Diet Health Books

This should have been called "Get Fat". I gained weight on this book. I do not recommend it at all.

I have just read this book as well as Marilu Henner's book. In some ways they are similar: both feature beautiful, healthy, glamourous, rich, 70s-sitcom-starring celebrities. Both claim to have discovered the secrets to health and vitality and slimness. Both are enjoyable to read and seem like someone you'd like to have as a friend. But the food...there's the big difference. Being an aficionado of the famous Eat Right 4 Your Type way of eating I have discovered that as a type O+ I feel much better on a protein/veggies/fruits regimen versus an almost vegetarian (fishaterian?) grains and veggies approach. I spent 6 years basically doing the Henner approach but found a much higher energy level and ability to maintain a healthy weight AFTER I quit eating so much starch and started eating meat again. As I read this book I couldn't help but notice that it is very close to what Dr. D'adamo recommends for Blood Type As in his book; lots of soy, grains and legumes, avoiding dairy and meat and keeping fat intake low. I am convinced that this is the best approach for some people, probably the Type As! Suzanne Somers' book which allows meats, dairy and fat (properly combined of course) works really well for me and probably other type Os who really do need protein to maintain their health and energy. Speaking strictly as a cook and an enthusiastic eater, the Somers book is much more fun. I found recipes in this book that I will definitely use. Therefore, my advice to these readers is: If you are a type O, then check out Suzanne's (and Peter D'adamo's ER4YT of course!) book and enjoy a tasty dinner!!! An aside--I saw Ms Sommers in person in Palm springs two years ago and she looks absolutely lovely. She must be doing something right!

The work explores the positive and negative aspects of dieting.
The author explores ways to reprogram the metabolism.
The first important food group is pro/fats consisting of meats/
poultry, fish and eggs. Next is the low starch veggie group
followed by carbs which consist of pasta, cereal, bread and
non-fat dairy. The author recommends eliminating all kinds of
junk food; such as, sugars, starch, caffeine , alcohol and
processed foods in general. She tells us to eat fruit on an
empty stomach. Foods should be eaten in combinations.
For instance fats are to be eaten with veggies or carbs
should be combined with veggies. The objective is to promote
hormonal balance. Meals should never be skipped. In fact,
the protocol calls for 3 meals each day. Stage 1 aims at
losing weight while the subsequent stages are weight
maintenance. The author recommends utilizing generous portions
of herbs; such as, ginger and extra virgin olive oil in place
of heavier oils. Many sample recipes are supplied.
Finally, the author speaks of a glycemic index and provides
sample food statistics. For instance, high glycemic foods
are in the 60-110 range. These foods consist of beer, white
bread, potato, jam, popcorn, pasta and brown rice. These foods
should be avoided or minimized. Dairy (non-fat), fresh fruit,
soy and green vegetables are in the 15-35 or low glycemic
category. This book is a good purchase. It will assist in
formulating and maintaining a diet which is manageable over
the long term.

Suzanne Somers is partial scam artist. She claims that if you follow the advice in her books, prepare her recipes, use her skin products, etc. you can look as good as she does for her age. She never mentions all the cosmetic surgery and lipo suction she has had done. I know a number of Plastic Surgeons and Dermatologists, and they all claim that there is no way that her face and body can look as good as it does for her age without Cosmetic Surgery on her face and body and touch-ups along the way. However, her books with their beautiful pictures of her and her recipes are lovely to look at but she is giving women who are in their 50's and beyond false hope. She should really write a book about all the work she has had done, what it was like, the cost (which the average woman cannot afford), etc.

At 16 years old, I was gravely obese at 330 lbs. I was depressed and desperate, trying things from cutting portions to, at one point, eating nothing but bread and water for two weeks. I still gained weight no matter what I did.

I visited my dad one summer, and he introduced me to Somersizing and gave me this book to read. Long story short, I lost 100 lbs in about 12 months without ANY excercise, ON AND OFF this plan, WITHOUT cutting any of my portions (NOTE: Author recommends regular excersize and committing to this plan). Even though I didn't go at it 100%, I STILL managed to lose weight. I say this to illustrate the potential Suzanne's plan has.

