The Diet Cure
by Julia Ross
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Book Reviews of The Diet Cure
Book Review: Ex Bread Addict
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm a month into this diet. I found this book while looking for something to fix my hypoglycemia and bread addiction. I was eating almost constantly and never feeling full. I could stuff myself with other food, but if I didn't eat bread or pizza, and every hour or two, I would feel hungry and would be a complete jerk to anyone around me in my blood sugar madness. My friends all knew this, made arrangements have bread or pizza around, and called me the Queen of Carbohydrates. I'm about 35 lbs overweight, but that was not my concern, getting control of my life back was.
I looked up bread addiction and ended up finding this book. I didn't believe the author when she said I could eat like a normal person in a few days, but this book was the only place that seemed to address my specific problem. She referred to people like me as "dough junkies" which unfortunately seemed pretty accurate, and laid out a plan of treatment. She wrote about this illness as if she had seen it a million times. (Turns out, she has.) Since I had no other option, I went out and bought the Glucobalance and other supplements she recommended. (That's a whole lot of supplements, btw. It's been completely worth not only the expense in money, but in time spent putting together little pill bags. Yes, *that* many supplements.)
I quit eating bread in a couple days. I just didn't need it. I slipped a couple times after I started a high stress job and forgot to take my supplements and my coworkers ordered pizza, but I can't remember the last time I had bread or pizza now. It's been weeks. My family and my boyfriend didn't even believe me when I told them I hadn't had any bread for weeks. Even when it's on the table, it's not that hard to avoid.
I should emphasize that Diet Cure doesn't cut out carbs entirely. In fact, I have to remember to eat them now because I get so full on eggs or meat and veggies. I usually have corn tortillas or some potatoes.
I can't say I've lost a lot of weight, but that may be due to an adrenal condition. I'm still waiting for my results to come back on my adrenal tests. But I'm absolutely amazed by the change in my diet. I never would have thought it was possible. I am so grateful to be able to eat meals several hours apart without turning into a raging low blood sugar monster. My life is not lived around eating every couple hours. I also feel a lot better (less depressed, more energy) which doesn't surprise me since I've lived almost exclusively on white flour and tomato sauce for the last two and a half decades. Garbage in, garbage out, as they say.
If you are a sugar or dough junkie, give this a try. If you are an alcoholic, you owe it to yourself to give this a try. Her clinic sees all three types of addicts and treats them similarly, from what I read. If it does not work in the first week, it may not be for you. I can tell you that it is certainly working for me.
Book Review: Stopped my Severe Anxiety & Hypochondria
Summary: 5 Stars
After 7 years of vegetarianism, at 38 years of age, my chief complaints were fatigue, obsessive worrying about my health, anxiety, and ache muscles. After reading this book, I had the privilege of going to Julia's clinic. After my first day....actually the first few minutes of supplementation I was free of the compulsive worrying I had suffered for years. After a few weeks my adrenal function tests showed exhausted adrenals and additional supplements were added and my energy level improved. Additionally, I got off wheat and the muscle aches waned as well as planter faciaitis that had persisted for years. I rarely have sugar cravings and when I do they are mild and are satisfied by a piece of fruit or some popcorn and butter. I stick to the dietary recommendations generally, staying off refined sugar, alcohol, and eating lots of veggies and protein. Initially, I lost weight (my clothes felt looser) but that plateaud. A basal thermometer underarm test indicated thyroid sluggishness and I added a supplement to address this. I am now losing weight.... clothes getting baggy. Still have some worry that pops up around PMS time but it is mitigated by extra 5HTP. The GABA helped me enjoy a couple of airplane flights after years of anxious flying. Am still waiting on hormone tests and am confident any issues can be addressed.... basically, everything suggested in the book is working. I feel a heck of a lot better than I have in long time and I am optimistic that it will just keep getting better. It took years to really screw up my body through unhealthy vegetarianism....but my body is responding rapidly to the supplement support and is recovering quickly. I am very thankful to Julia for the work she has done and her wonderful staff of nutritionists. I have found their support to be key in my success. I highly recommend this book and I continue to regularly use it as a reference.UPDATE: Hormone tests showed things out of balance and I added pregestrone to my program. I also tested positive for the Hashimotos and just started on animal thyroid. Also taking Cortef for the adrenal fatigue. All of this has further reduced my fatigue and anxiety and I feel like I am on the right path to increased health. Saw some folks I hadn't seen in 6 months and they said they were amazed at how healthy I looked...one man saying that I looked 6 years younger! If you are suffering I highly recommend finding a progressive MD who practices integrated medicine and will work with you to develop a program in line with what Julia Ross presents in her book. Good luck and know that there is a way to feel better and regain your health and sense of well being.
Book Review: Please Read
Summary: 5 Stars
I have never been a self-help book kind of gal and I only write reviews when I feel very strongly about a product. Please read.
