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The Craving Cure: Identify Your Craving Type to Activate Your Natural Appetite Control
Drop Addictive Sweets and Starches--and Stop Weight Gain--in 24 Hours
Featuring a 5-part questionnaire to help you identify your personal craving profile
Julia Ross, best-selling author and expert in nutrition and overeating, exposes the real reason so many of us can’t stick to a healthy our favorite foods are engineered to be addictive. At her clinic in California, Ross and her colleagues treat food addiction where it starts--in the brain--by triggering our natural appetite-regulating neurotransmitters with nutrients called amino acids. It turns out that these protein concentrates boost our neurotransmitters, which broadcast sensations of satisfaction that no food, including chocolate, can override. Thousands of Ross’ clients have abolished their cravings for high-calorie confections using this simple nutritional strategy.
With The Craving Cure, Ross grants all of us access to this revolutionary approach. The process begins with a five-part questionnaire that helps you identify your unique craving profile and specifies the amino acid supplements you need to curb your specific cravings. Ross’ clear explanations of why and how to use the aminos empower you to reclaim your natural appetite control, and her anti-craving eating guidelines will permanently strengthen your dietary defenses. A well-researched and clinically-tested rejection of low-calorie, low-saturated fat, and low-protein diets, The Craving Cure reveals how we can effortlessly and permanently eradicate our cravings to lose weight, rediscover our nutritional heritage, and regain optimal mood, energy, and health.
Featuring a 5-part questionnaire to help you identify your personal craving profile
Julia Ross, best-selling author and expert in nutrition and overeating, exposes the real reason so many of us can’t stick to a healthy our favorite foods are engineered to be addictive. At her clinic in California, Ross and her colleagues treat food addiction where it starts--in the brain--by triggering our natural appetite-regulating neurotransmitters with nutrients called amino acids. It turns out that these protein concentrates boost our neurotransmitters, which broadcast sensations of satisfaction that no food, including chocolate, can override. Thousands of Ross’ clients have abolished their cravings for high-calorie confections using this simple nutritional strategy.
With The Craving Cure, Ross grants all of us access to this revolutionary approach. The process begins with a five-part questionnaire that helps you identify your unique craving profile and specifies the amino acid supplements you need to curb your specific cravings. Ross’ clear explanations of why and how to use the aminos empower you to reclaim your natural appetite control, and her anti-craving eating guidelines will permanently strengthen your dietary defenses. A well-researched and clinically-tested rejection of low-calorie, low-saturated fat, and low-protein diets, The Craving Cure reveals how we can effortlessly and permanently eradicate our cravings to lose weight, rediscover our nutritional heritage, and regain optimal mood, energy, and health.
411 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 12, 2017
187 people are currently reading
765 people want to read
About the author
Julia Ross
13 books21 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
January 29, 2020
There are not many books I can't finish.
I was excited to read this book. I had seen the negative reviews on it, and thought to myself that those people must just not be interested in reading a well-researched nutrition science book, but I was so, so wrong.
The Craving Cure had so much potential, but it made two fatal mistakes.
The first was that Julia Ross assumes the reader is unable to understand scientific terminology, or follow basic priciples. This leads to her use of cutesy word replacements and metaphors for things that are actually very straight forward. If you were to peel away all of the long-winded metaphors and explanations in this book it would be a much better, and much shorter, book.
The second mistake Julia makes in this book is how meta it is. There were paragraphs upon paragraphs of things like " The next two sections of this book are going to put that right. In Part II, Understanding your craving type, you'll go behind the scenes..." and "I had to spend a few years learning what I'm about to share with you now." It is all so unnecessary! Just move it along, lady!
It is a real shame this book is so bad, because I think if the author and editors had done a better job streamlining the information it would have been a much better book, with a farther reaching audience.
I was excited to read this book. I had seen the negative reviews on it, and thought to myself that those people must just not be interested in reading a well-researched nutrition science book, but I was so, so wrong.
The Craving Cure had so much potential, but it made two fatal mistakes.
The first was that Julia Ross assumes the reader is unable to understand scientific terminology, or follow basic priciples. This leads to her use of cutesy word replacements and metaphors for things that are actually very straight forward. If you were to peel away all of the long-winded metaphors and explanations in this book it would be a much better, and much shorter, book.
