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Customer Review :

Not for South Beach Dieters

I gave this one star without even trying a recipe. While this book has a good variety of recipes which are "low carb", if you are following South Beach, don't buy it! It uses lots of butter, cream and fatty meats! I will be returning my copy.

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great everyday cookbook!

I love this cookbook because it doesn't necessarily require you to go out and get exotic ingredients from a specialty store. Most ingredients are things you either probably already have or can easily pick up at any grocery store. There's also a lot of quick recipes for those nights you don't feel like putting so much work into dinner or thinking about how it will affect your diet.

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wonderful low carb everyday stuff

I feel that Dana is an old friend as she always adds little tips and comments every thing I have made as turned out wonderful I love her little extra comments I have all her books so far

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Extremely Helpful!

This was my first Dana Carpenter book. I had already been introduced to the low carb way of eating, but Dana's book makes it so much more interesting! Her humor and healthy tips inspire me to be faithful. The variety of recipes expand my menu ideas considerably, and also are a springboard for recipes of my own creation.

Because I liked this book so much, I also bought Volume 1 of "500 Recipes" cookbook for myself and 3 others. This second volume, however, is my favorite. I also just purchased Dana's "How I Gave Up My Low Fat Diet and Lost 40 LBS." book, and am enjoying it very much, which I heartily recommend to anyone wanting to learn more about lo carb eating, and also to those who need motivation to continue. It is full of excellent health info.

If you need new recipe ideas, or instruction on how to eat low carb, Dana provides it all in a fun and interesting way. Dana is a great mentor on the path of a low carb lifestyle!

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Too many sugar alcohol's and hard-to-find ingredients

While this book has lots of different recipes i have found only a few that I would actually eat or cook for two main reasons. First, almost all of the baking includes sugar alcohol's also known as "polyols". Some claim that by using these sugar substitutes you can deduct carbohydrates from the recipe. For me, I have a hard time digesting polyols. They completely disrupts my stomach causing an unpleasant feeling. In my opinion no dessert is worth that. I am not alone on this either just look up polyols or sugar alcohol's and you will find a host of problems with them. So, I was unable to bake any of the desserts in this book due to the fact that they all contain sugar alcohol's.

Secondly, the other recipes in this book require lots of unfamiliar and hard to find products. The author recommends finding some of these items online. I have a hard time with cookbooks that use hard to find ingredients which this book does. I have gone to every health food store I could think of and majority of the items needed to complete the recipes are not sold there.

To me this book isn't well balanced. While it is low carb its not necessarily health.

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Editorial Review :

Susan Powter is back with her finest work yet! The Politics of Stupid is a revolutionary weight-loss program that shows people how they can reclaim their bodies and their brains. From food manufacturers to huge government lobbies to the fitness and diet industries, Powter illuminates why obesity is epidemic, and why millions of people are suffering the unnecessary consequences of being overfat and unfit. Inside this book you will learn:

Who is the most powerful consumer in America's $276 billion food industry.

Susan Powter's Lifestyle X-change program -- a revolutionary, interactive Web-supported program that tells the simple truth about weight loss and is refreshingly Susan Powter.

How to motivate yourself to perform thirty minutes of regular cardio and strength training six days a week and achieve maximum results!

With outrageous, uproarious humor that is Susan's trademark style, The Politics of Stupid is ultimately Susan's real-life, commonsense approach to weight loss. Readers will find she is "Stopping the Insanity" better than ever!

Customer Review :

smart-funny-excellent!

i have read all her books to date and this one by far is the best! susan no holds barred writing style mixed with kick you in the rear info. makes you wanna get ur butt off the sofa and change the world. susan knows just how to word everything for each person without making you feel like a failure or a loser for beng overweight. this book is filled with what i call the "duh" factors of losing weight. things we all should know but dont or just havent done yet. this book is interesting and motivating! there isnt any reason why anyone should be overweight! you go susan! im so glad u came out of exile to write again, among other major helpful things. a must read!
c. pearcy-oklahoma

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The Big Picture

Well worth reading if you want to understand how our society conspires to make us all over-fat and unfit. Direct, uncompromising, and humourous, Susan bursts the balloons of the food and fitness industries and shows how it's possible for anyone - no matter how unfit they are - to take control of their own health.