The book itself is an easy and quick read. I couldn't put it down. Suzanne also does a great job of emphasizing the important points so you can't miss them. She even includes really handy quick reference pages in the back. I love how she includes technical stuff that is not necessary to understand in order to start her plan, but is helpful in explaining the science if you are interested.

"I DONT HAVE WEIGHT PROBLEMS" you say? Suzanne recommends this plan for OVERALL WELL BEING. She discusses how skinny people may LOOK healthy, but can have damaged systems from starches and sugars. More particularly, how indigestion, brittle nails, thin hair, dry skin, liver problems, and other problems seemingly unrelated to weight can be caused by replacing fats/proteins that our body needs with unbeneficial sugars.

Thanks to Suzanne, I am healthier, happier, more confident, and most importantly, more critical about mainstream information I come across.

Sorry i have not reviewed this book as it was a gift

Regards
Ken

This book runs down the most popular natural supplements for weightloss and tries to back up claims for each with results from various scientific studies. The most underwhleming part of this book is the way it tauts something on one page as causing lots of weightloss, and the next, you find out that after an 8 week trial, average weightloss was 3-6 pounds. Well wippity doo, you can get results like that from just cutting out 500 calories a day and exercising. The author is honest at least about when studies contradict each other and makes no absolutist claims about any of the supplements. Some of the supplements are quite expensive. I am trying several right now: Green tea extract, Hoodia, Cinnamon, and fiber. Only the fiber seems to have any appetite blunting effect. There is some good info here, just dont expect to find one thing that will magically make you lose weight. It wont be 1 or 2 tricks that leads to weightloss, but the combination of good food, moderate portions, exercise, and 10 or more tricks.

This book brings together many studies and, tells you which products work. How they work. And most importantly: How and when to use them. I ordered it for my mother, and after skimming through the first 2 chapters: I ordered 3 more copies to give to others that could use it.

if you want to lose weight this book is for you !!! I give it a 8 out of 10 !

When I eliminated sugars and flours from my diet 12 years ago, I experienced vast improvements in my health, but my asthma and migraines hung on. In carefully reading Dr. Preuss' book, I noticed that 5-HTP and CLA had the side-effect of addressing migraines and asthma. Following Dr. Preuss' well-researched advice, I am thrilled that these conditions are now abating. Dr. Preuss' work really shows that while pharmaceutical applications have horrendous side effects, fat-loss supplements have multiple beneficial side-effects. Thank you, Dr. Preuss.
Joan Ifland, author, "Sugars and Flours: How They Make Us Crazy, Sick and Fat"

i found this book to be very benificial in learning about the menopause and how it really affects us in a biological way. I wasnt looking for a 'diet' book and this fitted the bill very well. It was hard reading sometimes and i had to re read certain parts before it stuck. I use it often and would recomend it to someone who wants to understand the menopause ina deeper way yo to beat it.

This book is very informative. There is a lot of medical infomation but that's what I was looking for.

Dr. Gillespie is very straight forward so if you don't want to hear the truth about how you body is changing then this isn't the book for you.

Her diet has stopped my blood sugar drops and I've lost a couple of pounds in a week.

The book is a slow read because it's not written to be entertaining but give you the information you need to prevent or get rid or that "menopot."

I found this book very disappointing. I already own Dr. Atkins book and there isn't really any difference in the actual diet. The information on hormone therapy was interesting, but most of the information regarding recommended brands and doses of estrogen was available on the authors web site. If, like me, you have allergies to dairy products, eggs, or nuts, the companion book, "Mini-Meal Cookbook", is a waste of money.

Provides great info on what foods causes the tire around your waist. Pretty basic....easy to read.