The second mistake Julia makes in this book is how meta it is. There were paragraphs upon paragraphs of things like " The next two sections of this book are going to put that right. In Part II, Understanding your craving type, you'll go behind the scenes..." and "I had to spend a few years learning what I'm about to share with you now." It is all so unnecessary! Just move it along, lady!
It is a real shame this book is so bad, because I think if the author and editors had done a better job streamlining the information it would have been a much better book, with a farther reaching audience.
November 8, 2018
I received this book from the Goodreads Firstreads giveaway program. Thank you author/publisher for the opportunity to read and review The Craving Cure!
Four stars!
I am always up for new nutrition advice! I lost 40 lbs four years ago, and it is WORK to keep it off. I eat a nutritious diet for the most part. I exercise daily. But YES I definitely have CRAVINGS still.
There is one thing I am really conflicted with as far as The Craving Cure. The author, Julia Ross, suggests we should be taking AMINO ACIDS and supplements to take away cravings. I am all in when it comes to the right food sources to help us fight cravings. An example of this being protein. Meat would be such a protein. The authors push on meat was a little different for me. I normally eat red meat maybe 3 times a month. Although, I am open to trying something new.
Our nation is in serious trouble when it comes to health. Overweight, obesity rates, diabetes and cancers are out of control. Our sugar intake is ridiculous. I fully agree with the author that until the 1970s we were people of normal weights. Then our diets started changing. She suggests this is due to us removing saturated fats, eating hydrogenated oils, eating high carbs and lower protein.
So YES there were some new ideas that I may incorporate into my diet. I still make bad choices occasionally.. chips..candy. But, what has worked for me has been MODERATION. I eat well more often than I eat poorly. The author has opened my mind to other ideas. I am taking away from this book new INFORMATION. This book probably won't be for everyone.
Four stars!
I am always up for new nutrition advice! I lost 40 lbs four years ago, and it is WORK to keep it off. I eat a nutritious diet for the most part. I exercise daily. But YES I definitely have CRAVINGS still.
There is one thing I am really conflicted with as far as The Craving Cure. The author, Julia Ross, suggests we should be taking AMINO ACIDS and supplements to take away cravings. I am all in when it comes to the right food sources to help us fight cravings. An example of this being protein. Meat would be such a protein. The authors push on meat was a little different for me. I normally eat red meat maybe 3 times a month. Although, I am open to trying something new.
Our nation is in serious trouble when it comes to health. Overweight, obesity rates, diabetes and cancers are out of control. Our sugar intake is ridiculous. I fully agree with the author that until the 1970s we were people of normal weights. Then our diets started changing. She suggests this is due to us removing saturated fats, eating hydrogenated oils, eating high carbs and lower protein.
So YES there were some new ideas that I may incorporate into my diet. I still make bad choices occasionally.. chips..candy. But, what has worked for me has been MODERATION. I eat well more often than I eat poorly. The author has opened my mind to other ideas. I am taking away from this book new INFORMATION. This book probably won't be for everyone.
January 8, 2018
It's kinda hard to read when what you're reading keeps making you roll your eyes.
In a nutshell: it's not your fault if you're fat (or "disfigured" as the book sometimes calls it). It's the fault of the food industry because they've hijacked your brain. Luckily, all you have to do is take some pills. And eat more meat.
The gist of it here is that our modern diets (since the 1970's anyway) have messed up our nutrition with "technokarbs" and we aren't getting the right amino acids. Luckily, modern science has found a way to artificially manufacture amino acids (which is better than the naturally occurring kind, according to the book). The quizzes were a bit vague - I think I might answer it differently depending on the day - but I'd still probably "under-report" according to the author because I'm a man. Then you have to figure out how to implement the information, which seem rather complicated. I'm not saying there might not be a bit of truth to the information, but instead of taking as many as 10 pills a day (as recommended in the book, which may cause sleeplessness and high blood pressure), I think I'll just go back to exercise and watching what I eat. (I rec'd this book through a GR giveaway.)
In a nutshell: it's not your fault if you're fat (or "disfigured" as the book sometimes calls it). It's the fault of the food industry because they've hijacked your brain. Luckily, all you have to do is take some pills. And eat more meat.
