Fitness Books

I liked this book so much I bought one for everyone in my family. I am only 21 years old, but I'm so glad I found this book now so that I won't have to deal with a lifetime of diets and not accepting myself. This book reveals the b.s. associated with the diet industry, and teaches you both to love yourself and to treat your body the right way for YOU. The authors really seem to know what the struggle is like and the best way to handle it--like what it feels in the exact moment you want to binge eat and how to accept yourself, and then change the situation. It consists of short chapters, and sometimes guide charts, which makes it easy to go right back to the information you need at a particular moment. I definitely recommend this book for anyone and everyone, especially teenagers!

This book is the best approach to learning WHY you feel the way you do about dieting, body image and food and to turning around the negative feelings to help you become healthy again. The individual lessons can be done in any order once you've read it through - very helpful if you have a particular issue come up. I've used it over and over again to help me on my journey away from compulsive and binge eating. Judith and Ellen encourage taking small steps, one thing at a time and focusing on health and self-care - a completely different viewpoint than I've ever used and it has changed my life. I'm relaxed around food, wear clothes that fit me NOW and have opened new areas in my life because I'm not obsessing about food, points, weights, portions, etc. I've rediscovered the joy of movement for how good it feels instead of only working for results - and so I move more often than I ever have.
I now know I am a diet survivor, and this is the the book that started the change in my life.....I highly recommend it.

I am a text book case of the yo-yo dieter that Judith & Ellen describe in their book. For a few years in a row I would gear-up, diet, lose about 10 pounds, get antsy after about 3-4 months, binge, then gain back the 10 and then some.

I had the opportunity to attend a presentation the authors gave about the book at a local book store. I was intrigued by the idea that you could avoid having to restrict yourself , track points, calories etc., and simply get in-tune with your own physical comfort as it relates to food and eating.

I made some subtle modifications to the way I eat. I never feel stuffed anymore after a meal, and literally felt light enough to start an exercise regimen which resulted in further weight loss. (The down side is that I've
had to replace much of my wardrobe - from size 12 to around jr. size 9)

This book turns the whole idea of dieting on its head. I hope Oprah sniffs it out so she can share it with the world.

Read it!

Andra Kossy
Skokie, Illinois

This book is a wonderful guide for people who are trying to learn to trust their bodies again. The journey towards becoming an attuned or intuitive eater can be hard, especially for anyone battling back from an eating disorder. This book gives you easy lessons, in short, easy to digest chapters. Its also a small book... perfect for slipping into a purse or backpack. That may seem like a silly comment, but I love it because it means I can take the book with me anywhere, for when I need some extra support.

American women and girls (and, increasingly, men and boys) are bombarded with messages about ideal bodies and acceptable weights, "good" and "bad" foods and the health risks of "obesity." Toss in the wealth of other stresses related to contemporary life and a recipe for disordered eating is born.

The disordered eating often takes the form of socially sanctioned and even professionally encouraged dieting and weight-loss behaviors. At the turn of the millennium about 116 million Americans (55% of the adult population) were dieting, supporting a $50 billion weight loss industry.

The result -- a lot of people "walking around feeling that something is terribly wrong with their bodies and themselves," as Matz and Frankel write. "Dieters of all sizes feel their body is unacceptable because it fails to meet the societal view of perfection....The truth is we live in a shame-based culture that says that if your body differs from the coveted thin physique, something is intrinsically wrong with you and in need of fixing."

Matz and Frankel document the damage dieting and other weight-loss focused attitudes and behaviors can do to physical and emotional health, including ways they contribute to compulsive eating. They offer strategies to identify ways in which uncomfortable feelings are channeled into "bad body" (or "fat body") thoughts and sensations, for which dieting or other forms of restrictive eating or weight-loss behavior are grasped at as possible solutions. And they point out that grasping at weight loss as a solution is no more a healthy (or potentially successful) strategy for truly fat women (or men) than it is for those who merely think they're fat, or who are just a few pounds over the societal ideal.

Dieting (restricting what one eats) is often viewed as a solution to compulsive eating (as well as to "obesity") -- but instead is actually a significant CAUSE of compulsive eating. In fact, dieting and other weight-loss related behaviors reinforce bodily dissociation, as individuals override their natural sensations of hunger and satiety in attempts to lose or "manage" weight. Ironically, dieting also tends to make people fatter, due to lowered metabolism and the tendency of many people to regain more weight than they lost as their bodies compensate (and protect) for the self-induced famines.

