I enjoyed reading this book very much and am thankful it was given to me. I have had similar views about food and my own diet so I was immediately attracted to it.

Among other things I have taken away from the book is the idea that eating wholesome food is not about learning to grit my teeth and tolerate bad tasting things like vegetables and whole grains while heroically sacrificing the "delicious" fast foods and junk foods. It is about learning the truth that wholesome foods are actually the ones that taste good.

I especially liked that I felt convicted and inspired to change my eating habits. I have read some criticism that she says the same things over and over and does not provide more in depth knowledge, but for my part I don't think all the knowledge in the world will help me eat better. It is a matter of doing it, and of having the motivation to change, and I found the book encouraging and inspiring me to do so. I hope Tosca and others like her do say the same things, over and over and over again.

Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Diet is perfect for the person who can afford expensive, organic food, expensive fish and expensive meat, or for the person who wishes for their nutrition to be the focal point of their life. It's perfect for the bodybuilder or fitness competitor, because that is what these people do for a living: they sculpt their bodies to earn a living.

However, for the average person, this book can be summed up by this: No Processed Foods, No Salad Dressing, No Soda (diet or otherwise), Nothing to Drink but Water or Tea, No Salt, No Butter, No Sauces...Basically, Nothing That Makes Food Taste Good. Oh, and NO Cream in Coffee Either. Choke it down BLACK. And no Alcohol If You Can Help It. Yeah. Okay.

I honestly did this diet/lifestyle overhaul for about a month before realizing that this is no way to live. Let's face it; who wants to eat salad with no dressing, who wants to deny the occasional burger and fries? Tosca does have some good points; drink lots of water, eat lots of fruit and veggies, and because of this book I kicked my diet-soda habit and stated taking flaxseed, a ridiculously healthy supplement. But jeez; Tosca, on the rare occasion I go out to eat, I don't want to order a plain slab of chicken breast and plain steamed veggies with no sauce, butter or salt of any kind and then not even consider dessert. I'm going to order what I want, eat it slowly and savor every bite and stop when I'm full. My god, what fun is life if you have to plan each and every meal, pack a cooler everyday, and never eat another doughnut? Trust me; this diet is way too restrictive and frankly unrealistic. Her recipes are complicated and expensive: Parchment Baked Chicken? Quinoa? Can you even find these in the supermarket? And how much are they? I tell you, my grocery bills went up tenfold when I was eating this way. And let me tell you, LIFE kept getting in the way. I'm a college student. I go out for drinks with friends once a week or so, I go to ball games and savor a hot dog and a beer, and I love ketchup on my eggs.

You'd be better off listening to Paul McKenna, he of the "I Can Make You Thin" plan. For god's sake, eat when you are hungry (for me, it's when my tummy gets rumbly) and eat what you WANT whether that's a salad, pasta or a sandwich. Eat SLOWLY and consciously, stopping every few bites to check for saiety. If you think you can stop eating, then do so. Trust me; when you know that no foods are off limits, you'll feel no urger to binge on them and you'll feel no deprivation. I've been eating this way for barely a week, and my clothing is already looser and I'm happier than I ever was on Tosca's diet. Trust me; you don't need to be this strict to lose weight. Just watch portions, exercise, and stop eating when you're full. That's all there is to it.

I dont do diets. I think most are fads and generally restrictive and unhealthy. I've been an athelete my whole life, but horrible with food. I've never considered myself quite over-weight, but I've always felt that I could stand to lose a few lbs. I read about Tosca in Oxygen magazine and was intrigued by this whole Clean Eating thing. I realize that most of it is a no-brainer in terms of what is healthy and what is not - but for me, my lifestyle is what made my habits so unhealthy. I work in NYC - the home of the Mocha Latte and ordering out for lunch. I was in the gym 5 days a week working out hard, but not seeing the result I feel I should have. On top of that I was tired alot. I bought this book and decided to give it a shot.
It's hard at first, changing everything about my daily habits - the food I buy at the grocer - forcing myself to NOT order out everyday - skipping the Venti Mocha Latte - making myself actually COOK meals!!
It's been almost 6 weeks now- and it is mostly become HABIT - I have come to enjoy grocery shopping and cooking at night - it's part of my routine. My backpack filled with the days food (I leave home at 7am and am gone till 6pm so I need to bring alot with me) makes me feel like I'm working out as I climb the stairs from Penn Station and walk the 6 blocks to my office. I've lost almost 12 lbs, my clothes fit better, my skin is clearer, my hair looks healthier and I am getting leaner all the time. All of my friends have taken notice and told me how great I look! I even quit smoking (my last vice)!!
I realize that all food plans do not work for all people - you have to be motivated, and have patience and the willingness to change your thinking.
If I had one negative thing to say about this book, its the title - this is NOT a Diet - it is a LifeStyle Change - and completely worth it!!