Don't waste your time on this one. What a HUGE downer to read. It seems that the author has bigger issues than menopause, like chronic negativity. From cover to cover this book is filled with do not eat this, do not buy that, if you eat this you may die of that! Then to add insult to injury, she continues with her personal opinions of different exercise types that can cause injury. Give me a break, I, for one, am not motivated by the SCARED SKINNY tactics of this book. And finally, she actually promotes the use of hormone therapy which in my own physician's opinion may be risky. ENOUGH ALREADY... Back to portion control, good choices, exercise and not living in fear. This book went into the trash, it is not even good enough to recycle...

I found this book at the perfect time in my life, and I am forever thankful for it. For whatever reasons, I experience a physiological response to certain foods that make me crave more and more. This book helped me to see that if I avoid putting certain foods in my body, I won't experience those cravings that drive me into shame, compulsion, and eventually weight gain. It's not a temporary weight loss trick, it's a life long change to stop eating certain foods in order to keep my sanity. I had already been exposed to Overeaters Anonymous a couple years ago, which definately helped me see that I wasn't alone, that I do have an addiction, and that letting God into that area of my life is absolutely necessary in order to overcome it. This book helped me make changes to be free from the cravings.

In regards to the strict food plans the book presents, I don't take the portions too seriously, but I can see they could be helpful for someone who is just starting the recovery process. I think the general principals are more important for me - cutting out the foods that cause you problems, period. Why would you recommend that an alcoholic only drink a little bit? The point is, for whatever reason, they are unable to so they need to avoid ever putting it in their body.

I definately recommend this book to anyone who is ready to make a lifelong change.

Informative on theory of food addiction. Explains physical and emotional aspects of food addiction. Easy to read with information based on scholarly research.

I was really disappointed when I read this book. If you've read the 12 steps of compulsive overeating, then you've pretty much read this book. It tells you the same thing. It takes forever to get you to the place where you can create your own meal plan...and what a joke! There's no way I can stick to something like that. I would starve too death!

In conclusion, I do NOT recommend buying this book. It did not help me at all.

What a disappointment! The authors answer to binge-eating is simply eliminating all sugar, flour, fat, caffeine, or whatever your trigger foods are from your diet. Not only that, but they insist you must weigh and measure your food all the time for the rest of your life. Thats hardly what I consider freeing yourself from obsessing about food. They actually recommend keeping an emergency food kit in your car to be sure you always have measuring cups, a food scale, and several cans of safe food available to you at all times. Perhaps this is wise advice for people who are morbidly obese, but for those of us who are at a normal weight, or only slightly over, and are looking for some insight and realistic advice on dealing with compulsive/binge eating, this book is NOT the answer!

After I read the book and was very disappointed, I went on-line to write this review. I find myself agreeing completely with the reviews that gave this book a low rating. It is yet another attempt to espouse the virtues of the 12 step Overeaters Anonymous program. While I think there are good aspects of the 12 step program and that it may help some, there are many that the program simply wouldn't work for, including myself. Mainly, I think, because it mandates that you cut flour, sugar, and other foods completely from your diet. I feel that this sets a person up to fail because one ends up feeling deprived, which leads to binging. In fact there is a whole chapter in the book that talks about case studies and nearly every person mentioned has relapsed and is valiantly trying to get back to abstinence and lose the weight yet again. I would suggest that instead of working a program that obviously isn't working, they should perhaps seek another solution, maybe in the form of professional counseling. I would recommend "The Solution" by Laurel Mellin, which is a comprehensive support solution with groups and pyschologists around the country practicing the methods given in the book. I have found this method much more helpful than Overeaters Anonymous ever was. If OA is working for you, then I think that is great, but if you are like me and do not find that it fits you, I encourage you to look elsewhere. The Solution is a great place to start, and if you want to check out the website go to WWW.Sweetestfruit.com.

This is an uplifting read. I read it each morning and try to think of what I have read throughout the day. I am glad guilt was left out.
I did not give 5 stars because the spacing on the prayers is distracting.

