Book Review: The APO E Gene Diet by Pamela McDonald

I am not really much of a diet fan, my weight has never been an issue, I have been a 148lbs dripping wet for the past 35 years. I eat whatever I want, when I want. But as Pamela McDonald explains diet is not merely a method for controlling weight, but has a significant influence on health and quality of life.

The world is full of fad diets, most of which make me cringe. I am sure it cannot be so, but it seems to me that a popular one preaches the virtues of meats and fats, while certainly meat and fat are important aspects of nutrition, I can hardly imagine that living on fried bacon would be a good way to lose weight and promote good overall health. Likewise a steady diet of cabbage soup would likely become somewhat monotonous after a couple of days.

Pamela McDonald takes a different approach, there is no one size fits all diet, different people need different things. Although all humans are intrinsically composed of the same material, the building blocks, our genes, are subtly different. In decoding our DNA researchers in recent years have found small inconsistencies in people's DNA that make them more susceptible to specific health conditions.

The author maintains that one particular part of a person's DND, something called the APO E gene, has much to do with how our body tolerates foods of different types. This gene comes in 8 varieties and depending in the variety the food requirements are different. This has little to do with weight loss, and has more to do with overall good health. Weight gain is not a 'problem' but rather a symptom. Diets are reactive rather than proactive, and a diet alone will not resolve the entire problem, it is merely one part of the larger picture.

Exercise has long been touted as a contributor to overall well being, not only does it act as a way to keep our parts in good working order, it also improves self esteem and that feeling of well being. Having a positive attitude also can combine to pave the way to better health.

I have to admit that parts of The APO E Gene Diet were a little heavy going, I appreciate that the author felt the requirement to back up her claims with some scientific data, but for the lay man it makes for some rather difficult reading.

The second half of the book is recipes, now this is something I do understand! What's not to love about food? She has created some very innovative dishes, and certainly more than one that had me feeling hungry just reading them.

My favorite of which is a very traditional English dish the Cornish Pasty. To many Americans it may sound like a pot pie, meat and vegetables encased in a pie crust, but it is so much more than that, it is a meal in itself. I loved the recipe, and as I haven't had a Cornish Pasty in 30 years I am going to be making them later today.

An interesting book and one that people should read, you can get your copy from Amazon.

(Originally published at Blogger News Network, and reprinted with permission of the author, Simon Barrett).