The Wild Diet: Get Back to Your Roots, Burn Fat, and Drop Up to 20 Pounds in 40 Days

by Abel James

The creator of The Fat-Burning Man Show shares his revolutionary Paleo-inspired weight-loss program Every month, half a million visitors download The Fat-Burning Man Show, eager to learn the secret of Abel James’s incredible weight-loss success. Growing up on a defunct farm in the backwoods of New Hampshire, Abel had easy access to a host of natural foods that a backyard garden could eggs, fresh produce, and real butter. But as he got older, he started eating a "modern diet" of processed foods, and by his early twenties, Abel found himself with high blood pressure, insomnia, acne, digestive problems, and love handles. Following the typical dieting advice of “eat less, exercise more,” and despite running thirty miles a week and nibbling tasteless, low-fat, low-calorie food, his health only worsened as his waistline expanded. In an effort to gain control of his health, Abel dug deep into nutrition research and discovered that everything he’d been told about low-calorie eating was wrong. He realized that our bodies are wired to eat luxuriously—and burn fat—as long as we’re eating real, natural foods that are grown on a farm and not in a factory. Incredibly, after just a few days of eating a Paleo-inspired diet of the most delicious "wild" foods that were rich in fat and fiber, Abel’s health problems began to disappear. And after forty days—and radically cutting back his exercise routine—he had lost twenty pounds. The Wild Diet is the book Abel’s hundreds of thousands of fans have been clamoring for. At a time when our collective health is failing, Abel sounds a clarion call to announce that good health doesn’t live in a pill, exercise program, or soul-crushing diet. The secret is simply getting back to our wild roots and eating the way we have for centuries.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Cookbooks, Food, Nutrition, Cooking, Diets

343 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 7, 2015

Reviews

[Mischenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! The wild diet is basically a paleo type diet. The book is easy to read and I love the photos.

Looking forward to more books by Abel James.

5*****

[Chad · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway.

The Good:
-- This diet will work if it is followed. It is basically a variation of other effective low-carb diets like Atkins or South Beach.
-- I like that the author says to listen to your body, to do what works for you, and gives different variations to try, rather than trying to convince one approach will work for everyone.
-- More of a holistic approach than other diet books I've read. Talks about the importance of spending time in nature and how your mental/emotional health can affect your physical health, etc. not just what to eat.

The Bad:
-- I found the writing style dreadful. I only kept reading because it was free and a review was expected. It felt like I was reading the transcript of an infomercial.
-- There wasn't really anything new or original in this book. It is basically a synthesis of all the health advice I've seen scroll through my Facebook feed in the last five years. Eat organic/free-range/gluten-free/sprouted/whole foods straight from the farm! Drink lots of water! Move your body around outside instead of sitting at a desk all day! Get lots of sleep! Our ancestors were healthier so let's be more like them!
-- Way too much time was spent trying to explain "why" the author was giving his diet advice. You can easily skip to second half of his book where the diet plan is repeated in a summarized to-do list format.
-- Much of his "science" was inaccurately described. For example: claiming that a genetic modification that kills the "bugs" that attack the plant will also kill the "bugs" that aid digestion in your gut. Just because you ignorantly refer to both insects and microorganisms as "bugs" doesn't mean they are going to be affected by the same chemical the same way. (I'm not a proponent of GMO crops but neither do I condone pseudo-scientific reasoning). The author does not back up his claims with citations or studies, etc. But it's OK because he assures us he totally talked to some scientists! and athletes! and shamans! It must be true!

The Ugly (Pet Peeves):
-- Jocks who claim to be nerds because they keep track of their fitness metrics on a computer. News flash! It's the 21st century! Everyone uses computers now, not just nerds!
-- Recipes for carbless "hamburgers". A hamburger is a type of sandwich. Sandwiches, by definition, involve bread. Without bread, the thing you are describing is a "salad". A salad with ground beef on it. Don't piss on me and tell me it's raining. (To be fair, every low-carb diet book seems to feel the need to include this travesty. See also: crustless pizza).

