The Protein Power Lifeplan Gram Counter

EASY TO READ, SMALL SIZE, ACCESSIBLE FOR ON THE SPOT CHECKS OF WHAT YOU ARE PLANNING TO EAT..

Protein Power Lifeplan graham counterThe Protein Power Lifeplan Gram Counter is a companion to Dr. Michael Eades' and Mary Dan Eades', M.D.'s recent "Protein Power Lifeplan," a follow-up to their popular "Protein Power" which was published in 1995. The Eades are a husband-and-wife team that has a joint practice where they dish out the same advice as in their books - that of a restricted carbohydrate diet. But unlike the much more popular Dr. Atkins Diet, the Eades concentrate much more on gaining the best nutritional bang for your buck on the few (at least on the initial phase of the diet) carbohydrates you can have on their diet. The gram counter is helpful as it counts not only carbohydrates, but also fiber, protein and the breakdown of different fats that make up their nutritional philosophy.This gram counter does not go into the philosophy behind their diet, so I'll try to summarize it here: it is not fat that makes us fat, gives us diseases like diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, etc. Rather it is sugar. Starches, since they are basically the same thing as sugar (just chained together and easily broken into their component sugars in the digestive process), are counted as well. The body produces the hormone insulin when carbs are ingested. The more carbs we have in our diet, the more insulin is produced. Insulin is used by the body to remove sugar from the bloodstream, where it can cause harm. Unfortunately, according to the Eades, the insulin that removes it can also cause devastating harm, including all the above-mentioned ailments and then some. In addition, when exposed to these large amounts of insulin, the body slowly becomes more and more resistant to the hormone and the body has to produce more of it to have the same effect, so it is a vicious cycle. The end of this cycle results when the body is so resistant that it simply can't produce enough and adult onset diabetes occurs. Of course the Eades are quick to point out that this is a theory that has not been proven via huge double blind scientific studies, but rather hinted at by smaller studies indicating the validity of components of the theory. However, they also point out that the whole idea behind fat causing all these health problems in the first place is also just that - an IDEA. It is a hypothesis that the whole medical industry latched onto 25 or 30 years ago, because it made some logical sense at the time, and has only recently started to let go on the edges despite there being absolutely no proof that low fat diets are conducive to health, and many that indicate the exact opposite.The carbohydrates listed are based on the "Effective Carbohydrate Count" or ECC, which subtracts the amount of grams of fiber from the total carbohydrate count to give a more accurate nutritional picture, since the normal digestive process does not absorb fiber.As far as the fat breakdown in the gram counter goes, they break fats down into mono-unsaturated fats and saturat

I started the "Protein Power" lifestyle change nearly a year ago and am maintaining my weight loss by "keeping score" of what I eat. This guide is an essential reference on that count. I wish I'd had it when I started last year. It is especially handy if you are traveling on this diet; it is not as bulky as the whole Protein Power book. (See my review of "Protein Power"; "Prove Your Mother Wrong, Eat Prime Rib!") It is arranged by food groups: Breads, Cereals and Grains; Dairy Products; Fish, Seafood and Shellfish; Fruits and Fruit Juices; and so on. I never realized how many species of fish we eat until I leafed through that section! They list lots of foods I didn't even know were edible or available.It lists the ECC (Effective Carbohydrate Count), Fiber, Calories, Protein, Saturated Fat, Monounsaturated Fat, Omega-6 and Omega-3 fat ratios as appropriate for each category of food. All foods omit some of the categories that are not significant for them. All foods list the Calories and Omega fats.There is a good introduction with some backround information on why each category scored for each food is important. It does not go into any detail about the whole diet plan, so this is truely a supplement to the original diet book. There is also a brief area in the back with lists of "rich sources" for several key nutrients.If you have a thorough understanding of the "Protein Power" diet and lifeplan and why this data is important, this book will be a valuable reference. I wouldn't buy it until you have read the complete diet book unless you are just looking for a "calorie counter."

I am finding this handy little book very useful for knowing not only the Carbo content of a lot of food, but also the fat, types of fat and the total calories. Surprisingly, Butter is a good source for Omega 3 oils. My only wish is that they would include gram or ounce weights for the portions of food measured. For instance, how do I measure Eggplant slices by the cup? But overall, very helpful.