Is there any other industry in which a failure rate of almost 100% (almost all people who lose weight through dieting will regain it) is blamed on the CONSUMER rather than the product? But the truth, as Matz and Frankel point out, is that people don't fail at dieting....their diets fail THEM.

The appointment with the surgeon about the pending back surgery of my husband let us confused, as the information blended together. By reading Dr. Filler's book, we were able to inform ourselves, and understand the procedure which had been recommended. It was a great help, and obviously written by a professional. Thank you, Dr. Filler!

This is a pretty comprehensive guide for understanding the workings of the human back. The author takes you through an anatomy lesson where you learn about the different sections of the human spine: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacrum. The structure of the individual vertebrae and the differences among the vertebrae in the various sections are described. Then he goes into the actual spinal cord and nerves and how they are affected by problems in the vertebrae. Various back pains are discussed including 'referred pain' which is where you feel pain in one of the body's extremities that is actually caused by nerve trauma in the spinal cord or one of the nerves that branches out from the spinal cord to that extremity. All facets of spinal health are presented in easily understandable terms.

The second half of the book proceeds by discussing the various surgical methods that can be utilized to treat spine related problems. Historical procedures are included along with current medical trends for treating spinal problems so that you can see how back surgery has progressed over time. Even future directions and experimental techniques are discussed to give you a feel for what is up-and-coming in the field of spinal surgery. Risks are discussed as well so that you can make an informed choice to have a particular operation and understand the related consequences.

There are even chapters that discuss types of pain, pain medications and their associated complications, non-surgical methods for treating back pain and their effectiveness and potential consequences, genetic spinal disorders, recovery from spinal surgery, and even cost and health insurance matters. In fact, the health insurance chapter has valuable information describing the differences among the various type of insurance available such as HMO's, PPO's, and PSO's and explains the difference between 'contracted' and 'uncontracted' providers so that you'll know what to ask when seeking surgical help and how to control your costs.

All-in-all the book was worth the price for the information you will gain. However, I found that there was little discussion about 'degenerative' spinal problems in specific though I could imagine some of the techniques described might be useful for these situations such as transpedicular kyphoplasty. I would have liked to see the book spend some dedicated time discussing this particular type of spinal condition with, perhaps, some information about technologies that are on the horizon. Perhaps a few references to internet sites where one could find information on specific disorders would be nice as well.

I am a physician who specializes in interventional spine procedures. I suggest this book to my more educated patients. Very good,well written overview of spine anatomy,physiology,and repair. Another reviewer suggested that there is not enough info in this book on disk replacement technology and kyphoplasty. My response is that understanding everything in this book will put you ahead of 99% of laypeople. This is not meant to be a textbook on cutting edge medical procedures.

I especially enjoyed the section on understanding health insurance. I have found the "Dummies" and "Idiots" books useless in helping patients understand back problems. Five stars.

Facing the prospect of a cervical spine fusion, I wanted all the information I could find. Dr Filler's book is a very easy and enjoyable read. The book has general chapters on spine health, conditions and diseases that may necessitate surgery, and diagnostic and surgical procedures. Dr Filler then dedicates chapters to specific conditions and specific areas of the spine. He concludes with postoperative considerations and the future. I'm no stranger to major surgery. This is the best book of its kind that I have read. I shared the book with family members. It helped me understand my condition and better communicate with my surgeon.

After a few years of worsening spinal stenosis I recently had to have a multiple laminectomy. There have been some post-operational complications or further problems, and I am trying to sort things out. I may have to decide to have further surgery or not.

Dr. Filler's book has been very helpful to me in understanding my situation regarding my spinal problems and my possible options for addressing them. The book presents basic, practical information in a comprehensive, well organized, and detailed manner. The writing is clear and straight forward. Dr. Filler clearly has a lot of knowledge and experience, and he shares it in a way that is very useful for patients.

This book is awesome! It is written for the layperson or the doula herself to aid her in assiting her clients. It helps explain the doula role to everyone from the client to her mother and beyond. It has great advice on how to help the father/partner in coaching mom through labor. It just really gives a good overview on how a doula can help from pregnancy to postpartum and beyond. I think it should be required reading for all doulas and their clients as well as anyone considering hiring a doula or becoming one!

This book offers personal insight from couples who used doulas. How their first and second births were different experiences, being the second one more positive, because they chose a doula to help. The various explianations on what types of doulas are available and what their roles are was very helpful in my preparation for finding the right doula for my needs. We haven't given birth yet but are looking for a birthing doula and will be seeking and "postpartum" doula as well. This book was a real find, it opened my husbands eyes because he wasn't willing to be there for the birth but now is more than willing knowing that he doesn't have to be anywhere below my shoulders. He hasn't even met the doula yet and the book alone gave him confidence enough to make that decision. Get this book.

