Reviews of Trick and Treat:
How 'healthy eating' is making us ill

Trick and Treat, February 9, 2009

By Jan Cauffman "Beelady" (PA)

This book is very thought provoking. I have made some significant changes to our household meals as a result of the research revealed in it. Interesting, thoroughly researched and informative. A real eye opener about our "food"!

Another winner from Dr Groves, 7 Feb 2009

By M. W. Ellwood "mwellwood" (Abingdon, GB)

Doctor Barry Groves has come up with another hard-hitting winner here. He demolishes a lot of the myths about "healthy eating" and much of what many of us have taken for granted for many years about living healthily .

It is perfectly compatible with his previous work ("Natural Health and Weight Loss", but, perhaps out of a justified sense of urgency, he "takes the gloves off" to some extent, telling it like it is.

And no wonder. The mainstream diet and health "gurus" bleat on about the "mystery" of the obesity epidemic. There is no mystery. Because of the misguided attack on saturated fats / animal fats that started during the last quarter (or so) of the 20th century, it was dogmatically decided that a "healthy diet" had to be low in fat, and rich in carbohydrates, and "healthy" fibre. Surprise, surprise, obesity rates went up, cancer rates went up, and type 2 Diabetes became an epidemic. The "healthy diet" was successful, but the patients were, and are, dying.

Barry uncovers all this and much more. If you read this book, you should also read Gary Taubes, and if you have already read Gary Taubes, you should read this.

Healthy cynicism, healthy diet, 1 Feb 2009

By Bookish "Jools" (England)

This weighty tome of a book (498 pages) is a well researched work on so-called 'healthy eating'.

The author Barry Groves (researcher and lecturer) comes from England, and looks in detail at the role of fats, grains, bran, meat, salt, vegetables and fruit and even sunlight in the British diet - and the marketing thereof, and draws some startling conclusions. He asks (and answers) such questions as:

Who benefits from persuading us that we should eat more fruit?

More grain?

Skimmed milk?

And who benefits financially from our currently overweight and over-ill nation?

For example, he states that -

"The mantra that everyone will know is 'eat five portions of fruit and veg a day.' Yet there is little evidence of benefit over about two portions a week: and eating as much as five a day could have serious adverse effects on health. Growing them is also a wasteful use of land."

These are powerful words, but Mr Groves backs up his claims with plenty of research and evidence: 53 pages of references at the back of the book.

Mr Groves has also researched connections between diet and conditions such as diabetes, cancer and multiple sclerosis, that are hard to argue with. It makes for difficult reading at times.

Mr Groves also says "The good news is that you don't have to be exploited. If you put your mind to it, not only can you be totally healthy, you can personally help to cut the cost of ill-health in this country to a fraction of its current levels. If you are not ill, they can't sell you expensive drugs. And once that happens, your taxes can be reduced..."

Mr Groves looks to the natural order of foods and nature herself to consider a truly healthy diet, and what that might look like. Some might say it's common sense, but it's good to read well researched facts to back up those nagging doubts that many of us have been harbouring for many years.

This could be the start of a food revolution...

Read, mark, learn and inwardly digest, 29 Jan 2009

By E. Young

Barry Groves obviously knows what he's talking about with a plethora of trials and reports to substantiate the facts. This makes perfect sense since before all this mucking about with food to make it "healthy", lots of the things we ate and drank were naturally whole. I have ditched a high-fibre diet which resulted eventually in IBS and am "working" much better for it.

Trick and treat, January 16, 2009

By Urszula Polska "ULA"

This is the grate book for every one who wants to be healthy.

I am a RN MSN and My husband is a MD for many years i was looking for HEALTHY DIET which makes my husband more sick, tired having apnea and getting close to have diabetes.

