Time to dust off the bathroom scale, learn how to open a bag of
carrots and shop for new books that promise better health,
smaller waists and lifetime sex appeal.
This year's crop of diet-resolution aids doesn't just hope to
help your weight-loss efforts. Most come with a secondary
promise: brain health, balanced hormones, lower blood sugar,
pain elimination.
Here's a sample of what's new:
The New Atkins for a New You Cookbook
by Colette Heimowitz
The diet that shouts "Lose up to 15 pounds in 2 weeks!" now has
a cookbook of 200 low-carb recipes you can make in 30 minutes
or less. It hardly sounds like a diet if you get to eat
Lime-Chili Grilled Wings or skirt steak with chimichurri sauce.
Even its No-Bake Cheesecake doesn't sound half bad.
(Touchstone; $19.99)
Master Your Metabolism
by Jillian Michaels
The book by "The Biggest Loser's" meanest trainer ever is now
out in paperback. Michaels reaches out to yo-yo dieters with a
plan that promises to tap into fat-burning hormones. She urges
readers to dump "anti-nutrients" such as hydrogenated fats,
refined grains, high-fructose corn syrup and artificial
sweeteners in favor of lean meats, whole grains and fresh fruit
and vegetables. (Three Rivers Press; $15)
The Doctors 5-Minute Health Fixes
by The Doctors, with Mariska vanAalst
The physicians known for their popular TV show offer quick
advice — now in paperback — on a variety of health topics,
including weight. Diet advice boils down to five tips: Cook
your own food at home; get help if you're an emotional eater;
walk 30 minutes a day, five days a week; eat carbs, protein and
fat at every meal; watch portion size. (Rodale; $17.99)
The Women's Health Diet
by Stephen Perrine, with Leah Flickinger and the editors of
Women's Health
If you can remake your body in "just 27 days" like the book
cover promises, maybe your body wasn't in such bad shape after
all. Still, if you focus on healthy foods, get rid of sugary
drinks and exercise as the book advocates, you'll likely lose
fat and build muscle — and that's what we're all after, right?
Its authors spend a fair amount of space going over the
"Secrets of the Slim" — eating fresh produce, never skipping
breakfast, learning to love salad. It provides plenty of
resources to help you navigate supermarket aisles and
restaurant menus. (Rodale; $25.99)
The Men's Health Diet
by Stephen Perrine, with Adam Bornstein, Heather Hurlock
and the editors of Men's Health
This version for men is much like its women's counterpart, save
for language that's more likely to appeal to guys. For example,
"Secrets of the Slim" becomes "Rules of the Ripped." Its list
of "best foods" for men are much like those of women, but
organized differently and geared to men's tastes. (Rodale;
$25.99)
The Diet Detective's All-American Diet
by Charles Platkin
The book's cover refers to Platkin as a "Dr.," but he's a
Ph.D., not an M.D. This public-health advocate has put forth a
book that would appeal only to people who don't want to cook
and have no interest in learning how. It focuses on exercise in
one short chapter, then lays out a plan for building meals and
menus out of convenience foods such as Pop-Tarts (no kidding),
instant oatmeal, Jimmy Dean sausage biscuits and Stouffer's
lasagna. Not to completely diss the plan; it includes hundreds
of convenience foods, including some that are lower in sodium,
fat and/or sugar and will surely help you control how much you
eat. (Rodale; $19.99)
Six Weeks to Skinny Jeans
by Amy Cotta
The author's picture-perfect derriere on the cover will surely
catch the attention of any woman who's looked backward at a
three-way mirror and shuddered. Cotta, a Nashville-area fitness
trainer, provides before and after photos of her clients — real
women with lives, jobs, children and imperfect bodies - who —
lost a jeans size or two in six weeks. Her plan will have you
watching your carbs, relying on low-glycemic "skinny" foods,
working out and keeping a diet-exercise log. (Rodale; $24.99)
Read the rest here:
New crop of diet books goes beyond weight loss
