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Rating: 
Summary: One of the Best Books I've Read
Review: As a true food addict, I never could eat "just one" of anything chocolate or most other sweets. Like an alcoholic's first drink that leads to a week long (or lifetime) binge, as far as one cookie was concerned, I could forget it. It was the whole bag or nausea, whichever came first. The only way I could tell when I was full was when I felt like throwing up.
Most diet advice treats these kind of cravings as mental. And while there is a certain mental element to all addictions, it wasn't until I read Dr. Bernard's book that I realized my cravings were caused by something physical. For food addicts, it is impossible to use will power to lose weight. Why don't sugar addicts just quit? (Interestingly, that is a question that most non-alcoholics don't understand about alcoholics either. Because they can quit at will, they don't understand why the alcoholic can't quit.) Most people think you are too self-indulgent and have no willpower. Especially the people who are naturally thin or who have never had the disease.
The taste of chocolate triggers the release of opiates in the brain which cause of rush of dopamine, the brain's principal feel-good chemical. Chocolate stimulates the same part of the brain that morphine acts on. For all intents and purposes, it is a drug, powerful enough to keep us coming back for more. The same thing may be true for sugar, meat and cheese.
If you are addicted to certain foods, like I was to chocolate and sweets, or if you are just addicted to food in general, Dr. Bernard's book sets the stage for overcoming your addictions. I was able to conquer the mood swings, as well as the psychology and physiology of food addiction. In less than a year, I dropped from 205 pounds to 150.
Whether you are an carnivore, omnivore, vegetarian or vegan, you must eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, especially green vegetables. I recommend Dr. Bernard's excellent book. It will put you on the road to success. And for additional help in conquering these addictions, try The pH Miracle by Dr. Robert Young.
Rating: 
Summary: When politics run over science
Review: Dr. Barnard appears in the documentary Super Size Me touting a couple of the ideas in this very book, namely concerning casomorphins in cheese and the supposed opiate effect of chocolate. I scarcely have enough time to write how awful this book is or how much he misrepresents legitimate research.
First of all, an introduction: Neal Barnard heads the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. What is this group? Mostly, a group of people who are not physicians, but who ARE vegans. Membership requires nothing but $20- no degree, no research experience, nothing. A strange policy for an organization calling itself a "Physicians Committee." This is a political interest group so incompetent that it can't even do its own research. Do a search on PsychINFO or Medline for anything Barnard has published in scholarly literature, and you will find precious little there. That's because he's too busy writing books like these for people who don't necessarily have the academic background to know full of it he is.
Take for example the chapter on chocolate in this book. Barnard asserts that chocolate is addictive, that it has a drug effect on the brain. He even notes one study where naloxone (a drug that blocks the effect of opiates like heroin), also blocked the desire for chocolate. Wow that's pretty interesting stuff!
Barnard didn't mention a few things about this study though. First of all, there was more than one group tested. There were normal subjects, and then there were obese bulimics, people who were quite mentally ill. Barnard doesn't mention that naloxone ONLY HAD AN EFFECT ON THE BULIMICS. Hey, that might be inconvenient for making his point, so you can see why it's okay for him to mislead you. This indicates that the blocking effect had nothing to do with chocolate, but it DID have to do with mental illness. Moreover, they didn't even test chocolate! They used several popular snack foods that CONTAINED chocolate. That didn't keep Barnard from zooming in on one single ingredient though, and not mentioning that the people in this study consumed several other things as well.
Another problem with the chocolate chapter is that he cites a study to support his point that no component of chocolate quells cravings quite the way chocolate itself can. He is referring to a study in which people who crave chocolate ingested either chocolate, a pill containing the pharmacological equivalent of chocolate, or both. It turns out that ingesting the pill won't satisfy a chocolate craving, you actually have to eat the stuff.
Not to be deterred, even though this study is actually working AGAINST his point, Barnard compares chocolate to nicotine, and writes that smokers are usually not satisfied with just the patch, they need to actually smoke (he doesn't cite any study in support of this assertion). Well, actually nicotine patches DO reduce cravings for cigarettes, as anyone who does a cursory search of the literature could easily find out. More than that, what exactly is Barnard concluding here? That the taste of chocolate has a drug effect through our tongues, but ingesting it has no effect? Can anyone really read such garbage without laughing? I could go on, but you can get this book from your library and see the rest of it for yourself. When in doubt, look up the references he uses to support his points. Pretty often, you'll find that the articles he refers to really don't say what he makes them out to say.
I thought Super Size Me was a really good film that pointed out what a vested interest many companies have in keeping us unhealthy. Unfortunately, Dr. Barnard has his own vested interests, and they don't include science or truth.
Rating: 
Summary: Informative, but biased...