[Elizabeta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've watched Abel's podcast for a year now and I was super excited to watch him on "My Diet is Better Than Yours" where he presented his Wild Diet. Well, it's not really anything new, it's just science and research. All the basics of healthy food are presented here, nothing too complicated, just a little bit of everything.

Many people complain that organic is too expensive and hard to find, and we can't all raise chickens and tomatoes. Well, it's not his fault. He is just telling the facts. Just do the best you can.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a reread this year. I didn't like it as much as I did before. I'd give it 3 stars today, but the author is still charming and I liked his straight forward approach with his plan.
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Abel James, the author and narrator, comes across as quite charming in this book. He seemed like someone I could relate to. He presented his point of view, backed up with recent science, in a straight forward way. I've read quite a few books that promote this type of life style. The first one was a year or so ago, and I remember thinking "fad". The next few had me saying, "no way". Then the 2 I read last fall, had me saying, "maybe". This one, while similar to all the others, focused a lot on exercise as well, (more so than the others). I had to laugh as I found myself eyeing my spin bike when I got home from work. So 4 stars.

[Jessie Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informational and interesting! I got this book to help better understand the Wild diet, so I could see if this would be a good start for me! I like Able James and his ideas, but he does not give credit to his research so that was a bothersome. Since I like to know where research comes from and read articles about it, but I have done some of my own after reading this book. Looking forward to start this lifestyle change.

[Jillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has changed my view on food and exercise.

[Sienna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw the title on the spine on the Bookmobile so I grabbed it & checked it out. Got it home before I even looked at the cover: eats lots, lose weight! Yuck. But I'm curious about clean eating so I looked at the introduction. The lean author & his slim wife pig out, look great, everybody astonished. Ugh. I am interested in being healthy &, yes, I could lose some weight. My idea of pigging out is making a salad that would serve 4 & eating it all. The book sat for two weeks until finally I decided to read it or return it.
It took me some time to get through the marketing slant to find that I really liked all the personality the author put into his book. He writes like he'd be fun to talk to (though I suspect he would do most of the talking). I ended up really liking him.
He mentioned most of my favorite pieces of advice: eat local, seasonal; listen to your body; do what works for you; make small changes until you find they snowball into big ones; get the temptations out of your house (throw out all the wrong foods you have & don't buy that stuff any more); get lots of sleep... & added his own little tips on how to make all that easier. He brought together a lot of knowledge I've been gathering over the years & made it into a way of life I can follow, in my own way. He doesn't just talk about losing weight (& he says not to follow the pounds but how the clothes fit), he addresses most of the factors that go into being healthy & allows for splurges, variation, even what to do while sick or injured.
I've been aiming for clean eating (or his term wild diet, thankfully not trademarked) without knowing what to call it since I discovered the farmers market while at college in OlyWA. Over the years my diet has gotten cleaner & cleaner. My main remaining block is that I love my puffed grain with hemp milk, a dash of hazelnut milk, & strawberry (fresh, summer) or blueberry (frozen, winter) breakfast. I've tried smoothies for breakfast & the cool coastal climate I live in has made that less than appetizing for me. I love a light smoothie on a warm afternoon, but I feel like torturing my whole foods in a blender is just another way to eat processed food. I'd rather put fruit in my salad than have a green smoothie every morning.
James's statement that he didn't like the idea of a green smoothie every morning until he began to crave them after a few weeks keeps haunting me. My body has done that with so many things. Hated kombucha the first time I tried it. My sister gave me one I liked & I bought it a few times. Then I started craving it. Now I make my own & have some with my soaked chia seeds every day. The more I add in "good" or "clean" habit foods the more I crave them & the less I crave the unhealthy ones. Never had a big sweet tooth. Sometimes crave sugar about 9 pm but since I don't buy that stuff I don't eat that stuff. I do get to have a small pile of 70% chocolate chunks sometimes & I find that's plenty.
Every book on healthy eating I read contradicts the last one (or a whole lifetime of assumption) & that's true with this one. Biggest meal before bed & skip breakfast, what? As I said, I'm attached to my breakfast & that's also when I get to read... a little me time before a busy day. I find after reading this book (on top of all the others, like Clean Eats) I'm ready for change. Might even have to buy a copy.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty decent paleo-ish book. I think what I have come to understand that my enjoyment of these books is very dependent on my feelings about the author. Are they likeable and amusing? Or would I want to throat punch them? I like this guy pretty well. He seems a little dude-bro-ish, but not in an overwhelming way. He seems pretty smart and funny. So pick a low carb expert to your liking and have fun.

