Book Review: Super Shred

Super Shred: The Big Results Diet
By Ian K. Smith, M.D.
St. Martin’s Press (2013)
Reviewed by Holly R. Layer, RD

Claims:

Dr. Ian K. Smith comes right out and tells readers that his Super Shred diet “is not meant for the long term.” He calls Super Shed ‘destination dieting,’ designed to help readers lose weight before an upcoming event, such as a reunion or wedding only four weeks away. In a previous book, Dr. Smith outlined his ‘Shred: The Revolutionary Diet,’ which is a six-week plan designed to be followed for the long term. He claims participants can lose up to 5 pounds a week, resulting in a 20-pound loss in four weeks. Dr. Smith employs three strategies to accomplish this rapid weight loss: negative energy balance, calorie disruption and sliding nutrient density.

Synopsis of Diet Plan:

The Super Shred program is four weeks in duration, and each week has a different ‘timeline’ of when to eat each day, and each day’s meal choices are outlined page-by-page. Dr. Smith recommends real, whole foods and puts almost nothing off-limits. He recommends drinking one cup of water before meals, starting the day with tea, limiting alcohol to three drinks a week and caffeine to two cups of coffee per day. Each week has separate guidelines, with week three being the most difficult. By changing meal times and sizes, Dr. Smith aims to rev up a participants metabolism in order to burn more fat. One day per week is devoted to calorie disruption, in which the calories consumed that day are significantly less than other days.

Dr. Smith suggests multiple meal options for every meal and snack during each day, such as a fruit smoothie, a protein smoothie, soup or small salad. He also gives calorie recommendations for meals and snacks, such as a 200-calorie ‘meal’ or a 100 calorie ‘snack.’

Nutritional Pros and Cons:

While Dr. Smith’s detailed plan offers lots of flexibility and encourages a variety of healthy food choices, dieters trying to ‘keep it simple’ or picky eaters may end up eating many of the same items, which could lead to boredom or a lack of specific nutrients. Because every day of every week is different, some readers may give up soon after starting, but others may like the meal plan and included grocery list. Dr. Smith encourages adding exercise for health and to help create ‘negative energy balance.’ He also introduces readers to ‘intermittent fasting’ one day a week, which can be an effective tool for weight management but may be too ambitious for most readers. His list of snacks by calorie-count (100 and 150) are extensive and can help dieters learn approximate calorie counts for common items, which may be beneficial down the road. Lastly, this plan doesn’t transition readers back to a more ‘normal’ eating pattern, nor is it designed to or should be used long-term, and therefore the chances of regaining lost weight are high.

Bottom Line:

Super Shred is simply a very detailed eating plan that puts dieters into a calorie deficit for four weeks in order to jump-start weight loss. When used as recommended, the diet plan can help those trying to lose weight see faster results and gain motivation to continue. The always-changing eating plan may be too much for some readers, but could appeal to those who like structure. In fact, it may very well be the detailed nature of the plan that keeps dieters from focusing on how few calories they are consuming. Conveniently, each day and week is written out separately; no flipping back-and-forth. Dr. Smith repeatedly tells readers that this plan is not designed for long-term use, and also recommends incorporating physical activity and increasing water intake.

The book contains approximately 50 pages of recipes for snacks, smoothies and soups.

Book Review: French Women Don’t Get Fat

French Women Don’t Get Fat
By Mireille Guiliano
Knopf (2004)
Reviewed by Holly R. Layer, RD

Claims:

The author is Mireille Guiliano, a Frenchwoman who splits her time between America (she’s the CEO of a champagne distributor) and France, and who wrote the book because she was once overweight, after a stint in the US during an exchange program. Her basic premise is that French women don’t get fat because they don’t overeat. What we’ve come to call the ‘French Paradox’ (that the French eat indulgent food we avoid, such as wine, butter, cheese, pastries) is alive, but not as well as it once was. Unfortunately, the obesity rates in Europe are climbing. But, as with all stereotypes, they begin with a grain of truth.

Synopsis of Diet Plan:

Guiliano approaches weight loss in the book as a three-month ‘recalibration’ process, during which she recommends writing down your daily intake (even easier these days with smartphone apps) and then identifying what needs to change in your diet to lose weight. She credits ‘ Dr. Miracle,’ her childhood pediatrician, for helping her address her own weight gain through these methods. For Guiliano, that meant taking another route to university upon returning to Paris in order to avoid the countless bakeries with their sweet smells. She also outlines some reasons why French women don’t get fat and American women do, all of which promote health, such as eating slower, sitting while eating, drinking more water and walking more.

