The late Dr. Roy L. Walford spent much of his life's work researching low-calorie diets, and is now recognized as a pioneer of what is widely recognized as "calorie restriction" (CR)—a diet consisting of fewer calories while maintaining adequate nutrition. In The Anti-Aging Plan, his landmark book first published in 1994, Dr. Walford presents the results of his studies and clearly describes how the principles of nutrient-rich caloric limitation can be applied to everyday dieting habits. In the latter half of the book, Dr. Walford and his daughter Lisa, a chef and yoga instructor, offer over one hundred delicious recipe ideas that apply to Dr. Walford's diet plan.
As a literature review, and considering how old this book is (2005), it offers a good introduction to calorie restriction’s benefits for extended lifespan, although the book could substantially benefit from better thesis (and hypothesis) substantiation.
Dr. Walford explains the basic theory of Calorie Restriction and gives some practical advice on how to implement it. In this respect, the book was exactly what I had hoped for: less theory and more practice.
I was also excited about the recipes, but they seem rather intricate and daunting. I'm a reasonably able cook and I think I could manage OK, but my pantry lacks many of the ingredients required. To cook any one of the primary meals listed, I would need to find a half dozen ingredients that I've never purchased before. I don't enjoy shopping much, so finding and buying all those things seems like a big hassle. I'm sure the recipes taste delicious and prove that Calorie Restriction doesn't need to me asceticism, but it's hard to get started when there are no simple recipes to ease its adoption.
Also, I don't think my wife would appreciate me cooking and storing about 50 meals in our freezer as the author suggests. There's hardly any room in there as it is.
All that said, I'll give some of the recipes a go, but I can see myself simplifying them.