Dr. Dukan’s book (original french title: “e Ne Sais Pas Maigrir” (“I don’t know how to lose weight”) is for all who’ve tried to lose weight, for all who’ve been losing weight – too frequently and unsuccessfully– and for all who need the guarantee that in return of their hard weight loss efforts they will be able to lose weight successfully and keep it off forever.

The Dukan Diet is a weight loss program and a weight maintenance plan for life developed by the French nutritionist and eating behavior specialist Dr. Pierre Dukan.

With more than 30 years of experience, Dr. Pierre Dukan is a trust worthy health professional, whose books and remarkable work in nutrition and weight loss fields have made him an excellent nutritionist and diet expert.

The Dukan diet itself is not just a simple diet, it is a complete weight loss program or regime (you name it) that has 4 distinctive phases:

Protal I

Attack phase – the “purely natural proteins” phase that is a kick-start to your quick weight loss in less than one week (usually 5 days).

Protal II

Weight Loss phase – the “alternative proteins” phase during which you alternate ‘proteins’ and ‘proteins with vegetables’; and you reach your goal weight. But it’s the nest phase you need to keep that weight down…

Protal III

Stabilization phase – the phase that keeps you from the negative Yo-yo effect of fast weight loss. This phase lasts 10 days per kilograms lost (so if you’ve lost 5 kilograms then this phase would last 50 days for you). During this phase many of the important foods are re-introduced to your menu (bread, cheese, fruits).

Protal IV

Cruise phase – the one that lasts for the rest of your life (sounds scary, isn’t it), but it is so simple, effortless and not to be missed if you want to keep your lost weight forever… All you need to do is pick one day of the week (every week at the exact same day) to do the diet (the Attack phase).

However, there are many related cinnamon spices, also labeled as “cinnamon”, which is incorrect. For example the most commonly sold as “cinnamon” in US and Canada actually is called cassia, distinguished from true cinnamon as Indonesian cinnamon or Chinese cinnamon. It comes from Southern China.

Cassia is a very close relative to the “true cinnamon”, but its flavor is less delicate than that of the “true cinnamon” and that is why it is less expensive.

Cinnamon “sticks” (quills) are 5-10 cm long rolls of thin dried bark and can be grated into cinnamon powder. Most people prefer the cinnamon sticks to the powder, because the sticks, if stored properly, can be kept fresh and flavorous for 2-3 years, and the powder – six months only.

Cinnamon nutrition facts

It may sound unbelievable that a half teaspoon of cinnamon contains antioxidants called polyphenols, about 1 gram fiber and less than 1 gram carbohydrate, and is rich in vitamins – C, K, and minerals – 28 grams calcium, iron, manganese.

Health benefits of cinnamon

The health benefits of cinnamon and cassia have been known and used for thousands of years in Chinese medicine. Cinnamon was used as an embalming agent in ancient Egypt, because of its preservation effect.

Traditional medicine has recommended cinnamon for digestive disorders -indigestion, gas and bloating, heartburn, diarrhea.

Modern medicine has confirmed these health benefits of cinnamon and has added some more, such as anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal effects.

A half teaspoon of powdered cassia or tea from cassia bark per day may help you to:

• significantly reduce blood sugar levels in Type 2 diabetic patients*
• improve insulin sensitivity
• improve cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride levels
• normalize blood sugar levels of non-diabetics as well
• lower high blood pressure
• lose weight and maintain it
• lower the risk for heart disease

* Despite all these health benefits of cassia, it should not be used in place of anti-diabetic drugs.

In my next post I will reveal some interesting facts about cinnamon weight loss effect, and will share with you my favorite cinnamon recipes.

Basics of the South Beach Diet

The South Beach Diet is based on the Glycemic Index* and emphasizes on the balanced intake of good carbs* and good fats*.

* Glycemic Index (GI) – ranking system for the carbohydrate effect on blood sugar levels; carbohydrates that break down rapidly during digestion have high GI; carbohydrates that break down slowly have low GI.

* Good carbs – high in fiber or high in good fats, and have a low GI – fruits, vegetables, eggs, fish, poultry, dairy products, seeds, muesli.

