Sunday, October 21, 2012

Book Review: "The Perfect Formula Diet: How to Lose Weight and Get Healthy Now with Six Kinds of Whole Foods" by Janice Stanger, Ph.D.


Released in 2009 The Perfect Formula Diet is based on the life experiences and research of author Janice Stanger, Ph.D. Having dealt with her own food cravings and obesity she had to learn a new way of dealing with weight and eating. To win her battle she had to come to the understanding that the body naturally will arrive at the perfect weight with the right food intake. Her belief is that the real problem is poor decision making regarding food choices and the heavy influence of modern day food processing. As she points out in “Chapter 1: Perfect Body” and repeatedly throughout the book, those who want to lose weight have to get back in balance to allow your naturally perfect body to stabilize and heal itself.

“Chapter 2: Perfect Weight” starts sharing the research that not only do traditional diets not work, plant based diets (vegan) with no animal foods are the way to go. Regardless of genetics, race, or other factors that might tend to influence things, those patients on plant based diets lost weight according to the various studies mentioned here. A meat free diet based on plant foods not only brings more fiber into your diet, it also causes your metabolic rate to go to a higher level so that you burn fat.

Details and citations of the studies supporting the author’s statements in this chapter, or in any of the chapters, are not directly listed or cited in the book. In many cases the studies are not referenced by title, author, institution, or any identifying information. Instead, to save trees and printing costs¸ readers are encouraged to refer to the author’s website for that information.

“Chapter 3: Perfect Foods” is all about what you should and should not eat. Simplifying greatly, this chapter that begins on page 23 advises readers to avoid manufactured foods such as white flour, white rice, vegetable oils, white sugar, artificial sweeteners, etc.  Avoid all animal foods or any food that come from animals. This means avoid meats, eggs, fish, cheeses, etc. One should be eating all types of fruits, vegetables, nuts, herbs and more. 

Of course you do need protein in your food and that is the point of “Chapter 4: Perfect Protein.”   How plant proteins really work for you and how animal proteins work against you is covered here. A major point of this chapter is that too much protein can cause uncontrolled growth. That in turns leads to obesity and cancer among other things.

Nutrients are also important as noted in “Chapter Five: Perfect Nutrients.” After citing the history of numerous athletes in various fields who followed a plant based (vegan) diet, the author again makes her case for a plant based diet that avoids all animal foods.

After reminding readers again on pages 60-61 to consult with their doctor, especially critical for patients with chronic illness and/or on medications, it is on with “Chapter 6: Perfect Formula Diet.”  As the author notes, her idea is not one of those eat high/low plans, but a plan based on balance. Therefore, based on volume, your diet should by 25% of each category of vegetables, fruits, legumes/potatoes and whole grains. You want to make sure to eat two tablespoons a day of ground flax seeds as well as plenty of herbs and seasonings. You don’t worry about the size of the portions. You eat when you are hungry and stop when you feel satisfied.  Also included here are some suggestions for appropriate snacking.

After a while you will notice you like some things you eat a lot more than others. But, to be most successful, you will need to rotate the foods you consume. That is the theme of “Chapter 7: Perfect Rotation” starting on page 71. Rotation of foods you consume and how the various groups work together to help you lose weight and get healthy is stressed in this chapter.  Advantages of certain treats, such as dark chocolate, are also covered here. An interesting part of this chapter is addressing what to do if you are not seeing results after a few weeks on the diet.

“Chapter 8: Perfect Start” starts on page 97 with an opening pep talk on why you should change your diet before getting into specifics. She advocates making a major shift in your eating habits one time rather than making gradual adjustments. And how to do so mentally as your mind and attitude have a role to play. Give it a month and see what happens is the idea here.

Doing this change in eating habits requires some planning and that is the point of “Chapter 9: Perfect Logistics.” This chapter tells you how to change your shopping habits, how to make it work for your job out of the home, eating out, and travel issues, among other situation. The major point of this chapter is that planning will become easier the longer you are doing the diet.

Money can be an issue and that is the point of the very short “Chapter 10:  Perfect Price.” The foods themselves should be relatively inexpensive as you are buying original foods that have not been processed. The author includes a few tips starting page 128 such as to buy things that are in season and buy canned and dried foods in large quantities when they are on sale to stretch things out further.

“Chapter 11: Perfect Evidence” is all about the evidence gathered from around the world to support a plant based lifestyle. While interesting information the placement of this chapter seems a bit odd as it would have made sense to fold much of this information into chapter two making the case for this lifestyle.

“Chapter Twelve: Perfect Health” also goes back over material covered in earlier chapters and restates the information previously provided. As explained before and again here, dietary issues cause healthcare issues and costs and other problems.

This leads into a chapter about how your body defends itself in “Chapter 13: Perfect Defenses.”  Inflammation is that defense shield for the body and can shift out of control as seen in chronic disease. This can place a huge burden on your body and lead to other issues.

This information leads readers to “Chapter 14: Perfect Balance” where it is explained how some foods-- such as animal proteins -- are foreign to the body and trigger immune system response.  By changing your lifestyle to the author’s advocated plant based diet, the immune reactions end, and the body returns to a normal balance.

“Chapter 15: Perfect Puzzle Completed” is all about hormones. Animal proteins can cause certain hormones to go out of control and that can ultimately lead to cancer and other issues.  That point and other information regarding oxygen, estrogen, free radicals and more are here.

Making the point that what is happening to each person is also happening to the planet is the idea of “Chapter 16: Perfect Planet.”  Eliminating animal protein from everyone’s diet would remove the environmental factors with raising animals to consume and would be a small positive step forward to detoxify the planet.  No matter how hard we try to avoid it, chemicals involved with animal production are in our food supply, as it stands, and therefore in your body.

While you may have made adjustments in your eating habits, you should not stop there.  “Chapter 17: Perfect Home” is all about removing the hidden threats in your home. Critically important if you are still having health issues after embracing The Perfect Formula Diet. The chapter contains a number of tips as to what to look for and what to avoid in your everyday products.

Exercise, sleep, and alternative medicine are just some of the topics briefly discussed in “Chapter 18: Perfect Next Steps.” The main point is that once you follow the diet and detoxify, your perfect body will naturally want to become more active and free of other issues.

Changing your personal environment and your role in it has been a theme throughout the book. It becomes the forefront again in this chapter titled “Chapter 19: Perfect Climate.” Repeating some of the same argument made in earlier chapters, the author encourages readers to see modern manufactured food for what it really is in terms if planet and society destruction.

Each chapter has a brief summing up of the highlights of the chapter. Those are condensed and used here in “Chapter 20: Perfect Story” summing up some of the highlights of the book.

Where to find information on recipes and other things is the point of “Chapter 21: Perfect Resources.” This leads readers on to a short reference page directing readers to the author’s website for study information and a five page index that finishes the book.

Unlike many diet books, those readers looking for specific meal plan suggestions will not find that information in The Perfect Formula Diet. Readers will find lots of interesting information--often repetitive--in this 260 page self-published book on why a plant based (vegan) diet that avoids any form of animal protein would be good for you, your family, and the planet as a whole.



The Perfect Formula Diet: How to Lose Weight and Get Healthy Now with Six Kinds of Whole Foods
Janice Stanger, Ph.D.
Perfect Plant Solutions
2009
ISBN#978-0-9841067-3-8
Paperback
260 Pages
$18.95

Material provided a very long time ago by Paula Krapf of Author Marketing Experts in exchange for my objective review.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2012

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