Oxygen's Pick It, Kick It: Simple Choices, Huge Results

Way better than Eat this not that series! A good read if you are ready to start cleaning up your diet. If you are already serious about fitness and nutrition, don't bother! If you are a personal trainer, buy one and lend it out to new clients to help them get an understanding of eating clean with out going cold turkey on a standard American diet.

Love this book. I have been eating clean now for a little more than a year - and I can tell you first hand, it is HARD! I read magazines and recipes to keep myself on track and really have to make an effort. This book Pick it or Kick it is a great little book to keep out and browse through often. I learn something every time I pick it up. The comparisons of the different food items and the descriptions and nutritional information included all help you make better and more educated decisions in regards to the food you eat and feed your family. I mean, who knew that some foods with more calories are actually better for you than something with less calories!? I highly recommend this book if you want to change your eating style and eat healthier and make better choices. It is certainly helping me on my road to being more conscious and educated about food, nutrition, calories and food labels.

For anyone who has read and enjoyed Oxygen magazine (which is a very cool magazine for those looking to lose weight, learn latest health/diet news, and get fit), here's a book that sort of fits the mold (or semi-copies it) of the very successful EAT THIS, NOT THAT series. That bestselling series is popular for a reason: it has clear pictures and clear minimal info with great suggestions. Now, in Pick It Kick It, Diane Hart (executive editor of Oxygen magazine and a certified personal trainer) offers an even more targeted layout. Depending on what your focus is, there's a section--or "game plan" as she calls it-- for you: --If You Want To Lose Weight (with a fast food survival guide and a guide to healthy food shopping) --If You Want To Eat Right (broken down into meals, ie. breakfast, dinner, etc.) --If You Want To Get Motivated --If You Want To Stay On Track (wanna know the 3 pantry must-haves?) --If You Want To Stay Healthy There's a Pick It recipe section, too--with quick to make dressings; Fit Eggs Benedict; Apple-Cinnamon Bulgur, Kiwi Strawberry shake, low fat baked ziti, assorted sandwiches, etc. Forty eight recipes, but many, many more fast food/restaurant options for those who eat out a lot or hate to cook. (I'm not huge on cooking.) And you'll find success stories (which is always inspiring, don't you think?) If you've read the ET, NT series (or just one book) or have read diet books in general, it's not really new: example: Kick It: White Bagels. Pick It: Oatmeal with cinnamon. example: Kick It: a pizza laden with fatty meats and a deep crust Pick It: A hand-tossed or thin crust veggie pizza. You get the drift. Choose whole grains over refined. Choose low fat over high fat. Choose fresh instead of overprocessed, etc. Choose salmon and a salad over pasta with alfredo sauce. The layout is really eye-pleasing, really pleasant to read. It's to be expected of a magazine publisher and editor--it has that "magazine page" nicely composed look with great color choices. As much as I like the page format, it's not as dense as the EAT THIS, NOT THAT series (where you'd have many items per page being compared or suggested. Example, they will take a two page spread, one side for kick it, one side for pick it. While it's done VERY nicely, it's still just one item per page. Nevertheless, it's great. It's fun. It's useful. You'll feel good flipping through it. Pick It Kick It really gives you solid suggestions with nutritional info breakdown to help you make better decisions. Recommended for those new to making changes in diet or just those who want some attractively presented good info along with a dose of motivation for dieting or health-maintenance.

I loved this book! It's not just a book that tells you to drink water instead of anything else, this book has it all! It gives you smarter choices at the grocery store, at home, when eating out, and it has some great looking recipes! I tried the 'Fit Eggs Benedict' for breakfast this morning and it was delicious! I couldn't put the book down, each page is filled with interesting tidbits, easy swaps and what to be mindful of. Definitely a must-have for anyone wanting to eat healthy!