The Body Clock Diet: It's Not Only What You Eat, But When You Eat It...

I picked up "The Body Clock Diet" by Lyndel Costain to better acquaint myself with the idea of timing my food choices in a more advantageous manner while making better quality food selections a la the ideas from the "French Fallacy", the "Martini Diet" and "French Women Don't Get Fat". The format of this attractive trade paperback, filled with glossy pictures and over 14 days worth of menus with accompanying recipes, gets right to the point, explaining our bodies' natural circadian rhythms in a readable scientific manner complete with charts and recommending the best blend of micronutrients to make the most of a particular part of the day. For example, did you know that it is best to eat slow release low glycemic carbs like grains and cereals in the morning rather than in the afternoon or at night? Why? The hormone insulin is most efficient at this time of the day which enables the hypothalamus to flip the neuropeptide Y switch off thereby stopping the body from going into carb-crave overdrive. At lunchtime, its best to eat what Costain calls "alertness" food, a balanced combination of proteins, low glycemic carbs and fats which gets the body through the post lunch dip of tiredness and neutralizes the effects of galnin whcich stimulates that afternoon desire for all things fatty. Dinner consists of a prep-for-sleep lighter blend of low glycemic carbohydrates, healthy oils and lean protein. The book also focuses on problem situations of sleeplessness, jet-leg and premenstrual syndrome by including case studies and the usual common sense Rx of exercise ( to release endorphins and control cortisol) and the elimination of food no-nos like caffeine and alcohol. All in all, if you are well-versed in diet literature, you might fnd "The Body Clock" a bit of a no-brainer, but if you want just one book with good readable information which includes menus and uncomplicated recipes, this book may just fit the bill. What I like about this offering is that it promotes the eating of real food. There are no trick breakfast bars to buy or meals prepared from a box-- in fact there are really no short cuts allowed: the eating of real food is a must on this plan. All foods are included -- not one food group is left out in the cold. Portions are defined for those who are used to a little more supersizing than necessary. Taking a page from the South Beach Diet and the popular French diet, the Montignac plan, the Body Clock plan utilizes the glycemic index to help the dieter make better choices to keep the powerful hormone insulin at bay and hence prevent unwanted fat storage. Bottom line: None of the information here borders on the extreme or comes as any great revelation; the attractive format of the publication focuses on both vegetarian and non-vegetarian eaters with a full 14 day menu plan for both. The message, one part common sense and one part science, appeals to the American reader who desires a little more structu