Every day I spend so much time doing research .I bought grate book "DIABETES SOLUTION" BY MD BERNSTEIN. I finally cure my husband from apnea, elevated glucose .I read 100 of books about low carb diet and now I get " Trick and treat" by B GROVES .This is revolutionary book Barry Groves did excellent job providing all research paper .I studied many of those articles and tested on my family increasing FAT in our meals with grate results.Because I am polish ,I know doctor KWASNIEWSKI (mentioned by BARRY GROVES who treats Diabetic patients by giving them high fat diet years ago and now including polish President LECH WALESA. He was very successful but not popular Majority population did not believe that fat can be a cure . Barry Groves DR. Kwasniewski DR. Bernstain and DR Atkin could be a hope for a tragic obesity and diabetes in our population. Most of the doctors including my husband had hard time at the beginning to proof this as a true . I encourage you to tray and see how your triglyceride goes down my stay as low as 37 and I have very good HDL 68. Good Luck !

Thank you, Barry Groves, January 11, 2009

By Anon (Colorado, USA)

I can't imagine anyone doing a better job than Barry Groves has done on exposing our various nutritional mythologies using information and research primarily from major medical journals but also historical information, basic biochemistry, and common sense. It is well written and easy to read while covering an immense amount of material. Even if it does not convince you of what the author believes constitutes truly healthy eating (although that's hard to imagine!) it should at the very least convince you that what you've been taught is a 'healthy diet' must be thoroughly questioned! It might also galvanize you to spread the word in an effort to help change what doctors and governments consider good nutrition and helpful strategies for preventing and combatting illnesses. Barry Groves makes a powerful argument that we cannot afford the direction in which we are going with our health care systems -- people are getting sicker and costs are skyrocketing.

good complement to Taubes!, January 7, 2009

By Angelica J. Cole

This book goes very well with Taubes, "Good Calories, Bad Calories". Whereas Taubes work is a fairly straight forward review of the existing science, Groves expands into the politics of medical research and treatment to a much greater extent. Though they both hit many of the same notes, Groves brings a different perspective to the subject which highlights new information, or at least information which may seem new. Weston A Price followers and low carb devotees will enjoy. This and Taubes are MUST READS for anyone who wants to prevent illness, advocate for their own health, and live a full and happy life!

DON'T READ ANY OTHER BOOK - UNTIL YOU READ "TRICK & TREAT"!, January 4, 2009

By J. Holloway (USA)

Barry Groves is gonna have a lot of enemies - Big Food, Big Pharma, Big Medicine, Big Government and the entire Nutrition, Dietetic and supplement industries. Lotsa big money, political power and egos here!

I did exactly what the doctors told me to do, eat low fat, whole grains, breads, pasta, fiber, bran, lotsa fruits and vegetables, little red meat, no skin on chicken - AND I ENDED UP DIABETIC AND HAVE HAD A QUADRUPLE BY-PASS - boy was that advice wrong!!!!! (even my Surgeon said "...when are they going to get it right - for years I have been telling them (other doctors)its the carbs, sugars and the starches NOT THE FAT"!

Now, I eat lotsa fat, cheese, butter, eggs, shellfish, the fat on pork, beef, chicken with the skin, little or few grains, very little fruit, fresh tasty raw vegetables HARDLY ANY PROCESSED FOODS and I never have been in better health - my doctor wants to know "...you are remarkable what are you doing"? - I TELL HIM "THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT YOU ARE TELLING ME TO DO"!!!! I am now off all prescription drugs and thumb my nose at the American Heart Association, The American Diabetes Association, and the FDA. Over the last 5 years I have learned much bit by bit from personal experience and my own research - but Barry Groves puts it all together in one easy to read and understandable source.

If you want to control and improve your health, and enjoy life - you need to read this book TODAY! Then tell all your friends and relatives to read it too, maybe we can stop the lies we are being told. "Trick & Treat" should be required reading IN EVERY HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE! Buy a copy for your doctor, if he/she doesn't agree ask them to produce scientific evidence against the concepts (he/she can't) then find a new doctor before it is too late.

I can't say enough about the book - I thought my eyes were open before - I like everyone else was fast asleep Not any more - I am truly wide awake and invigorated - Barry Groves has done the world a great service - if only they read it - instead of listening to their iPods or cell phones.

CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN TO DR. BARRY GROVES - Now to go back and read it again

THIS IS THE BEST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ!

