Carolyn O'Neil Diet & Fitness Coach

Sick of dieting and depriving yourself of pasta, cupcakes and comforting take-out? Carolyn O’Neil shows readers how to get results without giving up too much of anything in ‘The Dish: On Eating Healthy and Being Fabulous!’. By balancing calorie intake with calorie use, O’Neil and co-author Densie Webb, explain how glamour girls can have it all.

Written in a fun and witty tone, 'The Dish' appeals to women struggling to lose those last 5-15 pounds. O’Neil offers sound advice on eating in Italian, Mexican and Chinese restaurants, including a list of code words for fat on menus, such as the definitions of aioli and vol-au-vent (they mean mayonnaise with garlic and butter-laden puff pastry shell, respectively).

As a modern woman herself, O’Neil is cognizant of the demands of today’s women, and her book is stocked with tips for just such women: She describes how to order delivery without blowing your diet on those nights when you’re too busy or tired to cook, how to enjoy cocktails at a party without going overboard, how to dress to accentuate your best features, how to throw a lavish dinner party (recipes, decorating ideas and table settings included) and how to exercise your way to fitness happily (yes, it’s possible). O’Neil even devotes attention to Web sites that cater to healthy smoothie recipes and to spas across the country that offer treatments for much needed rejuvenate.

A firm believer in practicality, O’Neil relies on her nutrition background to address subjects such as organic foods and the provocative raw food diet; does it really work? She offers readers a clear, concise way of understanding prevalent food issues. Does drinking milk actually help people lose weight? Are supplements necessary? If so, which ones? Full of personal insights and guidance, 'The Dish' explores the latest nutrition and diet supplies, letting readers know which products work best.

Sprinkled with self-analytical quizzes, lists, rip-out recipes and quotes, 'The Dish' is a breezy, magazine-style read. But underneath the friendly banter is a solid base of advice for women of all ages on how to live a healthy and fun life.

• Buy 'The Dish'