The Skinny Rules by Bob Harper with Greg Crister

The Skinny Rules by Bob Harper with Greg Critser

Release Date: May 15th 2012
Pages: 304
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher
Publisher: Random House
Buy It: Book Depository

Distilling Bob’s vast knowledge of nutrition, weight-loss strategy, and human nature down to twenty simple, nonnegotiable principles, The Skinny Rules will help you step away from a reliance on processed foods and the need for so much sweet and salt and step into a newly thin lifestyle. And Bob’s methods couldn’t be more straightforward. Taking the guesswork out of implementing the Skinny Rules, Bob offers a month’s worth of menu plans and more than 90 rule-abiding recipes.

I don't watch The Biggest Loser, but I've definitely gained a little bit of what I refer to as "thesis weight" over the past couple months, so I was curious about what kind of suggestions The Skinny Rules would contain. What I found was a nice mix of reinforcing the obvious things (drink lots of water) that we like to ignore, and debunking some myths that we may still cling to (fruit juice, even that all natural stuff, is still not a good choice). There was also a full month long eating guide, with plenty of meal options and use the underlying rules Harper proposes. I haven't tested his regimented diet out yet, but I'm definitely going to be taking the rules to heart when planning my own meals.

I really enjoyed the sense of humour in The Skinny Rules. For example, describing the amount coffee you can consume, Harper writes: "Limit consumption to two cups a day, preferably before noon. Exception: you can drink it all day if you are indeed in Paris." Another thing I appreciated was how there were a couple stories about Harper's writing partner, Critser, and this wasn't like one of those celeb books that are ghost-written; it's clearly a combined effort and Harper is honest about that.

Another example is when describing how to make chicken broth from scratch, one of the instructions say "bring to a boil, skim that weird stuff off the top, and simmer for 4 hours." It's the kind of instruction that's very helpful if you aren't used to cooking and makes the recipes easy and approachable.

My major frustration with The Skinny Rules was how dead-set Harper was on certain foods, and I wished there had been a little more flexibility because of food allergies or just certain things you might dislike. In my case, I have celiac disease and hate broccoli (though he's convinced me to try some of the less traditional varieties in the future). Especially when it comes to gluten, Harper mentions that allergies exist and then pretty much brushes it off and tells the reader not to eat any rice or corn or potato, which are the easiest ways for somebody who can't eat gluten to get a little starch.

Rule number 4 is "Slash your intake of refined flours and grains", and throughout the book Harper continually recommends whole wheat flour and farro– neither of which I can eat. I realize this is a book meant for the general public, but with the increasing number of individuals with gluten intolerances, I would have liked at least a sentence or two mentioning what some good alternatives to wheat were. A couple recipes call for quiona, but that's as close as Harper gets to helpful suggestions. It's a lot easier to say eliminate rice 100% if you don't have celiac disease, when the great grain barley isn't an option.

Celiac disappointment aside, I thought this was a great book for how to lose weight. I really appreciated how Harper wouldn't just tell you something without backing it up with scientific research and personal experience: he doesn't just expect the reader to believe him, he gives you proof. The real proof of The Skinny Rules of course, comes when you apply them to your own life, and I can't wait to start implementing them myself.

Don't Kill the Birthday Girl by Sandra Beasley

Don't Kill the Birthday Girl: Tales from an Allergic Life is a memoir by Sandra Beasley, who previously published two poetry collections, about living with severe and lifelong allergies that include: dairy, egg, soy, beef, shrimp, pine nuts, cucumbers, cantaloupe, honeydew, mango, macadamias, pistachios, cashews, swordfish, and mustard. Right from the introduction of her memoir Beasley writes "those with food allergies aren't victims. We're people who- for better or for worse- experience the world in a slightly different way. This is not a story of how we die. These are the stories of how we live." This positivity is consistent throughout the book in a way that was very refreshing. It would be easy for a person who has so much added burden in life to complain and whine about how difficult things are, but Don't Kill the Birthday Girl is not a call for pity, instead it is a look into what life is like with multiple fatal allergies, as well as the science and history behind the study of allergies.

Beasley does an expert job smoothly weaving personal anecdote with scientific study in an easy to read way resulting a book that merges memoir and non-fiction perfectly. It is actually a style of writing I encountered, awkwardly, earlier this year in Lonely by Emily White but in this case Beasley manages to make her science approachable to average reader. She also avoids listing an overwhelming number of statistics, which was greatly appreciated as when it comes to allergies there certainly are plenty, but it's not really what I am are looking for when I pick up recreational reading. What I loved so much about Don't Kill the Birthday Girl was that although I never felt like I was learning, I came away from the book both more knowledgeable and more compassionate about food allergies.