A few years ago I was living in Seattle and began to develop very serious allergies (or at least they presented as allergies.) I was quickly becomming allergic to everything - cats, pollution, dust - everything - and nothing. I went to specialists who perscribed perscription allergy medication, Benadryl AND an epi-pen. My face was often very swollen with edema, red and covered with hives. After seeing a few excellent specialists I was told - "we can't find the cause. You are having severe allergic reactions to a combination of environmental stressors. This just happens to some people and there is nothing you can do but treat the symtpoms." I spent a lot of time locked away in my bedroom with the aircleaner on. I am not being over dramatic here - I had days where my symptoms were so bad I stayed at home, in my bedroom, with the aircleaner. Only to emerge and have the symptoms reoccure.
Then insult met injury. I started to become EXTREMELY stressed and panicky. I would jump at the slightest noise. I thought I was developing severe clinical anxiety. Again, I am not being over dramatic. I would jump, cry and be very easily frightened at nothing.
I can't explain how I knew, but I felt this was all related and that there must be something I could do. I went to our local co-op and found this book on the shelf. I sat on the floor of the co-op and began thumbing through the pages. There it was - SEVERE ADRENAL FATIGUE. I bought a pen and started marking the book on the spot. I took home GABA, various B vitamins and other recommended supports for the adrenal system. WITHIN ONE DAY FEELINGS OF PANIC SUBSIDED. One day. Within a week or two ALL ALERGIES (or what were thought to be allergies) WERE GONE. Within two months I felt better than ever.
Finding this book on that shelf was one of the best finds of my life. Every doctor had told me I would have to live with the debilitating condition I was developing. Every doctor. On top of this they were perscribing medications that were overloading my system (I was taking 4 Benadryl a day, I couldn't think or drive.) I went from girl living in a room with an aircleaner to the woman I am today - healthy and free of symptoms.
The book also taught me how to take care of my body to prevent adrenal stress in the future.
DO I recommend this book? What do you think :-)
Book Review: Another Diet called by a different name...
Summary: 3 Stars
I was extremely optimistic about this book helping me. Tired of binging on sweets and being 50+ pounds overweight, I thought for sure this would be my solution. I bought [the] supplements and took them religiously for 5 days. On day 3 my cravings were dampened - but mainly because I had a dull sense of being drugged out, with increasing feelings of depression, despair, and anxiety each day. After day 5 I decided I couldn't afford to go down the road it was taking me (I've never before felt so depressed and overwhelmed) and stopped taking them. Today (day 6), after one day off the supplements, I feel great. Although she claims it's the 'diet cure', it's really no less of a diet than any other Diet. The bottom line is: to lose weight you must alter the way you eat. Her approach, like many others, is to forget about focusing on quantities of food, but focus on and limit WHAT you are eating. Her diet is predominantly fruits and vegetables - ultimately what most sensible diets recommend to lose weight. But as a vegetarian, her anti-soy approach left me eating seeds, nuts and peanut butter throughout the day - not a very satisfying diet. Definately not one I could maintain.
She mentions a few times how many calories she eats: over 3,000. She claims overweight people eat too few calories. She makes no mention of the different metabolisms people have, and at 5' 10" I'm not surprised she can eat that many calories. Down here at 5' 4" with what I suspect is a slow metabolism, I don't lose weight on that many calories - no matter what kinds of foods they come from.
Although her promises are great, I question her use of amino acid supplements: what permanent effect do they have, really? The initial loss of cravings may help get through the first couple days, but then what about the rest of your life? Unless you transform your relationship to food and accept a restricted diet, this will not have a permanent weight-loss effect.
I also wondered if she just didn't find a new diet gimmick - a diet packaged in a "non-diet" label - and a great way to sell supplements and her weight-loss clinic's services.
Book Review: It is like a magic wand
Summary: 5 Stars
...at least for me! Her recommendations for amino acid supplementation worked incredibly. Although only 10 - 15 pounds overweight, I have dieted and "not dieted" since I was a teenager. By 45, I have learned that dieting, even moderate programs such as Weight Watchers, are only something I can follow for so long. I would always inexplicably binge, feel completely confused and completely without "will power" and note one more failure. Though I would prefer to be slimmer, I have always been more upset by the fact that I couldn't "control myself" or follow through with a decision to eat healthfully and not binge. What wierd, psychological thing was causing me to do this??
Hello Dr. Ross! If only one, tiny thing stands out as a "magic wand" experience (and there are more than one) it was her "emergency" recommendation to handle cravings. Open a capsule of L-Glutemine and let it dissolve under your tongue. I have never experienced such an about-face when it came to fighting the urge to EAT IT!
From reading some reviews by others, I would encourage readers to follow her recommendations in full, not "sort of." Certainly everybody's body chemistry is different, but you will not be giving this program a fair trial if you approach it haphazardly. That said, it is a very simple program to follow: eat lots of protein, and lots and lots of vegtables and fruit, and take your amino supplements. No rigid combinations or measuring is required. You only need to make sure you're eating enough protein and veggies. (It sounded like a disaster waiting to happen for me - I never ate LOTS of either of those things!) Yes, the supplements do cost, but if you are a binge eater, believe me you'll make up the cost on all the food you DON'T buy any more.
Even if you are a vegetarian (for ethical or health reasons) consider this program. If you are as frustrated and demoralized as I was, it's really worth a try.