I have done weight watchers for years and yo-yoed, now that I'm eating clean, I'm not craving food like I was. I love how Tosca teaches and how informative she is.I feel like I'm treating my body the way I'm supposed to.

I started my road down eating clean by accident but a very lucky accident indeed!

I left the doctor's office and had gained a good deal more weight than I thought I had. He didn't say I should lose weight. As a weight lifter and someone who works out, I tend to not show extra weight like some. But that doesn't mean I shouldn't lose weight.

So on my way home, I stopped at my favorite grocery store and bought a book put out by "Men's Fitness" magazine. I stocked up on the foods it recommended (some I had never eaten before) and in one month I had lost close to ten pounds and felt great. Oh, did I mention I was never hungry? (In all fairness, I must tell you I log my calories and don't go over what I should eat.) It was a book on clean eating.

So I bought this book, "The Eat-Clean Diet" and read it all. I had already read most of the material in the previous book. But this book suggests sea salt. The first book I read recommends no salt for the most part. Of course, bodybuilders don't like salt as it tends to bloat you. I don't like much either so I still use very little but do use sea salt from time to time. With the right spices, you don't need salt.

At any rate, I found the recipes much harder to prepare and shop for than the previous book. I'm sure they're wonderful. But, I'm not a cook. So too many ingredients confuses me. The kitchen is not my favorite room.

There are not many recipes in the book. But this is not a cookbook. It basically explains the eating plan. And it's a wonderful plan! You can eat just about everything and create so many exciting dishes out of such items as plain yogurt and fat free sour cream and other things.

I recommend both the eat clean diet and this book.

- Susanna K. Hutcheson

There's no real gimmick here- Reno just wants you to eat natural foods- kind of a no brainer! It's an easy read with pictures and easy tips throughout, but it's enjoyable and not daunting! If you've tried more complicated diets like Zone or Weight Watchers, this will be a welcomed reprieve, but if you're looking for a little more thought- try my favorite diet/nutrition book, The Evolution Diet.

Recommended

I had been feeling starved for the last 10 years or so, struggling constantly to maintain my ideal weight of 120lbs. I stood on the scale at least once a day and adjusted my eating accordingly, skipping meals to make up for a few ounces of weight. Finally tired of all this, I began searching for a permanent lifestyle change. No matter how much I worked out, I just couln't get my body to become toned and lean. I looked good in clothes but abhored the way I looked in a bathing suit. I always thought I was eating healthy by eating low fat and fat free products, severly limiting my caloric intake, and cutting carbs. Of course I felt like I was starving and would often binge on the weekends, gaining 4-6 lbs, and have to work all week to get back down. When I began my research, I started looking at what the people did that I wanted to look like. They called it "eating clean". Then I looked for a book to read while I rode the elliptical at the gym and found this one. In 10 days, I had lost 5 lbs and just had a ton of energy that I had never had before! I literally saw results within a few days and have lost inches now while feeling full constantly and eating food that tastes good! An added advantage was the regularity I know experience after suffering with chronic constipation my whole life. I know that I'm doing something great for my body and my life and would highly recommed at least trying this lifestyle for a couple of weeks, weighing and taping at the beginning, and at the end. You will be astounded.

This book is based on the author's journey from obesity to health, which she accomplished by eating 5 or 6 small meals per day, eliminating processed foods, and doing her exercise program. From this perspective, the author presents a lifestyle for achieving health and weight loss using nutrition and meal frequency.

The Eat-Clean Diet encourages you to eat 5 to 7 meals per day. The diet's emphasis is on combining carbohydrates with lean protein and eating healthy fats and carbohydrates. You are not restricted to food groups and can have protein, fat, and carbohydrates, although it is primarily low-fat. The author provides more than 30 recipes with photos and two weeks of menus. While the book focuses on nutrition and frequent eating, it explains that strength training is important so you can build lean muscle tissue. The book also encourages you to drink plenty of water, take vitamins and supplements, use healthy herbs, limit coffee and tea, and eat a healthy breakfast. The book includes lists for shopping and what foods to have on hand.

This book should be helpful for someone starting out, as it provides information and ideas. Eating frequent small meals is an interesting strategy often suggested for weight control that has its converts and success stories. One consequence of this strategy is the time and attention spent on food and food preparation. Author of THE 3:00 PM SECRET: Live Slim and Strong, Live Your Dreams

The Eat Clean Diet Book by Tosca Reno is very informative. It is more a way of eating than dieting. It is the way we SHOULD be eating! I found this book very informative and helpful in choosing foods to eat clean. I would recommend it.

this was a very easy book to read and understand and it wil teach you new strageties to a healthier you.

She tells it like it is, eat veggies and lean meats. But better than that, she tells you why it works, and how to make it a real, lifetime, goal for yourself. Since she has been 200 lbs before, it is easier to hear it from her. She knows how hard it can be to loose the weight, and she did it when she was 40.