The gist of it here is that our modern diets (since the 1970's anyway) have messed up our nutrition with "technokarbs" and we aren't getting the right amino acids. Luckily, modern science has found a way to artificially manufacture amino acids (which is better than the naturally occurring kind, according to the book). The quizzes were a bit vague - I think I might answer it differently depending on the day - but I'd still probably "under-report" according to the author because I'm a man. Then you have to figure out how to implement the information, which seem rather complicated. I'm not saying there might not be a bit of truth to the information, but instead of taking as many as 10 pills a day (as recommended in the book, which may cause sleeplessness and high blood pressure), I think I'll just go back to exercise and watching what I eat. (I rec'd this book through a GR giveaway.)
December 10, 2017
I received an advanced reading copy as part of a Goodreads giveaway. The book helps you to identify what drives specific craving types and how to eliminate them using amino acids. It also includes very interesting research about the role of sugar, not fat, in many of today's health issues. There are also very clear steps for people who have ever thought about trying an elimination diet to identify food sensitivities. While I'm not planning on incorporating the amino acids at this time, I am moving away from my usual low-fat, no red meat eating to see if it makes an impact on my satiation and overall weight management, using the recipes and recommendations from this book.
March 3, 2018
First, let me state that I read an Advance Reading Copy (ARC) I won from Goodreads. I expected a few typos and incomplete page references but this manuscript had so many typos and bad grammar it was hard to read. The author repeated herself constantly in the Introduction and Part I. If the author or a good editor can tighten up the narrative and make it more concise the book, plus correct the numorous typos and grammatical errors, the book will read much more fluidly.
As for the subject matter, I could never follow this program without a human coach to keep me accountable and on track so attempting this program based on her book would not work for me. I can't really speak to the validity of her program. She recommends a lot of things that are the opposite of what we've been taught for the last 30 or 40 years about nutrition, but I'm open to the possibility that some of those things were wrong to begin with. I do think she is correct about the problems caused by too much sugar and other bad things in processed food. I don't doubt that she is correct that the food industry has engineered certain foods to become addictive.
Her book never directly spoke to my own craving issue. The examples were always about people who ate chocolate, candy, ice cream, and/or other sweets every day, if not all day. I am a saltaholic. I have no problem saying no to chocolate and other sweets. My weaknesses are chips, nuts, and popcorn. All of her clients seem to be addicted to sweets.
If you are a committed vegetarian or vegan, this book is not for you. If you are questioning that eating lifestyle then you may or may not find her book helpful. She promotes a high protein, high (good) fat diet that involves the consumption of a lot of meat, especially red meat.
Frankly, I think she needs to return to the drawing board and really improve and tighten up this manuscript. As it is, even if you want to follow her program, the book is so poorly written and presented it would be difficult to follow her instructions and suggestions.
As for the subject matter, I could never follow this program without a human coach to keep me accountable and on track so attempting this program based on her book would not work for me. I can't really speak to the validity of her program. She recommends a lot of things that are the opposite of what we've been taught for the last 30 or 40 years about nutrition, but I'm open to the possibility that some of those things were wrong to begin with. I do think she is correct about the problems caused by too much sugar and other bad things in processed food. I don't doubt that she is correct that the food industry has engineered certain foods to become addictive.
Her book never directly spoke to my own craving issue. The examples were always about people who ate chocolate, candy, ice cream, and/or other sweets every day, if not all day. I am a saltaholic. I have no problem saying no to chocolate and other sweets. My weaknesses are chips, nuts, and popcorn. All of her clients seem to be addicted to sweets.
If you are a committed vegetarian or vegan, this book is not for you. If you are questioning that eating lifestyle then you may or may not find her book helpful. She promotes a high protein, high (good) fat diet that involves the consumption of a lot of meat, especially red meat.
Frankly, I think she needs to return to the drawing board and really improve and tighten up this manuscript. As it is, even if you want to follow her program, the book is so poorly written and presented it would be difficult to follow her instructions and suggestions.
February 3, 2019
I'm not a big reader of diet books or cure-all solutions, but this book intrigued me because sometimes we all have cravings that we can't resist. I was curious to know why and what can be done about it.
