3 Responses

1. Jamie Scott

   2010 Oct 29 1

   Dr John Briffa has produced a fantastically written summary of where the nutrition world is heading. Completely supported by up-to-date science, clinical reasoning and experience, and plain old commonsense, Waist Disposal will be one of the best books you can read if you are serious about improving your health and well-being.

   Jamie Scott, Nutritionist.
   Rating: 5 / 5

2. Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Man

   2010 Oct 29 2

   Weight loss is big business these days with everybody and their momma sharing all the so-called “secrets” to permanently shedding the pounds to get their bodies into the best shape of their life. Unfortunately, much of the information that is put out there by what I’m sure are well-meaning authors and experts merely confuses the very people it seeks to help because it all seems to be full of extremely contradictory messages. Carbs are bad…no wait, now they’re good! Fat is bad for your heart…oops, now it’s not such a big deal. Exercise more to lose weight…well, maybe exercise isn’t so good for weight loss after all. Aaaaaaaaack! Will somebody please make it all stop?! The fact is we live in a day and age where knowledge is king and I believe that’s made us too smart for our own good. Obesity, especially around the tummy area, and chronic disease are still running rampant despite all of this with no end in sight to the skyrocketing rates. And men especially are dealing with runaway rates of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and worse as their bellies continue to grow larger and larger each year. As hard-headed as us males can be, all we want is straight-shooting guidance and direction found in a proven, effective plan that will produce results and can be methodically implemented into our daily lives. That’s where a leading UK physician named Dr. John Briffa comes in with his own unique philosophy for bringing about weight loss success that has already worked in literally thousands of his patients over the years. The basic guidelines that have worked for his male patients especially are now outlined in his latest book entitled Waist Disposal: The Ultimate Fat Loss Manual for Men.

   Dr. Briffa is a rare breed of physician who chooses to look at the nutritional and natural-healing remedies to solving the health issues of his patients first and foremost while the conventional wisdom being taught in medical schools around the world is to prescribe a pill for this, that and everything in between. It’s refreshing to see this approach being used and promoted by a highly-respected doctor and I do believe this is the future trend of the most effective medical professionals. The ones who desire to move more in this direction really should pick up a copy of Waist Disposal and devour it from cover to cover because Dr. Briffa does an outstanding job of correcting much of the blatant misinformation and outright lies they’ve been both taught and passed on to patients for many years. From the folly of calorie counting to the unnatural fear of dietary fat, it’s all laid out in 11 key principles that comprise the various chapters in the book. But this book isn’t written in a stuffy style just for physicians–it’s aimed at reaching the patient as well. Dr. Briffa is a very talented and engaging writer as a regularly contributor to various newspapers and magazines, including serving as the Observer Food Monthly feature columnist.

   So, what are these 11 principles? It pretty elementary to fans of recent bestselling health books like Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes and The New Atkins For A New You by Dr. Eric Westman, Dr. Jeff Volek, and Dr. Stephen Phinney. Here’s what each of them are in a nutshell:

   1. Body mass index (BMI) and how much you weigh are complete bunk!
   
   2. The quantity of calories isn’t as important as the quality of calories consumed.
   
   3. Insulin drives fat storage and carbohydrates drive insulin.
   
   4. Fat doesn’t make you fat and can actually be healthy.
   
   5. Protein satisfies appetite and grows muscle.
   
   6. Vegetables are a nutritious part of a healthy diet.
   
   7. If you’re hungry, then eat insuring you are “mindfully” engaged in the meal.
   
   8. Drink water as your primary fluid with coffee and tea as a backup.
   
   9. Walk briskly in short bursts daily and get regular resistance exercise.
   
   10. A positive attitude will go a long way towards making you successful.
   
   11. Living out the example of our ancestors will make us healthy for life!

   This is, of course, a very simplistic breakdown of Dr. Briffa’s 11 principles for producing fat loss, but the book provides further details on each of these concepts. In the early chapters you’ll be armed with a lot of background information that is quite science-oriented so that when you get to the later chapters with the practical advice you’ll know why you’re doing what you’re doing. It’s very important for readers to be educated about what makes this information so important so that the changes they make stick for life. However, if you are a seasoned veteran of healthy high-fat, moderate protein, low-carb living already knowing the “why” of what you do and just want to get straight to the “what” for tips on this lifestyle change, then you can begin in Chapter 7 and read to the end of the book.

   But I think everyone could stand to have a refresher course in why we eat the way we do from time to time. At the end of each chapter is a convenient “Back To Basics” section with bullet points to remember from each chapter. It’s the Cliff’s Notes version of the chapters you can peruse first to whet your appetite for what’s contained in the book. Dr. Briffa also has some gray box questions to ponder that will spur further thought on controversial yet vital issues like calorie-counting, low-carb vs. low-GI, is fat fattening, and so much more! Tidbits are delivered in easily-managed, chewable bites that your brain can absorb and be nourished by in more ways than one.

