It's a new year and a great excuse to get in shape. Here body+soul reviews four of the latest diet books to hit the market.
This year the new diet books go from sensible to extreme. Here's our pick of the biggest four - and whether they really work.
The Biggest Loser's personal trainer knows all about weight loss. Her new diet and workout book is the next best thing to having Bridges in the kitchen with you. The daily eating plan counts the kilojoules for you (you're allowed about 3430 per day), and the suggested meals range from buckwheat pancakes for brekkie to kangaroo for dinner. Of course, there's no gain without pain: six days of exercise are outlined, ranging from cardio to yoga, with day seven a rest day (and you'll need it).
What the nutritionist says: "There's no evidence that shows that eating less than 3430 kilojoules a day will help you lose more weight, so at least this keeps your daily intake above the limit," dietitian Amanda Clark says. "While eating such a greatly reduced kilojoule amount will help you lose weight, it's after the diet finishes that you need to ensure that your slowed-down metabolism doesn't [make you] pile the weight back on. There are no serving size suggestions, which can affect your portion control. On the plus side, the meals are fresh and healthy, and the exercise plan will help you burn the extra kilojoules. If you eat the snacks and up the intake to 5000 kilojoules, it's a reasonable diet for a short period of time."
Details: Penguin, $29.95.
Anything that promises us Jennifer Aniston's toned legs, tummy and arms is worth a peek. The Family Chef, devised by Aniston's personal chefs, sisters Jewels and Jill Elmore, dishes the dirt on what the Friends star eats (or in this case doesn't). It's not a diet book as such - there's a children's recipe section and one for men where carbs make an appearance - but the third section involves a lot of veg and protein. The recipes are fiddly and probably impossible for the average woman - white peach and ginger smoothie with coconut water, anyone? The low kilojoule count for some servings - about 627 kilojoules for celery soup or cucumber salad - may help you achieve rapid weight loss, but keeping it off, and sticking to the diet, may be another matter.
What the nutritionist says: "This is less about dieting and more about healthy eating. It's a good guide to get off the diet roundabout. In her foreword, Aniston says she used to live on protein bars and has now turned back to home-cooked food, albeit with her own chefs. There's no nutritional breakdown of meals, which would be useful for those eating for weight loss, but the ingredients are healthy and the focus is on cooking from scratch."
Details: Penguin, $44.95.
Chocaholics rejoice! Here's a diet that allows you to eat chocolate and feel great about it too. According to the authors, scientists John Ashton and Lily Stojanovska, the magic ingredient found in cocoa, epicatechin, an antioxidant, increases the rate at which our body burns fat. It also has more than twice the levels of antioxidants found in red wine. While the title is somewhat misleading, as the 14-day diet plan only includes eating a couple of squares of dark chocolate, or drinking a hot chocolate drink before bedtime, it does recommend an overall healthy eating and exercise plan. It also explains how to incorporate chocolate into your daily life without feeling guilty about it affecting your waistline.
What the nutritionist says: "The writers come from a strong nutritional background, evident in the recommended eating plan, which is balanced, straightforward and factual. There are some interesting facts on chocolate, but those who buy it expecting to munch on a family-size block of chocolate will be disappointed. However, there's good, solid dietary advice included."
Details: HarperCollins, $19.99.
"Lose weight, keep your lifestyle!" is the promise on the cover and the book actually delivers on this. Written by accredited practising dietitian Tara Diversi and accredited exercise physiologist Dr Adam Fraser, the book's basic concept is not to worry if you can't follow a diet to the letter - as long as you're doing the right thing the majority of the time, your health will improve and you'll lose weight. The eating plan concentrates on a high intake of vegetables and on dispelling food, exercise and diet myths. There's also a great section on personalising your exercise plan - again, anything is better than nothing. A great book if you're sick of feeling guilty every time you fall off the diet or exercise wagon.
What the nutritionist says: "It's a well-rounded book that looks at not just your diet, but your entire way of life. It's not a judgment diet bible like so many are. The emphasis is on educating people that doing just a little good for yourself (and others) is better than nothing. A great book by well-qualified authors. It's a good move towards educating people on how to have a happier attitude towards their health."
Details: Wiley, $29.95. Available in April.