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm back and forth with this book. It was well written and had good information. The diet sounds like it would work, however I'm just not sure if it is a long term possibility. I feel like people could have great success and then gain it all back when they decide to eat cookies again. But he sure was convincing.

[B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible. I've read just about every diet book on the planet...most recently I've read many books discussing "paleo" or "primal" solutions. I found this one actually entertaining, informative and light hearted. The author shows pics from before and after his "transformation". What's incredible to me is that this book reads more like a "do what I did" and get results instead of some ridiculously lofty and preachy BS with anecdotal success stories. I have tried similar approaches and they have worked, but this one has a few minor tweaks that I enjoyed-cheat meal, carb back loading, discussion of lectins and seasonality of food, sleep habits, practical advice on exercise, etc.

This book is the caboose or baby of a trilogy of books regarding this topic(I know there are hundreds, but these stick out in my mind as having similar structure and message). Big brother is the Paleo Diet(a bit rigid and stubborn, no excuses or exceptions made). The middle brother is The Primal Blueprint(a little bit more relaxed but definitely influenced greatly by his older brother). The Wild Diet is the baby brother(taken lessons from his bigs while taking a much more relaxed and carefree attitude about the task at hand-gets it done, but has fun doing it).

I recommend all of these books as well as great documentaries like Fat Head and the case against sugar to get you moving in the right direction. I plan to re-up on this lifestyle pathway as I have been lazy as of late and gained those pounds back which I lost before using this methodology prescribed in this book and others like it.

Bottom line: walk a lot, play outside with your friends, dogs, family, sleep a lot, drink water, eat a lot of veggies, animal and good plant fats and lean protein sources, lift heavy once/twice a week, cheat every now and then and sprint in short durations like a tiger is chasing you...do these simple things and the belly and bingo arms will go away

[David Baird · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a reasonable beginners book for ancestral nutrition. There's nothing new here that's not covered in any of the other (much better) Paleo books out there, but as there are no scientific references or indeed anything to back-up the assertions made, it's an easy and quick read for the uninitiated.

Even the writing style, which I found annoying, might appeal to those that have no clue that their low-fat SAD is killing them, but the author's constant bragging about how good he looks, how rich and famous he has become, well this is just irksome.

Try The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf instead - also easy to read, but better written and better researched.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just received this amazing book a few days ago, and I'm already motivated! The chapters are easy to understand and Abel James has broken it all down for you. I'm still currently reading this book, but it has me motivated to try new dishes and understand more about what I put into my body. More quality and less quantity. Well, done. (haha, no pun intended.)

[Scot · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've followed Abel James for years now on his podcast and he, along with Nerd Fitness, have inspired me countless times to eat cleaner and healthier. This book is full of surprising and helpful information, as well as many recipes I can't wait to try.

[Ken Harder · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Abel does a good job mixing science, information and stories in a way that kept me interested. The material is written such that a layperson should have no problem understanding.

[Laura]

Good information, and I love most of the recipes, but I don't like reading books when the author reiterates 15 times the same story, or life philosophy, or what they ate that day. Nonfiction is awful.

[Talha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intensity Over Duration in Workouts: Success in workouts is about pushing your limits, not just spending long hours. High-intensity exercises, like sprints and squats, are more effective than prolonged endurance exercises. A 7-minute high-intensity workout can challenge your body and lead to fat burn.

