Dr. Gott's No Flour, No Sugar Diet

Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (2/07) Imagine a diet where there is no calorie counting, no gram counting, and cheating is actually permitted! You got it - "Dr. Gott's No Flour, No Sugar Diet." I was particularly interested in Dr. Gott's book because I am insulin resistant, therefore I "have to" eliminate all flour products or anything that has sugar. I wanted more information as well as test out some new recipes. I must say, I wasn't disappointed. Dr. Gott makes the lay person understand the concept very well as there is no scientific or medical related terminology in his book. His explanations are thorough and complete. As with any diet, Dr. Gott makes it clear that exercise is of utmost importance. I found the section "Busting Myths and Avoiding Negative `Remedies'" of extreme interest. Although I disagree with some of Dr. Gott's claims of what are myths, I believe that this is a necessary chapter to add. It gives the reader an option to do more research on some of the facts/myths that he addresses. Dr. Gott, however, did confirm many of the things I knew already. I appreciated the section on meal planning. Sometimes it's just hard to decide what to plan for the day but Dr. Gott makes it very simple. I was even more thrilled when I perused the recipes. Crepes have been out of the question for me, but, now I can have them. The "Basic Crepes" recipe using arrowroot powder gave me permission to enjoy crepes. Another recipe that I thoroughly enjoyed is the "Thai-Style Shrimp in Coconut Milk." Most Thai based recipes contain sugar but this one doesn't and I do have to say, the end result was very tasty and it did taste sweet (without any sugar, of course.) Want to eliminate the white sauce using white flour, yet have the creamy gravy on your chicken? I have the answer. Try Dr. Gott's "Chicken Breasts in Rosemary-Dijon Sauce." It's to die for! It's amazing how adding nonfat evaporated milk will do the trick. The bottom line? "...the best way to maintain a healthful weight is... [to] eliminate junk food, snack on raw vegetables, switch from sugar to non-calorie sweeteners, and exercise regularly." Dr. Gott is a firm believer that sticking to his `No Flour, No Sugar Diet" you will get all the nutrients you need while cutting down on calories.

I give Dr. Gott a standing ovation for creating a simplistic plan for weight loss. Complex plans that require higher math skills (a la 40-30-30) or intense memorization (is it no carbs with proteins or no fats with carbs or no fruit with protein or other carbs?) tend to frustrate dieters at some point in the process and they resort back to the old, weight-gaining ways. Dr. Gott's plan has 2 main rules - don't eat anything with flour (in any form) or sugar (in any form). C'est tout, as the French say (and we all know they don't get fat...:) The fact this plan is simplistic does not mean that it is easy to follow. I have been amazed daily when trying to follow Dr. Gott's basic recommendations how much food I eat on a normal basis that contains sugar and flour (and I suspect any self-respecting comfort-food loving, chocolate addict will feel the same). No bread (but you can have corn tortillas that are not made with corn flour). No pasta (mama mia!). Most cereals are out (except whole grain with no added sugar of any type). No desserts at restaurants (although there are some great recipes in the book). What does that leave, you ask? Wholesome foods like fruits, vegetables, lean proteins (although I'm a vegetarian, so that means soy products and beans), and whole grains like oatmeal (which I'm eating now), bulgur, brown rice, etc. (but NOT anything made with whole wheat FLOUR). Basically, what this plan does then is cut out all the processed foods which we shouldn't really be indulging in, anyway, and it concentrates on whole foods that are healthy and nutritious. For those who would rather die than give up sweets, Dr. Gott does allow products with artificial or fruit sweeteners, so you can still have your Diet Coke (not exactly a health food, but we have to have some vices, right?) and anything else you can find that is sweet but has no flour or "real" sugar. Anyway, by cutting out a large portion of the processed junk we Americans have grown accustomed to, Dr. Gott has created a simple, inexpensive, and healthy way to successfully lose weight and gain health. For these reasons, I give him a high 5. Thanks, Dr. Gott (and thanks Splenda :)

Let me start saying that I have read a lot of books on weight loss and I have my own experience in the weight loss game, having being able to loss more than 200 lbs and shrink my waist (from 44 to 32) in about eight months, and I have been able to keep in good shape for more than 6 years. I believe that for a Weight loss program to be effective in the long term it has to be realistic and it has to be practical and easy to follow, so one can stick to it in order to gradually obtain what we ultimately want: Burn unwanted body fat. "No flour, no sugar". That is basically it. The whole idea of the book is based in just that four words and can be obtained just there in its title. Pretty old and simple idea based in common sense. You will lose weight and fat just because by eliminating sugar and flour from your diet you will be cutting down two of the simples carbohydrates that you can find, and as science has show simple carbohydrates and food with high Glycemic indexes will turn into body fat quickly than any other food. An important note: you should drink plenty of water every time you are cutting down carbs from your diet. Weight Loss is not a simple matter, since it takes commitment and discipline to achieve real and lasting results. Once we accept this we are ready to turn advices into habits. I weak point of the book is that it focuses only on the diet aspect, but for a plan to be successful I truly believe that it has to be complemented with advices on how to avoid emotional eating due to anxiety (a point well covered in the book "Intuitive Eating") and an exercise plan is always an excellent plus, not mandatory but an excellent complement for long lasting results and better health (a good combination that could also be explored in the book "The ABS Diet"). Since you are checking this book I have to guess that you are interested in losing weight, getting in better shape or just be healthier, so I will share my own experience in the weight lose game: My own successful personal experience in weight loss is based on strategies to boost metabolism. Don't stress yourself, eat frequently, eat just what you need each time, and choose wisely what you are going to eat, supplement your diet. Yet simple and it works. I loss more than 200 lbs and shrink my waist (from 44 to 32), and I have been able to keep in good shape since then. Every single aspect of my life has improved since then. Based on my own personal experience I can recommend another tools that you may want to consider, to establish your own strategies for boosting your metabolism, loosing weight, and even more important keeping that weight off. They are: - "Ultrametabolism: The Simple Plan for Automatic Weight Loss" by Mark Hyman. A practical a more realistic plan for weigh loss. - "The ABS Diet", which is another very practical, readable, insightful, and inspirational book. - A Body Fat Monitor or Scale. This will help you monitor your progress, to assure that the weight you are l

Fabulous book and Dr. Gott's program works! This book is easy to read. Now I fully understand why this basic way of eating works. I began this eating program 3 1/2 years ago after being a faithful reader of Dr. Gott's syndicated column in the Pasadena Star News. I had no other direction except for eliminating flour and sugar from my food intake. My weight dropped; I was not hungry; I was able to eat anywhere by simply excluding those two items and most importantly, I have kept the weight off for three years. I naturally came down to the ideal weight for my height and frame. The recipies are great, the ingredients are simple and it does not cost anything! Life is good, keep up the good work, Dr. Gott!

This book is full of good, common-sense advice about how to eat a healthier diet. If you're a person who eats a lot of fast food or junk food, this book will really help you make more nutritious choices. By cutting out flour and sugar, it forces you to choose less processed foods, which are naturally better for you as they usually contain a higher nutrition to calorie ration than processed foods, which are full of empty calories. I especially like the recipe section. Everything i've made from the book so far has been delicious--seafood gazpacho, halibut baked with fennel and sun-dried tomatoes, roasted garlic salmon, pork chops with dried cherry reduction, spicy peanut sauce. Even the sugar-free desserts are delicious. I especially liked the lemon panna cotta and I'm looking forward to trying the strawberry crepes with dark chocolate sauce, too! This book will definitely help you make better food choices, and it will give you lots of ideas for what to cook, too!