Great, full color book. Lots of great facts to understand why it's important to eat clean.

The Eat-Clean Diet: Fast Fat-Loss That Lasts Forever! sounded to me like a perfect diet book. Before I even saw the book I googled author Tosca Reno, who at 46 is a fitness model, writes a column for Oxygen magazine, has written several books, and looks fabulous. Reno's story is remarkable.

Born in Ontario, Reno was raised in a healthy eating home. Lots of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables - very little sugar and processed foods. She was fine through high school, but found in college that the more that was going on in her life the worse her eating habits became, and they stayed that way through the birth of her three daughters. Suddenly at 40 Reno weighed over 200 pounds and needed to get her life back under control. So she began Eating Clean and exercising, lost the weight, and as she puts it, "I got the body I thought only "Hard Bodies" could own."

This sounds good so far, and the claims on the book's cover sound even better: "Fast FAT LOSS that lasts forever!" "Never go hungry." "Eat the foods you LOVE!" And my personal favorite, "The ONLY sure way to FAST HEALTHY FAT LOSS!"

Laid out like a magazine with lots of bright color, sidebars, and photos, I found The Eat-Clean Diet very appealing until I really started reading. I am of the opinion that restrictive diets do not work, since most of us do not have the wherewithal to stick with such programs long term. I also believe that the only way to lose weight and keep it off is to eat what we love in reasonable portions with a bit more balance. In other words, eat less!

Reno's plan focuses on fresh produce, fresh whole grains, fresh lean protein, lots of exercise, and supplements. While the diet is certainly not bad for you, it is not new and most people will find it restrictive. When I hear "Eat the Foods you LOVE!" I think pizza and ice cream, not flax seed, millet, and All-Bran®. And here in the Caribbean I cannot always get these foods. For two weeks we had no brown rice in the store, so it wasn't even an option.

Reno exercises five or six days per week with a lot of aggressive weight training. Again, most people do not want to do this. Exercise needs to happen, but again one needs to meet people where they are and allow them to slowly gain a comfort level with the gym and exercising. Regarding supplements, she advises such unproven additions as creatine and MSM, which I question the need for.

This diet obviously worked for Tosca Reno and she is her own best testimonial. But do not be tricked into thinking this is an easy-to-handle non-restrictive diet plan. Expect to be hunting down groceries, carrying food with you just in case there is no clean food available, constantly ordering "off the menu" in restaurants, and spending a lot on supplements.

And trust me as a fitness professional, there are other ways to healthy weight loss!

OMG I can't believe how awful this book is. PLEASE don't waste your money unless you want to see pretty pictures of some skinny woman telling you to eat only oatmeal, fish and egg whites with no science behind it whatsoever. I have purchased dozens of diet books and this is by far the worst. If you want a similar diet book written with testimonials and medical backup, try the Abs Diet or South Beach Diet, both are about the same as far as what you can eat, but at least they are assuming the audience has more than one ounce of intelligence. I feel extremely cheated.

I agree with another reviewer who mentions the overall calorie intake may be to high if you're not committed to the weight training part.

I have already been eating clean, preparing/packing/eating small meals through the work day, and committed to walking, but i was being more liberal with eggs, nuts, and good fats.

Tosca talked me into oatmeal every morning, which i'm happy with, lowering my fat intake a bit, and doing a little something with my muscles every day.

i plan to return to whole eggs more often once i reach goal, though, because i believe it's an ideal food, and i need the brain boost! currently mixing egg white powder into my oatmeal instead for now.

I haven't read this book all the way through yet. But what I've read so far is good. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to make a lifestyle change in their eating habits. This book is interesting and informative and a good read. There are also recipes, in this book, to help you lose the weight. The lady knows what she's talking about.

The plan in the book is intense and I would think the plan would would be hard for someone who is new to nutrition/fitness. It's more of a cold turkey kind of plan than a gradual one in which you change small things about your lifestyle day by day to reach your goals. This is about drastically changing your diet and encorporating both cardio and weight training. For some people that can be a lot to grasp. For others, it is the perfect solution and they can put all their focus into it and succeed.

What she writes in the book is true: If you eat clean and do cardio and strength train you will absolutely lose weight and keep it off. You will benefit from doing exactly what the book says to do. However, it requires huge lifestyle changes. It's hard core. Hard core changes for hard core results! But sometimes that doesn't work for everyone because it requires so much change at once.

The advice in the book is good but is not practical for everyone. Take what you want from it and use it towards your own fitness and diet plan. It's good to educate yourself and choose what is best for you.

