Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I picked up this book because it looked like a light, easy read, and I thought it would offer a good introduction to cleaning up my diet and getting free of wheat, gluten, and sugar. The light and easy part met my expectations, and I finished the book in a couple of sittings. The author was a little too fond of catch phrases and buzzwords for my liking, and it felt like I was reading one long magazine article, but I shouldn't complain, as I bought the book in part for the easy reading after all.
A positive of the book is that it offers up some tasty recipes and new ideas for meals strategies. There are also some useful tables with columns for "bad, better, and best" eating options, which are a convenient reference tool. The author also gives us a `14 day-kick start diet,' which I haven't followed and don't intend to. It's too restrictive in calories for me, and could cause me to rebel and relapse into a binge at some point. But for those with an iron will, the meals look tasty. And sure enough, he does cover and whys and hows of giving up wheat, gluten, and sugar in a broad if not deep manner. He also offers additional information on why stress makes us fat, and includes an easy exercise plan at the end of the book.
The reason I only gave the book 3 stars was because of the veracity of some the content, beginning with the author's opinions on microwaving. He makes the statement that "microwaves kill the goodness in food." This comment brought my reading to a halt. The author offers no evidence to substantiate this claim, nor did he point me in the direction of any scientific studies that have proven this. Indeed, there are no citations for this or any other of the emphatic statements he makes throughout the book. The truth is that numerous studies have found that for most foods, microwaving actually helps retain nutrients, at least when compared to boiling foods and other forms of over cooking. (Please - if anyone can point me towards any legit studies stating otherwise - let me know!). On top of that he naysays frozen foods, which again, if they've been frozen correctly, can contain more nutrients than some `fresh' foods that have been sitting on the store shelf for too long.
However, the major stick in my craw was when, after extolling the virtues of giving up gluten, the author goes ahead and lists rye and spelt as fine foods to indulge in. However, both foods are packed with gluten. Hopefully no one who's allergic to gluten goes by his recommendations.
In conclusion I found this the Clean and Lean Diet book a pleasant enough and easy read. It contained some useful information and some nice, simple recipes, which I've already begun to use. And I got what I wanted from it, which was to begin along the path of eating a more clean diet, without the arduous slog of a more intensive book. Unfortunately however, the inaccuracies left me wandering about which of the information I could really trust - so an arduous slog with a more factual book is now on my horizon after all.
Bottom line: If you want an easy, fluffy afternoon read to get you on track in cleaning up your diet, this is the book for you. If you'd prefer a book packed with verifiable facts and depth you'd better try elsewhere.
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Written by Elle Macpherson's personal trainer, this is the only diet book guaranteed to give you the beach-beautiful body you've always wanted. Simple and effective, with no calorie counting or complicated rules, it shows you how to get Clean by following a flexible 14-day meal plan endorsed by nutritionist Alice Sykes, then how to get Lean by honing your body with easy exercises that get results. Illustrated with recipe and step-by-step exercise photography.
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