Clean, Green, and Lean: Get Rid of the Toxins That Make You Fat [Hardcover]

Another diet book. Oh joy - I'll add it to this stack that I can just barely reach the top of. Wait - what's this about toxins? "Get Rid of the Toxins That Make You Fat," the subtitle reads. Actually, that's one I haven't heard before. Hmmm .... TWO DAYS LATER: This actually sounds totally legitimate and totally doable. Even if you don't need to lose weight, this book would be a worthwhile investment just for the sections on getting rid of the toxins. It turns out that toxins are stored in fat and they compromise the mitochondria, which Crinnion describes as "the cells' power plants." They drive the metabolism by turning fats and sugars into a fuel known as ATP, which is required for the proper functioning of all the body's systems: the brain, the heart, the lungs, everything. When the mitochondria are compromised, your metabolism slows down, and we all know what happens then. So the key is getting rid of the toxins that set this vicious circle in motion, and what it takes is getting rid of the nasty chemicals in your house, eating certain foods (many of them can be taken in supplement form) and phasing others out. There's more you can do, but Crinnion assures us that just making these changes will go a long way, and I'm inclined to suspend my skepticism because it all makes perfect sense. Think about it - I have a hard time believing the human body was intended to feel as rundown as so many adults seem to feel so often. Something's going on. Why WOULDN'T all the chemicals in the air and our food be taking a toll on us? One thing I'd never thought about till reading this book is the fact that these chemicals are a modern thing. Just because our grandparents ate a certain way and lived to 90 doesn't mean we will - we're dealing with way more garbage in the environment than they did. I doubt it's a coincidence that cancer rates have risen since our grandparents' generation. Anyway, I'm just happy to know how this stuff is getting into my body, how to keep it out and how to get rid of what I've been carrying around. This may be the most useful book I've read in a very long time.

I really enjoy being a vine reviewer, I get to read books I normally would not pick up. I am interested in the subjects of diet and nutrition, I have been a RN for 28 years and watched the population get fatter and fatter. This felt like another pop book until I broke it open.
Pros... the writer does a nice job of organizing and explaining a lot of studies and interpreting so they make sense in regards to your health, and your families health. The sections of enviroment toxins and the bodies inablility to release them is worth the price of the book. The solutions are are excellant, and are appliable for many families, and I have done almost all of them in the last 5 years with two cancer patients in the house. The only two I had not done was drinking enough green tea, and organic broccoli. I was impresed by the research and solutions and have made four changes to my daily eating habit. I was stalled at 147 lbs, in two days dropped to 145.
Cons,,,, the material could be a little better organised for general reading, and the sections for change,,, weeks is not going to work for most folks, some of it is serious change in lifestyle,,, so the sections could be labelled, Diet, Home, and Supplements. The book might read easier and make refinding importtant info faster.
Where I disagree with the writer is he is still stuck on soy foods and low fat,,, both of which are highly challenged nutritional ideas at this time. I do not eat any low fat foods or any soy except tofu. So I think he needs to consider some new reseach in those directions.
All in all its a great book , a wake up call for toxic issues and resolving them, I bought tea plant today....good luck in your journey to health.

In Clean, Green, and Lean, Dr. Walter Crinnion makes a very compelling case that the level of toxins in our lives plays a major role in making us fat and sick. About two-thirds of Americans adults are obese. Nealy half of the American population is affected by chronic illness, which consumes 75% of health care spending. The book cites studies which have shown that the levels of toxins in homes was as much as 10 times higher than outdoors--even in industrial areas. Dr. Crinnion makes a convincing case about how toxins are common in our food and in our homes, and how much they are making us sick. Dr. Crinnion then reports that when his patients cleaned up their diets and homes, 83 percent reported good or great improvement in their health, and many had relief from chronic conditions such as arthritis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, and other degenerative diseases. Dr. Crinnion's program was cleaning up the toxins which were the cause of these health problems and obesity issues, and once that happened his patients were healthier and lost weight. His 4 week program in Clean, Green, and Lean is not just a month of changes but really a change for a healthier lifestyle. Most doctors don't have a clue about the effect of toxins in our lives and how they are making us ill, and don't make any effort to change our diets and environments.

If I could I would give the book 4 1/2 stars. In my opinion there were a few oversights in the book.
* There is a recommendation to avoid artificial sweeteners, but the book does not name them by name such as Nutrasweet, Aspartame, etc. So you won't find these sweeteners listed by name in the index. And one of Dr. Crinnion's recipes (for seared ham) calls for 3 packets of Splenda. Well Splenda is not splendid. It is one of the artificial sweeteners that has been linked to weight gain and health problems. Page 167 has some suggestions for sweeteners including Stevia, which is a natural sweetener.
* There are some recommendations for using soy products, but there is no warning that some soy products (and corn products) may be genetically modified. Also, Dr. Russell Blaylock, author of Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills recommends avoiding all processed soy products because many of them have free glutamate or MSG in them and cause health problems. And The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America's Favorite Health Food states that "Epidemiological, clinical and laboratory studies link soy to malnutrition, digestive problems, thyroid dysfunction, cognitive decline, reproductive disorders, even heart disease and cancer."
* There is no recommendation to avoid MSG. MSG has been linked to weight gain and is an excitotoxin that has been found to promote cancer growth and metastasis, and caused lesions in the brains of lab animals.
* There is no recommendation to avoid fluoride, which is probably in your toothpaste. Sodium fluoride increases the potency of other toxins, damages the liver and kidneys, and weakens the immune system. The US Agency for Toxic Substances lists fluoride in the top 20 of 275 substances that pose the greatest threat to health.
* There is a recommendation to take more Vitamin E, but the book does not state which of kind of Vitamin E is best. According to the DoctorYourself web site, the best form is "D-alpha tocopherol with mixed natural tocopherols" which is made from vegetable oil. Avoid the synthetic form, which is DL-alpha tocopherol. (Note the "D-" versus "DL-".)

I would highly recommend Clean, Green, and Lean to anyone who wants to improve their health and/or lose weight. Dr. Crinnion's program shows us how we can improve our health naturally and that can lead to less need for expensive medical services.

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