For me personally, I cut a lot of the recommended portion sizes down to something that is better for me. I find some of the daily meal plans to be really healthy but they are higher in calories than I really want to be eating. Tosca Rena weight trains and if you are not weight training then you may not need all the calories she recommends eating. I agree with eating every few hours to keep your metabolism high and to not feel so hungry, because this will keep you from screwing up. I also agree with preparing your foods ahead of time and even carrying them around with you in a cooler if you are constantly around foods that are going to screw up your goals. It's important to be prepared. This book does a great job of breaking down what to buy at the grocery store, how to store your foods, and other behaviors that will help with clean eating.

I think this is a great book with a lot of useful, helpful information in regard to diet and fitness. The language in the book is easy to read and is sometimes humorous, which is nice. It's easy to follow along and it's a quick read.

It's worth buying and worth having but I don't agree with everything written in the book. I use bits and pieces from the book to create my own nutrition and fitness plan. It will give you a lot of ideas on how to get started and I think the Eating Clean concept is a very good one. It will get rid of the junk food you've probably been eating and get you to eat things that actually benefit you. It also encourages exercise through cardio and weight training. It DOES work but it requires a huge committment and lifestyle change that sometimes can be intimidating or hard to do.

The Eat-Clean Diet promises you will lose weight, increase your metabolism, eat a lot of food, and never go hungry. The book promises all this will happen fast including the weight loss.

The diet involves eating 5 to 7 meals per day and provides more than 30 recipes with photos. You are not restricted to food groups and can have protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Nevertheless, do not expect a high-fat diet. The diets' emphasis is on combing carbohydrates with lean protein and eating healthy fats and carbohydrates. Also included are 2 weeks of menus.

While the book focuses on nutrition and frequent eating, it explains that strength training is important so you can build lean muscle tissue. The book is based on the author's journey from obesity to health, which she accomplished by eating 5 or 6 small meals per day, eliminating processed foods, and doing her exercise program. She also discusses drinking plenty of water, taking vitamins and supplements, using healthy herbs, limiting coffee and tea, eating a healthy breakfast, and eating out at restaurants. The book includes lists for shopping and what foods to have on hand.

Basically, the book presents a lifestyle for achieving health and weight loss using nutrition and meal frequency. It should be helpful for someone starting out as it provides information and ideas. Eating frequent small meals is an interesting strategy often suggested for weight control that certainly has its converts and success stories. The down side is an extraordinary amount of time and attention focused on food and food prep during one's day and life. I also recommend THE 3:00 PM SECRET: Live Slim and Strong, Live Your Dreams

The Eat-Clean Diet promises you will lose weight, increase your metabolism, eat a lot of food, and never go hungry. The book promises all this will happen fast including the weight loss.

The diet involves eating 5 to 7 meals per day and provides more than 30 recipes with photos. You are not restricted to food groups and can have protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Nevertheless, do not expect a high-fat diet. The diets' emphasis is on combing carbohydrates with lean protein and eating healthy fats and carbohydrates. Also included are 2 weeks of menus.

While the book focuses on nutrition and frequent eating, it explains that strength training is important so you can build lean muscle tissue. The book is based on the author's journey from obesity to health, which she accomplished by eating 5 or 6 small meals per day, eliminating processed foods, and doing her exercise program. She also discusses drinking plenty of water, taking vitamins and supplements, using healthy herbs, limiting coffee and tea, eating a healthy breakfast, and eating out at restaurants. The book includes lists for shopping and what foods to have on hand.

Basically, the book presents a lifestyle for achieving health and weight loss using nutrition and meal frequency. It should be helpful for someone starting out as it provides information and ideas. Eating frequent small meals is an interesting strategy often suggested for weight control that certainly has its converts and success stories. The down side is an extraordinary amount of time and attention focused on food and food prep during one's day and life, which may wind up making people who are caught on the diet merry-go-round even more obsessed with food than when they started. An alternative approach to this one would be THE 3:00 PM SECRET: Live Slim and Strong, Live Your Dreams

Love this book. It is inspiring and written in an very fun, user-friendly way. If I need some motivation, I'll go back and flip through a section to get back on track.

Highly recommend !

The book is awful. There's nothing new or differ about this book. It was hard to understand and to follow. She is not teaching you how to live a healthy life, but to live her's. There was nothing I like about this book.

The Eat-Clean Diet: Fast Fat-Loss that lasts Forever!

Fantastic book! I already knew the basics of eating healthy and exercise but needed that extra bit of knowledge that Tosca gives you. It's an easy read that I could not put down and feel so much better in myself through Clean Eating. Tosca comes across as a normal woman that wants to share her story and at the same time teach others about the benefits of healthy eating and exercise, her before and after pictures are amazing, a true inspiration. Can't wait to get the cookbook!

This is a great book with tons of info for the beginner healthy eater. If you are already knowledgeable about healthy eating and working out then most of the information is not new, and will seem like common sense. The recipes are really good and most are actually easy and do able for anyone with a fast paced lifestyle. Reading about Tusca is really motivating and an overall great bedside table book.

