Women, Food and Hormones: A 4-Week Plan to Achieve Hormonal Balance, Lose Weight and Feel Like Yourself Again

by Sara Gottfried

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERNew York Times bestselling author Dr Sara Gottfried shares a new, female-friendly Keto diet that addresses women's unique hormonal needs, so readers can shed pounds and maintain the loss more easily.Most diet plans were created by men for men, but women's bodies don't work the same way. Popular programs can actually make it harder for women to lose weight, because they can wreak havoc on a woman's complex and delicate hormonal system. Dr Sara Gottfried has spent her career demystifying hormones and helping patients improve their health more broadly with personalised medicine.In Women, Food, and Hormones, Dr Gottfried presents a groundbreaking new plan that helps women balance their hormones so they can lose excess weight and feel better. Featuring hormonal detoxification combined with a ketogenic diet that is tailor-made for women, coupled with an intermittent fasting protocol and over 50 delicious and filling recipes, this book shares a fat-burning solution that gets results.

Genres: Health

336 pages, Paperback

Published October 7, 2021

About the author

Sara Gottfried, MD  is the  New York Times  bestselling author of The Hormone Cure  (Simon & Schuster, 2013) and  The Hormone Reset Diet (HarperOne, 2015).  After graduating from Harvard Medical School and MIT, Dr. Gottfried completed her residency at the University of California at San Francisco. She is a board-certified gynecologist who teaches natural hormone balancing in her novel online programs so that women can lose weight, detoxify, and slow down aging. Dr. Gottfried lives in Berkeley, CA with her husband and two daughters.

Reviews

[Ali · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. Set of cliches and obvious things: check your hormones, your thyroid might not be working right. oh really?.. eat healthy fats... Gee, i thought french fries and oily chicken wings from KFC will do the job.

[Stephanie Josine · Rating 2 out of 5]

At times, this book reads like one of those websites that promises to give you ALL THE ANSWERS to all your problems IN JUST A MINUTE if you'll just KEEP SCROLLING. I already bought the book, please get to the point. But: there are some interesting facts about how the body works. F.ex: Your liver will prioritise processing the most toxic substances, like alcohol, first, leaving excess oestrogen re-circulating around your system, messing your shit up. And, the *reason* cruciferous veg are so good for you is that they bind to the same receptors in your system that would otherwise interact with environmental toxins. Worth a read for this kind of stuff.

[Rebekah G · Rating 2 out of 5]

Whilst the science behind this keto diet rebranded into the “Gottfried Protocol” was interesting, I cannot think of a method of dieting/lifestyle adaptations that are more fussy than these. The woman insists you poo, exercise every morning (but it must be 2/3 weights and 1/3 cardio), have a 2:1 ketogenic ratio - which frankly wasn’t explained very well, then suggests measuring ketones every morning, along with glucose (what’s the point when you don’t have diabetes?), taking a million supplements, following a 16:8 intermittent fasting regime, daily Epsom baths (4 cups of salt per bath), undergoing cryotherapy - we all have access to that…and so on.

As a busy working parent, I do not have time to track anything, let alone work out the ketogenic ratios of the foods I eat. I exercise regularly and eat low carb. I will take the hormone info and ignore the diet suggestions. This has really put me off and this book feels like an unhealthy health obsession for people who have too much time on their hands and like to navel gaze. Not for me!

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not one of the better books I've read this year. I went in to it with different expectations for one. I liked that she explained that Keto diet sometimes doesn't work for women in the same way it does for men because of hormone differences. I also liked some of her hints and tips. I absolutely LOVED her stance on alcohol!! But, I think, especially now, when cost of living is a big concern for most people, her plan is not possible. Having said all that, I do take some positives away from reading this book. If budget is not a problem for you, and you have quite a lot of weight to lose, than this book could be a great resource.

[Cait M · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mostly standard keto approach with added emphasis on strength training, hydration and daily saunas. LOTS of tracking is required here e.g all macros, weight every day, ketone and glucose levels after every meal in some cases. For non-diabetic people that is a crazy amount of monitoring, not to mention a waste of resources for people who actually need those test strips for medical reasons.

It was an interesting read, but way too complicated to implement in everyday life. I will try the intermittent fasting though.

[Lynda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointing. Gottfried jumps on the Keto craze and spruiks her own version of a keto diet. It's odd that she specialises in precision medicine but prescribes a standard four week program. I wanted to actually learn more about hormonal balance, not be caught up in another eating plan that someone has found works for them.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF what a lots of #%^ it’s just another keto book. The first half reads like a Facebook advertisement should have a pop up that demands something for getting to the point. If you want to read straight forward life changing. Read “The Ripple Effect”

[Valentina Orneli Draghi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Good content but she repeats 1000 of times the same things. Could be 10ppg shorter

[Nez · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you want me to take your medical and health knowledge seriously, then don’t refer to fraudulent animal experiments - I am not a rat or a dog or a monkey!

[Belinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the first part of the book extremely interesting and learnt a lot. The rest of the book punts her eating plan so that wasn’t that interesting for me

[Mia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This has some helpful info - mostly it’s an explanation of how to do her diet plan.

[Misha Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sharpest prose in contemporary romance. Hibbert doesn't waste a single line.

[Misha Barnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

The chronic illness thread is handled with more honesty than I expected. The romance earned it.

[Thalía Casís Vejas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not what expected

Another diet book. Definitely not what I was expecting. If hormones are part of the problem an specific diet like Keto shouldn’t be the alternative. Eating clean and healthy should be the best choice.