Book Review

The Fruit Diet: Rapid Weightloss Program
by Jay Robb
Review by Cynthia Mosher

We get a good share of traffic and inquires here at VegFamily looking for a vegan/vegetarian weightloss diet. So when I was presented with the press release of this book I was hoping to find a good book for our weight-loss desiring readers—and myself!. I read it with a fair measure of skepticism—as I do all books that have "Rapid Weightloss - Lose up to 14 pounds in 14 days!" in their titles. But read it I did. I love fruit so that's probably what pushed me into considering the diet to drop the 15 (did I say 15? Ummm... 20) pounds that I would love to lose before I go on vacation this year.

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This diet, designed and presented by Jay Robb, a certified clinical nutritionist, is very simple and very straightforward. And best of all it can be made vegan very easily. It places fruits into four categories: Sweet Fruits, Semi-Sweet Fruits and Acid Fruits, Melon Fruits, and Dinner Fruits. For your daytime meals you select fruits from a single group and eat only from that group for that meal and nothing else (no other foods permitted but you can create smoothies using only fruits—he offers recipes in the book). Simple enough.

The Dinner Fruits category are for dinner, of course. In addition to that you have a dinner meal as outlined in the plan that is high in raw fruits and vegetables, high in protein (here you can substitute vegan protein sources rather than the animal food listed in the menu suggestions), and low in fat. He also advises you on supplements to take during the day but they are simply suggestions and some are not vegan, so vegans are advised to adhere to their current nutritional supplement regimen.

The last two chapters of the book offer some really great shopping tips for buying fruit and some tips for success for the diet, though you'll have to ignore most of the protein foods ideas and insert your own favorite equivalent.

I completed the 14 day program and enjoyed it very much—and I lost 12 pounds! So I can vouch for the fact that it is a very doable diet and you can lose a good amount of weight on it, even if you include the free "whatever your heart desires" meal once a week. So what happens thereafter? He outlines what to do after the 14 day diet and also presents and backs up his belief that fruit and plenty of raw vegetables are the ideal main base foods for everyone (go raw foodies!), even diabetics, by providing sound explanation and nutritional studies evidence. Definitely worth the read and the trial of anyone wishing to lose weight with the pleasurable eating experience that fruit always has to offer.

For more information on the power of eating fruit or to purchase a copy of the book call 1-877-529-7622 or go to www.JayRobb.com .

Cynthia Mosher is the Editor of VegFamily, the Magazine for Vegan Family Living.

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