The South Beach Diet Gluten Solution: The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Gluten-Aware Plan for Losing Weight and Feeling Great--FAST!

by Arthur Agatston, Natalie Geary

Today, supermarkets have dedicated gluten-free aisles, restaurants highlight gluten-free dishes on their menus, and millions of people have cut gluten out of their diets in the hopes of boosting health and losing weight. But despite all the attention, gluten confusion still reigns.

Enter cardiologist Arthur Agatston, MD, author of the groundbreaking The South Beach Diet . With that book, Dr. Agatston ended the diet debates and cleared up the high-carb versus low-carb confusion. In The South Beach Diet Gluten Solution , he does the same for gluten, demystifying the effects of the difficult-to-digest protein in wheat and some other grains.

The truth is, not everyone needs to give up gluten permanently—nor does doing so guarantee weight loss. With Dr. Agatston's phased Gluten Solution Program, based on proven South Beach Diet eating principles, you'll be able to determine your own level of gluten sensitivity—and you'll drop up to 10 pounds in just two weeks.

What makes Dr. Agatston's approach unique is that he shows you how to become gluten aware, not gluten phobic. He shares his own personal journey to gluten awareness and explores the latest research to determine the real connection between gluten and health. He explains that a number of factors, including our vast overconsumption of highly processed grains, have increased the incidence of gluten sensitivity and celiac disease. These conditions contribute to a host of health issues, including brain fog, mood swings, digestive disorders, joint pain, and skin problems. You can find relief from these and other symptoms by following the South Beach Diet Gluten Solution Program.

With detailed daily meal plans, tips for traveling and dining out, inspiring stories, and 20 delicious recipes (that sacrifice neither taste nor health), The South Beach Diet Gluten Solution gives you everything you need to feel great, lose weight, and navigate the gluten-free world with ease.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Diets, Cookbooks

272 pages, Hardcover

First published March 5, 2013

About the author

Arthur Agatston is an American cardiologist and celebrity doctor best known as the developer of the South Beach Diet, but also as the author of many published scholarly papers in the field of noninvasive cardiac diagnostics. His scientific research led to the Agatston score for measuring coronary artery calcium.

Reviews

[Trudy Nye · Rating 5 out of 5]

I tried the original South Beach Diet years ago, and was only moderately successful. The frustrating part, for me, was that when I came to Phase 2 and was permitted to reintroduce restricted foods like breads, pasta, pizza, and cereal I seemed to react badly to EVERYTHING! Since I could not possibly live in Phase one forever, I gave up. Of course, I regained the weight.

However, I have come to believe that a lot of my aches and pains, bloating and fatigue, thyroid issues and weight gain are profoundly affected by the foods I eat. I was tested for celiac (twice!) and found to be negative. That was certainly a relief, but a it was a double-edged sword, as I have not found a doctor who understands the connection between gluten and someone who does NOT have celiac.

Now I feel vindicated...and supported. I so wish that I could have Dr. Agatston for my personal physician. I might have avoided years of suffering!

I am currently on day 12 of Phase 1, and have already lost 10 pounds (of the 40 that I need to lose). That's quite a jumpstart! I am looking forward to reintroducing fruits, but I will certainly go about adding grains (even non-gluten ones) in a very cautious manner. I recommend keeping a journal to document introduced foods and reactions (if any) as you move from Phase 1 to Phase 2.

[Marion · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an interesting attempt at popularising the science behind gluten sensitivity and coeliac disease. It can be a helpful start if you are trying to understand this popular topic. That being said, the author proposes a diet plan that quickly reintroduces starches and highly glucidic foods. While I believe a lot of health problems can directly be associated to gluten and junk food consumption, the amount of carbs consumed on a daily basis also play a significant role in diabetes-related disease and cancer.

[Josey Pearce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to read at first. But well worth the information! It had busy enough evidence based information without using too much jargon I wouldn’t understand. Helped me look at the whole picture.

[Wanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The South Beach Diet Gluten Solution by Doctor Arthur Agatston, MD with Natalie Geary, MD.
This diet book builds on the original South Beach Diet. In this book Dr. Agatston explains what gluten is; and why an increasing number of people are sensitive to gluten and what they can do about it. You may be one of the many people who suffer from gluten sensitivity and not even know it. Dr. Agatston also reveals the facts about gluten sensitivity; what it is and how it affects the body. Gluten sensitivity can have all kinds of symptoms from migraines to achy joints, from bloating to feeling tired, and a slew of other problems that many people face today.

The second part of this book is a plan that you can put into action. It is the South Beach Diet Gluten Solution Program. During phase one you will eliminate all gluten from your diet. There is an entire list of delicious foods that you can enjoy while you’re on phase one of the diet. There is also a list of foods to avoid while on phase one. The list of foods you can eat is actually longer than the list of foods to avoid. Then the book has fourteen days of sample gluten-free meal plans including snacks and desserts. Phase two is where you slowly reintroduce some gluten back into your diet to see how it affects you. This is where you find out what your body can handle. And there is also fourteen days of sample gluten-free meal plans for phase two. Before I go on, this book does focus on eliminating gluten from your diet to help you feel better and give you more energy. But this is also a diet book that includes a safe weight loss plan. Phase three is the maintenance phase.

Part three offers information on how to be more gluten aware. How to find gluten on food labels. A strategy for dining out is given. And things to be aware of when traveling. At the end of the book are twenty gluten-free recipes.

I thought this book made a lot of sense. I’m going to give it a try. Perhaps my thyroid isn’t really the guilty party here. I would recommend this book to anyone; especially if they have tried everything and nothing else has worked. I still have questions and would love to pick Dr. Agatston’s brains on this subject. I thankfully won this book from Goodreads First Reads.