Lots of helpful information and I love the inclusion of lots of images and visuals.

I thought this book would be "groundbreaking" and would give me solid guidance in changing my dietary habits. Instead, I found that the whole book it written in small, disjointed blurbs...like a huge magazine. There was nothing new...nothing in-depth...it was all gloss...superficial...like a giant re-hash of, say, Oxygen magazine articles. Blah. A waste of money.

This is the 3rd copy I've bought of this book, maybe the 4th, for myself and other people. I've also bought the cookbook. Amazing food, losing weight and never hungry. I definitely could eat this way forever and not lose anything but my flab.
Love Tosca Reno!

If you're looking for a "get thin quick" book, this isn't for you. It's just good common sense from someone who's lived it.

This book is a feast for the eyes, heart, and soul as well as the mind. Gorgous photos and layout, easy to read, with just plain good advice.

Sure, we have seen this info before, but not in this way. This book motivates without being "motivational."

Out of the best selling health advice books on the market I've read so far, including "You, " and "Bob Greene", this one is my favorite bar none. Thanks Tosca! And all the best!

I bought this book after deciding to lose weight. I thought it would work really fast by being restrictive of food. I was wrong. Not about losing weight... I lost 4 lbs the first week and a half (I only had ten to lose). My husband and I decided to "stick it out". We thought the food was delicious. As a nurse, the "science" behind it makes sense. You do not feel starved... ever. The hard part is the planning. By nature, I am not an organized person. That takes an adjustment as well as all of the cooking it requires. I've now been eating clean about a month, and we are still so happy with how we eat, how we look, and how we feel. As a side note, I ate free pizza at work one day and ended up with a cold the very next day. It's amazing how well your body works when it is free of junk, and how quickly it rebels when you try to add junk into it. I also highly recommend the Eat-Clean Diet cookbook. I made the vegetarian bean chili to my meat-and-potatoes type family. My four-year-old ate three bowls, and she is soooo picky! My husband and I loved it, too!

The only reason that it didn't receive five stars is because the cooler menus are confusing. If you buy the book, you'll see what I mean!

This book is great. It just makes so much sense. I have been on this new way of eating for just over a month and have lost one size in my jeans already. I won't get on the scale because this seems to be self-defeating for me. I'm also not considering this to be a "diet", a temporary thing. This is the way I hope to continue to eat if I want to stay healthy and live a long life. What has also been a help to me is the muffin recipe on the Bob's Red Mill Flax Meal package. This is my snack. You can mix it up by adding bananas, orange peel and lots of other ideas. Very healthy. Give them both a try.
PS: I added up my calories yesterday and without even trying I was at about 1200. My sugar switch has been turned off!!! Oh happy days. I now crave healthy foods.

It is a great guide to learn how to eat properly and keep yourself in a good shape.

Very Informative. Eating cleaning is easier than I thought.The Eat-Clean Diet: Fast Fat-Loss that lasts Forever!

After losing 70 pounds (on another plan)I got to a point where I was looking for a life long plan that will help me create a healthy way of living. A friend recommended Tosca's books and all I can say is I'VE FOUND IT! After this book arrived I picked it up and within the first hour I was convinced this was exactly what I'd been looking for. Eating clean makes the most sense to me and after following it for a week, I've never felt better, never had any hunger and for the first time in my life, my body feels like a car that has just been given the right kind of gas to run efficiently.

If you're interested in developing a healthy lifestyle, I would strongly recommend looking into this plan.

Eating Clean is an amazing way of life. There is nothing hard about this diet, just give it a try and you will see results. We make things harder than they seem because of our love and addiction for fatty comforting food. Change your way of thinking and your body will follow.Then you will see amazing results!

I absolutely love this book! I know that what she tells us are things we should already know but it is a great motivator to get us on the right track or back on the right track if we have fallen off the wagon. If you don't feel the reminder serves any purpose for you at least get the cookbook. I cook many of her recipes and pack them for my 12 hours shifts at work. No more excuses ... the food is great, good for you, and EASY to make ....

