugars, junky sweets, crap from the vending machine. I lost these 10 inches, but only 20 pounds. And I hadn’t exercised, yet my muscles got bigger. I shrank out of all my clothes! Now that I’ve read this book, I am ready to implement the other lifestyle changes that are recommended (i.e. exercise and EFAs). I am not as concerned about my weight as I am concerned about feeling good, but if that means I look good too, I’m not going to turn it down.

There are numerous sources for these supplements; I happen to like InnerLight for the greens, but AlkaVision.com seems to have good drops, and I’ve seen other products in the health food stores. For people who don’t have money for supplements, remember that, in the book, it says to do as much as you can. Using the cost of supplements as a way to completely dismiss the book reeks of “excuses” to me, and maybe some people just aren’t ready to make changes.

Review by M. Western:

Having waded through all 69 reviews, it’s clear that people are either strongly in support of Dr. Young’s approach to health and wellness (based on personal experience), or strongly against his ideas/theories. Really … check it out … you’ll see either five stars or one star.

Interesting though … if you read carefully, you’ll notice that most of the critics and skeptics haven’t even tried the program. Instead, they’re focused on attacking Dr. Young, his lack of credentials, his lack of published papers, his “mumbo-jumbo” science, etc., etc.

But honestly, who cares? I don’t care if he got his degree out of a CrackerJack box. Like most people, I want results that I can see and feel. And that’s exactly what I’m experiencing as a result of two things that are the cornerstone to his program: eating more greens and super-hydrating.

No need to follow all the fancy diets, either. It can be as simple or as difficult as you want to make it. Bottom line to his program entails 3 things:

1. Super-hydrate the body by drinking plenty of water (4-5 liters a day)

2. Alkalize the body by eating foods high in alkalinity (and this is where people get stuck … you don’t have to eat like them and fix all those fancy meals … simply increase the % of veggies at each meal).

3. Supergreens – if you can’t get enough veggies, and most of us can’t, then use the supplements or powder. I mean you really can’t beat them – 49 different organic grasses, vegetables and sprouts; as well as 125 different vitamins, minerals and amino acids.

What does all this sound like? That’s right … grandma’s recipe for “good health and longevity”.

Again, skip the skeptics and try it for yourself. No doubt your body will thank you for it!

Review by :

AFter 3 1/2 weeks of following the Youngs program:* I have lost 14 pounds
* All feelings of bloat and gas have vanished
* My energy has noticeably increased
* Every afternoon my brain got ‘fuzzy’ (dull, tired, hard to think) – this has entirely disappeared and I feel sharp and clearSeeing my great results, a close friend bought the book and is trying it, too. Her results have been even better than mine, because her severe asthma has already lessened in only 10 days.Some of the reviews here have critized the Youngs for various reasons:First, “Those who have lost weight on the diet is almost certainly for no other reason than it has the tendency to be low in calories.” Eating olive oil, avocados and nuts does NOT create a low calorie diet. Further, I have tried to lose weight in the past by cutting calories – and was spectacularly unsuccessful. We weight loss is happening because I am being cleaned from the inside out, and I can feel it clearly.Other reviews say this book is ‘”dumbed down” for the masses’ and others refer to it as ‘junk science’. I don’t need the blessing of “science” to attempt to heal myself. Are these the same experts who jeered at meditation, acupuncture and yoga? am responsible for my health, and the only authority I trust is my own body. It will give me all the feedback I need. I don’t need long scientific documents, or the approval of others. As for the claim that there is nothing new about this information – that is exactly right. Acidity and alkalinity have been discussed for decades. Does this mean we can only write books on subjects that are completely new?As for this comment: “for those of us in the real world, it’s more trouble than it’s worth.” Gee, and all this time I thought I was in the ‘real world’ and yes, I agree that it’s a lot of trouble. But how much trouble is it to be sick? To feel rotten? To be exhausted? To be fat? I really don’t want to be one of those people who becomes seriously ill and then looks back and says, “If only I had …”Several reviewers criticized the Youngs for selling supplements. Isn’t that the ideal work that we all wish for: to do what you love, make a contribution and be richly rewarded? Sounds ideal to me. And as for the comment that “you really can’t follow their program without their products.” … absolutely not true. I haven’t bought a single one of their supplements and am following their program without difficulty.This is quite amazing: “I tried to sell the products I bought, but the prices were too high for online sales” and then this same author refers to “greed for many of the MLMers who feed from its trough.” The writer admits that he failed in selling the products – yet obviously he was trying to do so. Does that mean he was greedy and trying to profit, too? Quite a contradiction. Does this program work for everyone? I have no idea. My experience has been nourishing and enriching but we are all individuals, with different bodies and different chemistries. Personally, though, I eat in a very satisfying way, it’s easy to follow the program, I feel better than I have in years and plan on living this way from now on. We must indeed listen to our own inner wisdom. Everything else is just static. If you’re wondering about the merits of this, try it for a couple of weeks and let your body give you the only answer that matters.