I bought this for myself. I only have 10 lbs to lose, but I figure I need all the help I can get. This is an awesome book. It has a lesson and a prayer for 100 days. I use it in my morning devotions (while I am eating breakfast...haha) I have since bought a copy for all 4 ladies in my Bible Study to go along with Faithfully Fit (which I bought for all of them also). Even if you are not on a diet it gives you a great way to look at 'God's food' and our consumption of it. Buy it! You'll love it!

I have recently lost 35 pounds through prayer, and being guided by God I feel, to THE BECK DIET SOLUTION.(see my review of it). I was looking for a book of spiritual encouragements to keep me on course in my new lifestyle. This book has provided that. It is set up with a reflection to read and "A Prayer for Power" to say for the day.....100 of them to read and re-read. Already I am turning back the corners on pages that are especially meaningful and helpful for me.

Heather really understands the spiritual struggle dieters go through. The "sin" of gluttony is not one spoken of much on pulpits, but it causes spiritual, as well as physical damage, to the Christian's spirit and many Christians struggle with it! If you are stuggling with dieting.........as I have for many, many, years, this book can encourage and help you.......BUY IT!!!!!!I'm already getting copies to give to friends.

I have owned this book for a few years now, pull it out on occasion to use as a daily read. I recently gave a copy to my step-daughter, and she loves it too.

This book is wonderful - very well written, inspiring and motivating. I especially like the way the author uses God and His word to uplift, motivate and encourage us dieters. I liked it so well that I ordered one for my best friend, too.

I would definately recommend this book to others.

My kids (age 5 1/2 and 3) and I checked this out from the library. They LOVED it and asked me to read it so many times I've purchased our own copy. Even though we haven't read it in a while, the kids are always asking if a food is a "green, yellow or red light" food. I'm blessed that my kids eat pretty healthily, but we do battle with candy and other junk occasionally. I remind them that if they don't eat green light foods they won't grow or feel well. I highly recommend this book!

This is a great building tool. Dr Sears teaches a simple system for making great food choices that my four year old has been using since she was two. The book is in two parts. Since she was been old enough to want to be read to, we have read the first part. The Green, Yellow and Red food pages are great for pointing to the food items. All foods are divided into these three simple categories. This helped with the toddler point skills and with learning what foods go with what lights. Now at four, when in public her father or I can ask "Is that a green light food?" and she will rethink a bad choice. Now we make a game of telling what food is what light at restaurants.

Later on, the book includes details about vitamins and minerals and what they do for us and what foods they are in. This book is already on my list for a Health unit home school study.

Dr. Sears book is a great way to teach your kids about healthy eating. They learn to be label detectives and how to identify red, yellow, and green light foods. I highly recommed this book!

This is full of nutritional information, in a bright positive format, but I found it too extreme for our lifestyle. I wouldn't argue with the information, but my children are not going to give up all fatty foods or salty foods or sweet foods. I just want to encourage the eating of what I call "Pretty foods" like vegetables and fruits. This book went a bit further than I'm willing to.

This is a great book for K-3 kids to teach them the basics of good nutrition. Dr. Sears is GREAT!

The book is full of pages on insulin resistance,insulin spiking, etc. The first book by these authors was excellent and health promoting; and this one is as well.

