Diet Health Books

After years of struggling with overeating and overweight, and thousands of dollars in therapy to try to understand the struggle, this book simply and clearly helped me understand the source of my "problem". Eating is a defense, a comfort and a way to escape from the present moment. Why is the present moment such that we need to escape from it? Because of the constant berating of our egos and the stream of negative self-talk we torment ourselves with in every moment of our lives. How do we stop it? Replace it with positivity and love. Invite the spirit into this process, and you will find a whole new world for yourself. I did actually lose weight with the help of this book, but more than that I for the first time understood that it was not lack of will-power that kept me stuck in my pudge, it was my belief that I was undeserving of love. This book is on the older side, relatively speaking, but still powerful today. My only real disagreement with this book is the author's adherence to the idea of the "birth trauma". I personally don't buy into this theory, but for the author, it was apparently necessary in her realization of the ideas that make her book ring so very true to me.

I have been suffering from compulsive yo-yo dieting for sixteen years. I was at the bookstore looking in the self-help section for anything that could stop the insanity in my head and my compulsion with bingeing and dieting. The title of this book caught my attention. The information inside is invaluable. After reading a few pages I tried to find the publishing date. 1982!!! I had a feeling it wasn't written currently because it is so completely honest and straight from the heart. No worries about being "P.C." here. The majority of the book is affirmations and ways to change your way of looking at food.

I wish I could tell everyone about this book. If you are in any way obsessed with food, please give this book a try and then drop by your local Overeaters Anonymous meeting. The two together have changed my life.

This book is not just shallow, it is the usual rehash:

On page 33 it says:

1. Thought is creative and thoughts produce results.

[Thought is creative? What the h? Why in the world does that matter? Why bring that up? Why not say, "Thoughts are made in your head". Who cares? And "thoughts produce results" duh! Why state the utter obvious?]

2. It is not what you eat that can hurt you. It is what you BELIEVE about what you eat that can hurt you.

[Wrong, if you eat poison you will be hurt by it unless you have built up a tolerance for it, and that only works with certain poisons. Try eating a titanium chair and see if your teeth survive. I doubt believing the chair will fit in your mouth and be nutritious will really cause that to happen. But try it if you want. Or how about eat Oreo cookies and imagine it tastes like lemons? How about pretending hydrogenated fat won't clog your arteries if you keep eating it everyday in large amounts?]

3. Therefore food is not "fattening" by itself. [Bull, see above and take my tests then.] The thoughts you have about foods are what make it fattening. No, a food contains fat if there is fat in it, not because of what you believe is in it, and it's going to make you fat if the content contains to little fat or the wrong proportions of fat etc. Our minds do not change reality, it can only act in it.]

a. A study done on people weighing precisely their desired weight showed that all of them could eat anything they wanted to without any concern or worry.

[And what study was this? The one you invented with your creative thoughts? The author makes no reference to this study, I wonder why. And why even bother, if what you believe is automatically true, why bother with references to studies? Show me any study where a group of people can eat aluminum powder, ricin, acid, gobs of salt and the hottest pepper in the world, and sewage, and not get sick. Furthermore, NOT EVERYONE GETS FAT! Of course if you have a group of people who have a high metabolism who eats whatever they want will not get fat because they poop it out immediately. Furthermore, did the study account for exercise? Show us the evidence!]

b. They could do so because all of them had one thing in common. They all had the thought that they could eat whatever they wanted and whenever they wanted without gaining weight. "I never gain weight" is simple enough.

[You heard it! Just believe that you won't gain weight and you won't, of course! The solution to the problems of the world is our beliefs! Well then, believe money into your wallet, believe you are the smartest in the world, believe you've got the highest paying job, believe there is world peace. BULL!]

4. Actually, our true nourishment comes to us from the light of God, not from food.

[Okay, light eating time! Where can I get some edible light.]

5. Any physical technique, such as fasting or special diets, works because your mind believes it will work. [Check it out I'm believing I am thin and I magically just got thin right now, really, I'm not kidding, lol.]

8. You must diet from negative thoughts about your body and food and yourself. [Cool, all you ugly beer-bellied women out there trying to get hot rich husbands, imagine there is nothing wrong with your appearance and that they will marry you for your imaginary good looks, really, it'll work all the time.]

Thankfully, Sondra Ray's brilliant "The Only Diet There Is" does not contain a word of advice about food. There's enough of that to be had elsewhere. However, the affirmations in it provide a marvellous technique for self-discpline and stabilization. You can also apply these techniques to other situations.