Review by William j Mitchell:

After reading “The Ph Miracle For Diabetes” I call that author a genius. I have been doing what he says to do, and my blood sugar ranges in the normal range, now. I had been diagnosed with diabetes in February 2003. I had been following Dr. Young’s plan for health since the diagnosis, however, I really didn’t know why it works. Now, I do. I do not take any prescription drugs. I have maintained a loss of 37 pounds over a year and a half, now, as a result of balancing the Ph factor in me. (This is another pointed phenomenon, too.)

It is remarkable and impressive how he defies what the medical “profession” believes, and he ventured out of the medical box of beliefs and discovered what really happens to cause diabetes. It is so clear and logical, that even I can understand, now.

“It is not a disease of the pancreas or the insulin producing beta cells or an autoimmune response, it is from the fluids which the pancreas cells are floating in.”—Dr. Young

When the fluid is too acid, then the cells turn into a bacteria. He watched this transformation under his microscope. Then, he researched a diabetes scientist, from one hundred years ago, Dr. Bechamp, in the archives of books on the subject in the Medical Library in Paris. That French scientist had come to the same conclusion, that long ago, as Dr. Young had in this century. He studied Dr. Bechamp’s findings and found them to be the same as his and saw the original drawings, which that scientist had made of the mutation of the pancreas cells transforming before his eyes, under his microscope. He said that it was an eerie feeling to see what that scientist had discovered was the same as he had recently discovered, as well. A hundred years ago, Medical Science went with Pasteur, who was wrong, according to Dr. Young.

Dr. Young states, “On the other hand with the Ph balance , the cells of the pancreas, insulin producing beta cells, and glucagon-producing alpha cells could and would function in perfect harmony, and the phenomenon of diabetes could not occur.”

Dr. Young is endorsed by other medical doctors to be correct in his findings. He reads raw blood rather than blood with chemicals added for reading, the traditional medical school method. The addition of chemicals kills some of the cells which must be alive in order to read them properly.

This is an excellent book and very well written, so the that the layman can understand. The bottom line is that it works. Thousands of other diabetics, and I have kept our blood sugar level at a normal range by his method. That is to raise the alkaline level and lower the acid level, and the pancreas cells do not mutate into bacteria. The same acid pool blocks the pancreas’ ability to secret insulin to counter act the extreme rise in the sugar level in the blood. The same acid pool causes cancer to grow in the pancreas. That is what my sister died of a year ago. From the same acid phenomenon, she had developed cancer of the pancreas. We could not persuade her to read on nor listen to Dr. Young. She had been trained as a Registered Nurse and was rigid in what she had learned in nurse training, years before. Dr. Young wrote her a letter explaining his findings in medical terms, so that she would understand. She, like so many medical doctors, was stuck in the narrow thinking of the “profession”.

I am pleased with the method Dr. Young teaches and enjoy my blood sugar being normal and my weight down. I am overcoming the so-called hereditary dibetes syndrome.

“A cell is only as healthy as the fluids it is bathed in.”—Dr. Young

Dr. Robert Young is a Doctor of Microbiology and specializes in the human body function. His specialty concentration is diabetes.

The same acid imbalance causes other diseases in our bodies. So, if we properly balance the acid to alkaline, we have more energy, and live a healthy and happier life.

Review by Lisa M. Morrison:

I was in the bookstore yesterday and had the option of buying The pH Miracle or the The pH Miracle for Diabetes, and I got The pH Miracle for Diabetes because I suffer from insulin resistance. Much to my surprise, The pH Miracle for Diabetes comes out and says that you should read The pH Miracle for a more detailed explanation of the program and how to implement it, and in fact The pH Miracle for Diabetes includes references to recipes that are only included in The pH Miracle. The first 54 pages of the book expound upon the nature of diabetes, but I just wanted to get on with the program and found plowing through this part difficult. Pages 55-163 detail the program, and the rest of the book (pages 164-333) consists of recipes, an idex, a list of resources for the various products recommended and a reference section. I haven’t read The pH Miracle, so I don’t know how much of The pH Miracle for Diabetes is needed by a diabetic. It does go over monitoring blood sugar and dealing with other issues that arise for the diabetic patient. But if that information is covered in the first book, save your money and skip this one. I am a propronent of the acid/alkaline view of health, but only gave this one 3 stars because of the reliance on the first book. It could easily have been made into a 100-page book that was less expensive and thus saved me the money to buy the first book or one of the recipe books.