Ross' premise is that our diets have radically declined over the past forty years. Due to big food corporations and incorrect diet and medical information, we have changed our diets from mostly protein and fats to "Techno-Karbz" (what she calls the wheat flour, sugar-filled, and fried foods we have come to know and love). Because of this diet change, she says, 1) we have become addicted to these foods (some of them working on the brain in the same way as hard drugs like cocaine and heroin!) and 2) the majority of us are lacking in essential amino acids. Once we learn what Craving Type we are (there are five, and an average person typically has more than one), we can supplement our diets with these aminos, change our diets back to traditional eating, then the cravings we have for cookies, chips, fries, soda, etc with go ideally away.
This book was very informational just on the history of most Americans' food consumption and diets over the past forty years alone. It made me think about the information that we have been "fed" about food (sorry, couldn't help it). Many of us have blind faith in the health industry, doctors, and even the government about what we should eat and why. And yet, the statistics concerning obesity and diabetes are astounding, which gives us good reason to call these entities into question. Will this book solve all of our eating and diet problems? Probably not, but it will open your eyes and make you re-think about what you crave and why. It's worth the read!
Ross' premise is that our diets have radically declined over the past forty years. Due to big food corporations and incorrect diet and medical information, we have changed our diets from mostly protein and fats to "Techno-Karbz" (what she calls the wheat flour, sugar-filled, and fried foods we have come to know and love). Because of this diet change, she says, 1) we have become addicted to these foods (some of them working on the brain in the same way as hard drugs like cocaine and heroin!) and 2) the majority of us are lacking in essential amino acids. Once we learn what Craving Type we are (there are five, and an average person typically has more than one), we can supplement our diets with these aminos, change our diets back to traditional eating, then the cravings we have for cookies, chips, fries, soda, etc with go ideally away.
This book was very informational just on the history of most Americans' food consumption and diets over the past forty years alone. It made me think about the information that we have been "fed" about food (sorry, couldn't help it). Many of us have blind faith in the health industry, doctors, and even the government about what we should eat and why. And yet, the statistics concerning obesity and diabetes are astounding, which gives us good reason to call these entities into question. Will this book solve all of our eating and diet problems? Probably not, but it will open your eyes and make you re-think about what you crave and why. It's worth the read!
January 23, 2018
The Craving Cure: Identify Your Craving Type to Activate Your Natural Appetite Control, Drop the Weight, and Eat Healthy for Life...an informative read. I am currently on a weight loss struggle. I can never seem to get it right. I want to stop the chains of dieting and what better way to combat that than by educating myself on food. My love for reading...combined with the ability to have great informative books at my fingertips..this was a book that had me curious and very much interested.
I read this book the whole way through. Then I slowly dabbled in it from time to time. Still working on getting to understand and acknowledge all the content in this book. Julia Ross is apparently an nutrition expert. I don't know if she has enough credentials to make me feel comfortable enough to accept all her tidbits and thoughts on food. I don't know if that necessarily matters but I'm not sure that it held much weight on my trusting her views.
It's okay. I don't know if it's something that I can follow. It's a beautiful cover...and for that reason I really want to love the book. That title...so captivating for someone so desperate to discover a way to steer away from negative food habits. But again...not sure if I can take all this information as valuable information.
No matter what...I always recommend a book. This one is no exception. Someone else can gather useful information from this book.
Thanks to the peeps of goodreads, to Julia Ross, and to Flatiron Books for my free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review to which I gladly and voluntarily gave.
I read this book the whole way through. Then I slowly dabbled in it from time to time. Still working on getting to understand and acknowledge all the content in this book. Julia Ross is apparently an nutrition expert. I don't know if she has enough credentials to make me feel comfortable enough to accept all her tidbits and thoughts on food. I don't know if that necessarily matters but I'm not sure that it held much weight on my trusting her views.
It's okay. I don't know if it's something that I can follow. It's a beautiful cover...and for that reason I really want to love the book. That title...so captivating for someone so desperate to discover a way to steer away from negative food habits. But again...not sure if I can take all this information as valuable information.
No matter what...I always recommend a book. This one is no exception. Someone else can gather useful information from this book.