Nutritional Pros and Cons:

None of the author’s claims are backed by science, and anyone would lose weight eating her ‘magical leek soup,’ which simply decreases calorie intake and promote water loss. While she doesn’t expect anyone to eat her leek soup indefinitely, she doesn’t outline any structured ‘diet’ or ‘eating plan’ other than embracing the French culture.

Bottom Line:

While Romantic, it’s unrealistic to think traditional Americans can adopt the French way of eating and suddenly drop weight. Guiliano provides an enjoyable read and a lighthearted way of looking at differences in cultures and how it can shape OUR shapes. Coupled with a healthy diet and exercise (which she does include in the book), her advice can promote healthy eating habits and perhaps even weight loss.

Book Review: The Sonoma Diet

The Sonoma Diet
By Connie Guttersen, RD, PhD
Meredith Books (2005)
Reviewed by Holly R. Layer, RD

Named for the California county that shares the same latitude as regions of Italy, Greece and Southern France, The Sonoma Diet highlights the benefits of eating a Mediterranean-style diet. This eating pattern, long famous for its lean meat, plant-based protein and fats and variety of produce, is no stranger to diet books and programs.

Claims:

The Sonoma Diet promises to help dieters shed pounds quickly; in fact, the phrase ‘a trimmer waist and better health in just 10 days’ graces the cover of the book. Additionally, the author claims that ‘every step of the journey from overweight to perfect weight will be comfortable, pleasant and simple.’ By following the diet plan and incorporating ten ‘power foods’ (almonds, bell peppers, blueberries, broccoli, grapes, olive oil, spinach, strawberries, tomatoes, whole grains), the author enthusiastically guarantees swift weight loss and easy maintenance, all while enjoying a glass of wine or a little chocolate (later on in the diet).

Synopsis of Diet Plan:

The Sonoma Diet is made up of three ‘waves,’ each with lists of allowed foods. The author begins by prescribing a ‘kitchen clean-out’ and instructs dieters to throw out processed foods, sources of sugar, saturated fats and hydrogenated oils, as well as white or refined-grain products and full-fat diary.

Wave 1 lasts for 10 days and ‘will rid you of destructive eating habits that cause weight gain’ and will ‘recalibrate your body.’ During Wave 1, fruits are not allowed, nor are wine or added sugar, some vegetables and up to 3 tsp of fat (in the form of plant-based oils or foods) per day. Low-fat and no-fat diary is allowed, but only in small portions and not as a source of protein.

Wave 2 begins on Day 11 and lasts until a dieter’s goal weight is reached. During this Wave, fruits are back on the table and the list of vegetables gets longer. Additionally, dieters can start incorporating wine, dark chocolate and honey into their diets again.

Wave 3 begins once the dieter has met their weight-loss goal and is designed to ‘extend the diet into a lifestyle.’

Nutritional Pros and Cons:

The diet, while made up of lots of real, healthy food, is very restrictive during the first wave. Because it only lasts for 10 days, it’s unlikely dieters would experience any deficiencies as long as they are consuming a variety of ‘allowed’ foods. By promoting portion control and mindful eating, the author is helping the reader build skills they can use beyond the diet itself. Wave 1 eliminates fruit entirely, which must be noted.

Bottom Line:

There’s a lot to like about The Sonoma Diet and the optimistic tone may help motivate some dieters. The author emphasizes eating real, whole foods as part of a lifestyle change. The book addresses more than just what foods to eat or not eat; the author gives visual examples of plate sizes and portions, as well as addressing maintaining weight loss (Wave 3), how to add indulgent foods back into the diet, and even a diet ‘q&a’ section. Throughout the book, the author includes helpful information, such as the importance of fiber in the diet, tips for eating out and even a list of recommended products by brand.

On the flip side, the author’s overly enthusiastic tone may over-promise results and does not address those with significant medical issues. Some readers may be intimidated by the multiple Wave/Tier system with lists of approved foods and specific percentages of each food group at meals. Wave 1 doesn’t include fruit and allows very little fat, and may not provide enough calories for some dieters. While The Sonoma Diet lauds the enjoyment of eating (hence the allowance of wine and dark chocolate in Wave 2), it doesn’t address the importance of exercise beyond a couple paragraphs. Lastly, the book’s weight-loss claims may be unrealistic for most dieters.

The book includes approximately 170 pages of recipes of varying difficulty and a sample 10-day meal plan for Wave 1.