Review by E. Albanese:

Seriously, I don’t see why people can’t do their own work. Dr. Robert O. Young, author of the widely-heralded The pH Miracle, The pH Miracle For Diabetes, The pH Miracle For Weight-Loss, Sick And Tired: Reclaim Your Inner Terrain and more received a doctorate in nutrition and microbiology and is an inarguable expert in this field. When others who are unheard of and unknown simply take the name of his books and slap it on their work, as was done above, trying to make a cheap buck, it is really disappointing. There can never be enough books on alkalizing the body, but at least come up with your own original title, no? Get the real deal, folks, by Robert O. Young, pH.D!

Review by Marilyn Hatton:

It’s a book that promises a miracle. However, it’s not a shallow promise of this and that nonsense… but presents in-depth information that it’s a choice, a mindset, a lifestyle discipline to eat healthy and lose weight healthy … to get fit and stay fit … the miracle is in making it actually happen for you.Very sensible and responsible book, as all diet book should be.

Review by William j Mitchell:

After reading “The Ph Miracle For Diabetes” I call that author a genius. I have been doing what he says to do, and my blood sugar ranges in the normal range, now. I had been diagnosed with diabetes in February 2003. I had been following Dr. Young’s plan for health since the diagnosis, however, I really didn’t know why it works. Now, I do. I do not take any prescription drugs. I have maintained a loss of 37 pounds over a year and a half, now, as a result of balancing the Ph factor in me. (This is another pointed phenomenon, too.)

It is remarkable and impressive how he defies what the medical “profession” believes, and he ventured out of the medical box of beliefs and discovered what really happens to cause diabetes. It is so clear and logical, that even I can understand, now.

“It is not a disease of the pancreas or the insulin producing beta cells or an autoimmune response, it is from the fluids which the pancreas cells are floating in.”—Dr. Young

When the fluid is too acid, then the cells turn into a bacteria. He watched this transformation under his microscope. Then, he researched a diabetes scientist, from one hundred years ago, Dr. Bechamp, in the archives of books on the subject in the Medical Library in Paris. That French scientist had come to the same conclusion, that long ago, as Dr. Young had in this century. He studied Dr. Bechamp’s findings and found them to be the same as his and saw the original drawings, which that scientist had made of the mutation of the pancreas cells transforming before his eyes, under his microscope. He said that it was an eerie feeling to see what that scientist had discovered was the same as he had recently discovered, as well. A hundred years ago, Medical Science went with Pasteur, who was wrong, according to Dr. Young.

Dr. Young states, “On the other hand with the Ph balance , the cells of the pancreas, insulin producing beta cells, and glucagon-producing alpha cells could and would function in perfect harmony, and the phenomenon of diabetes could not occur.”

Dr. Young is endorsed by other medical doctors to be correct in his findings. He reads raw blood rather than blood with chemicals added for reading, the traditional medical school method. The addition of chemicals kills some of the cells which must be alive in order to read them properly.

This is an excellent book and very well written, so the that the layman can understand. The bottom line is that it works. Thousands of other diabetics, and I have kept our blood sugar level at a normal range by his method. That is to raise the alkaline level and lower the acid level, and the pancreas cells do not mutate into bacteria. The same acid pool blocks the pancreas’ ability to secret insulin to counter act the extreme rise in the sugar level in the blood. The same acid pool causes cancer to grow in the pancreas. That is what my sister died of a year ago. From the same acid phenomenon, she had developed cancer of the pancreas. We could not persuade her to read on nor listen to Dr. Young. She had been trained as a Registered Nurse and was rigid in what she had learned in nurse training, years before. Dr. Young wrote her a letter explaining his findings in medical terms, so that she would understand. She, like so many medical doctors, was stuck in the narrow thinking of the “profession”.

I am pleased with the method Dr. Young teaches and enjoy my blood sugar being normal and my weight down. I am overcoming the so-called hereditary dibetes syndrome.

“A cell is only as healthy as the fluids it is bathed in.”—Dr. Young

Dr. Robert Young is a Doctor of Microbiology and specializes in the human body function. His specialty concentration is diabetes.