People who have dieted as long as I have know about dieting. We've read the new books, tried new ways of dealing with our persistent problem.
Normal weight people must find this confusing if they think at all about our dilemma. Why can't we just -get- the basic principle that you eat less than you expend to lose weight. Simple. Unfortunately, not that simple in our nation. Not that simple for bodies out of whack.
It is mysterious to me how people can just eat to live and not think about it 24/7. How freeing it must be to spend no time planning meals, logging calories in and out, making weight goals, etc.etc. I may never reach that level of normalacy but the principles in this book and it's predecessor The Insulin Resistance DietThe Insulin-Resistance Diet : How to Turn Off Your Body's Fat-Making Machine, help me see what is possible.
As a dieter I want to know one thing before I put money out on a new diet book. Does it help, does it work? Is this book going to give me some vital piece of information that will help me change my life? The answer to those questions is yes, this book does help,work and give vital information. The authors encourage you to change by slowly changing one new behavior at a time until you've changed your habits even if this process takes months. We want what we want when we want it which is usually now, but that is a formula for failure in any major life change.
I didn't expect this book to be significantly different from Dr. Hart and Ms Grossman's first book, The Insulin Resistance Diet but it is. If possible, I really recommend buying both books and reading the Insulin Resistance Diet first. Although the Feel Good Diet continues and expounds upon the material in the Insulin Resistance Diet, both books stand on their own. The Feel Good Diet is better understood if you read the Insulin Resistance Diet first. If you don't want to buy the Insulin Resistance Diet, go to your public library. The IR Diet is the philosophical underpinning for the Feel Good Diet. When you eat the Insulin Resistance way, there is a calm that settles over you which makes your life and the changes you'll be making so much easier.
I also suggest reading this book completely through before trying ANY of the suggestions. Don't go off half cocked, as I did. The apple cider vinegar Vinegar, Apple Cider, Unfiltered, Raw, Organic, 32 oz.works and works well. In my opinion, it doesn't taste bad either. You might add low glycemic agave nectarAgave Nectar Liquid Sweetener, Light, Squeeze Bottle, Organic, 8 oz., to sweeten rather than other, especially artificial, sweeteners. I don't use a sweetener. It's helpful to increase your intake of minerals before you start on the vinegar. The book lists natural sources of minerals. It is also good to increase the supplements you take as suggested in the book before you start taking the 5HTP.
The book talks about sublingual 5HTP in the form of craniyums. I have benefited from 5HTPSecrets of 5-HTP: Nature's Newest Super Supplement, it gives me time to make better food choices and drastically lowers my chocolate cravings. Although I do have some stomach upset when taking regular 5HTP I am still in the early stages of deciding whether craniyums are a better source of 5HTP. Not everyone has stomach problems with 5HTP. Most of the serotonin receptors in the body are in the gut area, the second brain, as Dr. OZ says.
This book has simple menus which help you reorganize your eating, it deals with acid, alkaline issues which are very important for overall health and it deals in detail with why we need increased serotonin and dopamine precursors to be successful at dieting. All of this is sanely given with an understanding that major changes do not happen overnight.
I found out that I suffer with Seasonal Affective Disorder about 10 years agoWinter Blues, Revised Edition: Everything You Need to Know to Beat Seasonal Affective Disorder. I know what low serotoin feels like but didn't connect it with insulin resistance until I read The Insulin Resistance Diet about a year ago. Most of the weight I've gained has happened in the winter of each year when my serotonin is extremely low. If you gain 10 lbs a year over a period of many years, you end up with a weight problem. If you use food to supply the brain chemicals you need to feel good, you end up with a weight problem. And weight problems eventually lead up to many, many other physical, mental, emotional and relational problems, as we all know.
So bottom line, yes I do recommend this book.

Everyone knows I am the biggest fan of Cheryle R. Hart and Mary Kay Grossman for writing The Insulin-Resistance Diet book which forever changed my life.

After losing 40+ pounds on my own and still having high cholesterol and still being 60 pounds overweight (not to mention feeling terrible) I needed answers. My OB/GYN found the problem and suggested The Insulin-Resistance Diet book by Hart and Grossman. I am now a total of 100 pounds lighter (50+ pounds thanks to the Insulin Resistance Diet), my cholesterol is normal and my Insulin levels are normal. I have kept the weight off for 2 years and couldn't love my life more.

My husband on the other hand had a much harder time over the Holidays and I decided The Feel Good Diet was what he needed to take off the weight. The two of us loved the book because it spoke to us from different angles. My husband is very analytical and likes to know how the clock works, I on the other hand, just want to know what time it is. The Feel Good Diet works because it gives you the "why" and "how" all in one book.

The biggest change for me was the quality of sleep I now enjoy after having my Evening Seretonin-Boosting Snack. The S'More Serotonin Snack is to die for or an evening watching a movie while snacking on popcorn made my husband very happy. The other significant change was our energy levels in the afternoon by incorporating the afternoon snack.