The "diet" is basically one of love, based on forgiveness and of complete acceptance of youself. Only when you forgive yourself can you deal with the rest of your life and not be stuck in the past.

This is a book that I regularly dip into. It's fabulous stuff (although I don't buy into the Christian bit or the birth trauma - but you can just take the useful bits and bypass the bits you don't need.) I'm not a New Age person, but have found this to be a useful and flexible book. It will not replace dieting, but it will help you to clear your thoughts and trust your higher self to make the right choices.

Through its excercises of love and forgiveness, I have indeed never been as beautiful as I look today. People notice and have been asking for the secret. Yet, even when that was all in my mind when I first began reading it, soon weight lacked importance at the sight of the major goodness you can achieve by the perfect state of mind that the book implies, such as also gaining remarkable health, better and enhanced relationships with everyone, extending happiness all around you. You may also forsee the possibility of dealing with other issues, like smoking for instance. When I began Sondra's excercises to the reasons my inner self was hiding to prevent weight lose, I just couldn't believe the answers I found in myself.

I found this book to be well written and clear. As someone who is new to Ayurveda with a healing need, I have been looking for several books dealing with the same topics...in this case, how to modify one's diet to reach better balance physically, emotionally and spiritually. The content expanded and re-inforced principles I found in other Ayurvedic cookbooks. I felt I have gotten a better sense of how to use various types of foods and seasonings through this book. Highly recommended!

I love this cookbook! The instructions are specific and simple. Out of all my Ayurvedic cookbooks, I use this one the most. I've made almost every recipe in the book. Dr. and Mrs. Lad are living examples of the benefits of the Ayurvedic life style.

Another great book from Dr. Lad. His books are so informative and helpful and really produce dramatic results. Although mostly foods that are not usual, the recipes are simple and the soups and the rice dishes are tasty.

I am a serious student of ayurveda with one lifelong problem. I CAN'T COOK!! This book is easy enough to follow to tell you what to eaet and how to get there. It's so easy to follow and I made the most yummy Kitchari right off the bat! I love it and I'm so inspired that I'm going to get more Ayurveda cookbooks and make MORE yummm food after a lifetime of bad cooking. LOL

I was so impressed by Vasant Lad's "Complete Ayurvedic Home Remedies" book, I wanted to check out this book to incorporate Ayurvedic cooking. I was disappointed after I received and reviewed the book. This is a standard south Indian vegetarian cook book with an introduction to Ayurveda. So, if you are an Indian you might know most if not all of the recipes already. Even if you are not from India and want to learn ayurvedic style Indian vegetarian cooking, there are a dozen other cooking books which might be better than this. The recipes are not in detail, they are all very short. You have to go through some trial and error to perfect these recipes in my opinion.

This book was awful. I read "The Sugar Addict's Total Recovery Program" (DesMaisons) first, and I was spoiled by more rational, documented approach to the subject. To be fair, I only got through the first part of this book before I put it down in disgust. This book is the rantings of someone who feels passionately about something. Great. Now back it up. You can't just say, "This is bad and you have to do this!" Well... I suppose you can. But in my opinion that makes for a lousy book for someone who is trying to learn and separate fact from hysteria.

This is a WONDERFUL and ENLIGHTENING work! Thank you for compiling this information and for sharing your own personal experience with Sugar Addiction Nancy Appleton . I have an interest in sugar addiciton and it's affects on the human body and found your book to be a great learning source.

Nancy Appleton has clearly declared her personal agenda against sugar, but her lack of objectivity, organization, credibility, or substance leave much to be desired in this book. I was frustrated by the constant repetition throughout the text, and I found myself skipping paragraphs at a time to find any new information. In addition, I was hoping to find concrete, applicable suggestions on HOW to kick the sugar habit. While Dr. Appleton does attempt to include "food plans," they are simply lists of the good, the bad, and the ugly. I do NOT recommend this book to others.

Well, I am not a real new age type of person but I have to say that I believe a great deal of what is said about the harmful effects of sugar. It is my general impression that the substance simply is not good for us and is the cause of numerous health problems. That being said, I will admit that Nancy Appleton is no great writer or scientific authority but I think that much of what she argues here is correct. Yes, her long list of sugar's deleterious effects is probably overstated and overblown, but there is clearly an element of truth in her positions. I found that reading these pages helped to motivate me on my quest to get all the silly and pointless carbs out of my diet so, for that reason, I found the book useful and have to recommend it. The recipes at the end were not real helpful to me but they may be for you. I got it from a z shop on the cheap and you certainly can too if you want to give it a chance. It will add to your will power if nothing else.

