Customer Reviews

The Diet Cure

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This book is very solid. It explains that low calorie diets just don't work, and that when we eat foods we are allergic to or that feed a Candida problem we create food cravings.

Low calorie diets can leave you adrenally exhausted and even fatter than when you started too.

The author recommends not starving yourself, or missing meals or trying to attain a weight that for you is unrealistic. Coconut oil is recommended, along with lots of real and unprocessed foods including at least 3 tablespoons of healthy fats a day (coconut oil, lard, ghee etc.), at least 4 cups of vegetables daily, and at least 20 - 30 grams of protein at each meal. A caution is given against eating soy, and the book also provides a very good basic supplement regime. The doses given are not at all extreme or super-low.

I was really happy to see the author recommend activated B vitamins, as so few authors seem to be aware of them and their huge benefits over standard B vitamins.

The author points out the problems with the most popular diet programs such as the Zone, Atkins and Weight Watchers, for their ignorance of food allergies such as grains and dairy products, among other things.

I'd probably give this book 5 stars were it still 1999. This book is pretty wonderful and well above average for being written in 1999, but wouldn't make my top 10 list in 2012 even though I am glad I borrowed it from my local library. The author has a great writing style too.

The book discusses causes for symptoms and problems losing weight or which may cause weight gain, which is great, but many topics are just not discussed at all and some of the testing information may be outdated. For a broader view of this topic and finding out what could be causing health issues I would recommend Detoxify or Die by Dr Sherry Rogers. This book also contains good info on testing nutrient levels.

On the topic of diet, this book is still very good, but books such as Primal Body, Primal Mind: Beyond the Paleo Diet for Total Health and a Longer Life and Eat Fat, Lose Fat: The Healthy Alternative to Trans Fats give more detail and references.

This book is still miles better than a vast number of unhelpful low-calorie and anti-fat books out there though, for sure.

Jodi Bassett, The Hummingbirds' Foundation for M.E.

After trying all the fad diets i.e. low fat, zone, atkins, etc and losing weight and then gaining it back..feeling sick and tired most of the time..I discoved this book. The whole problem of being overweight is not in the diet but in the brain chemical imbalances...I started following the progam and lost my appitite and started eating "normal" to small portions, because I WAS NOT HUNGRY, not because I was using willpower. I feel much better emotionally, I am much more alert and have achieved my correct weight without "dieting" I am actually angry that the "diet' books actually make you ill physically. When I read that you can mess your metabolism up to the point that you can gain weight on 700 calories a day...thats insane, but true. Dieting as we know it doesnt work and is insane. This is the ultimate book for a person who has weight problems. One understands the real reasons that your overweight instead of another new way to starve yourself and get weaker and sicker. A hundred star book.

I have struggled with my weight my whole life. I'm forty three years old. When I recieved the book "The Diet Cure" I was drinking eight or more FULL water goblets of wine a night. I didn't admit to being addicted since I "only" drank at night. I was tired and weak all day. I would be all out of breath if I had to walk further than three feet. I had perimenapausal symtoms such as hot flashes and a pounding heart. I was miserable and felt miserable. My moods were irratic..I had negative thoughts all the time. My self esteem was shot.

My aunt(God bless her!) sent me "The Diet Cure." At first I thought..Oh this is crazy! I was in denial. I was so use to feeling awful that I thought there's no way this is going to help me! But, I decided to give it a try since my aunt was nice enough to send it to me. I am so glad I did! I took my time as the book suggests and read everything until I understood. I set a date (one week before Christmas) to start on the plan. The first day had amazing results so I decided to continue. I will tell you I have never been so surprised in all my life...I feel like a new person! I use to lay down most of the day, never go out and I couldn't wait for 6:00 to come so I could start drinking!
I no longer drink, I walk moderately for thirty minutes on the treadmill daily, I no longer have naps during the day. I won't get on the scale because I don't think a person should be weighed like meat..but my size 3X clothes are looser and the best part for me is I feel GREAT! Thanks Julia! I could go on and on! I highly reccomend this book! ;)
Marcia

...at least for me! Her recommendations for amino acid supplementation worked incredibly. Although only 10 - 15 pounds overweight, I have dieted and "not dieted" since I was a teenager. By 45, I have learned that dieting, even moderate programs such as Weight Watchers, are only something I can follow for so long. I would always inexplicably binge, feel completely confused and completely without "will power" and note one more failure.

Though I would prefer to be slimmer, I have always been more upset by the fact that I couldn't "control myself" or follow through with a decision to eat healthfully and not binge. What wierd, psychological thing was causing me to do this??

Hello Dr. Ross! If only one, tiny thing stands out as a "magic wand" experience (and there are more than one) it was her "emergency" recommendation to handle cravings. Open a capsule of L-Glutemine and let it dissolve under your tongue. I have never experienced such an about-face when it came to fighting the urge to EAT IT!

From reading some reviews by others, I would encourage readers to follow her recommendations in full, not "sort of." Certainly everybody's body chemistry is different, but you will not be giving this program a fair trial if you approach it haphazardly. That said, it is a very simple program to follow: eat lots of protein, and lots and lots of vegtables and fruit, and take your amino supplements. No rigid combinations or measuring is required. You only need to make sure you're eating enough protein and veggies. (It sounded like a disaster waiting to happen for me - I never ate LOTS of either of those things!) Yes, the supplements do cost, but if you are a binge eater, believe me you'll make up the cost on all the food you DON'T buy any more.