* Good fats – polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, especially those with omega-3 fatty acids (saturated and trans fats are bad fats).

The diet is often called a low-carb, because of the limited carbohydrate intake during the first two weeks of the diet and is also compared to the Atkins Diet. The author states it is not a low-carb diet and the only similarity it has with the Atkins diet is the first two week introductory period of low carb consumption.

The South Beach diet has 3 phases

Phase 1 (2 weeks) – the most restrictive part of the diet – you are not allowed to eat rice, pasta, bread, fruit, potatoes, sugar, alcohol; you can eat lean meats (chicken, turkey, fish, and shellfish), low GI vegetables, low fat cheese, nuts, eggs.

After these 2 weeks you can lose between 8 to 13 pounds.

Phase 2 – you add back carbs – the good carbs like whole grains, fruits; you will continue to lose weight (1-2 pounds per week) and once you reach your goal weight you can go to Phase 3.

Phase 3 – you eat foods from all food groups in normal portions and learn how to maintain your current weight and good health for life.

Dr. Agatston also recommends at 20 minutes of exercise per day.

In conclusion

The South beach Diet book includes sample meal plans of about 1200 calories each.

Dr. Agatston also offers a couple of interesting cookbooks with many recipes for fast and easy preparing of delicious South Beach diet meals.

Good news for vegetarians – a vegetarian version of the South Beach Diet is also available.

If you want to start the South Beach Diet, you should first read the book.

The Sonoma Diet is a weight loss diet plan that allows you to eat the foods you enjoy. It combines healthy meal plans and recipes into an easy to follow and very delicious diet plan.

With the Sonoma Diet you don’t focus on all the things you are NOT eating, but on the things you are eating, which are truly delicious.

The Sonoma diet is a Mediterranean type diet that recommends:

• Whole grains
• Lean meats
• Fruits – strawberries, grapes
• Vegetables – spinach
• Healthily fats, such as olive oil
• Nuts – almonds
• Wine in moderation

Benefits of the Sonoma Diet

The Sonoma Diet book delivers all the information you need to lose weight and keep it off forever in a very manageable way.

The book is very well structured compared to the South Beach Diet.

The author Connie Guttersen has included interesting information about the 10 power foods, which will help you make better food choices.

The Sonoma Diet recipes are great and you will never get bored with them.

You will lose weight and won’t crave for “bad foods” after the diet, as you usually do after other diets. This is because The Sonoma Diet provides nutritional information about healthy foods, meal plans and recipes, as well as more details on weight management and healthy eating for life.

The Sonoma Diet has 3 waves (phases)

The first wave helps you reduce the amount of processed foods in your menu for about 10 days. After these 10 days your body will get healthier than ever. 

The second wave is where you will start losing weight. Here you will learn how to incorporate the Sonoma Diet healthy eating habits into your life.

The final wave is the maintenance one, in which you learn to how to eat healthily for the rest of your life.

The Sonoma Diet: Trimmer Waist, Better Health in Just 10 Days, by Connie Guttersen R.D., Ph.D. (available at Amazon – Hardcover)

If you have read any kind of speculations about the Shangri-La diet, then you definitely will be interested to read that book and find out the truth for the diet.

The Shangri-La Diet – all you need to know

The Shangri-La Diet plan is quite unusual and very controversial. The author Seth Roberts presents his revolutionary ideas in some extremely simple and easy to follow diet guidelines:

• Take one or two tablespoons of edible oil daily (about 120 – 240 calories)
• Drink one liter of sugar water – 6 tablespoons of fructose diluted in water (about 3 ounces of fructose is equivalent to 275 calories)

Small portions of these flavorless “foods” should be taken at least one hour before a meal in order to suppress your appetite. The recommended oils are canola oil and extra-light olive oil, or any flavorless light olive oil. As for the sugar – you can use white or any type of sugar.

The Shangri-La Diet is based on the set point theory of weight control and the taste-calorie association.

Set point theory

Professor Roberts believes that at any particular moment your body weight corresponds to your current set point. If you try to lose weight from your current set point, you won’t succeed, unless you lower your set point.

