Reclaiming Our Health: Exploding the Medical Myth and Embracing the Source of True Healing Review

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(More customer reviews)Over the past thirty years I have read about 100 books on the subject of health. Among the very best of the books I have read are two of John Robbins' other books, Diet for a New America and The Food Revolution, but I don't feel the need to review these remarkable books; they have been well reviewed by others, and I recommend you check them both out in Amazon. However, I simply had to add my voice to the reviews of Reclaiming Our Health.
This book is predominantly about the medical establishment, what has gone wrong with it, and what you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones (if you can get them to listen to you). It is not a condemnation of all things conventional nor an endorsement of all things alternative. Some of the greatest heroes of the book are M.D.'s practicing both conventional and alternative therapies. This book seeks to guide us to the best of both worlds while warning us about the dangers to be found in each. However, the worst dangers by far appear to be in the conventional medical establishment where the admonition "first, do no harm" seems to have been long forgotten.
This book made me cry. This book infuriated me. It is filled with one outrage after another. But wouldn't you rather read about them than be subjected to them (or watch your loved ones be subjected to them) by not being informed beforehand? I know I would.
This is one of those rare books that is truly empowering. That's what John Robbins does so well. He does the intensive research that most of us neither would nor could do. We are blessed by his enormous contribution to mankind.
And my fellow women, you will be shocked to read some of the material in this book on how women have been treated in society and how this has influenced the way we have been treated by much of the medical community. I have shared a bit of the information with co-workers and have actually seen jaws drop open. We have not been told the complete story of how dreadfully many women have been treated in our history. It is an abomination. (Written with apologies to all of the sincerely wonderful men out there.)
Rest assured that among the very bad news of this book is a good deal of hopeful news about prevention and treatments that are out there now, but this information will probably be a long time coming to the general public. It is only through leaders like John Robbins that we are blessed to know about it now.
Read this book before you or someone you love becomes ill. Read it and pass it on.

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Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating Review

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(More customer reviews)Review Summary: You would have a hard time finding someone in a better position to write this book. Dr. Willett is chairman of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, a professor at Harvard Medical School, and he heads some of the most important long-term studies of how nutrition affects health. In this up-to-date book, you will learn what the latest research shows about how eating, alcohol use, exercise and not smoking can help you avoid some diseases and birth defects. The book also explains how to read the latest health headlines and interpret the studies they are based on in the future. The lessons are summarized into a Healthy Eating Pyramid that you will find easy to understand, apply, and remember. The book contains a lot of helpful information about how to shop for more nutritious and healthful foods, and easy-to-follow recipes. I was particularly impressed with the summaries of the data on how weight and eating relate to various diseases. The book's only obvious flaw is that it does not attempt to refine the overall research into subsegment groups like those with different blood types, different genetic tendencies, age levels, and so forth.
Review: Like Sugar Busters! this book takes a serious look at overcoming the tendency for having too many fast-absorbed carbohydrates (whether as baked potatoes or as a soft drink) overload your blood with sugars and depress your metabolism. Unlike the "avoid fat at any cost" diets, this one says to avoid bad fats (especially trans fat and saturated fats) and to use helpful fats (like unsaturated fats that are liquid at room temperature). You are also encouraged to seek out nuts as a source of vegetable protein. There is also a good discussion of the healthiest ways to acquire your protein. The beef v. chicken v. fish discussion is especially helpful. He is skeptical about the need for much in the way of dairy products (I was shocked to realize how much glycemic loading, creating sugar in your blood, is caused by skim milk), but favors vitamin supplements as inexpensive insurance. He shows that calcium supplements may not do as much as you think to avoid fractures. Exercise and not smoking are encouraged. Raw foods and ones that are slow to digest (whole wheat, for example) are encouraged among the fruit and vegatables, in particular.
The pyramid is contrasted to the one that the USDA adopted in 1992, which seems to be almost totally wrong. Apparently, it was developed based on a very limited research base. Since then, much has been learned.
I enjoyed reading about all of the long-term studies being done now to understand the connections among eating, lifestyle, and health. The next 10 years should radically revise the lessons summarized here, as Dr. Willett is quick to point out. The conclusions in this book, for example, are based on individual studies of eating, drinking, exercise and health rather than the long-term studies that he supervises and follows. So even those studies may show new things.
In one part of the book, he discusses the pros and cons of some of the popular diets. Some simply have not been tested for health effects, and he is candid in sharing what is not known as well as what is.
This book will be especially valuable to those who like to get their information from highly credible sources, especially from within the medical community. I think I'll give a copy to my physician, who has been advising me to reduce fats in the wrong way!
Although I don't consider myself very helpful in shopping for or preparing food, I learned a lot from the book about how our family can acquire better building blocks for a healthier diet.After you finish reading this book, think about where else in your life you may be following outdated information. How can you check? A good example is probably related to what you think it costs parents for children to go to graduate school and get a Ph.D. In many schools, all the costs are subsidized, and the students even get a living wage. How does that change your plans for encouraging your children's education?