I'd advise reading this to inspire yourself towards wellness (and it is inspiring, considering Susan lost 130lbs and has kept it off for 20 years) and then, if you want some practical information about how to ACTUALLY DO IT - get Covert Bailey's "Ultimate Fit or Fat". These two books together are ALL you'll ever need to know. The Ultimate Fit or Fat

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On the way to wellness after reading this

I see no one else said anything yet but something has to be said. This book is ... it's exactly what I needed to know to get healthier. This book tells you the basics you need to do and know. It's not a restrictive diet book. It's what you have to know/do to lead a healthier life. And what you have to do is not difficult AT ALL. It's not a exercise book or a cookbook. But you do have to exercise and you do have to eat better. And you have to think and boy does she give you lots to think about.

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Editorial Review :

This is the complete, authoritative guide that shows how nutrition can fight the epidemic of yeast- and fungus-related diseases and disorders including asthma, bronchitis, depression, fatigue, and memory loss. Fully updated, this second edition includes dozens of new recipes utilizing 12 foods that contain the antiseptic enzymes researchers have discovered will eradicate yeast and fungus.

Customer Review :

Not inspirational enough

I found this book very dull. Even the lay out is uninspiring. Furthermore, if you have just a little bit of experience with food and flavours there is not much to learn here.

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good book for a sneaky imbalance

I recently found out I have a candida imbalance in my body. Not only was it a total shock that I have it, but a HUGE inconvenience! I can't eat anything "normal"!

Thank goodness for this book. The recipes are simple to follow and gives good guidelines for the restrictions of this imbalance.



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Decent.

I like this cookbook. It is not quite as restrictive as some other candida diets, so that should be kept in mind for those searching for a way to conquer candida. Also, it is a cookbook, not a health book, so it does not go into great depth about candida, though it does offer some useful information. I would not make this my primary reference book on candida. I like the book for its simple, healthy whole foods recipes, though.

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Excellent

This book was excellent and informative. It covers all the basics of what to look for and how to treat it.

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A Helpful Cookbook

Years ago, on the advice of a holistic doctor, I went on a yeast-free, sugar-free diet for 6 weeks. I successfully eliminated excess candida from my body and my health improved vastly. Unfortunately, in those days the only cookbook available was Dr. William Crook's The Yeast Connection Cookbook, which, while essential, was difficult to follow. This time around, I looked for a cookbook that was more up-to-date, varied, and easy to use. I found it in Candida Albican Yeast-Free Cookbook. Its Rainbow Food Plan is not only easier to follow, but it makes a pretty, well balanced meal as well. I especially liked the Oat-Bran Sweet Potato Muffins, zucchini soup (most of their soups are easy to make), Fish in Butter-Ginger Sauce, and Beef Rutabaga Stew (made without the rutabaga, and it was fine). Many of the recipes are for 2 servings only because one is not supposed to have leftovers since it tends to encourage mold growth (those sensitive to yeast also tend to be sensitive to molds). I went ahead and doubled the recipes since I was making it for my daughter (who was also on the diet) and husband (who wasn't). Everyone seemed to agree that the recipes were tasty and satisfying.
Oh, by the way, I lost 8 lbs. in 6 weeks, and feel great. And I still plan to make the muffins, some of the soups and the dips.

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Editorial Review :

Healthy eating is conscious eating, according to eating disorders specialist Susan Albers. In this book, she introduces concepts of acceptance and awareness of one's eating behaviors, new exercises steeped in Buddhist practices for healing negative patterns in this area, and a means for restoring tranquility to meals. Albers does not encourage a diet of deprivation, but instead provides a checklist for the wide variety of mindless eating approaches, from eating when not hungry to faddish diets to food rituals. Practical exercises grounded in cognitive behavioral research reveal the forces that drive unconscious eating. These step-by-step instructions help readers cut through the mind's chatter and reach a new level of understanding of their relationship to food, weight, and health. This, finally, is a sound weight loss program that uses mindfulness techniques to break the patterns of unhealthy eating.