As somebody who has always suffered from many environmental allergies including pollen, dust, mold and basically every animal ever, there were many days going through boxes of tissues, with a bright red nose and itchy eyes and dosed up on antihistamines that left me drowsy- sometimes caused by nothing more than a nice spring day or sitting next to somebody with a cat- that I wished for a food allergy, something easy to avoid. After reading Don't Kill the Birthday Girl, in which a kiss on the cheek from somebody who just ate a cupcake leaves hives in a lip-shape across Beasley's cheek, a trip to the movies requires Benadryl because of nearby buttered popcorn, and a first date at a new restaurant can mean a trip to the hospital, that I truly understand how lucky I am.

As an individual with celiac disease, I was curious if the illness, though not an allergy but also an illness triggered by certain foods, would appear in Don't Kill the Birthday Girl. Although the focus was of course allergy, there were several mentions of celiac disease. The first paragraph in which it appears made me clench my jaw with concern for the rest of the book, as it says "in acute cases, the severity of the reaction demands zero tolerance for exposure" when in fact all cases of celiac disease require no gluten at all in the diet including such demons as cross-contamination. Luckily, despite preparing myself for ranting about its portrayal, gluten and celiac disease appears regularly alongside food allergies when Beasley is talking about dining out and social situations in the rest of the book. 

There are so many issues people with allergies face outside of just staying alive and Beasley enlightens the reader about them in a way that is light and clever, while still getting the facts across. Don't Kill the Birthday Girl tackles everything from food on an airplane to traveling internationally to dealing with weddings and birthdays. Beasley lets you in on what life was like growing up with so many allergies, especially before the main stream acceptance of them that has appeared more recently, and how she deals with accidental contamination, especially in social situations. She lets you know why so many allergic children hate using their epi-pens, and what it was like living in a collage dorm. Beasley ponders the longterm sacrifice that is required for shared living, both for her and any future spouse, as well as how she would raise her own children who may or may not have allergies, or may even have different allergies altogether. Throughout the course of Don't Kill the Birthday Girl it becomes clear that for those with life-threatening food allergies, it's not just a medical condition but a way of life- and although it may not be "normal" it is one Beasley lives with pride and exuberance, taking it one day of carefully prepared food at a time.

Release Date: July 12th 2011
Pages: 240
Buy the Book
Source: Publisher

Gluten-Free, Hassle Free by Marlisa Brown

Gluten-Free, Hassle Free: A Simple, Sane, Dietitian-Approved Program for Eating Your Way Back To Health by Marlisa Brown is pretty much exactly what is says, a straightforward guide for the gluten-free novice, as well as a great read for affected family and friends. As a recently diagnosed celiac, I am still adapting and adjusting to the life long change the diet presents, and learning hope to cope with it is something that can feel insurmountable at times. Brown provides relief.

One of the neat things about Gluten-Free, Hassle Free is that there is an entire 30 day menu plan included. I doubt anyone would follow it exactly, but it is loaded with ideas for gluten-free cooking and lets the reader know that even though it doesn't always feel that way, there is still plenty for the gluten-free person to eat. The menu includes GF before things that you need to be sure to check, like salad dressings and yoghurt, and that's also a good reminder be vigilant about anything that is store bought instead of home made.

There is also a list about "Dos and "Don'ts" for making the change to gluten-free eating, and although many of the points are obvious, they remind you that it's not the end of the world and there are ways to make your life easier, like by bringing gluten-free snacks with you when you travel. One point that really summarizes how I'm personally taking this lifestyle change was where Brown writes, do "be excited about all the new interesting food choices you are making," don't "start feeling depressed because you can’t do things exactly as you are used to." Yes, this is a big change and it will take a lot of work, but along the way I am learning to eat less processed things. I now cook things from scratch I never would have before, for example I now add my own seasonings to GF bread crumbs rather than buying premixed Shake 'n' Bake,  and so the result is not just that I am healthier and happier, but that many of things I am learning to cook are just as, if not more, delicious to eat.

Gluten-Free, Hassle Free contains quite a bit of information on how to break the news to your family and friends and help them understand that no, not even a crumb of gluten is okay, not even occasionally. It reminds you that cross-contamination hurts and it takes three years for your intestines to recover, and if you're still feeling sick, chance is that's because you are still getting gluten somewhere in your diet. There's also a section you can copy explaining it simply for people you know, and dozens of dining cards in various languages, as well as ones adapted for specific types of cuisine, that you can copy and use when traveling to make sure your waiter understands your diet restrictions.

The main fault Gluten-Free, Hassle Free was that it was a bit too heavy on the lists for me, sometimes there are pages and pages of safe or unsafe foods, and a lot of this stuff is not only specific to your location- I'm a Canadian and the guide is American so I'd have to recheck everything packaged anyway- but either logical (ie: fresh fruits and vegetables) or something you could good online if you were looking for it (ie: brands of gluten-free bread). It also means a lot of the book will be out of date quite quickly. That said, there is plenty of helpful and long lasting advice as well. Going gluten-free is a big and scary change, and while it may not be immediately "hassle-free" with Gluten-Free, Hassle Free Brown gives you the advice to help make your life and the transition just a little bit easier.  Can't complain about that!

Release Date: December 1st, 2009
Pages: 378
Buy the Book