The same acid imbalance causes other diseases in our bodies. So, if we properly balance the acid to alkaline, we have more energy, and live a healthy and happier life.

Review by Lisa M. Morrison:

I was in the bookstore yesterday and had the option of buying The pH Miracle or the The pH Miracle for Diabetes, and I got The pH Miracle for Diabetes because I suffer from insulin resistance. Much to my surprise, The pH Miracle for Diabetes comes out and says that you should read The pH Miracle for a more detailed explanation of the program and how to implement it, and in fact The pH Miracle for Diabetes includes references to recipes that are only included in The pH Miracle. The first 54 pages of the book expound upon the nature of diabetes, but I just wanted to get on with the program and found plowing through this part difficult. Pages 55-163 detail the program, and the rest of the book (pages 164-333) consists of recipes, an idex, a list of resources for the various products recommended and a reference section. I haven’t read The pH Miracle, so I don’t know how much of The pH Miracle for Diabetes is needed by a diabetic. It does go over monitoring blood sugar and dealing with other issues that arise for the diabetic patient. But if that information is covered in the first book, save your money and skip this one. I am a propronent of the acid/alkaline view of health, but only gave this one 3 stars because of the reliance on the first book. It could easily have been made into a 100-page book that was less expensive and thus saved me the money to buy the first book or one of the recipe books.

Review by Greg Link:

May 13th 2005. THis is the only diet book I have read that promotes true health and a sustainable life-long diet. I lost my entire goal of 30 pounds in 6 weeks!! I feel great. I did not increase my exercise beyond my usual 30 minute daily walk.

Update: It has now been 16 weeks and I have effortlessly lost an additional 10 lbs. for a total of 40 (227 to 187) . Most significant learning is the paradigm shift I have had from weight loss to a sustainable healthy diet (finally at age 55). This diet seems daunting at first but you will find it easy to follow once you retrain your eating tastes. I say retrain because I had a life-long aversion to vegetables and the more I have eaten the more I like them. The way you feel after “pigging out” on vegetables is a far cry from the sugar hanovers and bloated feeling I have experienced in the past with other foods. I have found my pallate has made a permanent change and I have aquired a taste for alkaline foods. (You can still eat bread and pasta with spelt flour). It is now effortless and sustainable. What a permanent gift. Do yourself a favor and test it yourself for 90 days. Loose your goal and enjoy a lifelong new weight and size. Dr. Young’s science is easily tested. Judge from your own direct experience not from others or your own skepticism.

As Jane Clayson of CBS Early Show said ” The crew at The Early Show jokingly refers to it as my “swamp water”: the concoction of GREENS I drink every morning, first thing, at 4:30 A.M. I know it sounds funny to say I drink my greens, but it’s a quick, natural, oxygenating boost–healthier than any jolt of caffeine.” (from the foreword to pH Miracle)

Review by Mickey:

I want to clear up several things that I’ve seen in the other reviews:

1. Robert Young does *not* own InnerLight. He developed the products and sold the company some years ago. I’ve been to see him speak, and during that presentation he told us how to skip the supplements, like he does in the book, and mix baking soda in water and make sure that 90% of what we’re eating is alkaline. In the book he even tells you how to choose a supplement or how to mix your own.

2. No one *has* to do the 3-week fast. He shows you the rapid way (3-week fast) but also how to make gradual changes to your everyday lifestyle. He presents a plan for those that are looking to change their lives slowly and those that are looking to change their lives drastically. Both are in the book.

3. And it is a lifestyle, this is not a diet. This is showing you how to change your life style.

4. He does *not* advocate staying away from all fats, or fatty acids. In fact, he proposes that we don’t get enough of the right fats (omegas, cold pressed oils, etc.) and we eat all of the wrong ones (trans fats).

5. Robert Young got his degree from the Clayton College of Natural Health, yet he was able to work as a microbiologist for many years. I do not liken his degree to a person who got a degree in Wicker Basket Weaving and is now purporting to be an expert on home repair, or someone who got some other useless degree, hasn’t worked in the field, yet continues to refer to themselves as an expert on the subject.

6. If the idea that alkalinizing is so goofy, how is it that other people are also publishing books on the same topic?

Having said all that, it’s clear to me that there are people looking to make a change and looking to apply effort, and there are those who want to continue to make excuses and complain about how they feel and look. The former can do nothing about the latter.