If you are looking for a quick fix, then this book is not for you. If you think you are a know it all, then this book is not for you. If you lack a open mind and discipline, then this book is not for you. However, if you are tired of being unhealthy, truely ready to change your life, and willing to apply the basic principals of eating cleaning then this book is a must have. Yes, there are several things in the book you may have heard before. I also purchase Oxygen every month and there is some duplication in the information provided, but this is because it really works. Besides, you can never hear too much of a good thing. Let's face it America is dangerously obese and could stand to hear about making healthy life style choices 24 hours a day. After I reading this book, I cleaned out my kitchen and made a fresh start. It has been 4 months and I have lost 40 pounds. I feel better than I have ever felt in my entire life. No, it wasn't easy at first. I will admit that reading about what I had to elimante from my diet was a little discouraging, but I made a choice. I decided if I couldn't live without sugars and bad fats then I needed to be prepared not live very long. After 4 months of eating cleaning, I can't imagine eating any other way. Greasy fatty foods no longer have any appeal to me. Watching individuals chow down on this type of poison only makes me feel sorry for them because they don't realize what they are doing to their bodies. Don't get me wrong I do treat myself one meal a week, but I will never go back to stuffing my face with processed or fast food every meal. Whenever I find myself discouraged I email Tosca and she always responds promptly with great advise and encouragement. Don't let the negative reviews of this book stop you. The ones who wrote those reviews were probably looking for some type of quick fix magic formula. Newsflash...there isn't one. If you are ready to make a difference start eating clean. Toscas does a great job of telling you how to do that. Happy reading.

I am a health freak. Now, because I have a highly addictive personality, I continue to buy these books to refer to and re-iterate everything I do on a daily basis. We all know, once you lose the weight, keeping it off is the hardest part! I have been successful for 3 years and keep these books around like having a sponsor. I just bought her second book The Eat Clean Diet recipe book and I love it more then ever. The recipes are easy and help with a boring weekly schedule of dinners. I tried a couple of soup recipes and pasta and the breakfast ones are my favourite! I suggest this book for anyone looking to lose, keep weight off and/or new recipe ideas that are very healthy. Be well and be positive!

There are diet fads, and then there's just plain sound nutritional advice.. Tosca Reno's The Eat-Clean Diet: Fast Fat-Loss that lasts Forever! falls squarely in the second camp. There's not much here that would be new to anyone who has read a number of nutrition books in the past. But if you're looking to modify your diet to be more healthy and lose excess poundage, then this would be a good way to go about it.

Contents:
My Invitation to You; Clean Eating - A Funny Things Happened; Reno-vate Your Metabolism; Hydration - Water Everywhere; Breakfast - A Really Important Meal; Turn Your Back on Haute Cuisine; Taking It With You; Eat-Clean Kids; Ordering Out; Cheating - A Learning Experience; Supplements and Superfoods; Eat-Clean Menus; Eat-Clean Recipes; Clean Eating Q&A; Credits; Index

The book starts out, as most diet books do, with the story of how Reno went from a 200+ pound mess to a cover model who looks far younger than her actual age. She did this by following an "Eat Clean" philosophy. These principles, such as eating 5 to 6 smaller meals each day and avoiding overly processed foods, coupled with exercise led her to a body transformation that most of us would only dream about. Throughout the book, she shares the rationale behind her food advice, as well as offering up assistance when it comes to making wise choices to follow this same type of program. The combination of encouragement and wise choices makes for a solid eating plan that *will* be effective when it comes to losing weight.

I appreciated the fact that there wasn't an on-going sales pitch to buy a certain brand of vitamins or supplements that she just happens to sell. I've seen far too much of that, almost to the point that the book becomes a 200 page infomercial. She also has a style that works well to her target audience. She holds out hope to those who are struggling like she was. It does take awhile to figure out what she means by "eating clean", as there's no "here's the program, now I'll expand on everything" intro. I also see that many people might find her program hard, as the element of choice is where plenty of defeat happens (at least it is for me). You really do need to make wise choices within the framework for this all to come together at the end.

But having said that, it's still a solid read to help someone overcome the typical American diet.

Tosca Reno`s book offers interesting diet ideas. Her book includes recipes and a diet plan at the end. The diet plan suggests that people eat no more than six meals per day.

Although some of the book's suggestions are not new - such as eat vegetables, fruits, whole grains, don`t skip breakfast, drink plenty of water, and so on, she offers a personal experience standpoint, which is quite important.

Reno's book has a good and accessible structure, and includes nice pictures. It is easy to read, especially because it does not present scientific or medical facts.

First, Reno tells her story so the readers know that if she could do it, so could anyone else. Her story is really motivating: how a woman of 200 pounds and mother of three, managed to become a fitness model at the age of forty.

For those who want to start a clean eating lifestyle, this book can help set up the basics. It may be especially helpful to readers who are starting a diet for the first time, or need to get better organized.
In her book, Reno recommends a low-glycemic diet plan that is expected to have the same or even better than the low-carb diets. The author uses references from several works of respected dietitians like Philip Goglia or Oz Garcia.

People who have read Tosca Reno`s articles before will recognize her style, and likely find it useful.

More and more of us are trying to understand the health and beauty benefits of "eating clean" and this book is a great way to acquire the knowledge. Everyone can achieve it and this shows you how easy it is!!

I have been a fan of Tosca's after reading her articles in Oxygen magazines. I am not dissing the book as I did not put forth the effort to moditify my diet to that leve. However, I am sure it would work if you are willing to conform to a strict diet. wonderful illustraions and slick presentation. Just don't waste your time, if you aren't willing to accept and adhere to these strict food guidelines.

