If you aren’t familiar with Picture Perfect Weight Loss, it’s the creation of New York physician Dr. Howard M. Shapiro who’s groundbreaking first book Picture Perfect Weight Loss showed readers in full color detail how they could lose weight simply by swapping larger portions of low calorie foods for small portions of high calorie foods. For example, a one cup serving of granola with the same number of calories as 16 low-calorie Fudgesicles!
Dr. Shapiro’s new book Eat & Beat Diabetes with Picture Perfect Weight Loss: The Visual Program to Prevent and Control Diabetes
The “Look and Lose” section of the book has full color photos showing high calorie, low fiber meals and their low calorie, high fiber counterparts. For example, one page shows two slices of pizza with a total of 900 calories and 0 grams of fiber, and the facing page shows 1 slice of pizza, 1 1/2 cups of minestrone soup and a serving of antipasto with totals 600 calories and 12 grams of fiber. Instead of just a bowl of spaghetti with meat sauce, you can have a smaller portion of spaghetti with a sauce made with lots of veggies, plus a side of zucchini in tomato sauce, plus a big bowl of soup, PLUS a serving of antipasto and still take in less calories!
The book also includes a section of Eat & Beat Diabetes-friendly recipes from Celebrity Chefs like Lidia Bastianich (“Lidia’s Italy”), Eric Ripert of New York City’s Le Bernardin restaurant, and Lee Anne Wong from Season One of “Top Chef”. Finally, the book shows menus from both four-star restaurants like Le Cirque and Nobu, and chains like Chili’s, Denny’s, Outback Steakhouse and Olive Garden, with suggestions for what to order highlighted.
My one concern about this book is that Shapiro’s program completely eliminates beef and chicken as protein sources, instead promoting only seafood, fish and shellfish. It’s not always affordable or practical to purchase those, and they can be quite expensive. I wish the book had suggested ways to prepare beef and chicken so that they could be used as part of this program.
Before buying this book and trying this program, PLEASE talk to your endocrinologist first. Show him the book, the seven day sample menu, the recipes. I don’t want anyone trying this program because of this review and messing up their insulin levels! I had a diabetic Mother and I know how important balancing food intake with insulin is. So please promise me you’ll check with your doctor first before trying Dr. Shapiro’s program. I’m not a doctor and I’m not playing one on the Internet, either :)
disclosure: I received a copy of Eat & Beat Diabetes with Picture Perfect Weight Loss. This review contains my honest opinions.
You could try growing peas, beans and tomatoes on the road (if you have room) or wait till next season and can some of it and take it with you.