Nancy Appleton does an excellent job exposing what the sugar industry would rather you not know! Refined sugar wreaks havoc on the immune system and allows physical degeneration to take hold in the human body. This is a known scientific fact in the majority of the world. The reason it is not recognized here in the US is because of the private interest groups that disseminate junk-science on a daily basis. Anyone who has studied biochemistry in-depth can verify the destructive nature of sugar. This book is a great reference guide and will educate and empower you!


In my book, I outline the fact that sugar feeds cancer and therefore allows the cancer to spread like wildfire! The 1931 Nobel laureate in medicine, Otto Warburg, PhD, first discovered that cancer cells frequently exhibit an increase in anaerobic glycolysis. This is the process whereby glucose is used as a fuel by cancer cells with lactic acid as an anaerobic byproduct. The large amount of lactic acid produced by this fermentation of glucose from cancer cells is transported to the liver. This conversion of glucose to lactate generates a lower, more acidic pH in cancerous tissues as well as overall physical fatigue from lactic acid build-up. Thus larger tumors tend to exhibit a more acidic pH.

Dr. Matthew Loop

-Author of "Cracking the Cancer Code"

After checking this book out from the library, I purchased it so I could make notes and use it as a reference along with my select few books on health and nutrition. Pages two and three bullet point interesting ideas like how certain food combinations will put a man to sleep but put a woman in the mood. Well, if that's in the book, I haven't found it yet. What I have found is endless reference to how I will feel once on the "Mars and Venus Diet and Exercise Solution." But there is no solution, just a constant reference to it.


This book disappointed me so much because I loved the book, "How to Get What You Want, and Want What You Have." The book is about removing emotional blocks that prevent you from moving forward in life. Now that I've read this diet book, with so many questionable terms like, "cold pressed aloe vera" (what does that mean?) and his ideas about chromium, I'm ready to chuck everything. The worst part of the book for me was on food combining. He just combines everything as far as I can tell. Other books will have you not combining certain foods because they cause gas and acidity when mixed together. John Gray clearly is a novice in this field and though discovered some neato stuff in his research, should not have created his own system for others.

As for me, I've been studying health and nutrition for 25 years. I haven't been over weight in 27. I don't believe in dieting to lose weight, but I do believe in proper nutrition. At a bargain rate this book isn't worth it not to mention all the time you'll waste reading and being confused.

Although the content of this book is somewhat repetitious, the suggestions for boosting metabolism and improving diet are great. I'm drinking the activated water in the morning and bouncing and shaking my way to a day with increased metabolism and energy. I'm using the Isagenix shakes in the morning as part of this program and so far so good.

The Mars/Venus Diet and Exercise solution is the missing link in my life. For 20 years, I have searched for wholeness, of mind, body and spirit. I work tirelessly to release with the emotional and spiritual pain of my past so that I may grow spiritually. I pray and meditate daily. I exercised regularly and I eat as healthy as one can in West Texas, lots of fruits and vegies, limited fried food and sugar. With all of this, I still felt fatigued, irritable and overwhelmed. After reading Dr. John Gray's book, I began using the recommended products and information in he book. I have been amazed at the results in my life the lives of my family and friends. I have since been privately trained by him as a nutritional cleansing coach so that I may help others. His information about how diet and excercise effect addiction has literly allowed me to help many people who struggle with food and alcohol addiction. The information on brain chemistry is fascinating and brings to light the differences in men and women. My marriage has come alive and my 5 year old said, "Mommy, you and my sister (hormonal 12 year old) are so much nicer now!" This book is a must read for anyone who wants to fill better and who are committed to a life change.
Here's too a healthy life filled with joy, peace and happiness.
Becky Benes, onenessoflife.isagenix.com

However, my husband twisted my arm and I was tired of him nagging me, so what the heck. We both started the Isagenix program a couple of months ago and I just finished reading Dr. Gray's book. Neither of us really needed to lose weight, but I have a history of depression and PMDD (I've been on meds now for almost seven years). So two months later, I'm eating my words of skepticism. I am completely off one med, weaning from another and going to work on my blood pressure and cholesterol meds next. I am an entirely new person. I feel good, I have a lot more energy, my marriage is much improved and an added benefit, I've lost 10 pounds and my clothes fit much better. Our son has anger and aggression issues and so we started him on some supplements mentioned in the book and he is a brand new kid. He quit junk food, soda and is no longer craving nor asking for it. He's eating a lot more fruits and vegetables and has not had a single episode of aggression since about a week after starting the supplements. I've done a lot more research beyond just the book and find agreement with other health professionals (holistic) that back up his statements. So, I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth. Seven years of hell with depression is enough to convince me that there must be something to it.

