Dr. David A. Wright’s The Nutrient Diet promises to offer a new psychological approach to diet and wellness. “Dr. David,” as he’s known, aims to explain nutrition, diet and the psychology behind why things work or don’t for readers looking to lose weight or become healthier.
The main reason diets fail, he states, is that people try to change too many things at once and should look at diets and health holistically. He advises readers to focus on one behavior, such as drinking more water or consuming less sugar, each week for 12 weeks. He breaks these behaviors down with science backing it up. “Choose behaviors over calories,” he writes. “…For instance, eating a balanced meal with vegetables, protein and fiber is more important than eating rice cakes just because they are lower in calories. It really isn’t just about calories.”
The book covers two basic topics: diet and nutrition and cognitive and behavioral strategies to better implement the former. Wright’s tone is encouraging and approachable, and while he sometimes wades deep into the science behind his principles, he never sounds jargon-y or condescending.
The book also has a few oddities. Sometimes his advice seems peculiar, as in: “Perhaps this should be rather obvious, but it’s not healthy to eat live animals or reptiles” or: “Don’t trust just anybody’s advice or guidance,” without explaining who readers can trust.
The formatting is inconsistent, with some chapters written in straight narrative; others simply bullet-points of advice; still others numbered bullet-points. One style would lend the book a more polished presentation. He also includes three forewords written by three different experts. One lists the expert’s credentials for three pages—twice as long as the foreword itself.
Nonetheless, Wright offers largely solid advice for those who seek to lose weight or gain a healthier mindset. Because the book builds off science, it would also be helpful for nutritionists and other healthcare professionals to supplement their support of their patients.
Also available as an ebook.