If you have ever read Oxygen Magazine (and if you're interested in this book--you probably have) don't waste your time with this. Instead, pick up the Winter 2007 Clean Eating Collector's Edition of Oxygen Magazine. You will find the same recipes, the same question and answers from Tosca, and the exact same advice. This is nothing new whatsoever and a complete rip off. I'm not the first to say it. Check out the other one star reviews.
She spends nearly the entire book expounding information you likely already know and gives you a whole two week eating plan. I'm beginning to think that both Tosca and her husband Robert Kennedy (yes, the publisher of Oxygen magazine) are only out to do one thing: make money any way they can--even if that means churning out the exact same info time and time again.

Most of this book's recommendations are familiar to me now that I've been reading and experimenting with healthy cookbooks for a while. It's a bit more stringent on the no-fat requirement than I'm used to, but it's all about good carbs, good fats, and combining carbs with lean protein to keep us feeling full. Where Agatston's South Beach Diet recommends three meals with careful snacking between, Ms. Reno replaces that with five or six small meals spaced throughout the day.

So what's new? What makes The Eat-Clean Diet a worthwhile addition to the stacks of diet books and healthy eating books already out there?

For one, it includes great lists of pantry goods, produce, etc. with which to fill your cupboards and refrigerator. It makes it easier to get into the swing of having enough yummy, healthy food around to keep you full and satisfied. For those people who don't yet understand all the information out there on processed sugars, saturated fats, etc., it introduces those concepts in nice, easy language aimed at your average person.

Tosca's cheerleading excitement and enthusiasm, while a bit jarring at first if you aren't into that sort of thing, is actually pretty infectious after a while, perhaps because it's tempered with helpful information as well as personal experience and doesn't feel empty.

About a third of the way into the book I realized why the book cover so closely resembles fad diet books. Tosca includes several stories of people approaching her wanting to know her "secret" to looking incredibly fit over 40 (lest you think she's one of those easily-skinny people, she lost the weight by getting fit and changing her eating habits just like the rest of us need to). These people inevitably believe there's some sort of magic pill, or a particular food they should eat or avoid (ie, a fad diet they should follow), and have difficulty believing the key is simply to eat the right foods.

Given her loathing of fad diets, I believe she deliberately wanted the book designed so that all these people who are looking for quick answers would pick up her book instead, and finally hear the things they really need to hear. After all, the people she most wants to reach are those who have been misled into thinking that fad diets are good.

One of the things that sets this book apart is the recipes. I admit that while her ideas are great, I found myself dubiously eying the pictured plates of raw veggies with no dressing and the like. I was afraid that her recipes would be similar---healthy, but lacking in any real appealing flavor.

Then we tried a recipe for parchment-baked fish that was absolutely delicious! The flavors came together perfectly in one of those recipes that's somehow more than the sum of its parts. (And I'm not the biggest fish fan in the world, particularly white-fleshed fish.) While this book doesn't include a huge number of recipes, it certainly gives you plenty of ideas, and it also includes two full-week menus from morning to night to get you started.

It was an easy read but as other reviewers mentioned it was pretty basic. It was helpful to have and for the great price of $11 and some change I did not feel disapointed with my purchase.

Since reading this book and applying the principles to my life, I've lost 25 pounds this year without even trying. I eat more food than ever before. The food is easy to buy at any grocery store and I even cheat a little and the weight just falls off. Its really great, after 12 years of post-pregnancy fat I'm looking slim & trim again. It really stablized my blood sugar and keeps me running strong all day long. My husband, a confirmed meat-eater, even enjoys the recipes I cook out of this book and the new Eat Clean Cookbook. THANK YOU TOSCA FOR WRITING THIS BOOK!

The Eat Clean Diet provides a simple way of life that will enable you to maintain your figure and your health. It's written simply and clear. It works, too. If you follow it, you will lose weight. Some of it is common sense, some of it is not. If you get off track, just start over again. Tosca is very motivating. Although, it was extreme at some points; it was very straightforward. I also purchased the Eat Clean Cookbook.

I don't like to cook - nor do I make time to do it. I'm 33 and have two sons (2 1/2 years old & 6 months). Hubby and I are GOING to "lose the baby weight" so I decided to purchase Tosca Reno's new cookbook. I subscribe to Oxygen so I'm somewhat familiar with her background.
I made my first trip to the store to purchase ingredients for 6 of the cookbook recipes. I cannot believe how inexpensive (except for the tenderloin, but worth it) the items were! The items were easy to find (most of the items I purchased were either in the produce section or the bulk food area).
Between dealing with my kids tonight (baths, books and bed) I managed to make the Vegetarian Chili (even with the roasted garlic) and it's fantastic!! It was so easy! I love it! I also added a few shakes of Ancho Chili powder because I love the smokiness of it. It's going to freeze easily in portion-correct sizes which will help since that is one of my eating issues. It'll be extremely handy to take to work or have for a quick dinnerI'm going to make the Crock-Pot Porridge tonight so I have something warm for my 2 1/2 year old and I to eat in the morning.