Cheryle Hart and Mary Kay Grossman not only wrote books which allowed me to lose weight and changed my life but they educated me about my body and empowered me to be able to keep the weight off. To be able to live a life where you control your weight instead of the food controlling your weight is AMAZING!!!!

The authors take the yo-yo weight loss and weight gain syndrome out of the equation with a comprehensive look at hormone related stress factors and weight gain on the reader's body. With detailed explanation on why this occurs and how to prevent weight gain from repeating by balancing out your diet with proper foods.
The Feel Good Diet teaches the reader how to improve eating habits for a healthier, well balance eating lifestyle.

The author's earlier "Insulin Resistance Diet" was my first introduction to reducing carbs, and I still rely on her advice to balance carbs with protein, but this new diet relies way too heavily on artificial foods for my taste. If you are perfectly happy with rice cakes and fat-free bottled dressing and artificially sweetened yogurt and the like, this diet may appeal to you. But if, like many of us, you have begun avoiding long lists of chemical additives, sodium, preservatives, etc., in favor of whole, minimally processed foods, this diet would be a major step backward. The authors also advocate deliberately spiking insulin between meals in order to promote serotonin production, but it seems to me that it would also spike hunger and hypoglycemia.

This cookbook's well-organized menus and recipes specific to each of the 4 seasons in a temperate climate zone is very helpful, but the book's title is misleading. The word macrobiotic is used in the book title, however all of the book's recipes are vegan. A little history is recounted here: During the first decade of macrobiotics in the USA, all the macro cookbooks featured a moderate use of fish and fish products. Fish products played an especially important part of soup recipes, such as miso soup. The alteration of traditional macrobiotic recipes in this cookbook to excise fish means that the authentic macrobiotic diet is actually not being represented here, and the fact that this cookbook does not discuss that omission makes it even more out of balance with mainstream macrobiotic thinking.

This is a very practical book that gives recipes for a realistic macrobiotic regime, linked to the seasons. When you follow this diet, you feel very good.

The book lacks a discussion, however, about how to fine-tune the diet to signs or symptoms you may experience in your body or mindset. I think anyone seriously following a macrobiotic diet should use this book in conjunction with The Self Healing Cookbook by Kristina Turner. Together they give you a full picture of herbal dietary therapy and how it can be utilized on a daily basis. Together they give you enough useful recipes to keep yourself happy and your tastebuds from getting bored.

As a newcomer to macrobiotics, I absolutely loved this book and have used it every day since I bought it. It outlines easy, quick basic recipes that anyone can make - most of which involve few basic ingredients.

Everything down to how to make basic brown rice is in here. I am so blessed I happened to get this book in the beginning. After now having read some of the other macrobiotic books, I realize I might have been frustrated by the foreign ingredients and complicated recipes and been turned off from macrobiotics otherwise.

One thing I did when I bought this book (as I was just slowly learning macro foods and starting to introduce them to my cupboards) is sift through the book and start noting common themes of ingredients. After identifying and buying some of the "base" products identified, I was able to make several different recipes. These recipes make up my diet today and every day.

I would recommend this book to anyone, especially beginners like me.

During the 1960's, Michio and Aveline Kushi popularized macrobiotics in the States, and this practical, well-written book is a good introduction. I chose this as a present, after browsing through Amazon.com for a book that combined recipes and macrobiotic concepts. As I discovered later, the balance of easily prepared recipe and basic macrobiotic concepts reflects the balance that "macro" devotees achieve through their diet. The gift recipient, Buree-Kan Kobayashi (name used with permission) confirmed that Aveline Kushi's book I chose wisely. Although Buree doesn't strictly adhere to a macrobiotic diet (he's more of a California vegan/macro/fish/almonds guy), my friend commands a basic understanding of macrobiotic concepts and principles.