I am on the greeny supplements. I know they aren’t cheap, but since I stopped eating at McDonalds and Wendy’s, I don’t notice the cost at all. In fact, my body no longer wants many things it used to gorge on when it was acidic, and buying green things at the grocery store is usually much cheaper than going out for cheeseburgers and sub sandwiches.

My first six months on the greens led to a 10-inch loss around my waistline. I lost the taste for sugars, junky sweets, crap from the vending machine. I lost these 10 inches, but only 20 pounds. And I hadn’t exercised, yet my muscles got bigger. I shrank out of all my clothes! Now that I’ve read this book, I am ready to implement the other lifestyle changes that are recommended (i.e. exercise and EFAs). I am not as concerned about my weight as I am concerned about feeling good, but if that means I look good too, I’m not going to turn it down.

There are numerous sources for these supplements; I happen to like InnerLight for the greens, but AlkaVision.com seems to have good drops, and I’ve seen other products in the health food stores. For people who don’t have money for supplements, remember that, in the book, it says to do as much as you can. Using the cost of supplements as a way to completely dismiss the book reeks of “excuses” to me, and maybe some people just aren’t ready to make changes.

Review by Alexis Harrison:

I was looking for something to cook at home that would also enable me to keep losing weight. This book did just the trick. It is full of some really yummy recipes that are easy to do. I liked the fact that most can be cooked and prepared in a little time and you don’t have to worry about running around town to find ingrediants. But mostly, I loved the fact that the food doesn’t taste like cardboard! That was an added bonus and one reason this will be a book I will keep around forever. Another good one that’s helped me lose weight–Goodbye, Fatty! Hello, Skinny! How I Lost Weight And Still Ate The Foods I Loved-Without Dieting.

Review by Danno:

The diet works and seems to target the belly. My wife and I both have lost over 10 lbs. in less than 4 weeks. I’ve lost enough to have to tighten my belt a notch. I can tell she has lost weight too.

The down side is the recipes for the most part are not that simple, and not your everyday ingredients. (Pine nuts at for a half pound? Come on.) You should be able to find a dozen or so recipes that you like and can afford to make. That will do to get you through a couple weeks to lose some weight, and inches. It would be tough to make this a life style diet though.

If you don’t like olives or avocados, can’t eat nuts, or just don’t have time to prepare meals, this may not be for you. As always, save some money and look for a used book.

Review by Edwin Rhoden:

One would not know that these recipes were designed for a diabetic, until they looked at some of the ingredients. These are tasty, flavorful, and creative recipes for the whole family, designed to lower the sugar/carbohydrate intake grams for diabetics. The recipes are simple, and made with the ‘usual’ ingredients with the exception of the sugar substitutes. And, there are handy conversion charts that show how to convert ‘sugars’ to sugar substitutes. Anyone will enjoy the foods that they make from these recipe’s. This is truly a ‘gourmet’ cookbook, with literally thousands of recipes for everyday living. There are entree and side dish recipe’s, but my favorite section are the hundreds of ‘dessert’ recipes. You have to try those Cream Puffs!

Review by :

By Finsand, Caldwell, and White – This book has thousands of recipes and they are good. I don’t think I will ever grow tired of using it. However, if you or someone you are cooking for has just recently been diagnosed with diabetes, this is not the book to get you started. It does have useful charts, but it has very little educational material about the disease. I would recommend this book as a companion to a book with comprehensive information about diabetes. I think the most prominent chart in the book deals with sugar substitutes. (The Simply Gourmet Diabetes Cookbook by Mary Donkersloot is a great place to get started. With this book and the book you are reading about, youu will never lack in information and choices.)Personally, I would prefer less recipes about desserts. There are hundreds and hundreds of these recipes. I’ve never really craved daily deserts or sweetened foods. After spending time in the hospital, and meeting other diabetics, this may be exactly what you need, though. Some people do eat sweet dishes frequently. I plan to use these recipies in cooking for my aging parents and myself, in order to provide things that we can all eat. I doubt I will use more than a portion of this book in my own home.

Review by Shashank Tripathi:

If you’ve read the South Beach Diet, it did include some preliminary recipe ideas, but they were few and far between. This follow-up cookbook is being marketed as if it were looking to dovetail on the popularity of its predecessor, but I believe if you have this, you don’t even need the original. The variety of recipes is fascinating, and the diet phase they correspond to in the original diet (which you can easily comprehend from this book alone) is clearly marked. Mind you, this is not a “low carb” book. It is about lowering “bad” carbs while allowing “good” carbs. The South Beach idea veers around keeping the Glycemic Index low and Agatston does a pretty good job of explaining the nutritional logic for doing so. The recipes that I have tried so far are quite good in terms of taste. The best thing for me is that none of the recipes includes any fancy condiments that you’d only find in some super-elite department stores on the other side of town. Very handy for a health-conscious bachelor. Give it a try. Healthy *and* tasty recipes can’t be a bad investment anyway!