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The complete Scarsdale medical diet plus Dr. Tarnower's lifetime keep-slim program Review

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(More customer reviews)I love this diet! I have 3 small children and no time to exercise. My mother gave me a copy of this book 12 years ago to remove weight that had piled on in Europe. It worked great and now that I am done breastfeeding my 3rd child, I plan on using this to get off the rest of my pregnancy weight, I have already lost 16 lbs. I find the menus to be simple to follow and easy to prepare. I grill all my meats so that they have a great flavour and lose the excess fat. I really love GOOD Food so I do have to discipline myself. This diet is great for you if you have little time for yourself and a spouse in grad school who's not about. Plus, I can feed it to my children with little complaint. Just add some homebaked Scarsdale Protein bread (which I made in my machine)or a potato with butter and they'll gobble up the rest. Also use good lettuce like romaine and fresh tomatoes. Dress up the salads with Balsamic vinegar and use pink grapefruits as opposed to plain. I have also noticed you can use cucumber slices as a snack as well. I snack on Veggies all day and still lose at least a pound a day! This diet is much better than Atkins.

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Atkins for Life Low-Carb Cookbook: More than 250 Recipes for Every Occasion Review

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(More customer reviews)A wonderful tribute to Dr. Atkins' philosophy and a MUST for low carb diners. This cookbook's first asset is the at-a-glance check as to which phase of Atkins each recipe applies. It has wonderfully useful chapters addressing holidays and parties, dinners for one, using slow cookers, grilling and making lunches to brown bag. Tips suggest how to use, store and keep fresh the various ingredients. Full of tasty, real life recipes -- even a section dedicated to family fare. And the photos will whet your appetite as surely as the recipes!!

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The Harvard Medical School Guide to Men's Health: Lessons from the Harvard Men's Health Studies (Harvard Medical School Book) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is an excellent medical reference book for men. The information is very well organized into three separate parts: 1) what makes men different, 2) what makes men healthy, and 3) men's main diseases, how to prevent them, test for them, and treat them. The book is quite long at 470 pages. But, it reads easily. And, it makes for an excellent medical reference to go back to when you want specific scientific information on various men's health topics.
The best part about the book is that it is based on extensive medical studies. The advice provided is the result of statistically significant conclusions derived from these studies. Thus, the objectivity, integrity, and intelligence derived from this book is so much greater than from any of the medical authors positioning themselves as the current diet or health care guru.
The book confirms the value of EFV. The ultimately healthy lifestyle consists of a lot of Exercise with a diet that includes lots of Fruits and Vegetables. These three factors (exercise, fruits, vegetables) appear to be universal protectors against all age related diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Similarly, the high risk factors regardless of the health risk considered seemed to be always the same, including: smoking, obesity, lack of exercise, lots of saturated fats and trans fats in the diet.
The book has a ton of information besides the self-evident basics mentioned above. There are lots of tables, graphs, and summaries that make the information easy to retrieve. These include info on BMI, PSA test levels, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, recommended frequencies of screening tests, recommended dosage and toxic levels of vitamins and minerals, Glycemic index, life expectancy charts, and lots more interesting stuff.
With the medical knowledge derived from this book, you will be in a far better position to take care of your health and initiate a mutually productive dialogue with your general practitioners and specialists. The World is getting increasingly complex. Technology and science evolve rapidly. Nowhere does this increasing complexity have a greater impact than on healthcare. This book will help you understand your health, risk factors, relevant testing, and cures to be considered.
As we age, we will invariably be faced with some challenging options and decisions. This book is a great road map to help us out along the way. If you are well informed, it takes a lot of anxiety out of the equation. That takes care of a major health risk already [stress and anxiety]. This book is good for you!
Along the same line of excellent health related information, I also strongly recommend another great book from Harvard Health Publications: "Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy" by Walter C. Willett. It is the best book on diet and nutrition I have ever read. And, that is also because it is based on scientific studies, and not on subjective opinions from egocentric blowhards.

