Fitness Books

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.

Excellent read and informative. It brings hope to those who are experiencing what was described in the book and has helped me change and understand my body better. I bought this book for myself but ended up give it to a friend that needed the information more than I do. Its a perfect gift to give to all women in all walks of life. You are gonna love it!

Nice approach to TCM basics for westerners, a softer sell than Fertility Cure, but not as "scientific." Still, with an authentic "Asian matriarch" voice (smile). Provides actual recipes and meal suggestions, a big plus when trying to change your diet.

After struggling with secondary infertility for 1 year, I had given up on conventional medicine and turned to TCM. I read this book (as well as some others) and immediately made an appointment with a local accupuncturist. After 3 months of accupuncture, modifying my diet and taking chinese herbs, I was pregnant. Baby #2 was born healthy just 6 weeks ago and he will always by my "accu baby". Buy the book - trust your body and give Traditional Chinese Medicine a chance to work for you!

This book can be the difference maker! This is the book to buy!

I have gone thru 3 failed IVF and 8 inseminations and speant over 60K. Heartache beyond compare! polluted my body with Chemicals! Had a miscarriage. Went into labor. Had a C-section. and the clincher no baby to show for all the abuse I put my body thru...Shall I go on. All for the sake of western medicine and if I had read this book 1st.Please give this a try you will be armed with invaluable information. Like any business go with someone who is highly recomended call your local accupuncture school, find someone who specializes in infertility. Educate yourself with what truly is going on with your body before you spend your heart& soul. there was no reason for me to not get pregnant, all my results were great FSH 5.5 cycle 27-28 days 14 day luteal phase great lining great hormone levels...at 40 pretty proud of my body, but after I used two different donors and didn't get pregnant with an 80-90% success rate. I new there was something else wrong and that wrong was found in eastern medicine...now we are working to resolve the issue and hopefully....I PRAY

I loved your book. Great motivater!! You hit very close to home several times.
I have joined weight watchers probably 20 times with little or no success. The
instructor always told me that I didn't eat enough. I guess hearing it from you
helped. I workout M-F for 2 hours/day, but I only had one big meal around 3 and
a couple protein bars the rest of the day. I also can't lift weights (which I
love to do) because of a torn rotater cuff. So, I gave up on it all. Sunday I
read your book. Monday I went to the gym, bought a body fat scale, and ate 5
small meals/snacks. It was great! I also drank my water which I normally don't
drink any water!! Thank you!
I do have a couple of questions. I apologize if I missed it in the book, but is
there a total daily consumption of protein, fat, and carbs that you should have?
I think I remember fat should be around 27, right? My other question is milk,
how does it fit in? I know I am geting calcium with cottage cheese, string
cheese and yogurt, but I would also like to have a glass of milk. I do take a
calcium supplement also. Well, thank you again for writing the book. I hope I
can be like one of your success stories in the book.

Dr. Rick has written an easy to understand comprehensive book that illustrates the key things you need to do both nutritionally and with exercise to become and remain fit. As a 43 year old desk jockey struggling with weight, but interested in endurance activities, Dr. Rick taught me two important things that I believe will have a long lasting effect on my current fitness and will allow me to live a longer happier life. First, I need carbohydrates in my body in order to burn fat when I exercise. Second, I need to prevent overtraining in order to run, bike, or swim longer and faster by exercising at a more comfortable pace (lower heart rate). Since meeting Dr. Rick and reading his book, I have already lost over 1% body fat and have started running ten miles. I also recently beat, by a considerable margin, the time I ran a 10k just months ago by running at a more comfortable pace.

These two insights I learned above are analagous to the insight I had when I finally heard a ski instructor, after not listening for many years. In order to ski you have to do what is counter intuitive - you have to lean down the hill. In order to become fit, you have to do what is counter intuitive - you have to eat more often and you have to train more easily. Buy the book and go to Dr. Rick's website.

For me, Forever Fit was about getting my body, mind and soul healthy. The way in whick Rick Kattouf delivers his message about being Forever Fit, in this book, is gentle, powerful, and impactful. Knowing Rick personally as my coach, I can say that Rick and his book have inspired me to make life changes. I have lost 15 pounds in 4 months, toned up, gone down a dress size, and have implemented healthy eating patterns. By reading this book and being open to Rick's wisdom he shares, my life is changed. I know by following Rick's Forever Fit program, I will meet my health and nutrition goal in one year. And I will be Forever Fit.

Dr. Rick is amazing! The wealth of knowledge that this man has in the realm of Fitness, Nutrition, and the Human Body is amazing! Whether you are overweight,and a novice just getting started, competitive athlete, or a person just wanting additional information to add to your own way of Living a Healthy Lifestyle.........this is the book for you. I have personally studied Fitness and Nutrition, and thought that my background was efficient enough to get me to where I wanted to be both physically and mentally.....I am a 37 yr. old female, I eat healthy foods, I workout 4 times a week, and live a healthy active lifestyle.....But I just hit a road block. I was not happy with where I finally ended up with my TOTAL BEING. I needed more. I have known Dr. Rick for almost 8 years now. I know about his background in Health and Fitness and thought I would pick his brain. Since reading his book, he developed a personalized Health and Fitness program for me. I was skeptical at first, but gave it a try. Can i just say that I have never looked better, felt healthier, and get really excited when people think that I am in my 20's. My PHYSICAL BEING is elated!!! My advice....Read the book..... If you still need more personalized attention, contact Dr. Rick. Find out what he can do for you to stay fit for life. His website is www.teamkattouf.com We only have one life so let's make it the very best we can!

