The Virgin Diet

Are people around you jumping into “Whole 30” with passion? Or perhaps they’ve eliminated carbs or gluten or dairy or sugar. Honestly, I’m not one for fad eating (perhaps because I’m so heavily invested in eating). That said, I also tend to do much better completely eliminating something than just trying to moderate it.

So I picked up The Virgin Diet: Drop 7 Foods, Lose 7 Pounds, Just 7 Days on NetGalley with some curiosity. And no, the diet doesn’t involves virgins in any way. It’s the author’s last name (though provocative, I admit).

I really liked her approach in this book, and it has turned me from a scoffer into a believer. Let me clarify: I did not drop 7 foods, nor did I lose 7 pounds in 7 days (and honestly nowhere in the book did I really see her assert this specific claim, so I’d vote for a review of the subtitle). What she does assert is that by eliminating these high-allergen foods that also can cause inflammation, that you will feel less bloated, you’ll have fewer “gut” problems (there’s a LOT of talk about healing your gut), look younger, and yes, lose weight that you may be holding on to in spite of healthy eating and lifestyle habits.

What I liked was that she explained it in this way. She identified these products as those which tend to cause reactions in people, and perhaps your body is reacting to them in a way that doesn’t work for you. After a month of doing without (again — let’s look at the title — I could do anything for 7 days, but 30?), you can add in one food at a time for each week, testing any adverse reactions.

Final verdict: If you are simply looking to lose weight, I wouldn’t recommend this book. However, if you have noticed unnatural reactions such as stomach problems, extreme fatigue, or are at your wit’s end because you feel like you are doing everything right and still can’t lose weight, you might look into it. If you are interested, check out more at her website.