"Without a nutritious diet, we don't have the fuel to make more endophins." ~ pg. 102

If any book can be frustrating and enlightening at the same time it is "The Mars & Venus Diet and Exercise Solution." This book is filled to the brim with interesting information on dopamine, serotonin, testosterone and endorphins. You will learn about the top forty serotonin-producing foods and how to get endorphins to release into your body. There is also a good amount of information on how to make your relationships work. There seems to be a biological basis for everything John Gray has been teaching for years. He explains why women are obsessed with giving too much and how to get men to give more. It is logical and makes complete sense. He also gives some of the real reasons marriages fail. I thought some of the information was very interesting, especially about why men may become workaholics:

"By increasing mental stress by taking on too much work (deadlines and long hours), men in particular stimulate the production of endorphins to reduce mental distress and anxieties temporarily." ~ pg. 103

While this is very helpful and intellectually exciting, I think the actual diet can be confusing. In the section on following the Mars & Venus diet I came across many frustrating things. Each morning you are supposed to drink a glass of water enriched with lemon juice, honey, trace minerals and aloe vera juice. This drink is also taken after you exercise in the morning. That means you are taking minerals twice. The problem I see with this is that you are also taking trace minerals with your morning health shake. (This drink is also recommended for fasting - should you take that many minerals in a day?)

My main question really is: "Is it necessary to take so many trace minerals?" The morning shake is made with a number of ingredients that can also be found in the Mars & Venus Superfoods Shake. In fact, you can skip mixing up the shake from scratch and just purchase the shake online. My problem with the shake is that it contains blanched almond meal and I'm allergic to nuts in general.

I looked up the Isagenix products and read the lists of ingredients. There are three products you could buy even though John Gray also says you can find other brands (he doesn't mention which ones so I'll give you that information).

The products you can buy (at the Isagenix website) include the Mars & Venus Superfoods Shake ($45), the Super Cleanse ($30) and the Super Minerals (also contains lithium - $30). So you can get the entire program for under $105.

Some options for the same types of products (Total is $131 with the optional cleanse) include "Nature's Plus Spiru-tein Tangerine Dream (Nature's Plus - Tangerine Dream Spirutein Shake 1Lb - $18)" which I've taken for years (compare ingredients to the Mars & Venus Superfoods shake) and the addition of Omega 3 Fatty Acid capsules (Nordic Naturals - Complete Omega/Lemon, 1000 mg, 60 softgels - $17). If you want to add in Yucca try Solaray - Yucca - 100 Capsule - 490 mg - $6.

This is easier than making the shake and adding in flax seeds, protein powder, yucca, enzymes etc. If price is a factor then you can see the difference in price. However, I read the ingredients on the Mars & Venus Super Cleanse and found it is not as good a product as Dr. Natura's Cleansing Product Colonix - Internal Cleansing Program (Liver, Kidney, Colon, And Parasite Cleanse) - FREE UPGRADE TO EXPEDITED SHIPPING - $90). The thing to note about the Dr. Natura program is that the "Paranil" product has wormwood. This is not good to take for an extended period of time. The "Colonix" is a good cleanse on its own.

Once you read the book you can then use these ideas to your advantage. The ingredients recommended will optimize brain chemistry and this will make you feel better. I've been taking a shake with amino acids for years now and it does make you feel more healthy. The Nature's Plus Spiru-tein Tangerine Dream (or other flavors) is an excellent product that contains most of the ingredients (just take Yucca and Omega 3 capsules as well) in the Mars & Venus Shake.

To finish the book, John Gray also briefly discusses the benefits of aromatherapy. He also talks about spirituality and how dietary changes can even cause cancer to go into remission.

Overall I think this book is very enlightening. The frustrating part can be easily solved by buying the shakes in powder form. There just doesn't seem to be enough information to make the program work when mixing up the drink at home. I found that section to be very frustrating because no exact measurements were given.

