The Abascal Way: To Quiet Inflammation for Health and Weight Loss

Ms. Abascal is well informed and able to convey in lay language how the body processes foods, how the inflammatory process works, how certain foods can trigger it, and how to motivate sticking with the program. In addition, her program naturally leads to weight loss. Her simple mantra, "I can do anything for three weeks," has kept me faithful to the program many times. In just two weeks on the program I've lost 10 pounds effortlessly. No counting calories, no eating chemical-filled pre-made meals, just the simplest of formulas for combining life-giving fruits and vegetables with meat or grains. Yes, it is gluten free, and I thought that was going to be hard, but it's not at all. I'm preparing simple, tasty, beautiful meals that excite the taste buds and satisfy the appetite. This program has actually rekindled my interest in creative cooking. Processed sugar is on the do-not-eat list, and after the first week ALL THE SUGAR CRAVINGS WERE GONE! This is amazing, because when I eat processed sugar at all I'm a complete sugar-holic. It's also easy to find menu items in restaurants that fit with the program, so it hasn't in any way interfered with my social activities. In fact, just as Ms. Abascal predicts, food flavors are heightened when eating whole, organic foods, and fruit tastes sweeter than ever before. I know I must sound like a walking billboard for this program, but it really has been exceptional. The one challenge I had was to think of breakfasts that didn't always involve eggs. The Abascal Way cookbook helped with that. I've come to love Kale chips as a snack and I'd never even heard of them before. I've made my own mayonnaise to avoid the unhealthy oils used in commercial mayo, and it is amazingly simple and I'm enjoying experimenting with different flavors. OK, so I've been on a few diets in my life, but I can't say I've ever been this excited about one. Maybe it's because weight loss is just a lovely side-effect of this program of healthy eating. It has helped me a lot to understand the body's processing of foods, sort of the why's and wherefores of eating this way and that is Ms. Abascal's expertise.

Stop wondering if you should buy the book set, and just buy it already. Two months ago my rheumatologist told me there was nothing they could do for me but give me prednisone and pain killers for my SEVERE joint pain. I couldn't pick up my vacuum, carry a basket of clothes and had great difficulty going up or down stairs. I had no energy, difficulty concentrating and felt exhausted all the time. I opted not to take the medicine route. She then recommended Kathy Abascal's book which I immediately purchased. I live in Washington so she also recommended I take her class. I stuck to the plan religiously. After the first week, my joint pain was gone! Yes, all of it - gone! After a year and a half of blood tests, CT scans, MRI's, bone density scans, etc. and being in pain to having all pain gone was unbelievable, but true. After three weeks I'd lost 17 pounds and was able to exercise again. Now, I feel great, I have more energy, started running again and went on a seven mile hike. I would not have been able to do that two months ago. This eating plan is strict (absolutely no wheat, no sugar, no dairy for the first 3 weeks), but it is more than worth it to get your health back. The class costs $180.00 which I thought was pricey. Now, I'm so glad I paid for it. Her plan is not about weight loss, but about feeling better, getting healthy and learning how to eat the right way. You learn the reasons why your body reacts the way it does to certain foods. However, if you don't live in the area I would HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend taking the class online. You get so much more information than reading the book alone. For instance, if you don't experience relief within the first 3 weeks then likely something else is also triggering your inflammation like eggs or nuts. Cut those out, and you likely will feel better. Everyone is different. There are so many different names for sugar, wheat and dairy that you have to learn most of them and don't eat ANY of it. Not even a little. Don't cheat. It is rigid, but it's definitely worth it. No MSG, no alcohol, no beef, and no pork. Only lean cuts of chicken, turkey (preferably organic) and wild fish (no farmed fish or seafood) and all the fruits and vegetables you can eat. I have had to train myself to cook differently. No eating boxed, bagged, processed foods for me! Fresh fruits and vegetables is the name of the game. I cook a large variety of different foods, eat five times a day and I never feel hungry. It's been fun try so many different recipes. There are TONS of recipes on the internet!!! It does take more time and effort to plan ahead and cook, but to see the relief I've had - I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. If you're only looking for weight loss and not a health benefit, then this is not the eating plan for you. Many people in the class have lupus, MS, arthritis, Crohn's disease, fibromyalgia, chronic fatique, thyroid, IBS, and other issues. They all have seen relief. If you want to keep eating the way you are eating now, or running through McDonald's drive-thru when you're in a hurry, go right ahead. But know that this is not the eating plan for you. To think that what we eat has such an impact on our health is amazing. The TQI Diet is a way of life. I am so very thankful to Kathy for giving me my life back!

This book and plan outlined in it are very helpful for reducing inflammation and losing weight. The author offers some reasonable guidelines and her own persuasive rationale for point in the program (i.e. she explains clearly how insulin in your body works when recommending how to best time your meals). It is pretty readable, especially if you have a little human physiology/anatomy background.The book would be far more credible if she more accurately and thoroughly referenced the scientific studies to which she refers... There are almost no references, so - if you need peer-reviewed, science based advice, you might feel gipped. The plan is straight forward and easy to follow, and her text is not too repetitive, which I really appreciate. Also, you'l need to get past the photos, which are corny, and have little to do with the text.Overall, she offers an excellent program - very natural and not overly prescriptive. I definitely recommend trying this style of eating; you'll just have to look past some publishing issues. I'd give it a 5 star review if the author made these changes in a new edition.

As expected

I love these books! I have read the first book (non-cookbook) over and over and was suffering so much with joint inflammation that my doctored had requested x-rays to rule out osteoarthritis (at 36 years-old). That turned out to be a rule-out and I had already started on this new way of eating. It was tough to ween myself of wheat and sugar, but it is SO worth it! 5 weeks later and I have no more pain :DI have recommended this book to my friends and family. I also "liked" her fb page.

Returned. I have only received the cookbook. No enough information on the post.

I first got this book from the library. I liked it so much and found the information so valuable that I ordered the book. I then received an email that it would arrive by July 31st. It is now August 20th and no sign of the book.

This book should be sold as a two volume set only! The distributor of a single book is violating the intentions of the author as the second volume is an amazing cookbook. Unfortunately, I did not realize this until after the book arrived and I started searching the web for recipes. I even contacted the author to try and get a cookbook, to no avail.The diet is a great lifestyle change and it makes a lot of sense. I feel much better already after just following the eating principles for just two weeks.