Customer Review :

Lifesaver

This book was very helpful and actually changed my life in a way that no other book has! I recommend it to anyone who is an emotional eater!

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I saw this book in O Oprah Magazine

What a wonderful, compassionate and helpful guide! I've run across this book in several places but I finally broke down and bought it when I saw it in Oprah Magazine. I'm glad I did. It was different than the other diet books I've bought. It was insightful, easy to read and positive. It helped me to understand why I mindlessly eat and gave a lot of helpful hints for eating in a more mindful, relaxed way. If you want a sample of what is inside this book before you buy it, check out Dr. Albers' website. It was a helpful resource for me and would be for anyone with eating issues.

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Useful Suggestions, But Not Enough Foundation

This book is a collection of 46 brief observations on mindless eating. The observations are short, one or two pages, and include suggestions on how to turn mindless eating into mindfull eating. The observations themselves are diverse so every reader will most likely find several that relate to their specific problems with eating.

However, very little of the book is devoted to the fundamentals of "mindfullness". The book causally quotes the Buddhist origins of "mindfullness" but does not expand on the topic. This causes the observations to feel a little empty since they're constantly referring to a "mindfullness" concept that hasn't been meaningfully explained.

If you want a fundamental understanding of Buudhist "mindfulness" before you apply it to eating problems then I would read "The Zen of Eating" by Kabatznick. If you prefer a more 'thought for the day' type of format then this book is more appropriate.

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But Here's a Better Book For You

The information in this book is vague, hazy and totally non-motivating. Please, before you spend $$$ on Eating Mindfully purchase The Seven Secrets of Slim People. It is focussed, dense with wisdom and EXCELLENT exercises that develop your sane sense of how, why and when you eat so that you can lose that obsessive relationship you now have with food. Eating Mindfully will leave you treading water with no shore in sight.
The Seven Secrets of Slim People

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Worth the read

I found the book well written, easy to read and understand the content. It provided helpful information concerning why/how we make choices about food and how we approach eating in general.

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Editorial Review :

Turn nuts, vegetable seeds, grains and beans into gourmet food! Sprouted breads, cookies, crackers, living soups, dressings, dips, spreads, sautes, alternative non-dairy milks, ice-creams, even sprouted pizza and bagels! Chapters on making sprout bread, food dehydrating, juicing, natural sodas, alternatives to dairy and salt, smart vegetarianism. Glossary of healthy foods. Includes Questions and Answers and seed resources. Over 150 illustrations, photos & Charts.

Customer Review :

Superb collection of recipes

Sproutman Publications is a specialty publisher with an impressive roster of health books to their credit. One of the best of these is the "Sproutman's Kitchen Garden Cookbook" by Steve Meyerowitz who began his interest in the relationship of foods to health in 1975 when he sought to deal with a lifetime condition of allergies and asthma. After the traditional medical establishment had failed him for some twenty years, he was able to restore his health through diet and fasting. he at 100% live foods for five years, practices 'fruitarianism -- a diet of fruit, nuts and sprouted seeds -- and fasted on raw juices for as long as 100 days. The resulting improvement to his personal health was amazing. In "Sproutman's Kitchen Garden Cookbook", Steve has amassed superb collection of recipes for sprout breads, cookies, soups, and salads, as well as 250 additional low-fat, dairy-free, vegetarian recipes. The recipes are presented after the reader benefits from an informational presentation on the pros-and-cons of dairy, dehydrating foods, nutrition charts, sprouting, food drying, low temperature cooking, how to be a healthy vegetarian, and so much more. From Cashew Cottage Cheese; Mighty Millet Bread; Sunflower Nut Milk; and Banana Chips; to Manhattan Sprout Chowder; Braised Tofu; Spinach Marinade; and Creamed Potato Mash, "Sproutman's Kitchen Garden Cookbook" will prove to be a popular and invaluable addition to the cookbook collection for anyone having to deal with the problems of food related allergies and illnesses, as well as the recipe collections for general vegetarians. Also very highly recommended for those concerned with food related health issues are the other titles from Sproutman Publications (available through their website at www.sproutman.com) including: "The Organic Food Guide"; "Power Juices, Super Drinks"; Juice Fasting & Detoxification"; Wheatgrass: Nature's Finest Medicine; "Water: The Ultimate Cure; and "Food Combing and Digestion".