One of the concepts most familiar to Westerners is the balance of yin (roughly: "hot") and yang ("cool") energies, and that's why Kushi organizes her recipes around the seasons. At the risk (read: probability) of oversimplifying, here's an example of this principle: One should eat yang foods (more raw foods, such as roots and fruit, de-emphasizing salt--a yin food) in the summer to balance the heat, and yin foods (cooked foods, often with more spice) in the winter. The book covers the transitional Autumn and Spring months as well.

Whether or not you accept these and other concepts, the book presents excellent, healthy dishes emphasizing fresh, nutritional, unprocessed foods. The recipes are generally easy to prepare, but not "dumbed down." Most ingredients can be bought at a local supermarket (especially one that emphasizes natural foods, like "Whole Foods"), but proximity to a health food or Asian store will be helpful. The flavors attainable without using meat or dairy products (your basic vegan diet) will stagger the taste buds of the uninitiated.

The simple but imaginative recipes will satisfy adventurous appetites. Satisfying staples include seitan (wheat gluten), tempeh (a cultured soy originally from Indonesia), tubers, and different grains. The list of keywords in Amazon.com's book description above hints at other foods that may be new to you; "exotic" as they may sound, these healthy foods represent the ordinary diet of millions. I think it was wise not to present cures and prescriptive herbs; the flavorful recipes are sufficient reason to incorporate some degree of macrobiotics into your cooking. If one really takes to this cuisine and wishes to explore more macrobiotic theory and praxis applied to nutrition and medicine, one can explore a more technically oriented text. Recommended for those ready to take a bite.

This is a wonderful resource for everyday, practical meals to feed family and friends as well as nourish your own soul. Great recipes and menu-planning. A great complement to Practically Macrobiotic.

I am a personal growth coach who is educated in biology, biochemistry, biofeedback and psychology. I give workshops on stress management, coach executives on this topic and also do workhshops that combine these techniques with biofeedback. This gives you some background on me and my perspective that I'm writing this review from.

As someone who works with these techniques and sees the results via biofeedback with myself and others, I highly recommend this very inexpensive book as a brief overview and introduction to the topic. The author covers a lot of ground in a small space and the instructions are clear and simple.

If you practice these exercises as they are explained, they will cause effects in your physiology. Regulation of the breath is very tied to the nervous system and to heart rate variability which correlates with resilience. If you buy this book and get serious about a practice, I would pick up some additional material to augment this text such as the SCIENCE OF BREATH and THE LIGHT ON PRANAYAMA. The first of these is a more Western explanation by a respected yoga institute and the second is a classic text with a lot of detail.

I also highly recommend getting a home biofeedback program such as FreezeFramer or Healing Rhythms. You can read the descriptions of each and determine what is best for your needs. However, this additional step will really heighten your awareness and help you to develop more control over your internal states.

Instead of wasting money on Iyengar's books, this is safer, simple way of doing PRANAYAMA. This book is worth it's weight in gold.

Alternet Nostril Breathing is the best for weight loss, however Ujjaini works, too, but little slowly.

Following are two techniques:
Alternate Nostril Breathing
(Anulom Vilom Pranayama with no breath retention) This pranayama (control breathing) is done with alternate breathing from the left and right nostrils for cleansing of Nadis. (energy meridians). Seated in a convenient posture, start off with slow inhalation from the left nostril first by closing the right nostril with the middle of right hand thumb ,and after fully filling the lungs, (not the belly breathing) breathe out slowly from the right nostril by closing the left nostril with the two ( left hand middle and ring) fingers. Now breathe in from the right nostril by closing the left nostril in the above manner and exhale from the left nostril by closing the right nostril with the right thumb. It completes one cycle. Do this for three minutes for two months then gradually increase to 5 minutes.

Do it two hour after eating or drinking. (Do it on empty-stomach) Do not eat for 15 minute after you are done. Better to lie down for five minutes after you are done. If you limit practice to maximum of five minutes, it will be the best.

The very first sign you will experience is lightness in the body and clearer thinking.

The practice of this breathing for a period of three to four months can open up thirty to forty percent of the heart arteries' blockages. This pranayama alleviates all the diseases of the body, leads to the state of joy, enthusiasm for living , fearlessness, peace of mind and deep meditation.