Thanks to the peeps of goodreads, to Julia Ross, and to Flatiron Books for my free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review to which I gladly and voluntarily gave.
March 12, 2018
If you are already familiar with paleo/ketogenic diets and know the history of the food changes that have taken place since the 1970s, this book will take just a couple hours to get through.
I don’t generally like books that are so obviously biased to a certain protocol. They don’t replace books written without a dietary agenda, like Good Calories, Bad Calories or Food Rules. But the amino acid supplementing advocated in this book to fight food cravings seems relatively cheap and harmless, so it might be worth trying if you suffer from food addictions or cravings.
Personally, the only time I ever significantly lowered sugar cravings was on a ketogenic diet. If I could do the same with a less restrictive diet and the help of some amino acids, I’d be pretty happy! Maybe I’ll experiment with this protocol and see what happens, although I have to wonder if many of the benefits come from just logging your food intake and eating a high fat, low carb diet.
I don’t generally like books that are so obviously biased to a certain protocol. They don’t replace books written without a dietary agenda, like Good Calories, Bad Calories or Food Rules. But the amino acid supplementing advocated in this book to fight food cravings seems relatively cheap and harmless, so it might be worth trying if you suffer from food addictions or cravings.
Personally, the only time I ever significantly lowered sugar cravings was on a ketogenic diet. If I could do the same with a less restrictive diet and the help of some amino acids, I’d be pretty happy! Maybe I’ll experiment with this protocol and see what happens, although I have to wonder if many of the benefits come from just logging your food intake and eating a high fat, low carb diet.
December 29, 2017
I’m sorry...just no. This book is so bad on so many levels. False facts, regurgitated data, takes the time to vilify weed with more false facts out of nowhere. The author speaks down to the reader frequently (it’s okay you’re fat..you’ve been poisoned by the sugar in foods! Um agreed sugar is bad but lots of peoples eating habits are on them) Then once she gets into how you can cure yourself it’s heavy on the advertising of HER pills and supplements and then also the supplement list comes out to taking 25 pills MINIMUM per day plus some spoonfuls of other stuff. The pills are to be taken 1-3 times a day with every meal and are on average $20+ a bottle. No freaking thank you.
January 26, 2019
A little more Weston A Price-ish than I’d like and a bit too much repetition on bad/processed carbs that she calls “techno-carbs”, but seemingly solid info from an experienced practitioner.
Her advice is to use amino acid supplements to help curb specific cravings, so much of the book is about these.
Her advice is to use amino acid supplements to help curb specific cravings, so much of the book is about these.
Read
July 4, 2018This book found me at an interesting time. I had been toying with the idea of changing some things in my diet and adding in a few amino acids (based on previous conversations with a naturopath and my own self-reflection), to help with various issues, and wallah, I won The Craving Cure through the Goodreads Giveaway! Serendipity at its finest! If you’re a follower of the Weston A. Price Foundation or Sally Fallon’s “Nourishing Traditions,” a lot of the dietary suggestions may be somewhat familiar to you, although there is still quite a bit of great dietary information that correlates with how certain foods and amino acids can help anything from cravings, to regulating blood sugar, to helping with fatigue, insomnia, other mood disorders, and more. I’m really glad that I won this book, because I honestly don’t know that I would have purchased it. I tend to avoid some of these types of books, because I’m stubborn and don’t want to be told I cannot have a bagel or a plate of pasta, however, after reading this, I am feeling highly inspired to make some changes. I am not 10000% confident in beginning an amino acid trial, although I think there is enough information in this book for one to make some great choices in regards to aminos, however I may decide to begin some supplements under the help of an alternative health practitioner at some point in time. Really great book for those that may be seeking to make some health choices through diet. Highly recommend!
March 12, 2019
I won this book in a giveaway. This book took me forever to read, but that is not the book's fault. It sat on my nightstand for the past year and every once in a while I would pick it up, but because I wasn't starting the program I didn't find myself reading it that often. However, I found the subject matter extremely interesting, and actually own the author's other book, The Mood Cure: The 4-Step Program to Take Charge of Your Emotions--Today. I have a lot of food allergies and intolerances and and very intrigued by the idea of using amino acids to support mood and health. I think that I will revisit this book, and actually try and use the questionnaires and buy some supplements and give the program an honest try. Because reading it was interesting, but it is hard to actually judge the book without trying the "cure". The ARC I have isn't ideal, because a lot of the pages aren't marked in the text (it will say, "See page XXX) but I can work around that. The recipes actually sound pretty good (most of them any way) and are not too restrictive.