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Kitchen Garden

This book is so helpful that I bought an additional one for my daughter in college. We are about 90% raw and this book is really helpful with real recipes we can use.

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Healthy eating, yes, if you want a total lifestyle overhaul...

I guess I'm not the typical reviewer here - I am interested in healthy eating, but without the context of a major life change for myself and my family of five... I'd like to find new ways to eat well, without undermining our entire familiar (mostly vegetarian, mostly well-balanced) diet.

Let's start with what this book IS: an excellent guide to using all types of sprouts, and to which types are good for which occasions - baking, stir-frying, salads, etc. It's also a rather overt advertisement for "Sproutman's" own website and sprouting tools (sprout bag, greenhouse, seeds, etc); fair enough.

The book is full of interesting, simple recipes and ideas for using sprouts either raw or with low temp cooking to get the most nutrition out of every green, crunchy bite. He's also thrown in a bunch of related nutrition stuff - non-sprout items like vegan ice creams and helpful alternatives to salt and other seasonings.

Still, I found that most of the recipes were impractical for family cooking. If two cups of sprouted wheat make a single small loaf or several crackers or cookies, it doesn't take long to realize I'm going to need wheat berries bursting out of every corner of my tiny kitchen in order to create one meal for the five of us.

And that's just bread! To create enough sprouts for us to eat a single salad, a single stir-fry, a single helping of sprouted nuts... well, we're probably going to need to renovate other areas of the house to accomodate all the grow-bags or baskets.

Also, many of the recipes are just variants on previous recipes. Like, he'll take a page to describe how to make a cracker, and then ANOTHER page - this is just an example from memory - on how to make seasoned crackers, and it's obvious the ingredients and steps are identical, just with seasonings added.

Finally, having tasted sprouts and fermented products, I have some idea of what kinds of flavours to expect. Suggesting that his fermented "rejuvalac" beverage will taste similar to lemonade sounds way overblown. He actually hints that it may taste more "like sauerkraut" - to me, that's a BIG difference. Sorry, but I don't curl up on a summer's day with a tall, cool glass of sauerkraut.

Similarly, I realize our dependence on added sugars is overblown, but if I call something a "cookie", my kids (10 & 11) are going to know I'm lying if it's only sweetened with natural sprout maltose and a few raisins. Yes, sprouts give a nice malty sweetness to bread - but only the most idealistic parents would believe kids would accept it as a special-occasion treat.

I guess I was looking for a book that would help me incorporate sprouts into every aspect of our regular household dishes - stir fries, yes, but also to add flavour/nutrition to standard yeast breads, cakes, cookies, veg patties, etc.

Being almost totally vegan (he practically apologizes in the one section where he asks you to put a bit of butter into your rice cereal), there is too little range of dishes for our family's tastes and the dishes offered seem too monotonous for long-term enjoyment.

This book may be ideal for a single person or a couple who want to try an "extreme" veg or raw-foods or minimal-cooking lifestyle. For our family lifestyle, the overhaul required is too enormous to even begin imagining - and trust me, I have plenty of imagination!

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Great book for the price

I got this book because I wanted to make sprout bread. The book is very informative. But 95% of the sprout recipes are for wheat. That is great if you want to sprout wheat, but I don't. It does repeat the same info in many parts of the book. But I would say over all I still say it is a great book. I am on a special diet so a lot of what he has in his recipes I can't use. But I did learn a few things.

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An Ok book

It is a good book just not what I wanted. Not the kind of recipes I was looking for.

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