Just Tell Me What to Eat!

May 2, 2011
Unlike many other experts, chef-cum-physician Harlan (public TV's Dr. Gourmet) discounts the effects of genes, hormones, and neurotransmitters on weight, contending that shedding pounds means eating fewer, better-quality calories. But the first recipe in this food-focused titleâfettuccini Alfredoâshould reassure readers that his six-week diet (with eight weeks of meals and recipes) is not about deprivation. In this accessible guidebook, Harlan helps readers to achieve daily goals (planning meals and snacks, organizing a pantry, limiting convenience foods, keeping a food and exercise diary) as they learn to cook tasty Mediterranean diet dishes, a variety of ethnic favorites, and comfort foods. While Harlan's suggested two- to four-pound loss per month might pale before fad-diet promises, his solutions are simple (drinking a pre-meal glass of water, bringing lunch from home, measuring ingredients, exercising moderately) and his recipes, satisfying.