The purpose of the Shangri-La Diet is to lower your set point by breaking the taste-calorie association.

To lower your set point you should eat foods that have little or no flavor – but still supply calories to your body.

In fact this is how you break the taste-calorie association – eating flavorless foods lower your set point and tasty foods raise it. In the first case your body wants to get leaner and the second – to get fatter.

Successful weight loss

Professor Roberts has lost 35 pounds in three months and has kept them off for quite a long time already. Many of his friends have also used the diet very successfully.

The Shangri-la Diet is recommended for…

The diet is recommended for everyone who wants to lose weight and keep it off forever. The Shangri-la Diet plan is very simple but can make a radical turn in everyone’s point of view about weight loss. 

The Shangri-La Diet book includes…

The book is a quick and pleasant reading. In addition to the diet it includes interesting science facts and explanations of how the author has devised the diet and why it works.

The book includes many topics, such as – instructions for adjusting the program to your personal needs, expert tips, diet variations, success stories. The book takes into consideration the obesity epidemic, caused by stress.

Now you can pre-order The Shangri-La Diet, by Seth Roberts PhD at Amazon with 34% discount for only $12.97.

Everybody loves that book. It is Rachael Ray’s latest cookbook, which will release you from your boring everyday meals.

Imagine the following picture:

After a long day at work, I am absolutely sure that the last thing you would like to be doing is cooking in the kitchen for a couple of hours. As a result you are so tired that the only thing you want is to take a long relaxing bath.

Can you imagine cooking delicious meals fast and easy in just 30 minutes?

If you are a busy parent and spend more time cooking in the kitchen instead being with your family in the evening, then Rachael Ray 30-minute recipes for everyday in the year are just for you. This cookbook will allow you to prepare tasty and healthy meals within no time and share them with your family with great pleasure.

Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats – A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners – what’s inside the book?

The cookbook includes 365 different delicious recipes for everyday of the year for preparing dinners.

The number of servings is included after each recipe in the book. Most recipes are intended to serve four people and a few of them are intended for two people. Meals are break down into categories depending on the particular occasion – romantic supper, good for a crowd, for 1 or 2, on the light side, super fast suppers.

Rachael Ray 365 is a must-have cookbook because:

The key to success of Rachael Ray 365 cookbook is that her recipes are easy for preparing, delicious to everybody’s taste and healthy for young and old.

If you are not a cook but wish to learn, this is a great cookbook to start with. The recipes easy to follow and will take you only half an hour or a little more to prepare. It depends on your culinary skills and techniques.

If you are an adventurous cook then Rachael Ray 365 cookbook is what you’ve been waiting for. You will be inspired by brand new and interesting culinary ideas for cooking excellent dishes.

You will always find a new meal to prepare for each day for twelve months

This cookbook includes not only 365 basic recipes plus one special Christmas menu, but also alternative ways to prepare the recipes with one or two different ingredients, which makes them completely unique new meals.

Ordinary and easy to find ingredients

Another key to the success of this book is the fact that Rachael Ray uses mostly ordinary and easy to find fresh ingredients but does so without being boring. I am sure that you will have most of the necessary ingredients at hand without purchasing any special items. The book is also wonderful if you are looking to try new attainable ingredients that may have scared you in the past.

You will feel a great pleasure cooking with this book in your hand

The results will always be perfectly prepared and healthy meals with fresh ingredients prepared with less effort for everyday of the year.

You will enjoy cooking if you cook for the first time or you will recover your desire to cook again. The book explains all procedures and measurements in an easy to follow instructions for the non-cook and the experienced cook as well.

Only one disadvantage of Rachael Ray’s cookbook:

The only disadvantage is that there aren’t enough pictures of the meals.

In conclusion

All people that have already bought Rachel Ray 365 cookbook highly recommend it!

It will be very smart choice if you have decided to buy it now at Amazon, because it is easy and worth every penny shopping at Amazon.

Compare prices

I can assure you that Amazon’s price is the best on the market for a cookbook with 366 different recipes for $11.97. In comparison I could mention that at WS Rachael Ray 365 cookbook costs $16 and at eBay it costs $13.99.