The 3 Season Diet Book

Diet books can be a dime a dozen, but John Douillard, director of player development for the New Jersey Nets, has a refreshingly different approach to weight loss in The 3-Season Diet. He says to forget Dr. Atkins and the Protein Power folks and their pro-steak platforms; ignore Dean Ornish and the ultra-low-fat-diet bandwagon; and never mind Nathan Pritikin, the Diamonds' Fit for Life program, and Potatoes Not Prozac, with their diets high in complex carbohydrates. That is, unless the seasonal foods that are available naturally follow these plans. Douillard focuses on a brilliantly simple premise: we should eat with respect to nature's wisdom and fill our plates with whatever is fresh and abundant. Therefore, each of these three diet philosophies will work, but only for four months of the year. "Nature's blueprint for our nutrition is an annual cycle, not a daily one," he writes. "As the seasons blend into one another, we change the clothing we wear, the outdoor activities in which we engage, even the way we set our clocks. But how much thought do we ever give to changing the kinds of foods we eat?" Douillard says there's good reason for us to crave nuts, meat, and high-protein, high-fat foods in the winter, salads and berries in the spring, and fruits, veggies, and starches for summertime energy. This way of eating mirrors that of India's 5,000-year-old Ayurvedic system of medicine, although liberty has been taken to simplify this system for American readers (the vata, pitta, and kapha body types, for example, are changed to "winter," "summer," and "spring"). Once you determine your particular body type using the detailed questionnaire, you're led to targeted fat-burning exercises, an easy stress-reducing, energy-boosting breathing program designed to curb overeating, and seasonal recipes and grocery shopping lists. Douillard points out that in one study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, 99 percent of dieters gained back every pound they had lost within 3 to 5 years. Fortunately, unlike most other weight-loss plans, The Three Season Diet features a variety of foods, is simple to follow, is easy to stick with, and is much more likely to inspire long-term success. --Erica JorgensenRead More