Review: Granted, Dr. Barnard's diet is solid, and the science behind his reasoning is solid; however, the reasoning itself isn't as great as he himself believes. Let me explain:Dr. Barnard advocates vegetarianism and the 4 four group diet: grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruits. This, obviously, excludes meats and dairy. From personal experience alone, I will agree that this type of diet does make one feel better and manage weight, not because it excludes meat dairy, however. Instead, this type of diet works better for the body because it limits processed junk foods by keeping natural foods in the system. So while I agree on the level of the diet working for a better sense of wellness, I disagree with his reasoning. Another problem I have with his method is that it excludes meat and dairy totally, going to the point of using soy meats and soy milk to replace what your body naturally needs from these foods. I would also argue that your body craves this groups not because one is necessarily addicted to them, but because your body needs vital nutrients from them. For example, vitamin B-12. He suggest taking a vitamin pill to replace what is not received. To limit is one issue, but to totally eliminate is another. The science behind his beliefs are solid. For example, cheese and chocolate are addictive because they release natural opiates in the body (evidence also suggest the same for meat, which is interesting, but I wouldn't personally jump to put my faith in this and thus eliminate it from my diet). I favor taking his science and argument that one can adjust your cravings to more suitable foods, like oatmeal, and form my own thinking to believe that -any- kind of food can boost seratonin levels and become addicting, not just "unhealthy" foods. Thus, reading this at some chapters was kind of like a "Fahrenheit 9/11" for meats, dairy, and sugar. I say this in the sense that the argument seemed legit, but it was so one-sided in leaving out the other side - the positives of the other food groups - that his own position seemed too shakey to put my firm faith in. So in terms of the his diet plan: a good plan and it will change the way you feel about yourself, but mainly if your diet and especialy weight has big problems as is. But be aware that this diet isn't the answer to a happy and complete life. Other options to good living exist outside of the organic food aisle. Regarding the actual title, Breaking the Food Seduction, I would tend to put more faith in his methods and reasoning. He offers valuable information and more solid reasoning as to how and why one should adjust their diet, keep blood-sugar levels steady, and thus feel better overall. Also, I have a problem with the fact that this book devotes 1 measly chapter to exercise. Yes, one can lose wieght on diet alone, assuming you ot fat on diet alone. Except America didn't. American got fat on poor diet and no exercise. You have to use your body, people! If you want your body to flow, you have to make it flow! Nothing boosts happiness, adrenaline, and personal strength than moving your body, whether it be raking leaves, walking the neighborhood, and running an hour. Yes, diet will make your skinny... just look at anorexics who don't exercise. The problem is that they don't have the strength or metabolism to feel their best. The same is true for the 140 lb, 5-10 20 yr. old male. Skinny, but no energy or drive to move throughout the day. I speak from experience.
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Summary: The proof is in the doing
Review: I started out looking at this book because of reflux problems and I wanted a lighter diet. In a very short time, however, this book changed the way I eat completely. The proof truly is in the doing. I saw another reviewer wish that the book had other recommendations besides a vegan diet but that is precisely the Dr's point - the foods we crave make mixing and matching very difficult. 3 weeks eating as a vegan I have lost 10 pounds, reflux is practically nil, I don't crave food all day and in fact seldom even am anxious about meal times. I'm energetic - the absence of milk and meat has if anyting improved my energy levels. I urge anybody who has tried and failed finding a way to eat sensibly and maintain the habit to read what the good Dr. has to say.
Rating:
Summary: great book
Review: if you are ready to change your eating habits so that food no longer has a hold on you, this book is the answer! includes lots of facts about addiction to sugar, carbs, meat and cheese and how it affects your body! atkins dieters beware. this book shows you how to eat healthy for LIFE! I received this book for my birthday along with this amazing new beverage as an alternative to coffee. Made from 100% soy that's organic, its absolutely delicious! It's caffeine-free and comes in 8 delicious flavors. Just google it under "s oyfee" to find it and you won't be disappointed
Rating: 
Summary: Very Helpful Book
Review: The nutritional diet in this book has really worked to curve my chocolate addiction without requiring significant will-power. I also feel much much better overall and it has ended my PMS and significantly reduced the pain of menstral cramps. I will continue to eat this way for the rest of my life...I'm sold because of the results. Oh, I lost fat weight as well.
Rating:
Summary: Life changing book
Review: This book clearly explains in laymans terms the physiological effect certain foods have on the body. I had dabbled a bit trying to be a vegetarian for a few years but wasn't successful until I read Dr. Barnard's book. I started a vegan lifestyle on Aug 1, 2003 and the weight has just peeled away. I went from being exhausted and miserable to having enough energy to start a running program. I feel so good. And it has been so easy. I don't feel deprived, I don't crave bad foods anymore. My skin looks better. I've lost 15 pounds in six weeks and am still losing. It is nothing short of amazing and something I am positive I can sustain for the rest of my life. It also feels good to know I am making a small contribution to a healthier planet by not consuming animals. I plan on giving this book to my friends and family for Christmas.
Rating:
Summary: A breakthrough for those of us seeking results!
Review: What a help -- and a surprise -- this book is!
A surprise because: We've known that we shouldn't be hooked on certain foods, but until now no one has given us the complete list -- or laid out the reasons for our "addictions" so clearly (there are some real surprises here, on both counts!).
And a great help because: For the first time in my experience all the practical information (e.g., HOW to break away from cravings and food habits) is here under one cover. Also, there are lots of tips and quick, delicious recipes -- a bonus for those of us who have no time for new and complex techniques.
I have read several health and diet books over the years, but this is very likely The Best. In any case, the good news is: we have nothing to lose but our addictions!
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