Eat Fat, Lose Fat: Lose Weight and Feel Great with Three Delicious, Science-Based Coconut Diets

***** This book has been my dietary bible since reading it a year ago. It is a sourcebook for people wanting to eat a traditional diet, which is a diet solidly grounded in current dietary research, not unproven theories of the past. Look past the gimmicky cover here, as this is not a book about fads. It is a book about coconut oil as the foundation for an overall diet that is health-enhancing. "Eat Fat, Lose Fat" is part of the growing body of literature supporting the eating of "real food", which is food that is healthy, tasty, not disease-promoting, slow, of exceptional quality, nutrient dense, organic, vital, traditional, local, seasonal, and clean. "Real foods" are the opposite of "fake foods", which are foods that are processed, dead, fast, nutrient poor, chemicalized, devitalized, rotten, spoiled, dead, old, or contaminated with antibiotics and growth hormones. It is based on scientific studies published in journals such as the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Lancet, and even JAMA. It is also based upon looking at the dietary practices of people of different cultures, a fascinating anthropological study that illuminates how indigenous people throughout history instinctively knew things that we are just now "discovering" with modern scientific methods. The authors are Mary Enig, a world-renowned biochemist and nutritionist who spearheaded, with her research over 25 years ago, the recent move against trans fats at last, and Sally Fallon, The book is written in an interesting style, and is full of facts, explanations, how-to's, tips for Chapter 1 sorts out the facts versus the fears about fats, debunking fat myths one by one, citing recent studies. The authors explain contradictory findings and flaws with past studies. One surprising fact is that most studies done in the past with coconut oil were done with fully hydrogenated coconut oil, a far cry from today's organic, extra virgin coconut oil or traditional society's raw coconut oil. Chapter 2 explains the lipid hypothesis (and makes it interesting for non-chemistry majors like me) and explains the relationship between fat and heart disease and cholesterol. She explains how quality fats actually protect you from heart disease. This will be of particular interest to those eating a low-saturated-fat diet in hope of preventing or recovering from heart disease. All of this is written in a logical, yet not dry style. Chapter 3 details the effects fats have on your various body systems, and the important nutrients that these systems need that can only be obtained from fats. I know that up until this point this review makes the book sound boring, but it is very exciting, filled with facts and ideas that work. Chapter 4 explains why diets with healthy fats help you to lose weight and be healthier at the same time, including important effects of healthy fats upon metabolism. This chapter also explains problems with ineffective weight loss theories of the past. It

Underneath this book's mainstream title and flashy hot-pink packaging lie a revolutionary premise. Real foods - including meat, eggs, butter, cream, coconut oil and other traditional high-fat foods - are the keys to weight loss, high energy, brain function, feelings of wellbeing and disease prevention. So throw out those low-fat, highly processed and packaged foods, forget about being a vegetarian, "bread-atarian" or "soy-atarian" and go back to enjoying the whole foods that your healthy ancestors really ate. In the process, you'll not only regain your health and find your perfect weight but totally enjoy your food. This book is a simpler version of the authors' grassroots classic NOURISHING TRADITIONS with the same sound science but a new emphasis on the healing power of coconut oil. As a Clinical Nutritionist, I have found that coconut cream and oil are very healing to the thyroid and greatly speed the recovery of former vegetarians and heavy soy eaters. The book also answers the many questions clients have about trans fats, vegetable oils, cholesterol and the dangers of the currently popular low fat/high protein diets. Highly recommended.

I have been using coconut oil and coconut milk for awhile. The oil is great for cooking and the milk tastes great in a shake! The fatty acids in coconut milk are the same/similar to those found in breast milk; now all baby formulas contain coconut oil. It makes sense that these fats are good for adults, too. Also, since adopting many of the principles from Nourishing Traditions, I have had much more energy, much less fatigue and no weight problem. My mother-in-law is always asking me how I can eat so much without gaining weight... I have also tried to feed my son this way. He's 15 months and is VERY strong and healthy - no ear infections and only 2-3 colds/viruses. It's science and it's common sense. Eat healthy to be healthy.

I serve as a chapter leader for the Weston A. Price Foundation, and as such have been following the Nourishing Traditions principles outlined in Sally's book for some time. I had not been consuming coconut oil however, nor consistently limiting my meals to three a day. I wasn't quite sure how to integrate coconut into my diet on a daily basis. The book offers many recipes - including simply adding coconut oil to a smoothie! After an initial couple of days having difficulty consuming the recommended 1 T. of coconut oil melted in warm water or herbal tea 20 minutes before each meal, I am now drinking it easily and find that my appetite is definitely surpressed! I found the book to be very well written and compelling! What I most appreciate about Sally and Mary's plan is the great importance they place on the QUALITY of the food consumed. Namely organic, sustainably produced, natural, whole foods. Animal protein from pasture raised animals who are treated humanely. Real, raw (as opposed to pasteurized) milk products. Instead of the artificially sweetened diet sodas which are typically recommended on other diets, this plan recommends kombucha, beet kvass, kefir and real ginger ale. It includes enzyme rich foods such as sauerkraut, mineral rich bone broths and soups ... and traditional superfoods such as cod liver oil. There are many generations of nutritional wisdom in this book - it is not merely the latest fad approach to health, wholeness and weight loss.