~The Rebecca Review

This important book describes the side effects of common medications and their dietary solutions. To use this book first find the generic name of the drug you are researching. Then search the index to learn of the medication, its possible side effects, which nutrients it destroys, and the supplements and foods you can use to negate its effects. Then discuss what you've learned with your physician to make sure the nutrient won't interfere with other drugs, worsen a medical problem, etc.

Chapter 1 tells of an example of "nutrient robbery" which can be responsible for the side effects from many medications (p.3). Many common drugs interfere with your ability to digest, absorb, transport, metabolize, synthesize, utilize, or excrete vitamins, mineral, and other vital substances. Examples are given (p.4). Certain drugs increase the rate of excretion of nutrients from the body, and cause the side effects (p.5). Even a small deficiency can be dangerous, such as vitamin C and calcium (p.6). Statin drugs for high cholesterol require their use for a life-time (p.7), and this can harm the heart (p.8)! Common antibiotics can be dangerous thieves of nutrients (p.10).

Chapter 2 discusses various nutrients, what they do for you, and the problems caused when you lack them. They tell what drugs cause their loss. Did you know of the side effects of sodium bicarbonate (p.25)? Broccoli is high in chromium (p.29). Aspirin interferes with iron, too much iron can cause diabetes, cirrhosis, and heart damage (p.41). Many antibiotics can cause a loss of nutrients such as niacin (pp.49-50), potassium (pp.54-55), riboflavin (p.57), and thiamine (p.65). Aspirin interferes with vitamin C (p.75).

Chapter 3 lists all the drugs with what they do, possible side effects, and their nutritional depletions. You should refer to this chapter if you are taking any medications, or have done so in the past.

I met Sherri Shafer at UCSF, and this book is an extension of the great work that UCSF does for the diabetic community. It is light reading, but detailed enough to get you started if you've been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. The focus is on explaining how Diabetes affects your body, and gives you information about how nutrition and exercise are a huge factor in managing your blood sugar. There are helpful management tips, food information, and a "detailed enough" description of foods and the properties you're looking for to manage various aspects of your diet.

It is an excellent reference to keep on the shelf as well, in order to refresh your memory when you start to slide in your management regimen. Having a resource like this helps a lot, since having Diabetes sucks, and it takes a lot of knowledge and support to keep on track.

It is also a great book for friends and family of people with Type 2, to help them understand what you're going through and help you by supporting good health and good habits. Because it is a light read, you aren't asking too much to have them read it...

If you are looking for a good book on what Type 2 diabetes is about then this book is the one for you. As a new to diabetes patient I was looking for some real tips and depth on how to manage my eating and diet. This book did not offer anything new that you could not find in other sources or the internet.

It is well laid out and written with a good beginners guide on how various food intereact with your body. It has all the basics you need to understand what is going on with your body. Also some very basic guide lines on Calorie intact and exercise.

But to call it a Complete Food Mangement Program is a bit misleading. I was expecting more indepth talks about the relation ship between meal time and blood sugars. More indepth about how exercise works in conjuction with proper eating and keeping your blood sugar lower. I realize that everyone is different in terms of what the basic needs are, but more numbers would have been nice.

This is a fantastic book. I highly recommend it for anyone who has been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and also for anyone living with someone with diabetes. What is most refreshing about the book is that it is really a practical guide for healthy living. It clearly explains the interactions of food and exercise and alcohol and overall lifestyle, and how these components work together to affect blood sugar. It also answers questions related to diabetes in specific populations--kids, pregnant women, and older people. With so much information out there promoting fad diets and supplements, it is great to have a resource like this to debunk the myths and give the straight story.

I would recommend this book to professionals as well as non-professionals living and/or working with diabetes. As a social worker working with families living with diabetes, I found this book extremely informational and it increased my knowledge and understanding of many aspects of diabetes in an easy-to-read and easy-to-follow format. I would recommend this book to anyone with diabetes or with a child with diabetes.

I don't have Diabetes but anyone would really benefit from reading this because weight control, blood pressure and heart health are about everyone's health!

A good book for beginners to the world of food allergies. Otherwise too basic with little new information.

Finally a book that gives me all the answers and then some. I checked this book out of the library, but will purchase my own to keep. The information is invaluable!

This book was easy to understand, practical and informative. I've read several books about food allergies at this point, and food allergies for dummies is the one I found to be most helpful. If you or a family member have just been diagnosed and you've looking for information. I'd definitely recommend it.

Just started reading but love this book already. Must read for those with food allergies or parents of kids with food allergies. Well worth the money.