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The Mayo Clinic Diet: Eat Well, Enjoy Life, Lose Weight Review

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(More customer reviews)Some reviewers give this book 5 stars, others give it 1. So how do you know whom to believe? I think I can help you.
This book is NOT for you if:
- You are looking for a magic weight loss plan, or a new theory of weight control
- You are looking for a lot of recipes
This book MIGHT be for you if:
- You subscribe to the old, tried-and-true formula for weight loss (eat fewer calories, exercise more), but need to know the details and need some help in getting, and staying, motivated.
The book is based on a version of the familiar food pyramid, and the diet can be summarized as: Eat a lot -- in fact as much as you want -- of fruits and vegetables (most of your favorites will be allowed, and you can eat them raw or cooked, and use fresh or frozen, and in some cases canned). Eat limited, though reasonable, amounts of carbs, protein and dairy, and fats. Exercise 30 minutes a day.
If you try it, good luck to you. I'm trying it, too; good luck to me as well.

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Medical Myths That Can Kill You: And the 101 Truths That Will Save, Extend, and Improve Your Life Review

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(More customer reviews)As a practicing family doctor and author of Stay Healthy, Live Longer, Spend Wisely: Making Intelligent Choices in America's Healthcare System, I am a strong believer in empowering and educating patients so that they can make the right decisions to get the most out of life. As the only doctor in my family I don't think it is fair that only the people I know or care for are privy to the truth about staying healthy, so I looked forward to reading this book which has a similar same perspective.
Overall, the book was a mixed blessing. It has interesting factoids, ideas we should all take to heart, but at times is misleading. As a consumer and a patient, I thought the truths and news you can use pieces were interesting. As a primary care doctor and patient advocate, however, I felt that many parts of the book were misleading. Perhaps one of the faults is it tries to be too ambitious and attempts to cover too many topics, which often are not in depth enough to be of much value.
Dr. Snyderman points out correctly multiple times that the path to good health is through prevention by adopting healthy habits, staying physically active, and maintaining a sensible weight. The structure of the book reflects this preventive focus and chooses to debunk many myths with these clever chapter titles - Annual Checkups Are Obsolete, Vaccinations Are Just For Kids, Doctor's Don't Play Favorites, Only Old People Get Heart Disease and Stroke, We're Losing the War on Cancer, Natural Means "Safe", and You Can Just Snap Out of Mental Illness. She tackles the truth about herbal and dietary supplements, the unproven value of full body scans, as well as the importance of vaccinations and preventive screening tests for cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.
Throughout the book there are plenty of truth tidbits including, "you cannot catch sexually transmitted diseases from toilet seats; you do not need to drink eight glasses of water every day", among many others and news you can use segments that will make some readers hopefully more aware of what is myth and what is fact. These small sidebars were very interesting. I think patients and consumers will find these factoids topics of conversation.
As a practicing doctor, however, there are many areas which are misleading and others that provide information too superficial to be of value. Dr. Snyderman is correct in one of her chapters that heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death in this country. However, she uses two individuals, a twenty-six year old former beauty pageant winner, who suffered from a stroke, and a forty year old woman, who died suddenly from swimming, as reasons why we should be concerned. The problem is that these type of occurrences are extremely unlikely and rare for these age groups and gender. The typical cause of these problems, atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries didn't cause these cases. The former was most likely due to a heart wall septal defect or a blood clotting disorder, known as a hypercoagulable state. The latter was probably due to sudden cardiac death from a fatal arrhythmia, like ventricular fibrillation.
In the area of stroke, she talks about atrial fibrillation, a heart arrhythmia, as the leading cause of stroke. It is a cause, but this heart condition is typically found in patients over age 60 and far more common in people over 80 years old. She doesn't say that and one would naturally and wrongly assume based on the prior patient stories that it can happen at younger ages, which again is extremely unlikely.
Other areas that are covered superficially include when Dr. Snyderman discusses cancer and mental illness. She pushes for prevention as well as clarifies myths that still exist among the public. Unfortunately in the chapter on cancer, she also talks about various cancer treatments which isn't thorough enough and doesn't seem to fit in a book with this preventive theme. For the mental illness, one of the best written sections because of her personal experience, again the book is rather too ambitious and tries to cover anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder and the various treatment options even as she admits that "it is impossible to go into as much detail as I would like to". Though she gives a website reference, perhaps it may have been better only to cover depression as she and her husband both had experienced it, and acknowledge the other conditions.
Overall, I wanted to like this book as I believe the intent of giving the public the facts about what they can do to stay healthy and well is vital. I think as a practicing doctor and insider, however, the book at times it is misleading, in some areas is too light in content and in others the information deviates from the book's intent of wellness and health promotion.

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