The Insulin-Resistance Diet by Cheryle R. HartMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Insulin Resistance Diet by Cheryle R. Hart, MD and Mary Kay Grossman, RD is an easy to understand guide for eating healthy when you have insulin resistance. This book outlines the method the authors have taught to many of their patients to help them control their insulin levels and lose weight. This book is for anyone who has tried numerous diets with little to no success. It is also for anyone who wants to eat more healthfully to prevent diabetes.
The book first outlines how insulin works in a healthy person and then describes how insulin resistance occurs. The explanations are kept very simple and straightforward. Next, the authors go through the signs of insulin resistance and how it is typically diagnosed. Some of these signs are waist circumference, fasting glucose level and body mass index level. At the end of this explanation, there is a self test that can determine how many of these symptoms you have. The self-test is a good resource for talking to your doctor about your health.
Next, the book explains how to control insulin resistance with the link and balance method. This method was developed by the authors to use with their patients in the various workshops they teach. The method links protein with carbohydrates in an equal balance. The method is very simple and easy for anyone to master. There is no measuring or counting calories. You do need to be aware of how to read the Nutrition Facts panel on packaged foods for the total carbohydrate and protein amounts when you are linking and balancing. The book explains this clearly. You also need to know which foods have protein and which ones contain carbohydrates and the book also explains this adequately. The authors do not talk extensively about vegetarian sources of protein. This could be a turnoff to many vegetarians who want to stabilize insulin levels.
The explanation of link and balance also includes visual diagrams of how to balance your meals. This helps you see the concept, however, I found the diagrams confusing to understand and so I didn't really use them much. I found the written explanations clear enough. Visual learners might find the pictures helpful. There are also many lists of foods with protein and carbohydrates along with their standard portion sizes. At the end of the full explanation there is another self-test of the concepts you just learned. This helps you see if you are understanding what you are reading.
There is a considerable section of recipes from appetizers to desserts. These recipes are already linked and balanced for you. Many recipes use packaged and processed ingredients such as fat free cheese, liquid spray margarine and canned fruit. There are some simple recipes that use natural ingredients but there are only a few of them. If you are trying to stay away from processed foods, these recipes do not fit the bill. You can use the recipes for ideas on foods to eat and modify them to suit you eating style. There is also a section on fast food restaurant meals and frozen dinner choices that the authors have deemed to be linked and balanced though not as healthy has cooking for yourself
The book has a short chapter on fitness that reviews the basics of exercise such as defining aerobic and weight training exercises It is quite short and feels as though it was placed there as filler. There are much better books on fitness.
The end of the book has an intriguing chapter the difference between appetite and true hunger. It discusses what true hunger is and how to identify if what you are feeling. The sections helps you develop strategies for dealing with cravings and emotional eating. These chapters are very good and is an important concept of healthy eating.
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