As a grandmother of an almost 3 year old grandson, with a severe peanut/tree nut allergy, I found this book great...but sadly, not complete. What is missing? Information about products, other than food, that can cause an alergic reaction. Products, for instance, like bean bag chairs stuffed with peanut shells; certain craft items, like paint or Moon Sand, made with peanut/tree nut oils. All are dangerous and can cause a reaction by contact. To keep him as safe as possible, I DON'T BUY ANYTHING UNLESS IT HAS A CUSTOMER CARE PHONE NUMBER LISTED ON THE LABEL. Everything he eats or comes in contact with must be checked and double checked!! Hope this helps others with the same difficulty.

Gail Sangregorio

I am very disappointed in this purchase.

The author initially presents some very basic information in the first 2 chapters which sounded far more like Eat Right for your Type. Then, she goes into tedious detail about antiquated diet programs - many of which had nothing to do with acid/alkaline balance. She then presented "solutions" for common ailments that frequently contradicted the initial info presented. For example, on one page, my "type" is supposed to avoid lemon juice, vinegar and leafy greens but those make repeated appearances in the solutions section.

It seemed like she couldn't decide what kind of "diet" this should be - raw foods, metabolic type, food allergy etc. The case studies and information regarding indigenous peoples of various regions were distracting & did not seem to have much to do with the acid/alkaline issue.

I was specifically looking for a program that gave me at a minimum a list of helpful foods or foods to avoid but this was a confusing patchwork of poorly-organized information.

Also, some of the suggestions for raw meat, raw eggs, raw milk and raw butter etc. fly in the face of recent food scares. I know many who swear by raw milk but it is illegal in my state and there are other ways to get enzymes without risk of e-coli or salmonella.

I nearly fell out of my chair when she mentioned by name an ephedra-based diet pill (used by one of her clients) that is now illegal in the US. Furthermore, citing a client who is still morbidly obese, takes unhealthy diet pills and follows fad 1-meal/day plans as a success shoots down what little remaining credibility the author might have had (IMHO).

I am going to the health food store to look at other acid/alkaline books before making another purchase. I would strongly caution anyone considering this title to thumb through it first.

While this book contained some useful information, it did not address my purpose of buying the book. I was looking for a lists of foods that were alkaline and acid forming, and various diet plans. In it's place the book contained too many medical historys of clients the author has seen, their treatment, and improvement. For whatever reasons, I rarely find this type of information useful, and feel it is simply a way to fill up pages of a book.

Overall, I didn't find the book "user friendly" either.

This book has such excellent research for a person who wants to have a happier healthy life from disease so there are good suggestions in how to change one's lifestyle for healthier living

I have done extensive research in Acid Alkaline eating theories. I think this book should be called "Eating for Your Blood Type" instead of its Acid Alkaline title. They are two very different theories. The author talks a lot in the two beginning chapters about various supportive research for ridding your body of acids to try to improve your overall health. Then she provides a couple simple of tests (that may make you sick) to find out your metabolic type.

There is a thorough explanation of Dr. William Donald Kelley's theory of metabolic food typing from the 1970s. According to the book, Dr. Kelley has much luck in reversing chronic diseases based on his assumptions. The book suggests two options for quick tests to figure out your metabolic type: 1) Swallow 50 milligrams of niacin on an empty stomach. If, within a half-hour, your skin turns red and you feel very, very hot and itchy, he believes you have a meat-eating metabolism. Warmer and better color in your face, he believes you have a balanced metabolism. If you don't feel anything, he feels you have a grain-eating metabolism. 2) If you want to confirm the first test, he suggests you take 8 grams of vitamin C a day for 3 days in a row. If you feel depressed, lethargic, exhausted, and irritable, or if you are a woman and experience vaginal irritation, you suggests you have a meat-eating metabolism. If you don't notice a change, he suggests you have a balanced metabolism. But if you feel an improvement -- more energy, better quality of sleep -- he suggests you have a grain-eating metabolism.

Much of the rest of the book hinges on the diagnosis of the above tests -- which sound scary to put yourself through. I don't want to consciously make myself red, hot, itchy, depressed, lethargic, etc. So I felt cautious after reading this section in chapter 1.

