Book Review: Eat Your Heart Out

Eat Your Heart Out: All-Fun, No-Fuss Food to Celebrate Eating Clean by Daphne Oz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The author Daphne Oz shares her love of food and how she balances this with a “clean eating” reset every now and then. For two days, she eats whatever she wants, typically on the weekend, and for the remaining five days, she eats clean with three rules: no gluten, no refined sugar, and limited dairy.

The book has an introduction explaining the plan, followed by recipes categorized by breakfast and brunch; smoothies, juices, and milks; salads and other crunchy green things; soups and something like sandwiches; the main event; on the side; snacks and savory bites; flavor boosters; salad dressings; and sweet nothings.

Daphne is an award-winning television host and bestselling author. Her message and method may resonate with many. Daphne is not a nutritionist but is a certified holistic health counselor and natural foods chef. I would recommend this book if you are a fan of her work or looking for inspiration for better health.
The basics of the plan: Follow clean eating—no gluten, no refined sugar, limited dairy—for five days, then eat whatever you want for two days. Continue as long as you need to rebalance your body.

There is a good balance of straightforward recipes—oat milk (p. 63), collard green sandwich wraps (p. 99), roasted chickpeas (p. 232)—and more complicated ones. There are plenty of vegetarian and vegan options as well. I like how the recipes are presented and written—very esthetically pleasing. The photographs of Daphne, her family, and the food are all amazing. They add warmth to the book.

I thought her explanation of why she has these three rules is sound and makes sense. For example, many people struggle to digest gluten, causing an inflammatory response; additionally, it is often found in processed, simple carbohydrates that launch you into a vicious cycle of blood sugar highs and lows. [Hint: You may want to apply her rules seven days a week.]

The plan will not work as prescribed for those with certain diagnoses or intolerances, e.g., celiac disease or lactose intolerance. The two-day break could be modified for those with restrictions. If you are addicted to sugar, staying on the plan may be too challenging. Daphne allows date sugar on the plan, which may have a slight advantage of more nutrients than white, refined sugar; however, for the body, sugar is sugar. It will still spike insulin.


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