Plan’s Audio Version Lacks Fiber

20 / 30 FAT & FIBER DIET PLAN by Gabe Mirkin and Barry Fox; Harper Audio

Abridged nonfiction, one cassette, length: 90 minutes, $12, read by Mirkin. Available in bookstores or by calling (800) 331-3761.

The formula is simple: Eat no more than 20 grams of fat per day, and at least 30 grams of fiber. Consume all the fruits, vegetables, whole beans and grains you desire, but limit proteins to fish and basically cut out meat. Do this for 19 meals a week, and eat what you want, within reason, for the other two meals.

As an audio, this does not offer nearly as much information as the printed version of the book. The authors do give us plenty of tips on everything from exercise to cooking to maintaining motivation. However, this audio works best as a motivational tool rather than as an information source. The printed matter is much more complete, as it contains the same information as the audio, plus numerous recipes and a guide listing the fat, fiber and caloric content of many foods.

While Gabe Mirkin and Barry Fox make a good case for increasing our “play,” their term for exercise, and adhering to their eating plan, Mirkin is not the most energetic of readers. He tends to drone and is therefore less inspiring a narrator than a writer. Both the audio and the printed book are sold with a plastic fat and fiber counter that is a handy little tool.

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THE ANTI-AGING ZONE by Barry Sears; Harper Audio

Abridged nonfiction, two cassettes, length: three hours, $18, read by the author. Available in bookstores or by calling (800) 331-3761.

Barry Sears, the man who brought us “The Zone” diet, has returned to tell us about the wonders of food as medicine. The focus in his new audio is on hormones and how they affect our aging process. In its most simplified format, Sears’ theory says that hormones cannot communicate with one another if we do not feed them properly, either with food or exercise. He recommends a restricted caloric intake of no more than 1,200 calories a day for women and 1,500 for men. He recommends low-fat protein (such as skinless chicken) at every meal, lower-sugar vegetables and fruits (such as spinach and apples) and a dash of monounsaturated fat. Refined sugars and starches do not figure into this plan; aerobic exercise, meditation and weight training do.

Unfortunately, listening to Sears is akin to listening to paint dry. He is monotone and has an unusual cadence. That said, I still recommend the audio over the book. The book is stuffed with science, and Sears boils down his theories to just the basics for the audio. He simplifies and organizes it as best as can be expected, though there remains much to absorb.

By the time you have finished the audio, Sears will have made quite a case for himself and his eating program. He also admits that by the time you have prepared and eaten your meals, exercised and meditated for the day, you will have spent three to four hours on your anti-aging program. He brushes this off as nothing compared with the benefits of turning back the clock. However, if you are staring at your dashboard clock while listening to his audio as you rush through traffic, this may not be the plan for you.