I read chapter 2 and then went to the specific section of the book with my "medical condition" as suggested by the author. My condition is obesity. That chapter describes a case study of an obese 17-year-old girl for whom the author prescribed treatments. The girl, Cheryl, started off at 350 pounds. After following the author's advice, the girl stabilized at 270 pounds. The thing that alarmed me was the author's suggestions for weight loss. Here is her list from p. 72-73. She wants you to eat or use the following: Nearly raw potatoes, ice pack on lower abdomen, raw honey, raw milk and butter, raw beefsteak, avocadoes and bananas, Vitamin E, ChitoPlex, coconut and flaxseed oil, raw carrots, ACIDIC FOODS, bland foods, several small meals, blackstrap-lemon drink, ice water. I've capped the word "acidic foods" because it is in complete contradiction with the author's book subtitle "An Innovative Program for Ridding Your Body of Acidic Wastes". She wants you to eat acidic foods to reduce your hunger. But that is completely antithetical to the title of the book and the introduction. Why would I take in more acidic foods only to have to work to neutralize them and eliminate them later? Note that she pulls all her informaton from other doctors and does not have a medical degree herself. Her book jacket describes her as an "adjunct professor at City College in New York and an alternate health consultant". I wish I could talk to Cheryl and share with her some of the information I've gotten from other books on diet and nutrition. I'm sorry to say I think the author has given her some good advice and combined it with some very bad advice.

Buyer/Reader beware! I think this author should do some more research. I think this book could be very dangerous to the quality of health of anyone follows her advice 100%.

Although this book has some useful information it is not as the title suggest. It is not a "diet" book. I bought this book because my husband and I are trying to change our diet to a more PH balanced way of living. We have already found that by balancing the PH levels we can all but eliminated acid reflux. When I saw this book I thought it would have a list of alkaline and acidic foods and a diet plan to follow. This book is nothing more than testimony as to what vitamins you should take in order to achieve better health. The test that is referred to is nothing more than taking a supplement on an empty stomach, waiting for results and translating how red you are into the meat eater, grain eater or combo of the two. So again, while there is some useful information I would not have bought this book had I had a chance to flip through it before hand.

I have to echo some of the other comments made -- the book is definitely worth a read, but has some flaws as well (lack of references, dubious statistical claims, etc). Also, a significant amount of the book is devoted to discussion of orthmolecular treatments for disease.

I think for a majority of consumers, Linus Pauling's "How to Live Longer and Feel Better" is a better first choice since has a more thorough review of how the "orthomolecular lifestyle" might help healthy individuals.

This is not to take away from dr. Hoffer's work, however, and if you are either done with Pauling's book or interested in psychiatry then this is for you.

This book is based on the science and art of healing with nutrition therapy. Yes, while it can be argued that if you eat properly you don't need supplements; very few people have a perfect diet. He believes that what we put in our mouth is what creates our health or lack of, including mental health.

His average anti-stress vitamin formula
B1 - between 100 and 300 mg.
Niacin B3 - between 3,000 mg.-6,000 people with high cholesterol should take the nicotinic acid form.
Pantothenic acid - 100 mg. to 300 mg.
Vitamin C - 3,000 mg. to 6,000 mg.
Vitamin E - 200 I.U. to 800 I.U.
Vitamin A & D - together in 3 to 9 cod liver oil capsules
Calcium & magnesium - together in 3 to 6 dolomite tablets
Zinc - 30 mg. to 60 mg.

He goes through the following vitamins A, B, C and D. For instance, Vitamin C - 8 grams a day is required to prevent colds. Every person suffers from a deficiency, sort of a subclinical scurvy, because the human body does not manufacture it. With scurvy, the blood vessels become weak, and fluid leaks from them into the skin and tissues. The body manufactures cholesterol to plug the leaks and it is deposited onto the walls of the vessels which initiates arteriosclerosis. This is one of the main factors contributing to cardiovascular disease including strokes and coronary disease.

He also talks a lot about zinc and manganese. For instance, in studies with rats and mice zinc insufficiency produced severe skin lesions similar to psoriasis; delayed wound healing; interrupted reproduction; and diminished learning capacity. Human skin holds about 20% of all the body's zinc. Zinc causes skin to be elastic, and without it there will be stretch marks all over the body. Hair and nails won't grow either, and nails will be brittle with white spots. The hair may loose pigment, and skin lesions may appear. Doctors often give zinc after burns, trauma and surgery as it increases the rate of healing.

This is a classic book on supplementing with megadoses of vitamin and minerals. It is backed up with good research and case studies. I recommend that anyone who is in the natural health field read it.

