Conditions and Diseases Books

What's the number one killer in America? AIDS? Diabetes? Cancer? America's big killer is heart disease. In the United States, over 1.25 million heart attacks occur each year. To make matters worse many of those who suffer such attacks die before they reach a hospital. According to McDougall, "The cause of the most common form of heart disease is blockage of the arteries that supply the heart muscle. The blockages, results of the condition known as atherosclerosis, are caused by plaques forming along the internal walls of the arteries. Eating rich foods loaded with cholesterol and fats leads to the formation of these plaques. Heredity is also a factor, but should not be over emphasized because at least half the American population is susceptible. Besides, you can do nothing about changing your heredity."

But there is a lot you can change--and McDougall shows you what and how.

He answers all your questions, and most importantly, he backs up his statements with a stack of references to the medical literature. And unlike angioplasty and bypass surgery which are temporary, short-term relief measures (at best), McDougall provides long-terms solutions that remove the cause allowing your body to reverse blockages, and for those without blockages--how to prevent them. His primary emphasis is on a zero cholesterol, very low fat, plant based diet.

The book is fairly complete, includes answers to all your frequently asked questions, includes an abundance of tasty recipes, and explains many things your doctor hasn't told you (in most cases because he does not know). As a former professor in Internal Medicine at Univ. Hawaii Medical School Dr. McDougall does.

If Americans followed the advice in this book there would be little or no heart disease in this country. Best of all if you follow McDougall's advice and follow his dietary advice you will find that the "drugs that were intended to reduce chest pain should be decreased gradually in dosage and then discontinued entirely as soon as possible." This of course should ONLY be done under the supervision of a doctor.

I would buy three copies of this book. One for yourself, one for your loved one, and one for your doctor.

What your doctor does not know may kill you--and many cardiologists sadly are ignorant of the information provided in this book--though thanks in part to the efforts of doctors like McDougall, Ornish, Fuhrman ..., and others, many of them are learning.

Most Americans consume 8-12 grams per day of fiber because we prefer foods containing "fat, sugar, and salt." By increasing our fiber intake up to 25-30 grams per day, we can decrease our chances of heart disease, cancer, and stroke considerably. These are the three main causes of death in America. Increased fiber intake has many other health benefits that are reviewed here. Betty Kamen has taken an otherwise boring subject - "fiber" and made her text interesting, informative, and highly documented with medical literature. Everyone can benefit from the concepts presented here - everyone who wants to live longer and healthier. Armed with this knowledge and by taking a fiber supplement (Bios Life 2 by Rexall), I have personally lost 29 lbs. in 10 weeks, lowered my cholesterol from 228 down to 170 in the first 23 days, and lowered my blood pressure from 130/90 to 118/70. The facts presented here are truly life changing. I'm a physician, and I personally recommend this book to many people with health care concerns that fiber either prevents or potentially cures. "Fiber" - how could something so simple escape the modern medical world? Betty Kamen's book reminds us of our past dietary habits before the fast food industry and the processed foods came on the scene.

Maurice E. Graham,M.D.

For most people, being diagnosed with candidiasis is like receiving a "sentence" of impending doom to eat bland, flavorless, monotonous foods in order to rid our bodies of the overgrowth of the naturally-occuring bacteria called candida albicans, which many doctors believe is the root cause of many debilitating diseases. For many years, it seems, one would need to endure 6 weeks to 6 months of this monotonous diet in order to regain proper balance between these "bad" bacterias and the "good" bacterias in our intestines - and eventually regain our health and stamina. There has always been a need for recipes to enhance the variety and enjoyment of eating that so many of us desire in order to inspire us to stay on any new diet. Xandria Williams not ONLY provides us with a potpourri of these recipes, but gives a very concise and accurate description of the "Yeast Syndrome", what causes it, what the known symptoms are, and what to do to prevent it in the future. Her writing includes many clinical descriptions, however, she makes all of it VERY easy to understand. The lists of foods to avoid, as well as alternatives to those foods was a huge help for me. Many books just list foods to avoid......with no "alternatives" that would closely replace those foods in our daily diet. I recommend this book to anyone who needs to know more about coping with candidiasis and loves to cook.

This is an outstanding, substantive, and well-researched book on nutrition for arthritis. Dr. Bucci has done a wonderful job of amassing all the science on nutrition for arthritis, and I highly recommend this book for anyone who suffers from arthritis and wants to use optimal nutrition as an adjunctive approach. As a researcher and nutritionist, let me tell you that following the advice in this book will be helpful as long as you: 1. Use very high quality supplements and 2. Give your nutrition program at least three months to work. Healing the joints takes time!

You may doubt the practical capabilites of such a refined and no-mess looking author, but this book finally has a problem statement and solution all within the same book. I say solution, but of course their is no cure for athritis, though this is as close as it comes to dealing with the daily dietary requirements of a sufferer from it. As hard as it is to avoid such foods as are listed in the "NO" food collumn, sticking by it will certainly imrpove your general well being, even if you don't suffer from arthritis; perhaps an allergy based intolerance to one or two food composites. Besides the 400 or so recipes, there is also write-ups for individual fruit, vegetables and meats. Check out the additional information on vitamins and minerals and exercise as combat against this once debilitating auto-immune disease. A great book that solves the problem of dietary restrictions and I would definitely recommend to everyone serious about their health and happiness.

I read this book because of an article that I saw in Women First Magazine, and also because I had been hearing a lot about "phytonutrients." I had experienced my worst winter yet in terms of feeling sluggish with no energy, and wanted to take charge of my health after my doctor told me that I was "just getting older." I also have a family history of heart disease and cancer. I am 44 years old and not ready to give up yet! So, I posted the "phytofood pyramid" on my refrigerator and began to follow it - 6 servings of vegetables, 1 serving of soy, 1-2 servings of fruit, 1-2 servings of whole wheat and beans. Within a week, I have gained much more energy and have dropped weight - (a friend told me to take chromiun picolinate 3 times a day before meals - it regulates your blood sugar and burns fat). I feel so good that I am going to continue on this for the rest of my life. Incidentally, I still walk by candy bars and ice cream and want them badly, but after reading about what the high fat, high sugar & high salt does to my body to give me heart disease, cancer and diabetes, I stay away from them and substitute them with real fruit, sorbet, and nonfat frozen yogurt. And a wonderful way to drink soy milk is to use it in your chai - it makes a great nightcap!

The nutrition information is accurate and up-to-date. I loved the meal plans and easy to follow recipes. I have bought several copies for the office, home, and patients that I treat.

I've used this book in my graduate level advanced practice nursing course "Primary Care of the High Risk Newborn." It combines what students need to know about the conditions they will see in practices that include children with chronic conditions. It is practicel yet contains enough theory to justify its use at the graduate level.

Probiotic and Prebiotic Recipes for Health is an excellent book to read if you are looking to improve your digestive system and health with practical tips, guidelines and recipes. They say your digestion is the engine that drives your bodies overall health, immune system, daily energy levels and protection against illness. Since I have food allergies and food intolerances, I found this book loaded with easy-to-read information that I am using to improve my own allergies. Now I'm not confused about all the differences and health benefits of yogurt, kefir, and the other varieties of fruits and vegetable for improving digestion. As a physical therapist, I will highly recommend this book to my patients who are suffering with digestive problems.

The book's title really says it all and book should still be in print on bookshelves and saving lives.