After reading this book, I feel fortunate to count myself amongst such a compassionate array of ladies who call themselves doulas. The author, Rachel Gurevich, (who also wrote the Fab Job EBook on How to Become a Doula) puts a very personal experience out there for all to see and includes many studies and testimonials from real women who have had doulas by their side. She covers every aspect about doulas and their services and even a chapter on "Hiring a Labor Doula" for those who don't know where to start. There are even forms that can be photocopied in the Appendix such as an Interview Guide and Third Party Reimbursement, as well as Organizational Contact Information. If I had to choose only one book about doulas, it would be this one. Why? Because it is personal, has an abundance of practical information and it calls me (a doula) a "special woman". The last chapter is devoted to how to become one of these special women who count ourselves privileged to serve others.

This book was informative and easy to use (you do not need to read it cover to cover, only the sections that apply to you). It comes with good questions for interviewing Doulas for prenatal, labor, or post-natal care. It is not preachy or overly anti-medical establishment, so it comes across in a caring, unbiased manner. It helped me explain to my husband how a Doula could benefit him as well as me during labor, for which he was relieved and grateful! It also gave me some statistics (about shorter labors, less intervention, etc.) to support my decision and justify the out-of-pocket expense of a Doula.

This is the best book about doulas I've ever read. It is much and much better than The Doula Book and as far as I'm concerned this book should be required reading for doula certification in stead of the Doula Book. Also for people who want to know what a doula is and does, this book is the best by far. I highly recommend it for everybody who works with pregnant women and women in labor, as well as expectant parents. The book is very easy to read and is written in clear language.

I lost 20 lbs after reading Arnots books. He offers safe and effective advice for folks who want to live longer and healthier lives.

Dr. Bob's "Guide to Turning Back the Clock" is 100 percent accurate and a good motivational tool for both men and women. I had no idea that enriched flour ... is so bad for your body. He has some very good ideas on how to eat and "fuel" your body. I especially liked the sections on roller blading and cross country skiing. This is the "one" diet/fitness book to have at your side. Cousin Arnold is right: "Be the best you've ever been. Now is the time and this is the book!"

Very informative book. It contains a lot of useful information. I became bored with many parts of the book especially when Dr. Arnot went into long discussions on topics like which sports equipment to purchase. Overall the book contained very practical information. I found the diet information extremely useful, but a little hard to actually implement. For a short time after reading the book, I actually did follow Dr. Arnot's eating advice and felt better than I have in a long time.

Sensible and practical. No quick fixes, but collects a bunch of good tips into one place.

great book, very informative, talks about not only diet, but also the importance of exercise and mixing it up. Not just cardio but muscle building/strengthening as well. No BS in his book, everything makes sense. Oh yeah, Arnie recommends it.

I bought this CD for the yoga nidra track, and I've ended up loving both discs. Shiva Rea does a fantastic job with different ways to relax and calm down, including pranayama. I use this CD nearly every day, and it really helps for calming down for a good night's sleep.

i love shiva rea's work and this is a good cd for relaxation, yoga nidra and shavasana, good to use before going to sleep at night.

I am amazed by the tranquility and relaxation I enjoyed after following the Yoga nidra instructions. Believe me, the background music, the soft voice of Shiva and the soothing instructions will put you in a totally relaxing mood and the entire body, mind and spirit gets rejuvenated. It is worth buying the CD for this track alone.

This CD set is a must for anyone handling stress in their life. And who among us is not? There is only so much room in anyone's budget for therapists, massages, etc. At some point we have to use our own devices to deal with stress on a regular daily basis, or succumb to the ills it causes.

Shiva Rea comes to the rescue with this jewel of a CD set. It has been adequately described, I'll just add that the Chandra Namaskar (moon salutations) on Disc 1 are gentle and accessible to most people. There is a booklet included that describes the asanas (positions). Most of the material offered involves the motion of your mind rather than body. Light a candle, unplug the phone, make a nest with some blankets rolled under your knees and over you, and indulge in Disc 2 with its invocation, assortment of guided Savasanas, and healing Yoga Nidra. Then head straight to bed for a lovely night's sleep without the aid of pharmaceuticals. Highly recommended.

