A vast improvement over the Standard American Diet
The New Sonoma weight-loss method works because it counteracts the major cause of overweight - excessive consumption of sugars and refined starches - through portion control. This Mediterranean-style program is likely to reap the major health benefits of the traditional Mediterranean diet: longer life and less chronic disease (heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure, diabetes, dementia, and cancer).
Most of the food recommendations herein are consistent with Monica Reinagel's wonderful new book, Nutrition Diva's Secrets for a Healthy Diet: What to Eat, What to Avoid, and What to Stop Worrying About. On Sonoma, you'll eat natural, minimally processed, whole foods.
The primary improvements over the 2005 version of Sonoma are the time-saving and budget-saving strategies. The recipes are easier and quicker. I didn't try any, but they sound yummy. Dr. Guttersen also exands the "Power Foods" from 10 to 12, adding beans and citrus fruit. I'm glad to see the author addressed many of my criticisms of her great 2005 book. I do miss the old refrigerator-ready pull-out depicting the subdivided plates.
You'll find indispensible information on shopping and food preparation. Keeping a food journal is rightfully promoted in certain circumstances. I like the discussion of psychological issues, mindful eating, dining out tips, and weight-loss stalls.
The author makes a few claims that are either wrong or poorly supported by the scientific literature. Examples include: 1) beans are linked to longer life and reduced heart disease risk, 2) grapes are almost as good as wine for heart protection, 3) the health benefits of spinach "border on the miraculous," and spinach helps prevent inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and asthma, 4) whole grains prevent stroke, gastrointestinal cancer, and diabetes, 5) adding salt and butter for flavor is unhealthy, 6) medicinal qualities of herbs and spices are well documented, 7) saturated fats "are found exclusively in highly processed food products," 8) you'll break a lifetime craving for sugary sweets in Wave 1, 9) 64 ounces of water a day is ideal, 10) exercise significanlty helps most people with weight loss, 11) low-carb eating cannot be maintained because it's unhealthy and unsatisfying, and 11) saturated fats raise the risk of heart disease.
Overall, this is one of the healthiest weight-loss programs available. The average person won't go wrong with Sonoma. In fact, Sonoma-style eating may be the healthiest of all for the normal-weight general public, with the exception of its avoiding saturated and total fat.
--Steve Parker, M.D., author of "Conquer Diabetes and Prediabetes: The Low-Carb Mediterranean Diet"
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