Review by Ron Atkins:

Okay, having read the basic bible to the South Beach Diet (ISBN: 1579546463), which I would recommend to you if you are interested in this cookbook, I wanted to try some of the meals Agatston referred to in his book.The author divides the cookbook into the following sections: breakfast, snacks, soups, salads, side dishes, fish and poultry, meats, vegetarian, and desserts. Each section has approximately 20 recipes, that appear easy enough to prepare and follow the 40% protein, 30% carb, and 30% fat you would expect on a diet plan like this. Also, most of the recipes included carb counts, protein grams, etc. I noticed in the dessert section (my personal favorite of any cookbook) that the recipes employ yogurt, almonds, and fresh fruit extensively. Some sugar substitutes were noted, but not a lot.The author also dedicates 8 pages of the book to summarizing the diet plan, a long chapter on shopping in accordance with the diet plan, and 5 pages of question and answer type stuff that addresses general questions relevant to the diet. Color photos were available for about 50% of the recipes, which is why I titled this review “Pretty Pictures.” I would recommend this book to any reader who enjoyed and plans to use the SouthBeach Diet.

Review by Midwest Book Review:

Showcasing more than 150 superb recipes, the “Cleveland Clinic Healthy Heart Lifestyle Guide And Cookbook” is the collaborative effort of experienced cookbook authors Bonnie Sanders Polin and Francis Towner Giedt, and the medical experts at the Cleveland Clinic’s highly respected Heart & Vascular Institute. More than just another cookbook designed for ‘heart healthy’ dining, the “Cleveland Clinic Healthy Heart Lifestyle Guide And Cookbook” is also a compendium of sound, practical, professional advice on reshaping the modern American lifestyle so as to enhance cardiovascular health and physical well-being. From Salmon Mousse; Warm Arugula with Polenta Croutons and Mozzarella Cheese; and Linguine with Spicy Broccoli and Portobello Mushrooms; to Grilled Black Sea Bass over Summer Vegetables with Japanese Dressing; Asian Chicken Wraps; Curried Lentils and Cauliflower with Cucumber Raita; and Orange Upside-Down Cake, the “Cleveland Clinic Healthy Heart Lifestyle Guide And Cookbook” offers a culinary wealth of savory, ‘kitchen cook friendly’ recipes that would grace any family meal or celebratory dining event.

Review by G. Hasiotis:

Following our recent stay at the Cleveland Clinic I was impressed by all communications and printed matter coming out of the Clinic. The Cleveland Clinic Cookbook certainly promised to offer a concise roadmap of how to cook heart healthy fare,however, once I began reading and leafing through its contents I was surprised to see that it was not all it was cracked up to be. The first recipe I selected turned out alright, however, the directions were not concise and oddly enough the very pages on which the book is printed are not of good quality so that if you happen to spill something while cooking or even just dampen the page it seeps through (they must have used a light weight paper stock in a move toward economy?) so, to my utter surprise, this book is less than expected. Perhaps it might be wise to skip this volume and search the many other options available for good heart healthy fare….

Review by A. Ryan:

Easy-read, simple recipes. Short ingredient lists. A cookbook that’s clearly organized into short chapters according to meat type. This is what I should have had when I started the Atkins’ Diet last year.

Unlike its predecessor, Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Cookbook, this Quick & Easy Diet Cookbook is very handy. It’s just the thing after a long day when you don’t want to get into an elaborate cooking session. I can pull some meat out of the fridge and look up a recipe; chances are, I will have everything I need stocked in my low-carb pantry and fridge. Most of the main dish recipes take under one half hour to prep and finish, and the ones I’ve tried are all taste-satisfying winners.

There is a beginning chapter that explains how to trim the carb content down if you’re in the early Induction phase of the diet. Mostly, though, the meals are all low-carb enough for the Ongoing Weight Loss and Maintenance phases. I think dieters who are into other low carb diets will find it useful, too. There is no guesswork about how many carbs per serving when you measure your ingredients correctly and consult the carb, calorie, etc. counts at the bottom of the page.

