Book Review: The PVC Diet

This past summer I was given a copy of the "PVC Diet" which is a book written by Dr. Lawrence Kosinski, a gastroenterologist based in Illinois. Initially I was a bit reluctant to read the book because I am not a huge fan of diets in general. I was thinking that this book would be a real "diet", one that makes people follow strict eating rules for a short period of time, only to have them regain the weight after the "diet" is over. I'm more of a believer in teaching people how to eat for life so that they never have to "diet" again, or feel the need to detox.

However, I was pleasantly surprised within reading just the first few pages of this book. I found that the PVC diet was a quick and easy read, and I agreed with about 99% of the material. The book is incredibly educational and teaches you more than just the basics about nutrition. It is very comprehensive in terms of why you need to eat certain foods and the effects they have in the body- but the author does a great job of explaining this in a way that most college-educated people can understand. It is by no means too scientific for the average Joe to understand, which I like.

The PVC Diet is pretty much a written summary of what I tell my clients on a daily basis: why they need to eat real fiber instead of taking a fiber supplement, why eating too much protein will make you gain weight (contrary to popular belief), why cutting out all carbs is not the way to lose weight, etc. Some of the good take-a-ways are that you should eat a palm size serving of protein PER DAY, not per meal, as most people think. The doctor makes good points about the types of foods you are buying, like how buying farm-raised salmon is not any better than eating grass-fed beef in terms of omega-3 content. Corn-fed salmon are not going to have the omega-3 levels that Wild Alaskan salmon will, and are not going to supply you with the health benefits that salmon is known for.

The book also does a great job discussing the "gluten-free" trend and what is true and what is not about gluten. It also talks about how to order in restaurants and why the timing of meals is important for weight control. Basically, he covers in a quick and Sparknotes-type manner the things you need to know if you want to find balance in life through diet. If you follow the doctors suggestions, you will be eating healthier, can lose weight, and will never have to worry about dieting again.

If you are the type of person that loves diets (not sure who actually loves diets...), and needs something to read and go by, I recommend you purchase the PVC Diet and give it a try. It is a quick and easy read and will give you solid and factual nutrition information. Of course, I do also recommend meeting with a dietitian so you can get your specific nutritional needs addressed and a tailored plan to meet your lifestyle and food preferences This book can supply you with a good nutritional knowledge base, which coupled with nutrition counseling, will make you a superstar when it comes to diet and healthy eating.You can learn more about the PVC diet and even purchase a copy through their website:  http://www.pvcdiet.com/.  I did not receive any compensation for writing this review on the PVC Diet; I genuinely believe it is a book that everyone should read to learn the real facts about nutrition and weight maintenance.

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NOTE: If you have Independence Blue Cross (Personal Choice or Keystone Health Plan East), AmeriHealth, or Aetna, you probably will receive 6-10 completely FREE nutrition counseling sessions with me (no co-pay nor deductable for most plans- this counts as preventative care). You do not need to be a member of Club La Maison to meet with me and I do all the billing. Email me at: nutrition@clublamaison.com if you live in the Philadelphia area and are interested in setting up an appointment or inquiring further.