Liz Vaccariello

As a huge fan of both Reader's Digest and diet recipes, I knew I had to try this new companion cookbook to the New York Times-bestselling The Digest Diet. This book is a compilation of brand new recipes to go along with that diet, so it's less reading, and more recipe-enjoying! And boy, can I say how much I enjoyed sifting through this to get new ideas and even cook up some waistline-friendly food of my own!

I'm still skeptical about the actual diet plan itself; the "lose up to 26 pounds in show more 21 days" claim obviously does not speak to typical results. In fact, a lot of the diet plan doesn't settle well with me, as it involves lots of skipping meals and only one snack a day (not healthy!). It also emphasizes the importance of fat releasers (good!) and fat increasers (bad!) which can be helpful in selecting ingredients, but I feel it was a bit restrictive.

What I absolutely love love love however, is how there's such an expansive variety of recipes here. Recipes range from flank steak (!!!!) to chickpea-crust pizza to turkey milanese to frozen berry terrine. Good golly, that sounds tasty! It's not the typical layup you'd picture when you think "health food," which is great because most people—myself included—are turned off by the idea of diets that solely consist of salads-san-dressing and kale smoothies. Yeeuch.

Pros: Variety of recipes // Well organized into sections: Breakfasts, Soups, Main Dishes, One-Dish Mains, Salads, Side Dishes, and Desserts // Includes informational chapters about fat releasers // Helpful conversion charts for measurements and portions

Cons: Some recipes don't include pictures! // "26 pounds in 21 days" claim baffles me—anyone could do this, simple. Just starve yourself.

Verdict: A fabulous collection of scrumptious-sounding recipes, The Digest Diet Cookbook is definitely something you want to invest in for getting on track with your diet with delicious sides, meals, and desserts that won't stretch your waistline. While I can't actually endorse the diet plan Liz Vaccariello recommends (it just doesn't sound nutritionally adequate!), the different recipe ideas presented are sure to be a hit among whole food lovers like yours truly, and will inspire healthful lifestyles among foodies of every breed.

Rating: 8 out of 10 hearts (4 stars): An engaging read; highly recommended.

Source: Complimentary copy provided by publicist in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you, FSB Media!). show less

What I love about 21-Day Tummy is that it isn't just a book on weight loss and diet management; it's unique in that it also places importance on the digestive tract. Many of the recipes and theories revolve around the bodily chemistry regarding certain foods and exercises, so this diet plan is one that targets both shedding pounds and metabolizing your digestive system.

If you suffer from weight gain due to digestive slowdown, this is the perfect book for you. It is well backed and well show more explained, so anyone can follow and understand the logistics of the diet—even if you have minimal experience with dieting. That's what I love about Vaccariello's diet guides; they're so accessible!

The recipes, as expected, are amazing. Just looking at the photographs makes my mouth water, and I love how each ingredient is elaborated upon. There are helpful lists of digestive do's and don't's throughout the book, which are entertaining and useful for the kitchen. Other helpful tools include measurement conversion charts, grocery shopping lists, green lights and red lights of foods (regarding how they'll treat your stomach), and myths about certain foods busted or confirmed.

I find it really helpful that the regimen's goal is to not only flatten tummies, but also regulate the inner workings of the body. It takes the focus off the scale and tape measures, and places it onto feeling and being HEALTHY.

Pros: Methodical, biologically sound approaches to dieting and improving the digestive system // Lots of tried-and-true recipes that are worth testing // Real-life testimonies and weight loss plans and interviews of successful dieters included

Cons: Some recipes don't include pictures and are difficult to follow // I'm skeptical of the timeline. Although the book doesn't necessarily claim to change lives drastically in 21 days, it keeps dieters on a schedule that seems a bit too rigid

Verdict: I personally was not really able to follow this diet book because it deals a lot with digestive issues rather than just wholesome, healthy eating, but I appreciate how specific the regimen is. It isn't something I could actually stick with—in fact, it doesn't seem very lenient—but I recommend Vaccariello's newest diet book for those who struggle with acid reflux and eating the right way due digestive problems. With the perfect amount of motivation and realistic, delicious-looking recipes, 21-Day Tummy helps you look and feel your best by using a targeted approach of not only eating well, but also taking care of what's on the inside.

Rating: 7 out of 10 hearts (4 stars): Not perfect, but overall enjoyable; borrow, don't buy!

Source: Complimentary copy provided by publicist in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you, FSB Media!). show less

Humans, as a rule, are visual creatures. This book addresses the issue of portion control, something most people sorely underestimate, by providing the visual of a 400 calorie muffin vs a ginormous typical muffin(for example). This book reminds me of the DK Eyewitness series of books except for food. You will learn (thanks to vibrant photographs) how eat a 400 calorie meal at the drivethru, at the movies, at a party, from semi-prepared foods, and yes, how to cook them yourself. This book show more re-shaped my grocery list and what I bring to work for lunch and dinner. Low or no sugar, low fat, and low sodium is encouraged. Highly recommended and worth every penny. show less

This book throws a lot of information at you about how your body digests food, and I'll be honest and say that I didn't grasp all of it. Or even, like, half of it. And I haven't done any due diligence and checked out the science they back this book with.

The recipes are a bit unrealistic since they call for a bunch of things we just don't normally stock like chia seeds (where do you even buy those?), coconut milk, and garam masala (which I should keep around, but I don't :/). On the plus side show more though, a lot of those off-beat ingredients are used in multiple recipes, and since the diet plan seems pretty rigid that's a good thing. The recipes also don't use a lot of ingredients themselves, which I believe goes along with not overloading your stomach.

Overall, this might be worth it to try if you have digestive issues that you want to clear up. I don't know about the sustainability of this diet over a more balanced diet in general, though.

Copy courtesy of Reader's Digest, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. show less