I'm new to whole world of yoga and decided to purchase this CD collection based on amazon reviews. I use this CD everyday for meditation and relaxation. Shiva Rea has a very soothing voice with beautiful music in the back ground to accompany her. If you are looking for a very well rounded collection, this is a good bet. Once again, I'm always so pleased with Amazon - they're so helpful in making an informed decision on new purchases!

I haven't had a chance to read the whole book however what I have read has been helpful and informative. The book itself was shipped in excellent condition and, like many of the books I've bought through Amazon, I think I purchased it used and it looks new. And, I don't plan on just using it to balance out my washing machine ;-).

I am in my mid-40s and have toyed with the idea of doing a triathlon for quite some time. Somehow, when I would begin to really get the training ramped up, I would run in to a problem. I believe that I was probably bringing on the problems with less than ideal nutrition. So, though I harbor no aspirations of being a serious athlete, I have found that nutrition is an important--and often overlooked--aspect for even recreational athletes like me. Using the information in this book is allowing me to push my training farther than I ever have before and will get me across the finish line for my first triathlon sometime this summer.

I've been running since I was in high school and continued during and after graduationg college. It wasn't until recently that I decided to run my first half marathon. I have read lots of material on training and nutrition, but none have been as complete and informative. The first eight chapters are devoted to all endurance athletes. The last few chapters are each devoted to a particular endurance sport. This book has taught me how to fully prepare and train to successfully reach my goal. I would suggest this book for anyone interested in endurance sports.

Suzanne knows her stuff. I've been an ultrarunner and endurance athlete for nearly 25 years and I find Suzanne's wisdom and advice both on target and incredibly helpful. In fact, as I get older, which I am, her advice is seemingly even more relevant. Following her advice on everything from hydration to nutrition to stretching has been vital to me being able to keep doing what I love to do. The bottom line is that proper nutrition is key to optimal performance and the information in this book can ensure you're geting both.

This is a serious sports nutrition book for serious athletes. It is packed with information for the endurance athlete or those coaching endurance/elite athletes. In addition to providing a complete nutritional overview for the elite athlete, Endurance Sports touches on other related subjects such as hydration, the effectiveness of supplements, food intolerances, eating disorders and even optimal eating for the vegetarian athlete. As a nutrition writer, this book is an integral part of my reference library.

This man is honest. He is not selling gimmicks. Have you ever smoked, drank too much, or suffered from any other addiction? There is a reason those substances have such a profound hold on you, the answer is twofold. First the chemicals are addictive because they make you feel better (or so you think), second and most importantly, you have created habit. Smoke after dinner, smoke when you are stressed. Habits are POWERFUL! This author uses the POWER OF HABITS to help you lose weight, permanently. FOREVER!!!!! Don't ever read another diet book, don't ever take another diet pill, this is all you need. If you are looking for a fast, quick fix, keep on looking... BUT trust me, you will never find one that works...
If you create one new habit every week for 52 weeks, you will be unstoppable. Your bad habits will disappear and your new ones will take control of your NEW life. Habits run our lives. Questions is, will they be bad or good habits.

Get this book, read it and it will change your life. You can also use his methodology to change any other area for your life. I am a true, real life customer who bought this book at the sharper image... I was so blown away; I had to spread the news!!

I have a personal training business and use this book as primer for all my clients. People are looking for something that is sane and takes the guess work out of what to do. Simple, but not necessarily easy. You have to work the equation to make it work for you. If you don't get results you know why and it will show up in your "bodybill" point system. The main reason I like this book is it's about lifelong fitness, not just a sprint to lose a couple of pounds. I'm just sorry Dan hasn't put out another book! This is a real gem!

Great book, easy to follow, and great reasults. You will love it.

This book was recommended to me by a friend. I was skeptical about the practicality of the "minimal effort = maximum weight loss" plan that is stated on the cover. But this book is not about minimal effort or maximum weight loss. It's about a practical approach to developing and maintaining a lifestyle that will result in a heathier body. Isaacson and his co-authors provide details and specific guidelines for a simple, logical plan of diet and exercise that even I have been able to follow.

This book is different from any diet book I've ever read (and I've read them all). It emphasizes small changes for slow, long-term weight loss. This isn't a quick fix. Each week you add one small change to your eating - for example, in the first week, you're to drink 16oz of water every few hours. The second week you add another small diet or activity change and so on.

What I love about this approach is that there are no forbidden foods, and you choose how much you want to lose as well as the amount of time you'd like to take. For example, I want to lose 15 lbs. At first I decided to lose it in 12 weeks, but I found that if I choose 20 weeks, I'd be able to eat a little bit more each day, which means I will be more likely to successfully follow the plan to the end. I will update this review in 20 weeks and let you know if I followed through with it.

