Diet Health Books

I have read many books on body building, beginning with Arnold's and then nutrition related texts for support of what I am trying to achieve. This book has added what for me was a missing aspect in my attempts at success because with only two small changes in my methodology I have had good gains in only seven workouts.

Some of the principles in this books I've come across in random articles I've read on the internet or in other books I have on my bookshelf, but I never really understood the science behind it. It isn't so bogged down with scientific jargon that it is hard to decipher, however, it's not exactly a bedtime story either. A little background in fitness and nutrition may be helpful, but not entirely necessary. I believe this is a very valuable source of information for anyone with an interest in health and fitness whether they be a professional athlete/trainer, or a weekend warrior layman.

I purchased this book several months ago and was more than a bit confused when I read it the first time. The authors do a great job of providing the scientific evidence to back up their claims, but they failed miserably in making the book "user friendly" where it needed to be. Mainly in the guidelines for making your own drinks based upon; your weight, exercise intensity, goals, etc. I had to reread the book twice and then sit down with a notebook and paper in order to figure out exactly what I needed to take, in what quantities, and at what times in order to achieve the goals I was looking for. Now having said that, let's delve into the results.

I used the guidelines in this book for about 2 months now (as of the writing of this review) and have noticed increases in muscle mass where I expected and have lost some inches where I wanted. Whether this is entirely due to the NTS is questionable, but what is not in question is that the combination of using this system and the weight training schedule I am utilizing has shown results. Admittedly, had my diet been better I am sure I would have lost weight as well. However, as it currently stands, I haven't lost any weight perse, but I know that my body fat has gone down while my lean muscle mass has increased.

I would recommend purchasing this book, however please keep in mind that you will really have to sit down and figure out the right formula for you as the book just doesn't cover it.

To sum up the book: Drink a quickly digesting protein/carbohydrate drink within an hour of training. 40 grams protein, 60 to 80 grams carbs. Whey protein with Dextrose, Waxy Maize, etc.

All the rest is just the science which you really don't need to know about.

If you know less than nothing about nutrition, spending five minutes on Google will give you more useful information than reading this book. If you want to buy a book, this one would be at the very bottom of my list.

It's misleading and dishonest in the way it promotes itself.

It says the nutrient timing can be divided into 3 phases. It describes the first phase, it then goes on to describe the 2nd phase but forgets and carries on describing the first phase. As far as I can see all three phases are roughly the same.

So I propose a new "revolution" as the authors call it: Nutrient timing can be divided into one big phase and I'm going to call it "Life" and it's exactly the same as the Phase 1, 2 and 3 of this silly book. What I propose is you eat adequate carbs, protein and fat, before during and after working out. I'm going to call it a revolution and publish it in a book. I'm going to pad it out with schoolboy essays about the different nutrients to make it look like it's backed by science when it isn't.


I got this book half price and feel like I've been robbed, it's really that bad. Badly written, misleading, dishonest and just not worth even half the price.

This book was more informative than I could of ever imagined. I changed the way I ate before ever finishing the second chapter.
Great book with very important facts especially if you are diabetic or could be.

I first heard an interview with the author of this book on the radio. I was very interested in the subject, as I have been trying to lose weight for some time with limited success. When I read the book, it really made me think twice about everything I was eating. I took the plunge and eliminated 90% of all sugar and refined foods. In 3 months, I have dropped 20 lbs and feel great. In addition, our grocery bills have actually gone down! I have since bought three more copies for family members.

I read this book 5 months ago in the hopes of learning more about refined sugar and it's adverse affects on the body. I ended up not only learning that, but losing 22 pounds.
Sugar Shock is well-written, fast-paced and full of useful information about uncovering why we feel like crap when we eat overly-processed, starchy and/or sugary crap. What I thought was a healthy diet (juice, bagels with fat-free butter, frozen yogurt, bread, etc) was really just making me cranky and overweight.
I owe Connie everything for writing this book. Once you understand the how sugar affects you, it is much easier to make positive changes that will stick for life.

Even though I gave "Sugar Shock" three stars, I want to say up front that I DO like it; it has made clear to me how sugar has messed my life up and I have been in so much denial about my reliance on it. I really am like an alcoholic or crack addict! I have not yet stopped eating sugar - it's scary to think about trying to do it again and failing again, but I am feeling more concern for my health and damn it, I want to live a real life that's not clouded by the stuff.