Forever Fit will put a smile on your face and fun back into your life. It is a user friendly program based on eating real food - you know the tasty stuff our bodies nutritionally crave, at LEAST FIVE TIMES A DAY! Yes, you read it right...a plan that encourages you to eat to get into shape. That's a pretty good deal and the best part is it works! The plan simply incorporates exercise, diet, and a good mind set. Rick has a fabulous zest for life and you can't help but get caught up in his belief that you can achieve any of the goals you set for yourself because deep inside YOU KNOW YOU CAN. Rick, in his wisdom, is able to unleash the courage you have and need to make the changes you desire. The time to do so is now...rock on with Forever Fit because you deserve to be.

Functional Fitness provides a common sense approach to exercise. Having spent hours enslaved at my desk, I now turn to Functional Fitness and with simple yet highly effective movements revive and revitalize myself right at my desk. The benefits of the desk exercises are increased through cutting edge breathing techniques. I am a new man!
R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr.
Editor in Chief
The American Spectator

Functional Fitness provides a 'fitness in a suitcase' approach. These exercises turn waiting in line (at the airport, grocery store, or at the coffee shop) into opportunities to become healthier. This allows people the convenience of using the exercises anywhere and anytime they choose without the aid of cumbersome props and equipment. This is the first commonsense handbook containing the extremely popular Pilates principles and exercises that can be done: sitting, standing, lying down, walking, and even in meetings, in traffic, or on flights. It offers a foundation of exercises that can be practiced 'beyond the mat.' Companies concerned with their employees' well being and interested in increasing productivity can now utilize Larkin Barnett's Desk Freedom Program to accomplish this goal.

No more excuses; Larkin Barnett's "Functional Fitness" will fundamentally change the way we relate to our bodies, giving new meaning to the word, "exercise." In a brilliant stroke of genius, Ms. Barnett has made Pilates highly accessible to the everyday reader, providing us with basic movement fundamentals that can be integrated into our lives. A must for every sports club, athletic department, spa, and college dance department. As a holistic primer, "Functional Fitness" will raise the level of awareness in our bodies as we move from our deepest core into civic space.

"Functional Fitness explodes with new and easy information for mankind to create a stress-free lifestyle universally. Larkin Barnett is the foremost leading healer and holistic messenger of the 21st century. This is a natural best seller and will be acclaimed worldwide. It is a must read and should be a reference in every household. Larkin Barnett brings her experience, knowledge, and insights as a dancer and movement therapist, to this book. It provides a new concept of incorporating essential alignment, breathing, and centering movement principles directly into any sport or lifestyle. What we did not learn with our 'ABC's' as children we now have the opportunity to do as adults. Thanks to the ingenious work of Larkin Barnett, we finally have a handbook containing a Pilates lifestyle that is simple to follow and fun to do. Her enormous experience in working with professionals and laymen coupled with her extensive knowledge of the great movement innovators Joseph Pilates and Rudolph Laban, as well as,her invaluable understanding in using creative visualization; she has brilliantly produced a book where we can effectively change our bodies, minds, and lives on a continual basis."

A clearly stated and visually self-explanatory guide for the more advanced athlete to the person just beginning their fitness regime. "Functional Fitness" provides easy to implement and profound cues for teaching pilates and physical fitness. Larkin's multifaceted understanding of gyrotonic and gyrokinesis are reflected in the three dimensional spiraling movement of the desk exercises, as well as, the "foot massage" section that is incorporated in the warm-up in the gyrokinesis class. An all-around, user friendly, very easy to follow fitness guide.

A very good explanation of what is meant by the Glycemic Index, how it works and why.

I bought this book a year or two ago along with another GI book and read them both. It was easy to incorporate the plan into my nutritional activities, even though I did so half-heartedly. Within the past six months, people have been asking me if I was on a diet or if I had lost weight. I personally did not notice; the change of seasons and wardrobe switch precluded my observation from looser fitting clothes. After weighing myself, the scale showed that I lost 13 pounds by simply combining my foods properly and reducing the glycemic index. Unsolicited weight-loss made me feel uneasy, so for one month, I intentially ate high GI foods. This resulted in weight gain of approximately a pound a week; and this calmed my fears regarding a potentially pathologic cause of unsolicted weight loss. My daughter has been diagnosed with PCOS and needs to jump on board a full-blown GI guided nutritional plan. I will join her and it won't be difficult because the concept is simple. The only disadvantage could possibly finding the GI of foods. Huge databases of GI ratings are not yet available since the interest is relatively new. I have been told that the University of Sydney is performing ongoing GI testing of foods, and the database is available to online viewers. I have not tried it yet, but this is what I've been told. [...]