Opt for Natural, Unprocessed Foods: Our bodies thrive on a natural diet of greens, raw nuts, fruits, and beans. Modern diets, heavy in sugars and starches, disrupt our metabolism. Reducing intake of these and increasing natural foods can turn our body into a fat-burning machine.

Protein is Essential: Protein helps burn fat and build muscle. Aim for 50-100 grams daily, but ensure it's sourced from organic, naturally raised animals. If on a budget, nutritious offcuts are a worthy option.

Stay Hydrated: Our body predominantly comprises water, vital for our organs, especially the liver, our primary fat-burning organ. Constant hydration boosts liver efficiency in burning fat. Don’t wait to be thirsty to drink, and mostly, drink pure water.

Organic Substitutes for Vegans: Vegan diets can be as beneficial as they can be misleading. Essential nutrients from animal sources can't always be replaced with synthetic vegan substitutes. Instead, opt for natural alternatives like tempeh for chicken or flax seeds as an egg substitute in baking.

Actionable Takeaway: Drinks like sodas and juices add unnecessary calories without satiating hunger. To notice a significant weight change, try drinking only water for a month. You might shed up to 20 pounds just by modifying your beverage choices.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished reading The Wild Diet by Abel James. He isn’t preaching anything we haven’t heard before - eat food close to its source and avoid processed foods. But today he inspired me - again - to cut down on the amount of sugar I consume, and to reach for the greens as a first course and base for lunches at work. I am stocking up on the fruits and vegetables at the farmers market, and only eating when I am hungry. These are not radical concepts, but when I’m stressed, or when I’ve gotten out of touch with my inner self as I had recently, they are good reminders. James is a proponent of regular fasting - he eats his big meal midday and frequently fasts from dinner one night until lunch the next day. He dispels the notion that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I’ve been moving away from eating as soon as I get up and find that I generally don’t want to eat until I’ve been awake for 2-3 hours. I am a habitual snacker, so I’m not sure I will stop snacking entirely, but I’ve noticed this week that I frequently reach for food because I want to be distracted from the stress of the work in front of me. And that a better solution is to drink some water or get up and take a brief walk. I usually think of this type of deliberate attention to my nutritional needs as “mindful eating,” but today I think I will call it “conscious eating.”

[Nicole Normand · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this book discounted on Amazon; this is my honest review.
What brought me to want to read this book is the intro where he explains how he and his wife ate at a farm-to-table restaurant and amazed everyone around. That said, as another reviewer commented, he kept boosting his way of life a bit too much across the book and he seems a bit puffed up about himself, his wife and his dog; quite irritating.
He talks about the wild diet in great detail; if you never heard of it, here is your chance to get from point A to point Z. The recipes are easily adaptable to other way of life such as carnivore and Keto.
Full of ideas, tips and recipes, easy to read too. I thought the idea of keeping a journal of food cravings a great one. He says for cheat days, I say for replacement. I loved the tip to get the cream out of a coconut milk can (turn it over, let it sit, then scoop) a good one.
A chapter (or division?) I particularly liked what named "how to savor your food". I always said that it wasn't just the "diet" that worked for people (Mediterranean, Chinese, Blue Zones, etc.), it's also their environment, stress, way of life in general. If we compare Mediterranean with SAD, the Italians, apparently, take all night to eat their supper; we Americans take around 20 minutes.

[Marcella · Rating 3 out of 5]

A friend read and started following this philosophy and actually did loose about 25 lbs in a month. So I gave it a read. This comes down to a bit of a clean eating philosophy (which I don't mind) and at a fairly reasonable approach. Some of it was common sense (drink water, moderation), that it made me think of French Women Don't Get Fat. And to an extent, this book is a very similar vein - personal success story of diet philosophy followed by recipes. I'll see if it works.

