Fit for Life: Not Fat for Life

Nowadays, there is no shortage of nutrition and weight loss books out there. Believe me, I've read quite a few. Yet every now and then, you come across a book that opens your eyes and changes your life in ways unlike any other. Harvey Diamond's "Fit for Life: Not Fat for Life" is one of those books. His advice is simple: eat more live food (natural, raw) than dead food (cooked, processed) and limit animal-based products (dairy, most meat). Harvey brings this advice to life not only with science, but with personal accounts and witty story telling that leaves no doubt in your mind what is the best way to eat. Sure, the results are astounding. You will lose weight, increase energy, and regain vibrant health. But the truly good nutritional philosphies are those that stand the test of time...and Harvey's advice is as "right on" today as it was 20 years ago. After reading the book, there is no doubt you'll feel the same.

For teenagers now, and I am sure this applies to all generations, the way you look is vitually important. Now I am not going to go off on some crazed recap of how this changed my life over night and that I some how managed to lose over a hundred pounds, becuase truethfully I wasnt mojarly over weight and didnt lose that kind of poundage (Though I am not trying to say it cant happen). The trueth is that I am a seventeen year old male who just wanted a better appearance as well as a healthy life. I have researched a few other "programs" and see most of them as actually being harmfull, in particular to teenagers. Now with this book, and I am sure with the others written by this author, what you are reading and the knowledge you gain is so simple and of such commonsense (as he points out in the book) that, as I believe, it is really the way our lives should be lived. But PLEASE... please do not think that by reading this book all you will have to do is go to the frozen food isle in your grocery store and stock up and those supposedly "healthy" frozen dinners, becuase thats just not how it works. Actually in this book the authors Number ONE thing he says you should do is eat more living (non-cooked) foods then dead (cooked foods). So what that means is spending most of your time and money on buying produce and less (if any) on those frozen dinners, and other such foods. So yes, I do recomend this book - actually its the only health book I have or will ever recomend - but please note that if you hate vegetables and Fruit (fruit is a big part of this book) then this will not work for you. Also if you or a son(s) or daughter(s) in having trouble with wheight and health issues, then this is the safest and most benefitial thing you could probably do for yourself/them - I mean this is the way we are supposed to eat! P.s. I weighed in at 195lb Dec. 25 2005 and now weigh 175lb (Jan. 16 2006) - I also have a lot more energy and have better focus on the tasks at hand.

Following the Fit for Life series of books in the 80's and 90's we can now see a mellower, more philosophical and spiritual Harvey Diamond in 2003, quoting from Tolstoy and Voltaire. The message in the book is basically the same as his previous books but the style is more relaxed and contemplative. He has come to the conclusion that even though he may know the cure for virtually all illness, not everyone wants to listen because the cure is too easy and not complicated enough. If you have not read the Fit for Life books (Fit for Life, Fit for Life II and Fit for Life: A New Beginning), I would recommend reading these first. They are the originals and still the best at describing the principles you need to follow. However, this is still a good book for those who want further reading.

This is a good summary of ideas for people who want to lose weight in a common sense manner. Diamond does not fall for the lose weight quick fads and schemes. Hooray! He gives very logical criticism of the Atkins way and other short cuts that don't work in the long run.

The "Fit for life" books have changed many people's lives for the better, including mine. The advice the author gives really makes alot of sense and awakens you to the importance of what you are feeding yourself. We were not born to eat what ever our parents were tricked into feeding us, and we damn sure were not created to eat processed foods. I recommend this book for everyone, whether you read his other books or not. Reason being, this is a great recap and summary of all his other earlier books. Harvey Diamond gives his best advice and tells of lessons learned since writing his first book, and gives his wonderfully simple HEALTHLY GUIDELINES to eat by. He stands by the vegetarian lifestyle but admits that some meat is good for the body. He was a veggie-head for 25 years but confesses to finally giving in to a medium-rare t-bone steak one day with the intention of vomiting it out afterwards... But he liked it! So now he includes meat in his diet once or twice a week. You see? A diet should not can not be written in stone. Again, the best advice seems to be to just avoid processed "foods". In addition, this book is much more comfortable to hold than the previous ones which looked and carried like bricks.