Books and diets

Thursday
I got a book yesterday from the library called Neris and India’s Idiot-Proof Diet. It’s a humorous and honest look at the food we eat, why we eat it and how to correct it. It’s a good easy read and much of it is what I know already written in an engaging way but it is too prescriptive. They are saying you have to do this or that, saying nothing will change unless you sort this out.
Saturday
I have finished the Neris and India book and have thought quite a lot about it and other diet schemes. First of all Neris and India advocate an Atkins style low carbohydrate diet. Their commitment and weight loss as outlined by the book is impressive. I felt with such a massive boost to weight loss so early on, it's a scheme that is pretty hard to ignore. However, all the key components of Phase 1 for this plan are things I could live without pretty much- meat, cream and butter. Fruit is very cautiously held at arm's length and I'm not a great fruit fan but I know the benefits of eating it. Potentially on this style of eating plan I could never eat a banana, apple or drink orange juice again. Alarm bells started ringing in the first stage of the plan when I was told I would need to buy several versions of multi-vitamins and supplements. Hang on, surely a balanced diet doesn't need these things? No a balanced diet doesn't but this isn't a balanced diet. Your diet would never be the same again on this scheme. This is for life. Similarly, vegetables are recommended so long as they are the right vegetables. It could be a permanent farewell to peas, sweetcorn and carrots. And my heart really sinks that you have to phase legumes and pulses in cautiously, again with the proviso that if you start gaining weight once they're introduced, you must stop eating them immediately and never re-introduce them.
Basically although there's science to back up that wonderful things are going on in your body, it's a diet that ultimately limits food choice which in turn reduces the number of calories take in. It's a calorie controlled diet with strict rules. OK well put that way, it loses even more appeal, just a variation on a theme.
If I were to select a diet that met my needs as a consumer, it would be one that encourages the person to eat as many fruit and vegetable portions a day. I would also like high protein intake via vegetarian choices, pulses, dairy, nuts and tofu. I would aim to limit refined wheat products and eat smaller amounts of potatoes, rice and pasta. I would want to use olive oil but not want to indulge too much in fatty foods, so lower fat. So far to me it sounds like a Mediteranean diet. I could do without the fish but I will eat it weekly as I know it's good for me.
Another diet that looked as though it could be up my street would be a macrobiotic one. I know for sure that Atkins would not suit me. It suits some but not me.
The book though is light hearted and amusing. If you're considering a low carb diet this book would do a good job of motivating you and encouraging you.