Illuminating and Controversial, January 3, 2009

By librtea

In "Trick and Treat: How 'Healthy Eating' is Making us Ill", Barry Groves blames the current health crisis in modern western society on three things: the pervasive high-carbohydrate, low fat diet; governmental interference in health care; and a health/pharmaceutical industry that capitalizes on the situation by promoting unhealthy practices, and then treating the disease conditions that result. "Trick and Treat" is divided into two parts. Part One describes the corruption in the health industry, points out the problems inherent in a high-carb, low-fat diet, and then prescribes a diet that leads to good health. The prescribed diet is high in fat - specifically animal fat, not polyunsaturated vegetable fat - and low in carbohydrates, with 60-70% of calories from fat, 15-25% of calories from protein, and a mere 10-15% of calories from carbohydrates. Part Two describes numerous diseases the author claims are the result of high carbohydrate consumption. These range from life-threatening disorders such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer to less serious problems such as acne, near-sightedness and dental problems.

Groves not only turns the current thinking about what comprises a healthy diet upside-down, but also refutes many other widely-held beliefs about health. He tells us to restrict or eliminate bran from our diets, but not to worry about our sodium intake. He is a proponent of sun exposure, but suggests that we forego sunscreens, and says that while exercise may increase fitness, it has minimal health benefits. Although many of Groves' assertions are unorthodox, they appear to be well-researched and documented. There are over 50 pages of references. The book also contains a glossary, an appendix, and an index.

"Trick and Treat" is an illuminating, albeit controversial book. Groves' arguments are quite convincing, but not easy to completely accept without further investigation. In the meantime, having never been a "fat fan", I will continue to remove skin from poultry and fat from beef, but plan to enjoy a bacon and egg breakfast on the nearest occasion.

Diet and Health Tour de Force, January 2, 2009

By Joel M. Kauffman (Berwyn, PA United States)

In this, my 100th book review or so on www.Amazon.com, I admit to bias for the first time. I edited an early version of the text more than a year ago, which was acknowledged on p vii. My book, "Malignant Medical Myths", was highly praised under Resources on p489.

Dr. Groves had two main themes; (1) eating digestible carbohydrate or fiber to excess is not healthful, and is the cause of or contributes to a wide range conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, several digestive system conditions, PCOS, osteoporosis, arthritis, and a multitude of mental problems; and (2) the National Health Service (NHS) of the United Kingdom is not doing much to prolong the healthy lifespans of Britons, and The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in the USA is equally compromised. This may sound familiar, if you read many books on health, or it may sound unbelievable if you don't.

What makes this book unusual is its depth of literature searching, with 1174 numbered citations. Still more unusual is the clarity and readability of this author. So we have a catchy title, a shocking cover picture, an easy-to-read style with appropriate graphs, tables, diagrams, and even a chemical reaction or two. There are also a glossary, many resources, and an excellent index. So Carl Sagan said that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Dr. Groves, Ph. D. Nutrition, provides it. When there is disagreement on a topic, opposing views are cited; when there is uncertainly, it is presented as such; no ranting here. He points out what should be obvious -- drugs and wonder foods cannot save lives. "We are not an immortal species; life is a universally fatal, sexually transmitted disease. The best anything can do is prolong our lives." (p428)

Bad advice from dieticians and Big Pharma, collusion of government agencies and NGOs, perversion of physicians and others are all exposed here. The difference is that there is nutritional and medical science backing all claims in "Trick and Treat". Books on mere scandal abound, many written by reporters; they serve a purpose. But here is an unusual, scientific, very understandable presentation of why so many beliefs of your mainstream physician are false. "Many over the last century have warned that this was happening. They were ridiculed, dismissed as `cranks', sacked from their jobs, sidelined, reviled and ostracized as a result... In the last two decades, however, the rapid escalation in the numbers [of those with] chronic diseases and the visibility of them [obesity, diabetes, Alzheimer's, autism, etc.] means that the evidence [of malpractice and malfeasance in office] can no longer be brushed under the carpet." (p425)

Read why eating bran and carbohydrates, even whole grain, is not healthful; about salt intake, soybean products, fluoride in water, exercise, and the truism that a diet satisfactory for thousands of years for our ancestors and for a number of primitive societies today, a diet high in animal meat and fat, could not suddenly turn dangerous in the 20th century.