Finally, I want to thank the team that finished this book after the Doctor’s tragic accident last year. It’s great that his “estate” is carrying on his good work to help this country and many more around the world learn how to get healthy and stay that way. Thank you all, and may God bless.

-Andrea, aka Merribelle

Review by :

I’ve been following the Atkins diet for a short time and decided to buy this to save time preparing meals. This is just a great help in following the Atkins way of eating. The recipes truly are “quick and easy” and delicious. Another plus is that the book isn’t overmelmingly long (not one of those “1,000 mouth watering recipes”)! There are several recipes for each section (ie; beef, poultry, appetizers, seafood, desserts, etc.) – just enough to give you varied menu ideas but not overwelm you with decisions.
This is good eating even for those who are not dieting.

Review by Peggy A. West:

I have tried many of the recipes in this book, and they are fantastic. They are not only delicous, but make a beautiful presentation when served. Since adopting this dietary concept, I have changed my health status from pre-diabetic back to normal. I heartily recommend this way of eating.

Review by D. S. Hemmer:

A cookbook with quick-and-easy vegetarian meals that really satisfy and keep me healthy!

Spectacular, delicious recipes with easy to follow instructions. So well-written, it’s as if it was made just for me.

Also try

The 30-Day Diabetes Miracle: Lifestyle Center of America’s Complete Program to Stop Diabetes, Restore Health,and Build Natural Vitality

Review by Julie Neal:

Best-life advocate Bob Greene positions the ideas in this cookbook as a “gift that you give to yourself and your loved ones.” Home-cooked meals made from fresh, natural ingredients will make you feel better, live longer and bond with your family and friends. Makes sense to me. And if you just want to cook yummy foods, these dishes are delicious.

They are also nutritious, and all the details for each serving are at the end of each recipe: calories, protein, carbohydrate, dietary fiber, sugar, total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, calcium and sodium.

Easy-to-follow meal plans are broken down into three sections. Quick and Easy meals take no more than 20 minutes to prepare, Kitchen Connoisseur choices are a little more adventurous, and Family-Friendly meals offer healthy versions of family favorites. Each meal plan has six calorie levels: 1,500, 1,600, 1,700, 1,800, 2,000 and 2,500 calories a day.

Although most of the recipes are geared to busy families with little time to spend in the kitchen, there is a whole chapter of wonderful, healthy dishes from accomplished chefs. These recipes may take a little longer than the 30 minutes or so the other recipes require to prepare. Some of the chefs participating include Mollie Ahlstrand of Trattoria Mollie, Dan Barber of Blue Hill, Sarma Melngailis of Pure Food and Wine, Charlie Trotter of Charlie Trotter’s and Roy Yamaguchi of the 35 Roy’s Restaurants around the world. Ahlstrand’s Zuppa di Pomodoro is a flavorful take on tomato soup that uses garlic, brandy, rosemary and orange juice.

In the back is a handy Techniques tutorial showing how to roast garlic, toast nuts, section citrus, clarify butter and the like.

Other good choices for healthy cookbooks include Deceptively Delicious, Hungry Girl: Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World and The Most Decadent Diet Ever.

The Eat This Not That! series is also excellent.

Here’s the chapter list:

1. Introduction

2. Recipes

3. Breakfast

4. Soups

5. Salads

6. Sandwiches, Wraps and Crispbreads

7. Entrees: Meat, Poultry, Seafood, Vegetarian

8. Side Dishes: Grains, Vegetables

9. Calcium-Rich Snacks

10. Desserts

11. Best-Life Recipes from World-Class Chefs

12. Meal Plans

13. Basic Recipes

14. Techniques

Review by Sacramento Book Review:

Buffalo with Blackberries, anyone? Quinoa Granola? How about Salad of Riesling-Poached Tokyo Turnips with Brussels Sprouts, Pickled French Laundry Garden Onion, and Toasted Mustard Seed Emulsion? Bob Greene’s “The Best Life Diet Cookbook”, designed to be used in tandem with his wildly popular “The Best Life Diet” has the best and healthiest of intentions, but isn’t a terribly great resource for anyone short on time or money or with a family of potentially picky little ones–in other words, a good portion of the population. Greene’s philosophy of cooking and eating is a solid one; he firmly believes that “eating is meant to be one of life’s great pleasures,” and that “many of us have lost that special connection with the experience of eating….” The purpose of this books is to help readers “reclaim the experience of eating as a celebration by sitting down to enjoy these high-quality, delicious dishes without overdoing it.” So far, so good.