   Waist Disposal is most certainly a book about weight loss and health, but without all the slick marketing and hoopla that comes from the typical cut-your-calories-and-fat, exercise-til-you-drop, being-fat-is-your-fault books that dominate bookstore shelves these days. Buck the trend and prove to the naysayers that there is an alternative way to shedding the fat and getting into the best shape of your life. Dr. John Briffa lays it out all there for those who are willing to give it a shot!
   
   Dr. Briffa is a rare breed of physician who chooses to look at the nutritional and natural-healing remedies to solving the health issues of his patients first and foremost while the conventional wisdom being taught in medical schools around the world is to prescribe a pill for this, that and everything in between. It’s refreshing to see this approach being used and promoted by a highly-respected doctor and I do believe this is the future trend of the most effective medical professionals. The ones who desire to move more in this direction really should pick up a copy of Waist Disposal and devour it from cover to cover because Dr. Briffa does an outstanding job of correcting much of the blatant misinformation and outright lies they’ve been both taught and passed on to patients for many years. From the folly of calorie counting to the unnatural fear of dietary fat, it’s all laid out in 11 key principles that comprise the various chapters in the book. But this book isn’t written in a stuffy style just for physicians–it’s aimed at reaching the patient as well. Dr. Briffa is a very talented and engaging writer as a regularly contributor to various newspapers and magazines, including serving as the Observer Food Monthly feature columnist.

   So, what are these 11 principles? It pretty elementary to fans of recent bestselling health books like Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes and The New Atkins For A New You by Dr. Eric Westman, Dr. Jeff Volek, and Dr. Stephen Phinney. Here’s what each of them are in a nutshell:

   1. Body mass index (BMI) and how much you weigh are complete bunk!
   
   2. The quantity of calories isn’t as important as the quality of calories consumed.
   
   3. Insulin drives fat storage and carbohydrates drive insulin.
   
   4. Fat doesn’t make you fat and can actually be healthy.
   
   5. Protein satisfies appetite and grows muscle.
   
   6. Vegetables are a nutritious part of a healthy diet.
   
   7. If you’re hungry, then eat insuring you are “mindfully” engaged in the meal.
   
   8. Drink water as your primary fluid with coffee and tea as a backup.
   
   9. Walk briskly in short bursts daily and get regular resistance exercise.
   
   10. A positive attitude will go a long way towards making you successful.
   
   11. Living out the example of our ancestors will make us healthy for life!

   This is, of course, a very simplistic breakdown of Dr. Briffa’s 11 principles for producing fat loss, but the book provides further details on each of these concepts. In the early chapters you’ll be armed with a lot of background information that is quite science-oriented so that when you get to the later chapters with the practical advice you’ll know why you’re doing what you’re doing. It’s very important for readers to be educated about what makes this information so important so that the changes they make stick for life. However, if you are a seasoned veteran of healthy high-fat, moderate protein, low-carb living already knowing the “why” of what you do and just want to get straight to the “what” for tips on this lifestyle change, then you can begin in Chapter 7 and read to the end of the book.

   But I think everyone could stand to have a refresher course in why we eat the way we do from time to time. At the end of each chapter is a convenient “Back To Basics” section with bullet points to remember from each chapter. It’s the Cliff’s Notes version of the chapters you can peruse first to whet your appetite for what’s contained in the book. Dr. Briffa also has some gray box questions to ponder that will spur further thought on controversial yet vital issues like calorie-counting, low-carb vs. low-GI, is fat fattening, and so much more! Tidbits are delivered in easily-managed, chewable bites that your brain can absorb and be nourished by in more ways than one.

   Waist Disposal is most certainly a book about weight loss and health, but without all the slick marketing and hoopla that comes from the typical cut-your-calories-and-fat, exercise-til-you-drop, being-fat-is-your-fault books that dominate bookstore shelves these days. Buck the trend and prove to the naysayers that there is an alternative way to shedding the fat and getting into the best shape of your life. Dr. John Briffa lays it out all there for those who are willing to give it a shot!
   Rating: 5 / 5

3. D. Robinson

   2010 Oct 29 3

   Quite simply, this is by far best the health/weight loss book for a man that I’ve read (and I’ve read a few!). The theory is both useful and interesting, and, more importantly, the food guidelines are practical and understandable. I recommend it to any man who struggles with weight loss. I’m not a physician or health care professional but my sense is that Dr Briffa’s advice is consistent with what the nutritionists, who are really basing their advice on facts and not on conventional, are recommending.
   Rating: 5 / 5