The reason I gave this book three stars is because of the author's presentation; she frequently reads like an ad, not a book. She'll say things like, "...John showed classic signs of sugar addiction, which I outline on my website and blog site www...." It's so infomercial-y. I tried to overlook this but it kept coming up through the book. Although this doesn't dilute her message, the constant referral to her web site and commercial references like that make her sound like she's more interested in marketing her company and herself than she is in her message. In other words, she can be annoying.

Also, I felt she spent too much time on how sugar is ruining our lives - but little space on how to practically eliminate it. She offers a list of seven tips on getting sugar out of your life but if I am a sugar addict, I need more than that.

I would have liked to have learned more about her own experience than just about when her dr told her to drop sugar and she did and it changed her life. I would like to have heard about if she had sugar withdrawals so strong she thought she would scream or if she ever experiences cravings now. She doesn't really talk about herself much apart from that initial "burning bush"-like moment at her dr's office -- which doesn't inspire me much. I've had those moments, too, and make a great start but then fail.

I do believe her when she says it changed her life but for most addicts of any kind (note I said, "most") it's not just "I decided to stop and I did and my life is SO much better!" That's the issue with addicts: we all WANT to stop but it's hard to do it, so we feel trapped. HOW do we get out?

On another note, I was surprised to see an endorsement on the book and a review here from Jimmy "Livin' La Vida Low Carb" only because on his web site he seems really into artificial sweeteners (which I am, too) but the author of this book does not recommend them at all. Whatever!

The authors of "Sugar Shock" make a convincing case to significantly cut down, if not completely eliminate, sugar from our diets. I'm going to try it for sure.

I stumbled upon this book a few months ago when I was doing research on no sugar diets. It documents the story of Connie Bennett, a certified holistic health counselor and the author, who is hypoglycemic. Bennett explores the addictive nature of sugar and the effects it can have on your health. The book is co-authored with Dr. Stephen Sinatra, M.D.

Before Bennett was diagnosed with "reactive hypoglycemia," or low blood sugar, she suffered from seemingly unrelated symptoms outlined in the first chapter of Sugar Shock! The symptoms ranged from mood swings and drowsiness to fainting and nightmares. Her hypoglycemia was finally remedied by simply by eliminating sugars and refined carbohydrates from her diet.

She provides the readers with a "sugar free" shopping list. Products available in just about any grocery store that are absolutely sugar free. She defines the confusing terms used in product labeling such as: reduced sugar, no sugar added, sugar free and clarifies the difference in their meanings.

She also lists sugars and sweeteners to watch for that are "hidden" on food labels and the other names for them such as high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, and concentrated fruit juice, and concludes that they should be strictly limited or for some people (those who think they might be suffering from Sugar Shock!, eliminated altogether.)

I found this book to be highly informative (especially the sugar free shopping list). Though I enjoy wine occasionally, I have cut virtually all sugar from my diet and have seen major changes for the better.

I agree with Steve. There is a lot of reduncancy and repetition. There is some pretty good nutritional info, but more preaching than teaching, I feel.

This book is well written. It includes many juice recipies and various health issues and what fruit or veggies will help those issues. This book has quite a bit of information and is laid out for easy reading.

This book has totally helped me in learning all the ins and outs to juicing. Continually I find something new in this book. Of all the books I have seen I love this one!

This has some great recipes. That is the core of what is in this book and it will do the trick if you are looking for a list of great tasting juice recipes.

This book is a rip off. I bought this book for the recipes and was extremely disappointed. Entire pages are dedicated to common sense recipes such as Apple Juice (2-3 apples), Orange Juice (2-3 oranges), Pineapple Juice, Carrot Juice, Cantaloupe Juice, etc., etc. If that wasn't bad enough they waste paper by printing one recipe per page, when they could easily fit 4 recipes per page. I suggest saving your money and searching the internet for better tasting and more expansive recipes.

Does this book have nutritional information as well as decent pictures? Sorry this isn't a review! Thanks.

While I do applaud Rachel for her "30 Minute Meals", There really not that healthy and there are quite a number of things you have to go and get. No real nutritional information. Definitely not a low carb book.

