The No-Grain Diet: Conquer Carbohydrate Addiction and Stay Slim for Life

by Joseph Mercola and Alison Rose Levy

Book Overview

A leading osteopath and natural wellness physician unveils a three-step program for losing weight-and keeping it off. In this revolutionary guide by the director of the Optimal Wellness Center in... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0452285089
• ISBN13: 9780452285088
• Release Date: March 2004
• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.6" x 8.4"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Book

Arrived on time as described

This book needs to be read!

There is a huge amount of resistance to the idea of eliminating grain from the diet, because one visit to the grocery store reveals that most of its contents are comfort foods based on grain. Who wants to give up all those goodies? I sure didn't. I was addicted to all sorts of things which I had on a daily basis in small amounts. But a lot of health things were increasingly bothering me, some of them digestive, and I had gotten to the point where I thought nothing agreed with me. I have had about 15-20 excess pounds I simply could not get rid of, even though I'd eliminated most sugar, ate very little bread and cereal, minimal dairy, exercised 5-6 days a week. The excess weight just would not go. I think I've tried every diet known to man, and oddly, the only one where I lost weight was Atkins, which I only stayed on for about 6 weeks. But I never put 2 and 2 together when I did that diet. After a scary dizzy incident a few weeks ago on a day where I had eaten a LOT of wheat things, I started researching gluten sensitivity (celiac disease) because my mother has it....and I found two very valuable books "Dangerous Grains" and "Going Against the Grain." Everyone should read those two books, by the way! I had this "No Grain Diet" book in my vast library of health/diet books, but had initially rejected it as too extreme for me to consider, and well, I was resistant to his ideas. Now I'm reconsidering. Two weeks ago I implemented a diet very similar to what Dr. Mercola suggests: strictly no gluten/grain, no dairy, no sugar, increased veggies and low-glycemic fruit in limited amounts, lots of water, and somewhat increased lean protein intake. After just this 2 week period here are the results: bloating & gas gone, weight coming off, asthma symptoms and chronic cough GONE for the first time in 20 years, all digestive problems gone, headaches gone, joint aches and pains gone, and tons of energy. I feel better than I've ever felt, with virtually NO cravings for any of the junk food that I used to love. Did I say the bloating went away and the weight is dropping off at a very good clip!! Now there have been some naysayers reviewing this book as junk science, but the fact is, there are many of us out there who cannot digest grains. PERIOD. One negative reviewer said most people don't get whole grains, so that's not the issue. WRONG! I actually reacted WORSE to refined grains....cakes and white flour things would make me sick and nauseated. I don't know why that is, but I always knew such things would give me great digestive upset for a day or two. Another naysayer mentioned the Egyptians eating grains....in "Dangerous Grains" the author discusses who the Egyptians started having obesity and all sorts of health issues which coincided with the grain consumption in their societies. The connections are too strong all over the world to dismiss them. I'd actually suggest reading the two books I mentioned above and then read

Let's go!

I'm a fan of Dr. Mercola. I've had a myriad of different problems from my lungs and sinuses to acid reflux and joint problems. After being sick for an ENTIRE winter I finally decided I'd try anything...including "gasp" changing my diet. Stumbling on the websight mercola.com, I was sucked in. It just makes sense. Back when we were wandering around and evolving all we could eat were vegetables above the ground and protein we killed. Also, we didn't sit down for three meals a day, but ate when we could and when we were actually hungry.As far as the guy talking about the Japanese he must be kidding. I lived in Japan for two years and what he said is a GIANT misnomer. Sure they eat rice, but they don't eat the sweets, and ultra over processed foods like we do over here. It isn't that we eat grains so much is we don't eat enough vegetables and on top of it we eat the wrong kind of grains.Japanese live longer because they have a much more balanced point of view on life, eat more fish protein (balanced Omega-3 to Omega-6 count) and plain out eat healthier. I dare you to even try to compare the school lunches here with there. Fresh fruit, fish, milk, and a bowl of rice vs. mexican pizza and chocolate milk.Need I say more?

Dr Mercola Rocks! This book Rocks!!!

I really didn't want to believe Dr Mercola. I LOVE pasta and all the things I shouldn't have. Go figure! But by eating the way I was..diet after diet, and believe me I have tried it all, this works! I have been tested for adrenal exhaustion and thyroid exhaustion..sure enough..I'm trashed. Why? My eating habits mostly. I have terrible asthma, always have sinus trouble to name a few of my health issues..not to mention being over weight. Going off grains has been amazing. I don't even take medication for asthma or sinus anymore. My weight is coming off. My thyroid was exhausted supporting the tired out adrenals. While I am still working on the recovery of this, what is interesting is that if I am to eat a grain or food that is not okay I can now feel my thyroid actually swell. I can feel symptoms that were before masked under all the other health problems. As for the removing electric razors and alarm clocks etc..I found that I am sleeping much better than I ever had. Did I want to change..not even. It took me being 'scared straight' with my health no longer being forgiving. The only thing that pulled me out of it and on the way to being healthy was this NO GRAIN diet and methods in his book. Bless Dr Mercola. Medicine wouldn't have saved me. This did. Bravo!!! And thank you very much! I feel soooo much better and look forward to my new life ahead! Buy the book!

Powerful health-promoting program! Much more than a diet.

I have followed Dr. Mercola's writings for several years, and he brings together in this book elements from all of his health plan (which until now, I've kept in loose file folders). Moreover, the emphasis on diet in the book is a perfect way to get immersed in what, for me, has been a life-transforming process.I had been a strict vegetarian when I started subscribing to Dr. Mercola's newsletter, and I started by embracing his Juicing Plan and reduction of grains and sugars in my diet. His EFT plan helped in a number of areas in my life and I began exercising again. Lately I've added some animal food to my diet: mostly for more protein and Omega 3 fats (Wild Pacific Salmon, sardines, fish & cod liver oil and omega3-organic eggs) Hypertension, high cholesterol, anxiety and depression are all problems of the past. The book is clear and focussed: it provides a great jump-start for beginners and deepens the practice of people like me. Dr. Mercola tirelessly searches and evaluates the scientific and medical literature and has a thriving medical practice. This book is a great way to connect with a truly gifted physician.

Eat More Variety, Be Healthy & Lose Weight

In "No grain Diet" Dr. Mercola provides a three-step program for losing weight and keeping it off. His experience is based upon research and his work as an Osteopathic physician. He's also the Director of the Optimal Wellness Center in the Chicago area. In other words, he's got the resumé. Dr. Mercola is one of a growing number of physicians that conclude that the current USDA nutritional food pyramid is not conducive to our bodies' needs nor optimal health. In fact, it's flat-out not healthy. To Mercola, significant or excessive amount of carbohydrates are the major causes of weight gain, a number of diseases, illnesses, and disorders. However, this is not an exclusively anti-carbo diet or regimen, but simply a reduction. And, for the good, this is not an absolute no-grain diet. After some time on this program people can introduce grains back into their diet. What's new here is that Dr. Mercola is also not a proponent of the high protein diet programs that have become so prevalent in recent years. There are three phases of this eating and living method. Three-day, fifty-day, and the long-term maintenance plan. Achieving the optimal weight and being healthy is the goal of this diet program. You can learn a lot about foods and what they do to us. This seems to be more balanced and healthy than a lot of other programs out there today.