Even if you are a vegetarian (for ethical or health reasons) consider this program. If you are as frustrated and demoralized as I was, it's really worth a try.

I have your D.C. book--I read it a year ago and have just re-read it. Please allow me to express my deep appreciation for such a staggering achievement and service to mankind. Its excellent qualities are simply too numerous to list. It raises the whole standard for "self-books" to a totally new level. Really astounding! Thousands of readers who are only moderately ill or borderline diabetics, etc., will be able to save themselves enormous suffering and financial catastrophe by reversing their downward path. In 15 minutes!! A reader can grasp the essentials in your book: What is the problem? What is the solution? I write reviews of health books; I've read them all. yours has everything, it's totally "cutting edge" in about 20 directions. Its special quality is the overall & specific clarity of presentation. Of course the crowning jewel is the amino acids as medicine... Best wishes from the frozen Ozark Mountains! I have told many people about your incredible book in the last year. You deserve so much recognition and success. Cheers.

While i didn't find it a cure-all, and according to the book you end up taking a lot of supplements, too much for me, I still got some good advice out of this book. It gives a lot of supplement advice to take, and some of it I tried, like taking L-Glutamine for sugar cravings, and it worked... and food advice, like eat your fruit with some kind of protein to help stop cravings, and that worked too.

The book is divided into different sections for different problems you may have, like thyroid, or weightloss or whatever and gives you corresponding advice for each problem. I found, though, that that made some of the advice a little hard to find because I still found good advice in each section even if it didn't pertain to me... so if you are interested in a specific supplement for example, go into the index and look it up in all the chapters, and you will learn more than what was just in the chapters that pertained to you.

I've read more than my fair share of diet books. They don't work!

The reason you eat too many carbs is because you are addicted to them. Why? The carbs change your brain chemistry and your brain no longer makes the same level of neurotransmitters. When you stop the carbs, your brain is still not making the neurotransmitters, so it craves foods to replace what it is missing.

The answer is amino acids. You can take simple amino acids, 5-htp, glutamine, etc. and cure your problem.

In about 3 months, your brain chemistry will be normal and you will no longer have the cravings. It is not about willpower. You are ADDICTED. There is no point in being hard on yourself.

This author found that amino acids could help 90% of drug addicts overcome their addictions. They can help you overcome your addiction to sugar and carbs.

Finally a natural method to stop addictions.

given a little time and focus, there is a ton of valuable nutritional information in here... well worth the effort!!!

After 7 years of vegetarianism, at 38 years of age, my chief complaints were fatigue, obsessive worrying about my health, anxiety, and ache muscles. After reading this book, I had the privilege of going to Julia's clinic. After my first day....actually the first few minutes of supplementation I was free of the compulsive worrying I had suffered for years. After a few weeks my adrenal function tests showed exhausted adrenals and additional supplements were added and my energy level improved. Additionally, I got off wheat and the muscle aches waned as well as planter faciaitis that had persisted for years. I rarely have sugar cravings and when I do they are mild and are satisfied by a piece of fruit or some popcorn and butter. I stick to the dietary recommendations generally, staying off refined sugar, alcohol, and eating lots of veggies and protein. Initially, I lost weight (my clothes felt looser) but that plateaud. A basal thermometer underarm test indicated thyroid sluggishness and I added a supplement to address this. I am now losing weight.... clothes getting baggy. Still have some worry that pops up around PMS time but it is mitigated by extra 5HTP. The GABA helped me enjoy a couple of airplane flights after years of anxious flying. Am still waiting on hormone tests and am confident any issues can be addressed.... basically, everything suggested in the book is working. I feel a heck of a lot better than I have in long time and I am optimistic that it will just keep getting better. It took years to really screw up my body through unhealthy vegetarianism....but my body is responding rapidly to the supplement support and is recovering quickly. I am very thankful to Julia for the work she has done and her wonderful staff of nutritionists. I have found their support to be key in my success. I highly recommend this book and I continue to regularly use it as a reference.

UPDATE: Hormone tests showed things out of balance and I added pregestrone to my program. I also tested positive for the Hashimotos and just started on animal thyroid. Also taking Cortef for the adrenal fatigue. All of this has further reduced my fatigue and anxiety and I feel like I am on the right path to increased health. Saw some folks I hadn't seen in 6 months and they said they were amazed at how healthy I looked...one man saying that I looked 6 years younger! If you are suffering I highly recommend finding a progressive MD who practices integrated medicine and will work with you to develop a program in line with what Julia Ross presents in her book. Good luck and know that there is a way to feel better and regain your health and sense of well being.

I couldn't put this book down either! I FINALLY got answers in an easy-to-read format about PMS, thyroid, and other "problems" that make us lose control of our weight. If you purchase the supplements online, it's cheaper. It turned out I only needed 3 types of the animo acids she recommended and a multi-vitamin. It was no more that 30 dollars. Truly a great resource for anyone.