The Science of Skinny

By Dee McCaffrey
Da Capo Lifelong, $16.99, 419 pages

With the myriad of nutrition, health and weight loss books out there, it’s easy to get confused about which one is giving good advice. The most recent popular wave has been the natural or clean eating movement. Dee McCaffrey is a chemist, nutritionist and nutritional expert and is not new to this niche and has been writing about natural eating for years. This new book appears to be an update from her previous book, Plan-D. In this new book, The Science of Skinny, she gives very thorough information about the importance of eating foods as close to their natural state as possible to promote health, weight loss and general well-being. The information about various chemicals in processed foods is fascinating and, in some cases, shocking. The book also gives specific eating plans for good health. There are some things in the book that were a bit puzzling, such as the promotion of drinking apple cider vinegar water (or Vitality Vinegar Tonic) and having foods with protein powder added, which seems like a fairly processed food substance and eating full-fat milk products. Overall, the reader can get some good information and facts about eating better and feeling better.

Reviewed by Barbara Cothern

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The Fatigue Prescription

By Linda Hawes Clever
Viva Editions, 286 pages, $16.95

Follow the Doctor’s Orders

All of us could use more energy and pep in our step. If you are suffering from fatigue, stress and weariness, turn to The Fatigue Prescription by Linda Hawes Clever, MD. The doctor offers clear, practical advice on how to overcome fatigue. Start with the Renew-O-Meter. Record things like how many times you laughed yesterday, how often you learn something new and how many times you overreacted or felt trapped in the last week. After awarding specific points per answer, the total gives you a diagnosis about how you juggle life’s commitments and how much you could benefit from renewing yourself. The fatigue prescription consists of four steps – awareness, reflection, conversation and plan-and-act. Become aware of your own fatigue, reflect upon the resources you have to renew yourself, converse with loved ones and put your plans into action. Clever addresses physical ways to improve your energy levels: diet, exercise and sleep. Charts and checklists encourage participation while you read. Analyze your attitudes about change, priorities, values, goals, fears and commitments. When you are done, your life will be more fulfilling and you will feel more refreshed. Add enthusiasm and joy back into your life by utilizing the easy-to-use tools found in this inspirational book.

Reviewed by Kathryn Franklin

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Your Pregnancy Week by Week: 7th Edition

By Glade B. Curtis, MD, MPH and Judith Schuler, MS
Lifelong Books, $15.95, 673 pages

Your Pregnancy Week by Week is the top selling pregnancy and child birth guide written by a doctor. The seventh edition has been fully revised and updated with the most current information on prenatal care. It serves as a great primary reference book for first-time as well as experienced mothers and fathers. The book, as the title suggests is broken up into a week by week guide to pregnancy. Each week covers how big the baby and the pregnant mother are, how the baby is growing and developing, what kinds of changes the woman can expect in her body, how a mother’s actions affect the baby’s development, nutrition tips, additional information on risks and special issues, as well as prenatal exercise. There are also Dad Tips, Grandma’s Remedies (for treatment avoiding medication) and illustrations of the baby at different stages in growth. Includes an index and glossary of terms. Your Pregnancy Week by Week is a great bedside guide that will give you a little bit of information about all aspects of pregnancy and childbirth.

Reviewed by Catherine McMullen

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Quick Check Food Facts

By Linda McDonald, M.S., R.D.
Barron’s Educational Series, Inc., $6.99, 594 pages

We are all interested, at least casually, of the dietary makeup of foods we eat. Any foods sold in our country have labels to give us nutrition facts and most people regularly scrutinize these labels. Those on a diet or, need to be careful with certain ingredients because of some health restrictions, unfailingly read those labels. This third edition of Quick Check Food Facts simple provides us with similar information in one single compact volume. The foods are listed in groups of ten (Grains, Vegetables, Fruits, etc.) and within each group they are subdivided further to help you quickly find what you are looking for. They are listed as serving sizes. For each serving size you find the amount of calories, total fat and saturated fat (in grams), cholesterol, carbohydrate, fiber, sugar, protein and sodium (in milligrams or grams). At the end of the book the same information is listed for food items served in eighteen restaurant chains. The book is conveniently pocket size paperback you can carry with you. A similar volume (Food Values) written for food professionals also gives a complete alphabetic listing of foods that would be nice to have in this book.

Reviewed by George Erdosh

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The Rotation Diet: Lose Up to a Pound a Day and Never Gain it Back

By Martin Katahn, PhD
W.W. Norton & Company, $15.95, 399 pages

I’m the first to admit that I will try any diet. So far, most of them have failed but I’m always willing to try something new. That is why I was excited when I started to read The Rotation Diet by Martin Katahn. The concept behind the rotation diet is simple: over the course of three weeks you rotate through different calorie restrictions each day. The standard rotation is 600/900/1200 for women (and more for men), which may not seem like a lot but actually can be if you eat primarily fruits and vegetables. After three weeks on the diet he advocates a break where you eat normally. Katahn states that the rotation can also be modified to be a lifestyle program. He also suggests exercising throughout the entire diet. I’ve been doing the diet for about three weeks and so far it has been working (I haven’t been working out as much, but I think once I add that in it will work much better). I like this dieting book because it’s really easy to stick to and I’m not hungry all the time. I definitely recommend this for people who have had problems sticking to diets. This is easy and it definitely seems to work!

