My copy of Trim Healthy Mama arrived this week and I have been reading it as fast as I can. Having read my share of diet books, I know the grammar and can maneuver through the terrain pretty quickly.

What is the premise? You have to manage insulin in the blood to lose weight.

How do you do that? Keep fat and carbs in separate meals.

What do I have to do? Eat protein and healthy fats, with veggies, for a Satisfying (S) meal. Eat Protein and 45 g or less of healthy carbs, with veggies, for an Energizing (E) meal. Occasionally protein with low carb and low fat, for a Fuel Pull (FP).

What is the schedule? How do I plan? How long will I be on this diet? No schedule–except make sure there are three hours between meals or snacks when you switch between E and S. Fat or carbs in bloodstream, not both. Plan yummy meals through the day or week, making sure you have both kinds of meals. You learn the basics and decide day to day how you are going to make this work for you.

I like this, because I really do lean more toward improvisation than a script. But those who want more structure can find it too.

Secrets? Good quality stevia to sweeten the plentiful desserts. “Muffin in a Mug” made of an egg, ground flax seed, almond flour, coconut oil, and cocoa in coffee mug, microwaved for 1 minute. Butter on vegetables. Coconut oil. Frozen berries. Salmon!

This book was written by two sisters whose stories give them credibility.  They know their stuff, having tried every way of food lifestyle out there. Their sources are familiar to me: Nourishing Traditions, Weston Price, Dr. Schwarzbein. They reference many, many studies. I give them credit for this. They also go extensively into hormone issues. This hefty book covers a lot. I find it worth the $35 price tag.

I have to say I have tried stevia before and hated it, and was skeptical of using it to replace all sugar. But I have abused sugar for a long time and it is time for penance.  They list the best stevias out there and apparently have become a source for it. I purchased some from their website before I got the book so I had it on hand as soon as I read some good looking recipes. I have been using it for about five days and I definitely notice I am calmer without the sugar in my system. It leaves an aftertaste but their brand does not have that nasty bitter chemical taste I have tasted before. It isn’t as smooth as sugar but it will do.

One of the things I love about this book is the natural voice of the sisters. One is a food purist and tells the truth even if it hurts, and the other allows some shortcuts and extends grace for those who may need to make some adaptations. Grace and truth. Where have we seen that before? They encourage the reader to work with it for a couple of months to master the S and E meals after which they have lots of ideas for ratcheting it up a notch.

There is oh so much more to this that I find helpful and encouraging. I will live with it for a while and post from time to time. Have any of my readers worked with this way of eating? Post a comment and let me know what you thought of it.