March 4, 2018
I received this book through the goodreads giveaway program. This is the first book I've read by this author so I went into it with no preconceived ideas, which was probably a good thing!
The author begins the book with 'craving questionnaires' which you take in order to find out what your individual craving type is. After taking all of them...none describe me.
Once I got past that I tried to figure out why a 'Depressed Craver' might be hyperactive or why a 'Comfort Craver' likes pizza and animals and cries at TV commercials. Things sort of went down hill from there...
So other than finding 3 recipes I thought I'd try, this book just didn't 'do it' for me.
The author begins the book with 'craving questionnaires' which you take in order to find out what your individual craving type is. After taking all of them...none describe me.
Once I got past that I tried to figure out why a 'Depressed Craver' might be hyperactive or why a 'Comfort Craver' likes pizza and animals and cries at TV commercials. Things sort of went down hill from there...
So other than finding 3 recipes I thought I'd try, this book just didn't 'do it' for me.
December 7, 2017
I was skeptical to read "another" diet book but as I started to read this one, courtesy of the author giveaway, I was pleasantly surprised to find out how different it is from other diet books but more importantly how much sense it makes. A lot of what we eat has to do with our psychology and how we sabotage ourselves. I enjoyed using the questions to find out where I stand and realized it's exactly on point. I find myself using a lot from this book when I'm making food choices and how much I'm eating. Great overall book would recommend to just about anyone.
January 27, 2018
Not certain about all the information in the book, but it was an interesting read. Some facts I read in the book, I feel I need to check in other sources. At times I thought I was being preached to. I do like protein (meat), but I have nothing against people who believe it's not good to eat it. There is just lots of info in this book for people. Not certain if it will help me (I've been working on mindful eating), but others may find the info helpful.
I received this book free from Goodreads Giveaway
I received this book free from Goodreads Giveaway
November 28, 2017
Received as a GoodReads giveaway. Clearly written, informative and interesting. I'll definitely try out the tips on minimizing "techno-karbz" in my diet. The book even includes recipes. Amino acids are recommended for curbing cravings, but I'll hold off on those for now since I'm not sure how well they fit my health situation. The author does provide cautions about their usage, including recommendations to consult your doctor, and detailed instructions on getting started with them.
Want to read
March 8, 2018When I was offered a copy of The Craving Cure: Identify Your Craving Type to Activate Your Natural Appetite Control by Julia Ross, I was excited. After being hit by a car in 2016, I’ve been having a really hard time losing weight and my cravings just seemed to be getting worse. The book offered me hope … and did not disappoint.
Read my full review here: https://www.carmascookery.com/book-re...
Read my full review here: https://www.carmascookery.com/book-re...
November 23, 2017
I was pleased to receive an ARC of this book; it was a timely gift as I have recently been struggling with craving to an unusual degree. I found the information in this book to be very interesting and compelling. I plan to incorporate the techniques suggested. I will also plan to read the author's other titles. Thank you!
April 26, 2019
The "cure" layed out in this book might work in the short term, but this diet, with its high intake of protein and animal fats is not a life long plan that will take you into old age. People who live longer do not eat this way!