Thanks, Tosca!!

The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook: Great-Tasting Recipes That Keep you Lean

This book is great. It puts clean eating in plain simple terms that is easy to understand and easy to follow. It makes sense.

Much of the same stuff you hea about all the time, in reference to keeping the metabolism "fired up". I would have like to seen more of the known benifits to each fruit and vegtable specifically but it wasnt broken down in detail. All in all its a step in the rite direction for anyone looking for a healthy way of life. Though i can tell you the whole book in 2 lines .....Eat six square meals, and dont eat food that man had a role in producing, striclty all natural and you'll loose weight!

This book has changed my life!

I have lost 65 pounds in the last 2 years, but I hit a plateau about 6 months ago. My boyfriend is a personal trainer and heard about this book- he brought it home and things haven't been the same since!

We cleared out our kitchen and bought all fresh food- our refrigerator is now always full of fruit, veggies, and the many meals I make.

We ate low fat but, after reading this book, realized that "low fat" does not mean "healthy". The stuff we were eating was processed and the ingredient lists were FULL of unpronouceable words. We were eating crap! Low fat, but crap none the less!

Don't get me wrong- this is not easy at first. It's a little expensive at the beginning- getting pretty much all new food for the kitchen adds up, but once you have the basics the cost drops dramatically! We also noticed that we are saving a LOT of money by not eating out as much. We didn't realize how much we were spending on take-out!

I had a hard time at first 'cooking'. The stuff I made before was processed, instant stuff- frozen stir frys and such. It was quite an adjustment cooking real meals from scratch. My boyfriend works 2 jobs and I work LONG hours every day as a 911 operator. It was very difficult to find time to cook, but now its a routine and I don't even think of it as a chore. Come to find out... I LOVE to cook. Who knew?! I cook now on my days off- I make enough meals (usually 3-5 different dishes) to last a week and we take our little coolers full of food to work and eat throughout the day. It makes it really easy and takes the guesswork out of it. Now we never have the problem of "there's nothing to eat" at our house! We have also found that fresh, homemade food tastes a LOT better than what we used to eat. Both of us agree that the stuff we used to love just doesn't taste good anymore- it tastes fake. We don't even want to eat out like we used to because it doesn't taste right!

I am finally leaning out after my long plateau and my boyfriend (who had a fantastic physique anyway) is looking better than ever! I feel great, have more energy, and have not been sick ONCE since beginning this plan. This coming from the girl that used to catch EVERY bug that went around. I guess my immune system has been boosted by eating such fresh, healthy, nutrient dense food. It's been pretty nice! We do, however, have a "cheat day" once a week. Where before cheat day would be a pizza or something like that, now it basically means a dessert. Neither of us have any desire to gorge ourselves on greasy food. Our tastes have changed quite dramatically.

We are looking to get married and start a family within the next year. I am SO glad we made this change in our lives. I'll feel much better having a baby knowing that it will grow up with good, healthy eating habits. Hopefully he/she will be healthy and not have to deal with the weight issues that I did growing up. We will be eating like this forever- even after I make my weight goal. This really is not a "diet", it's a lifestyle. This is how people SHOULD be eating- the good stuff that God gave us, not man-made "convenience" food. This is not just for people that want to lose weight- it's for anyone that wants to make a positive change in their life and wants to be healthier.

I have read a lot of these reviews and a common theme among the mediocre-negative reviews is that it's "hard". Yes, it is... at first. If you stick it out for 2-3 weeks and force yourself to just make it work, you will find that it becomes a LOT easier. A *LOT* easier. You just have to stick with it and make a commitment- a commitment to yourself to be heatlhier and happier.

I can't recommend this book enough!


PS: I saw some people write that they want something to make them lose weight NOW. Well, this will help you to lose weight at a safe pace. Throw exercise in there and you're on your way. Remember, it took a LONG time to put the weight on, so you can't expect it to come off overnight (I am living proof). Fitness is a journey, not a destination.

This book might be usefull for all of those who are new to dieting or who have no understanding of nutrition. Otherwise there is not much new in this book that you couldn't have read already in other books or in such magazines as 'Oxygen'. You can summerize the whole book by saying 'NO PROCESSED FOOD PLEASE'. For readers like myself this is just another title on a popular topic of dieting, which lacks on originality and depth. If you'd like to read something more original I suggest 'Can We Live 150'. You will find there great tips on proper food combination, and the chapter about obesity is probably almost all you need to know about dieting...