So a major message is that you should use the facts in Trick and Treat to participate in your own health decisions. If this means changing providers, do it. If it means re-thinking your contributions to useless health-related charities, do it. You and your physicians need this book.

But if you want a smaller and less technical presentation with most of the same main themes, Dr. Groves' earlier book: Natural Health and Weight Loss", 2007, is also well-referenced, and contains the names and ratios of essential amino acids, carb contents of foods, and recipes. Also 5-star.

Your "healthy" lifestyle may be killing you, December 27, 2008

By Mitchell R. Alegre (Glenwood, New York)

Forget what you know about living a healthy lifestyle. It's likely wrong--and killing you. That is the clear message in the book "Trick and Treat" by Barry Groves. A quick perusal of the abstracts at the start of each chapter makes it easy to dismiss Groves as some contrarious crank. But read on. This guy has done his homework (there are 53 pages of citations). In a clear, methodical, detailed style, Groves compiles the evidence against today's multi-billion dollar health industry.

I didn't have to read much of the book before I became angry. At first I was angry at Groves for calling into question everything I have come to believe about living a healthy lifestyle. He advocates eating meat not vegetables. Replace your bran breakfast with eggs and bacon. Scrap the margarine and vegetable oils and use butter. Sunbathe without the sunscreen. This guy must be crazy. But as I continued to read, his arguments continued to make more sense. After all, why should we humans suddenly change a diet that has carried us through our evolutionary development? And is it a coincidence that the rise of obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and a host of other ailments coincide with our obsession with "healthy" eating? Not according to the extensive evidence compiled by Groves. My anger eventually became aimed at the professionals and government that persuaded me to believe in an unnatural "healthy" lifestyle. I ended my reading of this book curious to know more about Groves's recommendations.

I found "Trick and Treat" exhausting to read. It seems Groves has found every possible study that supports his premise from the past two centuries and includes all of them in his book. But he has a way of explaining the complexities of human physiology and biochemistry that make these subjects understandable to the layperson. I was frustrated, though, that there were not more details included in the book about how to return to a more human-friendly diet. I suppose I will need to read one of his other books for that information. After reading "Trick and Treat," I am eager to do so.

Reading This Book Will Make You Smarter Than Your Doctor!, November 16, 2008

By Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Man "Jimmy Moore" (Spartanburg, SC)

One of the world's most outspoken proponents of a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet in modern-day society is UK-based researcher Dr. Barry Groves. This man is a walking, talking encyclopedia of all the information you could ever want to know about livin' la vida low-carb and imparts that knowledge on all of us with this new book-a play on words with the popular slogan used at Halloween in the United States, but an apt title for what is happening with healthcare in the 21st century.

Railing against the "healthy" low-fat diet that has been recommended for so long with no evidence to back it up, Groves runs through a long laundry list of various health myths where he sets the record straight. Medical school students and long-term doctors would probably learn more about diet and its relationship to health just from reading this book than in all the years they spent in medical school and in practice combined!

Want an inexpensive education in health-READ THIS BOOK!

Buy it, 4 Nov 2008

By Thomas Holland "Bola" (uk)

Not just a book on what to eat. Its much broader than that encompassing a run down on why the new low fat diet is in fact so bad for us and explains how the Health Industry, in the interests of profits, is so keen to push this diet and moreover ensure we stay ill.

The Best, 20 Oct 2008

By A. Turner

This is the very best book on diet and health ever written. Every doctor, dietician and health advisor should be made to read it. Buy it for everyone you care about.

This is a must read, October 17, 2008

By Victoria A. Walker

This is a great book. It should be mandatory reading for all doctors. Every position is supported by research evidence. There is so much information presented, it was a slow read for me. I wanted to be certain I understood every word, so I often had to re-read sections. It could be a dull subject but it was written and formatted in a way that made it a pleasure to read. You will never again be able to listen to someone speak about his 'healthy diet' without wanting to re-educate him. I hope this book is the beginning of a wave of enlightened thinking when it comes to personal health and responsibility.

Last updated 24 February 2009