Reviewed by Nicole Will

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Working Out Sucks (and why it doesn’t have to)

By Chuck Runyon, Brian Zehetner and Rebecca Derossett
Lifelong Books, $14.99, 275 pages

Working Out Sucks (and why it doesn’t have to) is a great companion for those who want to change their lives. We have all heard time and time again about new fad diets, ways to lose 20 pounds in 20 days and other bogus weight loss techniques. This book goes beyond all the hype and discusses the underlying risk factors associated with obesity, and the benefits of losing weight and living a healthier lifestyle. Chuck Runyon is the founder of Anytime Fitness, a group of gyms across the country, with significant experience in the areas of strength and fitness. His expertise is evident as he takes you through a journey of getting to know yourself, while motivating you to make healthier choices and reclaim your life. For the person out there who is looking for a different answer and information and fact over hype and false promises, this is a great book to motivate, educate, and get you started on the path to a new you.

Reviewed by Rachel Richards

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Toxic Free: How to Protect Your Health and Home from the Chemicals That Are Making You Sick

By Debra Lynn Dadd
Penguin Group, $15.95, 248 pages

This is a book that could change your life, and probably for the better. Debra Lynn Dadd bemoans the prevalence of harmful chemicals in the environment through an approach that is both health-care oriented and environmental. The book is easy to read and inspiring. It will get you to look at your life and surroundings in a different way. Mostly, it presents an appropriate attitude that we should have towards a world that abounds with new toxic chemicals, to the point of surrounding us.

Toxic Free would be a more inspiring book if a physician had signed off on the information, but Dadd has researched the subject and become an authority on it, and she notes that she is not giving medical advice. Following in the footsteps of Rachel Carson, she inspires one to be concerned with all the new artificial chemicals that have now become part of our lives. Present in the book is a bias against man-made chemicals, with arguments for natural and local products. It does provide enough physiological information that readers can take better care of themselves based on their daily consumption decisions. An attitude of personal concern is warranted.

Reviewed by Ryder Miller

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The Complete Book of Bone Health

By Diane L. Schneider, MD
Prometheus Books, $21.00, 491 pages

Osteoporosis, also known as brittle-bone disease, is the most common health problem facing women today. The disease causes bone loss which creates a fragile skeleton and leads to breakage. Learn how to decrease your risk or prevent broken bones at almost any age with Doctor Diane L. Schneider’s The Complete Book of Bone Health. Get the facts on bone health basics, risk factors, exercise and nutrition, vitamin D, prescription medications and alternate approaches to treatment. Dr. Schneider, a leading expert on bone health, writes a highly readable, sensible approach to prevention and management. She uses a conversational tone and explains technical terms. Easy to understand graphs, charts, diagrams, images of bone x-rays, and other visual information helps with comprehension. Discover the six best strength training exercises to bolster your bones and begin building bone mass now.

With so many conflicting sources on the market, it is hard to find reliable information. This book is designed as a complete resource that can be read cover to cover or by sections. Each chapter ends with a summary with four or five main points. Start on your path to a healthier life.

Elizabeth Franklin

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FibroWHYalgia

By Susan E. Ingebretson
Norse Horse Press, $19.99, 204 pages

In FibroWHYalgia, author Susan E. Ingebretson discusses in depth, ten root causes of not only fibromyalgia but of many chronic illnesses such as genetic predisposition; physical injury or trauma; emotional trauma, and more.  She then lists mainstream medical treatments as well as alternative treatments, noting that no one treatment works well for everyone.  Beyond following practices that prove helpful for anyone’s health, each person must become informed and try treatments for themselves. Here is where common-sense caution will come in handy.  Ingebretson notes there is a plethora of “Miracles Cures” advertised today and they constantly change. A small sample are apple cider vinegar, colon, liver, and/or kidney cleanse, chiropractic, essential minerals, far-infrared saunas, gin raisins, and a great many more. The writing is upbeat, fun and easy to follow. Toward the last of the book is a section listing fibromyalgia and chronic illness support websites and blogs which could be a great help to anyone dealing with such issues. This reviewer has never read a better self-help book on improving health so FibroWHYalgia is highly recommended.

Rosalie West

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Rabbit Food Cookbook

By Beth A. Barnett, Sasquatch Books, 223 pages – Rabbit Food for the Vegans –

“If you are not vegan or even vegetarian, you’ll still be pleased by how tasty and satisfying these recipes are.”

This whimsical, small-format, spiral-bound, inexpensively produced vegan cookbook could be a useful addition to a vegan or vegetarian cook’s book shelf. Most recipes are not original but rather traditional recipes (Crispy Baked Potatoes; Cold Black Bean Salad; Cinnamon Rolls) converted to vegan standards. This new edition is an updated version of the 2007 version. The recipes are good, easy to follow and easy to read even though they are hand-written with cute little symbols and sketch illustrations. The problem, however, is that they are unedited. The author did not strictly follow recipe writing rules that ingredients are listed in the order they come up in the instructions. A good editor would also change a number of things to make the recipes more cook-friendly. The author was careful to keep each recipe on a single page for convenience. Some come with useful hints and options.

The first hundred pages include essays on Food Supply, Health and Nutrition, The Industrialization of Food in America, then discussion on gardening, vegan ingredients and how to use them, equipment and even how to make a grocery bag and a produce bag. The book has a good, useable index.

Reviewed by George Erdosh,