November 3, 2025
I read the mood cure in 2018. I remember trying some supplements and doing a sugar detox challenge. And I did significantly cut back my sugar. But it wasn't until July 2019 when I started weight watchers that I actually lost a bunch of weight. I slowly gained it back and then lost a bunch more when I got divorced. Now I'm gaining it back again, and I'm going to try the aminos. I will do so good until that mid afternoon slump or my kids have giant attitudes in the evening, and then all my hard work is gone. I don't like the questionnaire method, because there's some overlap and it's not clear to me which craving I actually struggle with the most. So I decided to start with the one I scored highest on and just work my way down the list until they're gone. They have examples where someone has all 5 cravings, so it might be accurate. I think my biggest complaints about this book are the first few chapters are straight sales pitch... probably works on some people, but I prefer the science. My next complaint is that I want simpler instructions. There's too much chat. Like, give me a simple summary of the steps at the end of each section please. I read at one point that you shouldn't take the aminos too close to a meal and I thought it had a time frame, couldn't find it again. That is important information to summarize and reiterate. I'm leaning toward my top 2 as fatigued and stressed and hopefully I do it right. But, my last point is that you probably really do have to completely change the way you eat to maintain this, because you'll just reignite the cravings the second you try to have a cookie. She addresses this. But I would also like to know if there are consequences and side effects for staying on aminos long term if I can't actually change how I eat. She claims I can, but I guess I don't believe her and in myself. Getting old sucks.
May 13, 2023
I followed the program in this book and managed to lose 50 lbs in about 6 months. It was amazing how quickly I lost weight. I was at the lowest weight I had been since I was a teenager and felt amazing.
But the best part was, I really learned how food affects my body. Dairy makes me feel bloated, gluten makes me constipated (tmi) and lethargic, and I am definitely addicted to sugar. I was able to keep the weight off and maintain a healthier diet for a little over two years. Then I started eating sugar again regularly during a particular stressful period at work and gained back about 8 lbs and counting in a short period of time. I picked the book up again about a month ago and starting taking the aminos and doing the elimination diet. It’s crazy how effective they are at curbing cravings for all these sweet treats I love but make me feel like garbage. Without the distractions of “teknocarbz”, I’m able to focus on nourishing my body with healthy and delicious foods.
Other people are right that the book could use some tighter editing. She provides no evidence for some of the claims she makes. For instance, I’m not convinced that our food problems only started in the 1970s and she provides no evidence to back it up. But the program worked for me so I’m giving it 5 stars. Not to be cliche, but this book changed my life.
But the best part was, I really learned how food affects my body. Dairy makes me feel bloated, gluten makes me constipated (tmi) and lethargic, and I am definitely addicted to sugar. I was able to keep the weight off and maintain a healthier diet for a little over two years. Then I started eating sugar again regularly during a particular stressful period at work and gained back about 8 lbs and counting in a short period of time. I picked the book up again about a month ago and starting taking the aminos and doing the elimination diet. It’s crazy how effective they are at curbing cravings for all these sweet treats I love but make me feel like garbage. Without the distractions of “teknocarbz”, I’m able to focus on nourishing my body with healthy and delicious foods.
Other people are right that the book could use some tighter editing. She provides no evidence for some of the claims she makes. For instance, I’m not convinced that our food problems only started in the 1970s and she provides no evidence to back it up. But the program worked for me so I’m giving it 5 stars. Not to be cliche, but this book changed my life.
August 1, 2022
When I first heard about this book, the person describing it made it sound like we are missing a very simple ingredient in our diets, which is the cause of the obesity epidemic in America and other parts of the world. I understood that if we supplemented with amino acids, it would end the cravings that so many people suffer from.
There are several quizzes to take so that you can figure what type of an Eater you are; i.e. Comfort Eater, Depressed Eater, etc. From that you are given a list of which supplements you should take to end your cravings. Some of the lists are quite substantial, and if you have more than one type of eating issue, then you will be taking even more supplements. I was hoping it would be simpler than that, but I suppose it would be worth a try for people.
There are many success stories throughout the book and the research to back up the author's claims are very well detailed.
There is also a diet plan with lots of recipes at the end of the book, which is very similar to the Paleo/Keto Diet. Lots of protein is recommended along with certain fats. Not really my cup of tea, but some people might find this plan helpful.
There are several quizzes to take so that you can figure what type of an Eater you are; i.e. Comfort Eater, Depressed Eater, etc. From that you are given a list of which supplements you should take to end your cravings. Some of the lists are quite substantial, and if you have more than one type of eating issue, then you will be taking even more supplements. I was hoping it would be simpler than that, but I suppose it would be worth a try for people.
There are many success stories throughout the book and the research to back up the author's claims are very well detailed.
There is also a diet plan with lots of recipes at the end of the book, which is very similar to the Paleo/Keto Diet. Lots of protein is recommended along with certain fats. Not really my cup of tea, but some people might find this plan helpful.