One word on tone here. While the language of the book is accessible, Abel James comes off as a bit of a braggart bro. Now some of that may be necessity to sell books (look at the Adonis I am and that you can become) but some I imagine is just personality. The man references advice from Tucker Max, which I personally found off putting. So just word of warning as you may find yourself rolling your eyes quite a bit.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to check it out, to see how the concepts might pair with my paleo efforts. I was happy to see some information about the microbiome and some other topics that resonated with me, but I didn't find much in the way of new information. I imagine this may be a good introduction to people who may have watched Abel James on a tv show (I didn't). The claim of 20 pounds in 40 days really detracted from the book's appeal in my mind. I had a hard time taking the information as seriously as a result. The recipes were just not for me - didn't choose to try any from this particular book; although I give it an extra bonus for including information about feeding pets. All in all, just not my type of cookbook.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

(1) After reading this I am a bit more sensitized to the sheer quantity of chemical additives in typical supermarket food. I think he is a little bit more paranoid than me, but I have probably been a bit too oblivious in the past.

(2) I had a big "aha" moment when he pointed out that restaurants give you free bread in order to make you hungrier. Well of course! I should have realized that! I always wondered why they were being so "generous".

(3) He also makes some good points on being careful with nutrition labels. For example "organic chicken" is not the same as "free range chicken" which is not the same as "pastured chicken".

But overall, nothing I hadn't read in other nutrition focused books over the last few years.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Abel James delivers in this diet book. He has a candid and charming personality that shines throughout the text. Most health-books can feel forced and repetitive. This book rises above and showcases simple ways to improve health. This book could be pushed to the top rating if it had more science discussion backed with research studies.

Habits presented:
eat local and seasonal
get the temptations out of your house
get lots of sleep.
walk a lot,
drink water,
eat a lot of veggies,
eat good fats and lean protein sources,
lift heavy once/twice a week
Clean fifteen fruits vs. Dirty Dozen

[Jameson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a lot of information that I already suspected, but there was also a lot I learned. Regardless, this book has me thinking a lot about what I am eating. I have already started making changes. It's been two weeks since I began making the changes and have already lost five pounds.
I give it four stars for now. I will keep it handy rather than hiding on my bookshelf, and I will apply what I learned. If I continue to see the pounds drop off and achieve my fitness goal for the first quarter of 2019, then I will be back here to add a fifth star.

[Roberta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am usually not a fan of diet cookbooks, but after doing a wellness program at work, someone said that they had read a book by Abel James and that I needed to check it out.

The book as some good information, even though some of the ideas I had a problem with personally.

You will get out of this book, what you want. There are some recipes that I will be trying, not sure that I will follow the plan.

[Troy Mylius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written

Well written and easy to follow as well as entertaining. Good read for anyone interested in great health and longevity. Most of the information presented in the book is accurate based on my research and experience and the only questionable info is mostly just outdated but not necessarily wrong. Thanks to The author for all he and his team are doing.

[Lydia Wren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book offers eating advice that works for my body and matches up with other information I have gleaned through diligent research. I am happy that James in steering readers away from factory farming and manufactured food. The exercise advice is beyond me.

[Tammy · Rating 1 out of 5]

There is some good info here but it’s hidden in between a lot of incorrect pseudoscience and patting himself on the back for being so ridiculously good looking.

Le Sigh.

Nothing new here that I haven’t read in 100 books before, and nothing that would make me recommend this one at all.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I didn't read all the recipes yet, but I did order a copy for myself, thank you! A lot of good advice I've already been feeling for myself, and other things that I've heard and needed more info about, and here it was.

[Jap Hengky · Rating 4 out of 5]

The biology of fat-burning helps us find new approaches to exercise and diet that work with our bodies, not against them. Through high-intensity exercise and a diet of organic protein, plant-based foods and constant hydration, we can shed fat and return a healthy balance to our bodies.

[Vanessa Glover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, thorough, challenging

A comprehensive and enjoyable read that challenges conventional thinking. Abel made me reconsider my approach to food. I look forward to learning more.