The Abascal Way: To Quiet Inflammation for Health and Weight Loss Paperback – August 10, 2011

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!

My Seattle family got into Abascal as a result of rallying around a very ill family member who is trying to do some serious healing. They turned me on to The Abascal Way, and I've gotten a ton of happiness and inspiration from it since trying out these ideas. The book sometimes made my eyes glaze over with detailed explanations, but I took it slow as I think it's all really important info. Even if all the background science doesn't interest you, I highly recommend at least trying out the simplest part of this eating plan: proportional meals and snacks. At each meal, assure that you eat at least two-thirds fresh, whole veggies and fruits. There's a lot more to it, but that in itself is a big enough shift in a lot of people's diets to make a significant impact in health, weight, and well-being.Our government's recommendations for eating are out of whack, I believe, victim of powerful food and farm lobbies pushing their products. We eat way too much meat, wheat, dairy, sugar, and junky processed foods. Thus we are sick and overweight. Duh. Abascal advocates an initial shift to not just nutritionally neutral foods, but foods that actually will help the body heal itself. Food as medicine. After a strict initial phase (which is only three weeks), other foods can be slowly experimented with to find out what can be tolerated and not in maintaining optimal well-being.I've been steadly losing weight (about a pound a week) since adopting the Abascal principles. I'm not even very disciplined about it and I'm still losing. If I were really intense about following the plan, I know I'd lose faster, but I want to change my whole life in a sustainable way, and my progress seems right for me. I have eliminated dairy and wheat and sugar. I've been mostly vegetarian, anyway, for years, so these changes were doable for me. Giving up cheese and sweet treats is initially hard to do, but being sick and fat is harder. I got over it.When traveling, it's hard to avoid wheat and dairy and sugar. Really hard. I'm away from home about a third of the time, so it's an issue I'm working with. I try to seek out places to eat that have lots of vegetarian or even vegan options, or offer interesting fresh salads and seafood. It mostly works. If I'm at a party or special event, I just do my best to minimize the poisons and don't worry too much. Life is for enjoying, I say.I'm definitely enjoying my life more, these days, slimming down and feeling more vital as time goes on. If you're looking for a new way of thinking about food that can help you enjoy life more, too, I highly recommend The Abascal Way.