The worksheets make it easy and fun to ensure that you're sticking to the Equation - I think this is going to work for me.

UPDATE - I've been on this program for four weeks now and have lost 7 lbs - this doesn't sound too hot, but I have actually decreased my workouts. I used to work out 5-6 times per week, now I'm down to 3-4. For me, eating less is more important for weight loss than exercise, and this book helps me to do so w/ little effort.

This book is very easy to read. It makes things simple to understand. There are many easy to follow instructions in healing your life. Everyone should have a copy of this & incorperate it in to their lives.

Essence Of Self-Healing draws some important connections between physical, mental and spiritual health, revealing how self-healing techniques can be learned and adjusted to individual needs. What is out of balance during illness, and how can negative influences be avoided? This teaches how to take control and overcome health problems.

This book has great do it yourself healing exercises. You don't have to run to gurus and spend hundreds of dollars. The exercises are easy to do and very relaxing.

Impact in my life is tremendious. There have been so many changes. I fought change every step of the way. I could deal with my comfort zone and didn't want to disrupt this most coveted zone. Time was my biggest enemy. I applied the principles as best I could, I wasn't always a success, but I didn't quite. I still have a long way to go, but my successes with this book have made a big difference in my life. I highly recommend you buying this book, applying the principles, and enjoy the change. If change is not what you are looking for, give this book to a good friend.

In The Essence Of Self-Healing: How To Bring Health And Happiness Into Your Life, Peterene Soames provides the reader with step-by-step instructions and easy-to-use techniques and exercises to promote personal health through the process of "self-healing". Readers will have a much clearer understanding of why they get, out of balance, and out of shape. They will learn to so no to illness and pain, to stop being negatively affected by others, and to bring positive results even when everything else (including traditional medicine) has failed. They will learn how to heal the past and break negative patterns, lose weight, keep it off, and feel great about their bodies. The Essence Of Self-Healing is very highly recommended reading for those who are interested in exploring the mind-body connection regarding issues of personal health, students of alternative medicine, and anyone seeking to improve their personal, emotional, and psychological well being.

The material is very easy to understand and the oil recipies work extremelly well. I use the book weekly with my children and for myself.

This book is essential for anyone using Young living essential oils. There is a bounty of information about its use and just knowledge of health in general.

I find this book very useful when I am looking answers about using essential oils. There is everything in here for health and feelings of well being and also information concerning pets. I would recommend this book.

I love this book. It is my favorite reference book to refer to for all my health and wellness needs. I have referred many of my friends and clients to this desk reference. It is Super !! Diane

This is an updated version and it is great. Gary Young knows what he is talking about.

Great reference book to have in emergencies too.!

Just read this brilliant book to be opened in heart and mind to the plight of farm animals.

Gene Baur's book should be read because if you are a meat, milk, egg eater you really should know how animals are raised in modern American and how this can effect your health, local water supply and the air you breathe.

Now....I have six hens who are my girls as I call them. Yes, I eat their eggs which are laid in clean nests with fresh straw. They have full run of a half acre of land. But... no commercially raised fowl that I know of is raised in a true, free range manner.

And as a tax payer I think a person should also know the waste of tax dollars that go to support commercial meat, milk, egg operations. I am not commenting on the whole issue of meat or non meat eating, since I wanted to concentrate of giving a review that touches on issues that so many consumers fail to think about.

And that's why I loved this book!

Gene Bauer's book, Farm Sanctuary, is a powerful indictment of factory farming and opened my eyes to the depth of the problem. He's an excellent writer and a true humanitarian who has fought long and hard for his beliefs. The book took me out of denial. I couldn't put it down once I started and recommend the book to everyone.

This book is just wonderful. I was vegan before I read it, but reading it makes me truly feel like being vegan can save the world. This book really sheds light on the inescapable cruelty behind consuming meat, dairy and animal products. If you eat meat, you NEED to know what you are eating and what your diet contributes to. After reading this wonderful, captivating book I visited Farm Sanctuary's NY shelter and it just was amazing. Words can't do the experience justice! Please - vegan, vegetarian, or meat-eater - read this book and visit Farm Sanctuary's NY or CA shelter for an experience you will never forget. You will be truly touched, I know I am.

Farm Santuary lifts the dark veil covering our animal food industry. It is time to stop pretending that food comes in plastic and paper containers from the grocery store. Animal abuse and pain are an unacceptable link in our food chain. This book offers reality and good storytelling to bring awareness that our animal farming practices are not acceptable to Americans.