The recipes, however, split into ten different categories that include Breakfast, Entrees, Side Dishes, and Desserts, overwhelmingly seem geared towards the young, the hip, and the unencumbered, not the average workaday American with 2.5 kids. While there may be a silent majority of working families who are beside themselves with joy to come home from a hard day at work to partake of Tofu Mushroom Scramble on a Whole Wheat Tortilla or Baked Eggplant with Ground Beef, they certainly keep themselves well hidden. And, even if Duck with Plums or Broiled Mahimahi with Grapes and Leeks seems like a winner, the price of the ingredients can often prove prohibitive in these days of the not-so-great economy.

Greene does acknowledge that different Best Life Dieters have different needs, and two of the three two-week full meal plans he includes in the back of the book, the Quick and Easy Meal Plan and the Family-Friendly Plan (the third is the Kitchen Connoisseur plan), are geared for the busy and the child-overwhelmed. The Family-Friendly Plan incorporates favorites like Sloppy Joes and Shepherd’s Pie, but leaves the reader wondering why a person would purchase a book containing chiefly recipes of the Cauliflower Curry with Red Lentils variety if they are planning on cooking the Chicken Noodle soup.

That said, there is no doubt that Greene’s recipes are nutritious, low-calorie, palate-expanding, and a real find for devoted food enthusiasts looking to expand their kitchen repertoire.

Review by Shashank Tripathi:

If you’ve read the South Beach Diet, it did include some preliminary recipe ideas, but they were few and far between. This follow-up cookbook is being marketed as if it were looking to dovetail on the popularity of its predecessor, but I believe if you have this, you don’t even need the original. The variety of recipes is fascinating, and the diet phase they correspond to in the original diet (which you can easily comprehend from this book alone) is clearly marked. Mind you, this is not a “low carb” book. It is about lowering “bad” carbs while allowing “good” carbs. The South Beach idea veers around keeping the Glycemic Index low and Agatston does a pretty good job of explaining the nutritional logic for doing so. The recipes that I have tried so far are quite good in terms of taste. The best thing for me is that none of the recipes includes any fancy condiments that you’d only find in some super-elite department stores on the other side of town. Very handy for a health-conscious bachelor. Give it a try. Healthy *and* tasty recipes can’t be a bad investment anyway!

Review by Ron Atkins:

Okay, having read the basic bible to the South Beach Diet (ISBN: 1579546463), which I would recommend to you if you are interested in this cookbook, I wanted to try some of the meals Agatston referred to in his book.The author divides the cookbook into the following sections: breakfast, snacks, soups, salads, side dishes, fish and poultry, meats, vegetarian, and desserts. Each section has approximately 20 recipes, that appear easy enough to prepare and follow the 40% protein, 30% carb, and 30% fat you would expect on a diet plan like this. Also, most of the recipes included carb counts, protein grams, etc. I noticed in the dessert section (my personal favorite of any cookbook) that the recipes employ yogurt, almonds, and fresh fruit extensively. Some sugar substitutes were noted, but not a lot.The author also dedicates 8 pages of the book to summarizing the diet plan, a long chapter on shopping in accordance with the diet plan, and 5 pages of question and answer type stuff that addresses general questions relevant to the diet. Color photos were available for about 50% of the recipes, which is why I titled this review “Pretty Pictures.” I would recommend this book to any reader who enjoyed and plans to use the SouthBeach Diet.

Review by Sally:

A straight forward and immensely useful review of the Glycemic Load Diet plus lots of really delicious recipes. Dana’s work is in my experience always well researched, entertaining, educational and makes for fabulous food that contributes to your health. If you’re thinking of returning to health this New Year this should be your first buy and if you have Dana’s other cookbooks you won’t find this redundant, but fresh and inspiring.

Review by Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Man:

We’ve heard a lot about the glycemic index in recent years, but not many people know exactly what that means and why they should care. The problem with GI is it is an incomplete equation when it comes to figuring out what impact a particular food will have on the body. A better tool is to determine the glycemic load of what you eat and that’s something Dr. Rob Thompson has devoted himself to with his diet plan. In this book of recipes that serves as a companion to The Glycemic-Load Diet, Dr. Thompson teams up with world-famous low-carb cookbook author Dana Carpender to whip up some yummy recipes that are designed to control insulin spikes which lead to weight gain, hunger, and disease. One thing you can always count on when Dana Carpender contributes recipes to a cookbook is variety, mouthwatering dishes, and a commitment to keeping them low-carb. You get 150 outstanding recipes to enjoy for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and everything in between with this book!