Benefits:
-Hair will regrow within two months of practice.
-Body will go to it's ideal weight by itself.
-Face becomes bright and luminous.
-Lost vision will return.
-Removes fear/anxiety of any kind.
- Aligns both hemisphere of the brain for full brain functionality
- Creates a deeper sense of well-being and harmony
- Helps alleviate migraines and headaches and frazzled states of being
- Works great in situations where you find yourself anxious, board and need grounding
-Blockages in the arteries of the heart are removed and the arteries become clean, making circulation unimpeded.

Ujjayi Pranayama

1. You can do this sitting, standing or walking anywhere anytime.

2. Inhale slowly through both nostrils, keeping the throat slightly constricted so as to make a gentle sound that will help you to feel the breath in the throat. The sound will remind you of ocean waves washing up the beach. Concentrate on the feeling of the breath moving in and out through the throat.

3. During inhalation do not allow abdomen to bulge out, let the chest expand.

4. After completing inhalation slowly exhale. (Either by both nostrils or by left nostril) During exhalation chest should go inside and abdomen should remain steady.

Remember :-

1. While doing Ujjiayi air should touch the throat.

2. Breath must be mentally locked in chest area. (Do not do belly breathing)

3. After practicing it for few days, knowing your limitations, keep the ratio between inhalation and exhalation 1 : 2.

4. In easy Ujjiayi Pranayama, inhalation and exhalation can be practiced by both the nostrils.


Benefits:
This simple practice has a subtle influence on the whole body. It calms the mind and has a soothing effect on the nervous system. Ujjayi is very useful for people with high blood pressure as it slows down the heartbeat. It has subtle effects on the flow of life force in the astral (energy) body and helps you to be aware of its movement within the sushumna (astral spine).

i still need to learn more to understand completely the given material, but a very lucid book and a good source.

This is a great little book for those wanting to learn more about the different types of breathing associated with yoga. The author provides simple, straightforward instruction on various yogic breathing styles, including Ujjayi and Alternate Nostril Breathing. He also talks about how to incorporate breathing into both your yoga practice and your daily life. An excellent reference book, especially for those who feel intimidated by the classic pranayama (breathing) texts.

This little book is an excellent guide for yoga breathing. You don't have to dig through long texts (although interesting as well) about eastern life philosophy and can get straight to work. Several breathing techniques are explained in a couple of pages each and categorized per purpose, e.g. concentration, energy etc. definitely recommendable, especially when you're `a starter' and just want to experience some techniques.

Good idea if you love to keep detailed records. My son had surgery and it was a great place to keep all the info but didn't use it much for routine care

We found this to be so handy at doctor's appointments and also at looking back to see how big our son has gotten from one month to two, and so on. It's a great way to keep track of his immunizations also.

I purchased this healthtracks book/binder when my daughter was about 9 months old. I was so frustrated with trying to keep all my things in one folder, and it was already getting messy. There is a place to mark each tooth, when it comes in.... each illness... each prescription.... each physician visit, immunizations, and it goes all the way up to the teenage years. There is even a space to record menstrual cycles in girls! Holy COW! I wish I had this earlier, but I was happy to spend the time copying all my daughter's information into one place. It fits easily into the diaper bag for all my physician visits, and also has pockets inside to store shot records and other things that you may get from the physician office. It has areas for physician contact info, insurance information, etc. I feel like if anything ever happened to me, my husband or family would know what they needed to about my child's health. I am pregnant again and will be buying one for my second child as well. I hope they never discontinue this!

I gave this as a baby shower gift. It was a hit & she certainly didn't get two of them. New moms would be surprised how often you need to remember the stuff this book is designed to organize. My friend plans to by it for her sister who has a special needs child who has a lot of doctor appointments.

I bought this item for my daughter after her baby was born. With all of the stuff she needs to keep up with, organizing is a must. So, at least all of the items can be filed together for reference later when needed. It is easier to start out with an organizer than try to catch up later-so do it now.