This is a great book. I would recommend that people read Linus Pauling's book "How to live longer and feel better" first. The Pauling book will give you more statistical information and support his arguments with clinical trials and double blind studies. This will give you a good foundation for reading this book which relies more on the author's own personal clinical experience. It's not scientifically oriented, but that does not mean that information is not of value. As a matter of fact, the information in this book helped my marriage. After reading the book, which talks quite a bit about food allergies and their symptoms (not just hives), I started to notice that my wife and I had arguments after she ate white processed flour. It could be a sandwich, a hamburger, some toast, but invariably, within an hour or two, she would start an argument about some minor insignificant thing (some of you might be able to relate to that). Since we have been watching our diet and cutting out "bad" food, our marriage has improved. But "cheat" days that were usually on weekends were days when we would argue. This book helped me figure out the "why" behind my wife's sudden irrationality and irritability.

No promises that it will save your marriage, but it does help open your eyes to different things to look at that could be the root cause of behavioral issues.

With regards to megavitamin dosing...anything taken in excess can be toxic, even water. But the levels of needed to reach toxicity are very very large and it is fairly difficult to reach. For example, B3 can cause liver TESTS to show abnormal. But stopping the B3 for 5 days will show the liver as normal again. Restarting will generally not reproduce poor test results again...and this with the niacinamide form of the vitamin, not the other forms. In addition, they just call it "mega" vitamin dosing because the amounts suggested are larger than the RDA, which is a suggested amount to avoid illness. The RDA is not an amount that promotes health. It's like saying that it's recommended that you drink 2 glasses of water a day. You'll probably live on 2 glasses a day, but 8 glasses a day is much better for your body and your health. Just keep everything in perspective and get the book...

This book is one of the best books on why you benefit from Vitamin C, E, the B's and niacin (which is one of the B's) that I have read. I keep it on my desk, and refer to it frequently. If you have high cholesterol you need to read this book.

This book is one of my class requirements. I have really enjoyed the information shared in this book. A lot of information about the B vitamins, and how vitamin deficiencies can create a myriad of symptoms. Muscle testing for food allergies is also explained in this book, and how important this fundamental procedure is to determining symptoms/weaknesses in our bodies. A very well written book. My only negative comment is that the author(s) seem to think meat and milk are somewhat important in our diets! Our intestines and teeth show the reasoning for us not consuming animal products, and the ill health of America today vs other countries with no or minimal meat consumption can certainly back up that statement!

I'm about half way through this book.
It is filled with lots and lots of information
on digestion and health, in general.
Many great ideas for how to change diet and
lifestyle to create better health, starting
in the gut.

One of the most helpful, informative books I have read. The suggestions really work. Highly recommend as an aid in healing.

I thought the angels had answered my prayers when I saw this book at my local pharmacy. It is packed absolutely chock full with great, easy to understand information about digestion, the mind-gut connection, and various digestive diseases. I know "natural medicine" seems crunchy granola and therefore easy to dismiss, but logic (and many well-designed studies) make many of the recommendations in this book hard to refute, and definitely worth trying. As someone who has been to dozens of traditional doctors and has still not found relief for my gut, being given more information and options for treating these distressing problems is a godsend and not to be sneezed at. However, after reading it cover-to-cover, I still have questions.
My main issue: I have symptoms of several of the problems talked about in the book, and unfortunately the treatments for these problems are often contradictory. I really should eat more yogurt and other cultured products for the beneficial flora--unless I have candidiasis or a food allergy. I should eat whole grains for the fiber--unless I'm allergic or have candidiasis. I should drink water right before I go to bed--unless I have reflux. The list goes on and on. I have NO IDEA which of my stomach problems I should tackle first and which things I can try for one problem that won't significantly worsen another problem. I find I'm so confused that I really want to visit the clinic that Ms. Berkson talks about working at, but she gives no contact info in the book and I was unable to find anything online. Barring that, I would have really appreciated some information for how to FIND a clinic like that one, or a doctor who will work with me to find holistic and natural remedies.
Having said that, I still think this book is an excellent resource that is well-written, well-organized, and well worth reading.

This book is very thorough. It covers in depth the right foods, the wrong foods, what certain foods, supplements, and drugs do to digestive tract. It covers some history of digestive diseases, food alergies, home treatment, etc. The author makes no promises that this information will solve your particular digestive problem, however, she present the information honestly.

I recommend this book highly!

The author seems very knowledgeble on all aspects of digestive problems. Learned a lot. Throws so much at you that it is hard to assimilate it all. Worth reading.