Simple easy dierections with yummy recipes. Can't wait to use the book. Rachel Ray is # 1.

This book was not really marketed as a low carb cookbook, so I missed it at first, and came across it by luck! I've been low carb for years, and this is really the way I like to eat, but sometimes you gotta have a few carbs, too, and this book has recipes that have half the pasta, but all of the flavor! As with most of her books, there are a large variety of items with fish, meat and just veggies. I found at least thirty winning recipes in this book, which make it a winner for me! The Spinach and Meatball "no-sangna" was an absolute smash hit in my house!

Here's another fun cookbook for your kitchen. I think I have everyone she has made so far. Its easy to follow, the items used are mostly already in your kitchen pantry. She makes it fun to cook, or at least try, and the results are fantastic. Who doesn't want to eat a bit healthier, and tastier too!

This has changed my dietary habits forever. After I read this book, I purchased a juicer, and now enjoy wonderful-tasting apple and other juices.

Comprehensive, even though spread out a bit--you do have to pull all the information together, but it's all there.

It is truly exciting to find a therapy that works for seriously ill people, especially when the medical establishment had given up on them. This book presents the core of that therapy.

This is a very informative book.Well written and for the most part easy to read.
I refer to it often. Even though we do not have a very serious medical condition it has helped in focusing on various aspects of our diet and lifestyle.

Were I so unfortunate as to find myself with a cancer, this is the only program I would follow. Forty years ago my prognosis was a life expectancy of maybe 3 months -- if I was lucky. Arteriosclerosis was then considered by medical doctors as irreversible, yet here I am, 40 years later, because someone pointed me in a different direction, one very similar to Gerson's. I bought several copies since you run into the incurable all the time. We live in a sick society -- in more ways than one.

Peggy Huddleston's Relaxation/Healing CD plus Instructional CD I used these helpers every day before and the day of surgery. I found them to be a wonderful help and I was no longer afraid. It was my first experience of surgery and I needed less medication than I was offered.

I ordered this particular set for a friend who was facing surgery for the very first time in her life. She was extremely apprehensive. The change in her after using these tapes/cassette was remarkable. She was much calmer and has had a fairly comfortable post op recovery.
I still use the relaxation tapes even tho my own cancer surgery was 5 years ago.
I used both these tapes and Bellaruth Naparstek's during chemotherapy! It helped immensely! I find these tapes soothing and a very positive way to bring calm back into your life. I have shared these tapes and books with several people over the past five years.
My thanks to Peggy Huddleston.

This CD helped my 80 year mom overcome her fear and enter into a colon cancer surgery which was extremely successful. Without the CD and book she may have not been so lucky.

This is a great CD encouraging the listener to view & think of situations from a positive perspective making our decisions and throught processes pro-active for our own betterment. Have recommended & giifted this CD & accompanying book to people who have truly benefited from them! Thank you Peggy!!!

Excellent work, easy to follow instructions. Just what my wife needed before an emergency, very serious surgical procedure.
I highly recommend it to people facing challenging situations in their lives.

The two books..the Cortisol Connection and The Cortisol Diet are a must read for anyone stressed from everyday life. Dr. Talbott offers recommendations on diet, lifestyle and supplements which are not only easy to follow, they make a profound difference to your health. You don't have to be overwheight to take advantage of this diet. Its a diet for anyone that is stressed from life.

I picked up The Cortisol Connection on a business trip a year ago and read it cover to cover on the flight home to Boston. It was an easy read that provided lots of information about the science behind stress and its affect on the body. As a salesperson doing lots of travel it really was an eye opener on what stress was doing to my body.

My wife (mother to 3 kids under 5 at the time) also found Dr. Talbott's book to be extremely informative. Having tried different diets and weight loss supplements, she appreciated finally having information about how stress was affecting her ability to "shed the pounds".

In his second book, The Cortisol Connection Diet, Dr. Talbott provides more useful information and concrete examples of how to use his "SENSE" program to lead to an overall healthier lifestyle. Both my wife and I enjoyed this book as much as the first (it was an even easier read!!!)and look forward to putting some of the additional "tidbits" on reducing stress and proper diet to use.

