He’s b-a-a-a-c-k. Yes, the renowned anti-aging skin doctor known for emphasizing eating salmon to achieve better skin tone has returned with another detailed and well-substantiated plan, The Perricone Weight-loss Diet: A Simple 3-part Program to Lose the Fat, the Wrinkles, And the Years. This time Dr. Perricone presents a sensible long-term program designed to assist you in losing weight and appearing younger.

Dr. Perricone’s plan is based on the premise that as we age, we lose muscle mass and gain fat. To combat this inevitability, he has developed an anti-inflammatory way of eating to promote the loss of fat, the building of muscle, and the enhancement of one’s skin tone. The book is divided into three main parts: Part I deals with the link between inflammation and fat, Part II outlines the three main steps of the weight loss plan, and Part III offers practical advice for following the plan and maintaining its results.

In Part I, Dr. Perricone explains that inflammation (defined as the response of the body’s immune system to infection or irritation) is linked to a wide range of health problems, with excess body fat at the root of it. It is this relationship that makes the reduction and control of inflammation critical to weight loss success and an overall sense of better health.

In Part II, he presents the nuts and bolts of the plan by first explaining the critical importance of incorporating 10 food choices in your regular eating habits. What is particularly appealing about this list is not only the fact that most of the food choices are readily available, but that it includes “runners-up” for each choice which provides plan followers with greater flexibility. The ten general categories include

1. wild Alaskan salmon
2. apples, pears, and grapefruits
3. avocado, acai, and olives
4. cinnamon
5. chili peppers
6. sesame seeds and flaxseeds
7. dried beans
8. low-fat yogurt
9. buckwheat and oats, and
10. garlic, spinach, kale, and broccoli sprouts.

After outlining the plan’s main components, Dr. Perricone provides additional guidance on the practicalities of the plan, focusing on some general pointers to make it part of your daily routine. He reiterates the importance of fish and fiber in your diet, emphasizes the benefits of spices, and warns of common pitfalls such as the use of certain condiments and bottled dressings that contain an unacceptable amounts of chemicals. If you are looking are looking for quick summary of this plan, you will find the lists of foods to enjoy (which include a wide range of fish and poultry along with spices, fruits and vegetables ) and those you should avoid (which include bagels, cookies, margarine, and sugar) to be an incredibly helpful resource. He concludes the book with some sample menus and recipes that are consistent with the plan guidelines.

You should be aware that the supplements Dr. Perricone recommends are packaged under his name and can be purchased on his website and in some retail stores. This practice has been criticized in the past, along with the suggestion that they may not be necessary. Nonetheless, I would imagine that you could find comparable supplements in your local health food store particularly because the book provides detailed descriptions of each supplement along with the recommendation dosage. And, even if you decide not to take any nutritional supplements as the plan suggests, it seems that following the other two components of the plan would produce health benefits. However, in the event you opt to side with the critics, it would be difficult to fault the plan for failing to produce all of its anticipated results since you would be completely eliminating one of the three components of the plan.

Unlike the many other books about crash diet and quick fixes, Dr. Perricone’s plan is a substantiated and well-balanced approach that has the potential to produce permanent weight loss and enhance the appearance of your skin. His information appears to be rooted in scientific evidence and does not make claims for a miracle cure which, as any dieter knows, may lead to short-term weight loss but will likely fail to offer a permanent solution. Dieters may be more enticed by a plan that promises dramatic weight loss in a short period of time with little effort, but personally I would prefer a plan that the potential to produce results and this is exactly what this book provides.