The California Wine Country Diet: Honest Help
The California Wine Country Diet, by Haven Logan, is the real deal.
It's a book about weight loss and weight management that actually covers all the bases. It makes no false promises, no eye-catching claims. Indeed - the book's cover is more like a coffee-table wine book than a glitzy diet book. I suspect there has been a deliberate choice not to embellish the book with hype.
Despite its unassuming cover, the Wine Country Diet contains a wealth of material. In some ways it's a shame that the title has the word "diet" in it, as the contents are so much more. Obviously the name is there as a pointer - this book is about weight loss - but diet makes up only one part of a much larger puzzle.
...this program is not a weight-loss program primarily, but a lifestyle program. So, as you read each example, be aware of how easy it is to slip back into the "old model" of dieting for a while and then returning to your old habits. (p. 61)
I read the Wine Country Diet after re-reading the South Beach Diet. Quite frankly the South Beach Diet (despite some of its sensible advice) seemed brief, shallow, and faddish compared to the Wine Country - where the advice is every bit as rich as the recipes are!
Five Aspects
Author Haven Logan addresses 5 primary aspects of weight management.- Nutrition
- Physical Activity
- Practicality
- Pleasure
- Relationships
- Variety
Each of these aspects are addressed with depth, and a real understanding (that obviously comes from Logan's background in psychotherapy). Most books cover nutrition, pay some attention to exercise, and leave it at that. However for many, this is not enough - and therefore they will try diet after diet.
Conscious Indulgence
One concept that stood out to me is that of conscious indulgence. Rather than eliminating foods that you really enjoy - conscious indulgence is a responsible way of allowing these foods in moderation. I've seen this principle work - when my wife decided to eliminate her favorite evening snacks - it drove her back into obsession, and on the edge of disordered eating. Now she has learnt to eat these same ('unhealthy') foods (but in moderation) and to get enough physical activity during the week to balance the equation.When you wake up in the morning, wouldn't you rather have one piece of exceptionally tasty raisin-walnut whole-wheat bread made by a local bakery than suffer through two pieces of reduced calorie bread that taste like cardboard? (p. 241)
Isn't this like the Sonoma Diet?
The Sonoma Diet was published a month after the Wine Country Diet and is backed with a significant amount of marketing dollars. The books bear similarities, but the Sonoma is very typical of many popular diet books - it has lots of padding. The Wine Country diet has real depth and attention to detail in comparison.Recommendations
I highly recommend this book to those who have been "on" and "off" diets, and those who keep trying the next thing, in the hope of finding the answer. This is not a book for someone who is a little overweight and has decided (for the first time) to trim down - but rather for those who have been up and down the "yo-yo" a few times.As in all self-help books - we must take the best advice, apply it, and leave the rest. There is no single prescriptive solution for every person. For example, the concept of weighing and measuring food is anathema to some - if this is you, then you must rapidly learn to be a good estimator of food portions. The Wine Country Diet talks a lot about practicality - which in some ways is more important than any magic macro-nutrient ratio. For example, if you eat out every day - then good nutrition is going to be a real challenge.
What do I need to accept about my (home environment, work environment, lifestyle) in order to be successful at weight loss and weight management? (p. 67)
The California Wine Country Diet by Haven Logan, Ph.D.
- A section with meal plans (based loosely on the 2005 USDA Dietary Guidelines, but with a lot creative Mediterranean flair - the foods are very similar to what I enjoy eating).
- A section with more practical recipes, and a section with chef-style recipes garnered from restaurants in the California wine region (for cooks only!).
- Extensive guidance regarding exercise (aerobic, anaerobic, and strength training), practicality (finding what works in your real life), relationships (support or sabotage?), pleasure (yes, it is okay to enjoy food!), variety (learning to pursue adventure).
- Learn about choosing and enjoying wines (although the book makes it quite clear that pure water is the best drink of all).
- All 368 pages are well-filled (making it difficult to provide a concise precis of the book!).
The book is available at Amazon.
The authors website can be found at CaliforniaWineCountryDiet.com .
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Thank you for the great review of this book. I'd never heard of it until now but it sounds like the type of book that could be a wonderful resource tool for life. Definitely worth checking out. ~Pam
Reply"...if you eat out every day - then good nutrition is going to be a real challenge." It depends on where you choose to eat. If you eat out every day, I'd say staying within your budget would be a bigger challenge than your nutrition!
ReplyI agree your review is right on, the book is not a formula, but an encouragement to eat well for life and loose weight by adapting and confronting your choices.
ReplyI have lost 8 lbs since starting to eat CWCD receipts.
Thanks
I'll look for this book. I have a question about the Sonoma Diet book, though, which I bought for the recipes after reading your review. Do you think there is any merit to the "Wave 1" idea that going cold turkey on refined carbohydrates and sugars for 10 days will "get you off the merry-go-round" and have some metabolic effect?
ReplyBoth books have a great set of Mediterranean-style, and real gourmet recipes. The CWCD has a section of recipes from restaurants in the region.
As for the Wave 1 idea, I tend to think that refined carbs and sugars have little place in any healthy diet - except in real moderation (the conscious indulgence idea).
As for "breaking addictions" - this a common feature in a number of diets (particularly South Beach). Quite frankly I'm not sure if there is any real science at all behind the idea. Why would you stop eating refined sugars cold turkey - just to start eating them again?
I'm not sure about any "metabolic" affect either. Certainly there will be a huge impact on blood sugar and insulin response (in a good way).
Breaking addictions with food is as much an emotional issue as it is a biological one (probably even more so).
ReplyThanks!
ReplyA quick comment; The "Sonoma Diet" is a short term fix to a long time problem. Like hundreds of other diets, the solution is to reduce fat intake, and processed foods. "da" calories in calories out. For excerise, just walk when ever you can,walk your dog, walk your cat, join a walking club. A steady pace 1/2 mile or so on a regular basis will do the trick. You will feel more alive, more oxygen in your blood will make your brain happier.
ReplyCWCD encourages one to eat good foods and be attentive to your health and long term goals for weight maintenance. The bottomline is to enjoy your life, the enjoyment of good health is directly related to eating organic, fresh foods when ever possible.
For those in the Northern climates, when not in season, eat the best frozen foods avaliable. Make an effort to read food labels.
It not that hard. Food is an intergal part of meeting our basic needs, enjoy it, eat well but be conscience of what your taking into your body.
Thanks
I just starting reading this book after hearing about it on this blog- excellent! The author knows her subject - no quick weight loss promised but I don't believe that hype anymore- it is just in the title to sell books.
ReplyI'll keep you updated but I recommend this book highly, it just doesn't have a big company behind it pushing it in your face like Sonoma or South Beach- and that is a very good thing!
I hope the author starts her own membership site I would sign up in a minute.Get it today- you'll be happy and healthy.
I'm on week 3 of the Sonoma Diet and have lost 10 lbs. This is the first diet that I've ever actually enjoyed. The recipes are fabulous and most are easy to make. It is important to wean yourself from the sugar craving if that's a weak area for you. I highly recommend this diet to anyone who loves good food and loves to cook!
ReplyMeredith, have you been hungry on this diet?
Reply