If you've read the first book, you'll find this an excellent follow up. If you haven't read the first book, this one definitely stands on its own, although I'd recommend both.

If you have read any "diet" books from the past 10 years, and then attempted in vain to follow the advice in those books, you will really enjoy and appreciate reading the Cortisol Connection Diet. For starters, it's a very "easy read". It's as though you are listening to a casual conversation from a friend. The information is presented in a logical and easy to follow manner. I read the book cover to cover on a short plane ride. There were two particular aspects of the book that I thought were very unique and extremely helpful. First are the highlights at the end of each chapter. I have found myself on numerous occasions, going back to the book, reviewing the chapter highlights and quickly getting the information I was looking for. Secondly, the sample menu plans and daily logs at the end of the book were great! I would put this on anyone's "must read list"!

I did not read this book; however, I took a look at the example diet, and I knew not to waste my money.
If you have gained weight because of elevated cortisol levels, you are most likely hypoglycemic. In other words, your body over-reacts to sugar and pumps out tons of insulin. When it does this, your body receives the message to store more fat. In his sample diet, he instructs the reader to eat fruit alone for a snack. That is the last thing you want to do. The fruit will drive up insulin and cortisol levels.
Also, it is common knowledge that all forms of coffee, even decaf raise insulin and cortisol levels. So why in the world would he list that on his diet????
Please, if you are having problems with your cortisol, get it checked first, don't assume. http://www.diagnostechs.com/main.htm
Also, a GREAT book on this subject is Adrenal Fatigue by Dr. Wilson.
I suspect the people who have given him the 5-star ratings know this author personally, or have not followed through with the outcome.

I don't do stress well at all! After years as a first grade teacher and a stressful personal life, stress almost hospitalized me. Couldn't eat, couldn't sleep. I was running on a pure histamine. My adrenals were shot-no emergency energy! I was covered with rash, depressed when I could come down enough. My muscles were wasting away. Then my thyroid crashed and I could barely drag my legs around to walk. After the thyroid started up again, the doctors "blood type diet" didn't do much. Then I saw an article on Dr. Talbott in a magazine and followed the advice while I waited for the book to arrive. I've only been on the plan for 10 days and the depression is gone and, oh, yes the brain fog. I can do 30 minutes a day on my crosstrainer. I am sleeping better and feel more positive. All this after I had to quit work five years ago because this syndrome is so debilitating. Great book! Read it! Use it! It's for everyone since we're all living under stress. I'm into The Cortison Connection now. I fell like I'm giving myself a second chance at life and loving it.
If you're tired of starving to loose weight and want to eat to achieve a healthy body and spirit, this is the best. I don't have those awful sugar cravings anymore. Did I mention I was on heavy Prednisone for five years and had drug-induced hypoglycemia? Anyway, this food plan (it's not a diet because you're never hungry) is perfect. I was never able to get the weight to drop off and now it's coming off.
Thanks, Dr. Talbott. People like you come along far too infrequently. Penecillin and the polio vaccines for the 20th century. Obesity for the 21st! If anyone should question this books importance, open your eyes to how few fit people you see. We've been "digging our own graves with a spoon"! Examine the statistics. It makes perfect SENSE. It's soooo simple!

I have a picky eater. I think he may be pickier than the children in How to Get Your Kids to Eat... But Not Too Much by Ellyn Satter. I don't know if her advice really speaks to my problem. It's helped make it less of an issue and that may be helping him to eat more and get ready to try different foods.

Basically, Satter's premise comes down to this: "It's my job to give him healthy meals and snacks but it's his job to eat it." It sounds simple enough and maybe by reading this book I've decided that my son's eating really isn't so much of a problem. I'm learning to let him do his thing and since I've done that he's started putting different foods in his diet and he's starting to eat a bit more. It's making meal times less stressful so I'll give it that.

The other thing I took out of this book is scheduled snack times. Maybe he's just not hungry when he comes to the table. I'm trying to work snacks into a schedule but I don't want to be too quick to do so. I'd rather he not notice that there seems to be something changing.

I'm hoping that the book has helped me to be a better parent with food. I know it's an issue for me and I don't want it to be an issue for my boys too.