March 29, 2020
Are you a hunter-gatherer or herder-farmer?
Then, what’s your blood type and ethnicity?
I found the questionnaires about what triggers particular cravings interesting, but just that.
May help some and makes some compelling arguments, but I was put off by a lot of the cutesy terms, especially the phrase ‘Techno-Karbs’. It just grates on my nerves. And no, my aversion may not be logical but the phrase is pervasive in the early chapters and therefore, left a lingering annoyance while reading.
Truth in lending: the text was received as a Goodreads giveaway (a while ago - but I had to take a lengthy break to get over my annoyances with the text. The editors failed.).
Then, what’s your blood type and ethnicity?
I found the questionnaires about what triggers particular cravings interesting, but just that.
May help some and makes some compelling arguments, but I was put off by a lot of the cutesy terms, especially the phrase ‘Techno-Karbs’. It just grates on my nerves. And no, my aversion may not be logical but the phrase is pervasive in the early chapters and therefore, left a lingering annoyance while reading.
Truth in lending: the text was received as a Goodreads giveaway (a while ago - but I had to take a lengthy break to get over my annoyances with the text. The editors failed.).
May 4, 2024
I did not finish reading this book. I got about halfway through it, but it seems full of useful information. I gave it one star for a few reasons. 1) It made me grumpy - especially toward the 1970s. 2) I’ve never napped so often in my life. I could barely get through half a chapter without falling asleep. 3) The “cure” is frequently referred to, and example stories given, but the actual amounts of amino acids and accompanying nutrients remains ever elusive. 4) A reminder to myself not to pick it back up and why I couldn’t finish it.
April 10, 2018
This is a self help book from an author who has helped a lot of people deal with cravings.
It provides info about "why" and the "how to" of dealing with these cravings. My personal preference is to focus more on lifestyle changes and nutrient dense foods to bring this about naturally, but different strokes for different strokes. I recommend it because it just might be the "switch" that turns people on to improving the quality and quantity of their lives.
It provides info about "why" and the "how to" of dealing with these cravings. My personal preference is to focus more on lifestyle changes and nutrient dense foods to bring this about naturally, but different strokes for different strokes. I recommend it because it just might be the "switch" that turns people on to improving the quality and quantity of their lives.
October 17, 2019
I found this book very interesting. I don't actually feel like I'm overpowered by cravings ALL THE TIME, but enough that I'm annoyed not staying "on track" to eat in a way that I feel better (eating junk=feeling worse, obviously). My biggest immediate and personal takeaway is to eat more protein, which I promptly did by adding extra chicken to my chicken soup I made last night (already grain free, dairy free, etc.).
November 13, 2019
A must-read for every American.
This book makes sense of your cravings, symptoms, and inability to lose weight/control your hunger. It includes research, examples, quizzes, recipes, and more.
Sometimes it was a little too-detailed for me because I was already sold on its legitimacy and just wanted to jump straight into solution, but that detail is there for those who need more convincing.
This book makes sense of your cravings, symptoms, and inability to lose weight/control your hunger. It includes research, examples, quizzes, recipes, and more.
Sometimes it was a little too-detailed for me because I was already sold on its legitimacy and just wanted to jump straight into solution, but that detail is there for those who need more convincing.
August 24, 2023
Contradicts Dr. Fung and the intermittent fasting quite a bit (eat breakfast! Eat 3 square meals per day no matter what) but agrees with the Keto folks that high good fat diets are the way to go (eat red meat). These 2 combined with the correct dose of amino acids daily will help cure cravings not only for TechnoCarbz (as the author calls them) but also for alcohol and caffeine and improve mood.
January 10, 2025
I enjoyed this book a lot. I am currently seeing a functional medicine practitioner who has followed this author and a few others in the amino acid field and she's teaching classes where we take a quiz and can try amino acids. It's amazing how fast they take effect! I enjoyed learning more about amino acids and how something so small could make a big difference.
April 28, 2019
The best resource for winning at life
Love love love her easy to read knowledge and seamless protocol. She links all the info together and has resources online. Covered all the bases
Love love love her easy to read knowledge and seamless protocol. She links all the info together and has resources online. Covered all the bases
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