[Leanna Manuel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I waited a long time to get this from the library and had great expectations. I know many people who have lost weight following the South Beach Diet. I have been gluten free for years, but was wanting some additional support in losing weight on a gluten free diet. I was very disappointed. I have several criticisms. I know there is a companion cookbook, but I had hoped for a few more recipes in this volume. Second, it is written to address the weight loss needs of people who WANT to avoid gluten, not those of us who HAVE to eliminate it. Yes, the author describes some of the many health conditions associated with gluten intolerance and celiac disease; however, the later sections of the book seem to take gluten less seriously. As soon as I saw the substitutes section that allowed chemical sweeteners I knew that I could never trust this diet to address my health needs.For someone just learning about gluten and navigating the obvious gluten foods it would be a good beginning. In general, it just fell short in guiding anyone through the real pitfalls and perils of a gluten free lifestyle.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recently I have been experiences some strange reactions to food so when I came across this book I began to wonder if there really was anything to the whole gluten sensitivity thing.

The beginning of this book is very fascinating, explaining how gluten reacts with some sensitive people and how just cutting back you can begin to notice some real changes in your mind and body. Not all people are affected by gluten but those that are can experience some life changing reactions.

Lists of foods that can be eaten in both phase one and phase two of the eating plan are provided with easy to follow meal suggestions. Not all lunch plans are portable, so if you are like me and bring your lunch to work you will have to rethink a couple suggestions.

There is a helpful section on dining out and traveling. The book ends with recipes and a resource and bibliography section.

I am not completely sure that gluten is my personal issue, but looking at ingredient lists now, it is surprising to me where gluten based items can be found. I am not going to jump on the gluten bandwagon just yet, but it does open your eyes to possibilities and solutions.

[Christy Cunningham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was new to literature about the South Beach Diet prior to reading this book. The author provided a thoughtful and thorough explanation about gluten sensitivity issues and their resulting potential symptoms so that the reader could better understand the concepts that would be addressed in the eating plan. Guidelines for the eating plan were clearly outlined and easy to follow. The book also provided sensible recommendations regarding eating out and how to adapt the plan for your specific needs. Additionally it offers easy to follow recipes. Overall I found this to be informative, easy to understand, and a good guidebook regarding how to determine your own body's sensitivity to gluten. I would recommend this book for individuals wanting to learn more about gluten sensitivity and those wanting to adopt a gluten aware lifestyle for themselves or their families.

[Chris Cook · Rating 2 out of 5]

When all is said and done, after reading this book, I would say I don't think I have a gluten problem. If anything, I have an anti-gluten problem. It seems I have more problems with headaches and/or inflammation if I DON't eat gluten-filled products. But I have several friends who are convinced they have a gluten sensitivity, and since I care about them, I feel it's important for me to 1) understand where they're coming from, and 2) how I can feed them if I invite them over for dinner. For these reasons, the book delivers. But I, for one, would not be able to keep to this diet, so I'm really glad I don't have Celiac disease.

[Bonnie Lind · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I can say is that Dr. Agatston presents a solidly referenced book based on facts and experiences of his patients. So much has been written about gluten lately that I found it difficult to put it all in perspective. This book accomplishes the task. It is an easy read and I didn't feel overwhelmed by all the information presented. Needless to say, I am going to tidy up my kitchen and prepare for this new lifestyle.

[Deanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very informative. Dr. Agatston is obviously keeping on top of the nutritional research. He takes a realistic, kind but firm, approach to helping people change their eating habits. I would have liked a tiny bit more information on how to recognize ingredients that are wheat-based, but I think I can find more resources online. I'm not sure gluten is my problem, but this diet provides a way to find out.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am reviewing the book, not the diet. I am only giving it 3 stars because I felt like it was maybe a supplementary book to other South Beach Diet books, but it is brought across as a stand alone. There are some good basic facts about gluten and ways to lose weight, but it is not clear exactly how to follow that diet.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be a great book for someone trying to resolve some health mysteries or who is new to being gluten- free. But as someone who's been living with Celiac Disease, I mostly found it affirming. There are a lot of recipes in the back, but none has inspired me to cook it yet.

[orphan girl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very helpful because I have an auto immune disease and I am still trying to resolve some health mysteries . I didn't know that having a gluten sensitivity could cause so many issues.. anxious to try this diet and hopefully see a change .

[Linda Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am glad one of the diet groups is considering what to do to diet when you have food intolerance. It was good on explaining the reasons why food processes in the body like it did - thought the book was very informative!

[Mrs · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot if the same old south beach information with some pretty common gluten info added in. If you are already familiar with South Beach and you are not totally gluten illiterate going into this book it is not necessary to buy an additional SB book.

[False · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this mainly because I have more and more friends saying they won't eat gluten, but in their cases, I think it's just following a trend viz genuine health concerns, so I wanted to know more about what is triggering all of this.

[Kris Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Dr. Agatson's straight forward writing. Not as many cheezy punchlines as you typically find in diet books. Most of the evidence seems anecdotal though I like how he advocates for gluten-aware--not everyone needs to go gluten-free.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read several books on being gluten free but this was the best on explaining what is gluten and how it works. I definitely believe the South Beach diet works and think this information is even better at making you aware of what your body needs to fuel itself.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This diet sounds great! Eating gluten free is definitely an interest of mine. The recipes look terrific.

[Tricia T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fascinating research out there on gluten. I think they are on to something.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book about being gluten aware, not phobic and what excess gluten might be doing to you if you are sensitive.

[Vicki Jaeger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting information on gluten sensitivity. Might need to try this for hubby--cutting out the sugar substitutes and dairy, of course!

[Nancy Kekst · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good plan and way to live.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

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