How to Get Your Kid to Eat: But Not Too Much

I am a big fan of Ellyn Satter's work. I have read all of her books and have gained something new from each one. If you have already read Child of Mine, you will notice a repeat chapter or two, but overall new information that supports good child feeding practices.

Never hurts to review the division of feeding technique. It can take awhile for new habits to "stick" and learning to trust your child is difficult.

I have used this technique with both my children successfully. Many surprised people comment on how well my two year-old eats! No mealtime issues for us.

I am a registered dietitian and highly recommend this book. I have heard the author speak too and believe in her methods.

I use this book in my practice to loan out to new mothers and also as a reference.

We hear it all the time that most children are picky eaters and go through food jags. However, as often as we hear it, when your child does it there is still stress. First time parents have a difficult time dealing with the ups and downs of their child's food intake. This book is a great resource and provides some really practical advice on how to make mealtime less stressful for everyone. It is written by a registered dietitian with a good deal of experience counseling parents and children. I got this book during my child's second year, so the advice she gives on the younger years I did not utilize and skipped over. What she suggests does work, and I find I just don't get uptight about how much he's eating. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

The book was shipped and received very quickly. The book was also in great shape!! :)

I found that practicing the alexander technique just took me further out of the present moment with its "thought directions" and emphasis on length and width. I've had much better results with the feldenkrais method.

If you are studying the Alexander Technique - whether just beginning or a more advanced student - this book is a Must! Easy to read and digest, it should be on every teacher's list. However, it is important to note that the Alexander Technique can not be learned by reading books alone. Reading this book is not a way to learn the technique. But it is a terrific supplement to private individual lessons with a good teacher!

I started practicing the Alexander Technique over the last couple months. My teacher "assigned" me this book to read, as part of our work together. It's an outstanding book. It's very clear and easy to read. Gelb offers many anecdotal stories and quotes and other stuff like that to make it more enjoyable and inspiring. He tells the fascinating story of how Dr. Alexander developed the technique. Then he proceeds to give a clear and practical explanation of all the different aspects of the technique. I learned a lot!

Gelb writes very clearly, with good illustrations describing F. M. Alexander's technique for good body use. Many actors, singers, and dancers use this technique, and many people who suffer from joint and muscle disabilities can benefit from this book. Gelb's personal experiences help the reader to understand how to benefit from the techniques and exercises he describes.

Book is full of blatent contradictions and unsubstantiated claims. One page says walnuts bad, next page says use walnut oil. ???????????? There are a lot of contradictions throughout the book that make one conclude that the authors rating is the authors personal whims and not backed by science. Authors points out that farm raised salmon is bad. Authors evidence is it's fed grains and consequently lower levels of omega-3s results. But what's the evidence that lower levels make it worse than not having any omega-3 in one's diet??? Skip the book. Author confuses high glycemic index with high inflamatory response.

This is a good book for people who want to change their life and health seriously otherwise save yourself some money and do not buy the book.

Majority of health issues with all of us are becasue of inflammation and nothing but that.

This book was very informative and provided a measurement scale for the level of inflammation that various foods caused in the body. The fact that there are inflammation positive and negative items which can cancel the others effect was a new concept to eating. I use the book every day to evaluate how I am progressing. Since I have been following this method I feel better and my "tic Du LaRue" --Tri Geminal Neuralgia(modern name) has dropped in the level of Pain. The use has only been two weeks and I hope that continued use of this books tables of food inflammation levels will continue to reduce my pain levels.

For years we were trying to eat a diet that helps lowering my husband's pain level caused by Arthritis but could only find a little information here and there.
This book has many many pages of food listed with a +/- rating for "good" and "bad" foods. We learned a lot about general health from this book, for example how Astma or even Skin damage is a kind of inflammation in your body, and are very satisfied with this book.

I'm excited to find this information on how to reduce inflammation in the body, but disappointed to find several discrepancies, or if they're not discrepancies then the information needs to be explained; as with cherries. In the book they are rated as inflammatory, when in reality cherries and especially cherry extract can cure gout and treat arthritis inflammation. And there are several ratings that don't concur with the website ratings. Also I think she misses the boat when she outlines meals that can come out with a minus score, having the day end with a plus score. This causes spikes in inflammation attacks throughout the day. Why not have each meal end with a plus score?