Helpful in understanding the concept of diminished hunger using Glycemic Index as a dietary guide.

I have found this book to be very helpful in understanding the Glycemic Index. It's presented in simple, easy to understand language and concepts, but it's not a dumbed-down version. It's a comprehensive look at the facts behind the glycemic index. It's motivational in tone, upbeat for the outcome, and sits on a foundation of solid science. I'm quite pleased with this purchase and have started feeling better already. GREAT book.

If you told me a month ago I'd be taking tablespoons of flax seed oil to increase my polyunsaturated fat intake, I'd of told you you're nuts, but here I am. What I like most about this book was how it presented information but then leaves the application up to you. I'd much rather learn and then figure out how to apply it to myself, so this was the perfect book for me.

I also just gave this book to my entire family for Christmas and most have already called to thank me. It's a short book and the information is easily digestable. My mom who's the most not technical/science person I know thoroughly enjoyed it.

I looked for this book for many years. I originally ordered GET TOUGH :The U S Special Forces Physical Conditioning Program from a book club. I never received my order because it went out of print. GET TOUGH is a 1985 publication written by Tom Fitzgerald. The program is 3 parts: stretching, total body strength building using your own body weight, and running. The format is actually based on the U S Navy SEALS workout and is not necessarily U S Army Special Forces based. Regardless, this program is a 12 week (5 days a week) workout that requires nothing more of the use of a pull-up/chin-up bar. It is a very challenging workout that involves working muscle groups on a daily basis. A guide chart is included, as well as targeted performance levels from beginning to end. The dietary guide in the introduction is dated and better information is now available. This book is an older version of the newer U S Navy SEALS workout books by Mark De Lisle, but not as intense as the latter. Overall a very solid workout program and well worth the wait. 163 pp hardback

I know why they call this a program you will love, because it is not hard. I enjoy the exercises and will continue to perform them, but I am not making this my primary workout. Instead I will adapt it for use three days a week on my easy days, as this is a perfect complimentary workout. I consider myself in good shape, but not great, and I was easily able to jump in and do the 12th week workouts precisely how Fitzgerald specified, boots and all. There were only several out of the 46 total exercises that I could not perform easily. The only way someone could say that it is deceptively hard is that a few exercises are nearly impossible. I found those are strictly for the abs though however and not any other part of my body feels a workout. I am not sore or exhausted, and the cals are the only valuable part to me as the running in week 12 was not that advanced- anyone can tell you to run for two 20 odd minute intervals with 5 minute walking breaks. The ab work is good, but other than that it is not challenging for someone who has some flexibility and performs cals regularly as I had. I have no doubt that these are valuable exercises, but this is far from the billing that I was reading on everyone else's review about what a workout you'll get from it. If you want a challenging workout buy something from Stew Smith and adapt this workout to include all the exercises for the off, or easy, days. It deserves four stars because this is probably good for most people who don't stretch enough and/or want to ease into a workout. All the supporters of this book must forgive me for making it sound so bad, it is a quality purchase, this just doesn't seem like the ultimate workout.

The workout programme described in this book is deceptively difficult! Having read many of the recent titles which detail Navy SEAL workout regimens, I have found this one to be the most practical and time efficient. Some of the exercises would be considered obsolete by many, but once you get down to the nitty gritty this is a hardcore training programme (As one would expect from a former Navy frogman!). The instructions are very clear and presented with wry humour. The weekly and daily schedules are particularly effective as you can monitor your progress daily which is very motivating. It is also interesting to note that this book was first published in 1985! If you can find a copy, Buy it!

This is the most amazing exercise book I've EVER read. It's literally a crime they don't publish it anymore. Fitzgerald's exercise regimen is guaranteed to give you unbelievably "cut" muscles in a short time. His regimen will also force you to dig deep inside yourself for stamina, willpower, and endurance. Sound familiar? It should: Fitzgerald is ex-UDT.

For lower body conditioning, nothing I've seen compares to Fitzgerald's book. However, readers should add the upper-body and cross-training exercises found in the recent publications by Caracci, Helvenston, DeLisle, Smith, and other Navy SEALs.

This book is designed to put the reader through two workout programmes simultaneously. There is a Calisthenics programme, and a Running programme. This is a 12-week cycle; as Fitzgerald says, special forces are always changing and adapting, so there is no 'official' cycle that remains constant forever. Thus, this is flexible here, too. This book is all the reader needs except his own muscles and desire to succeed. No special equipment to buy or anything else. The back cover says this is not for the timid or the lazy. This is like being in the military. No excuses - just do it!

The author is a former Navy frogman named Tom Fitzgerald. He continues his fitness goals by running in the Boston Marathon and other such events. Fitzgerald promises better self-esteem, better motivation, and better accomplishment for those who will complete this programme.

The conditioning programme targets five different body parts with 46 different exercises. The running involves running and rapid walking with some intervals of sprinting. There is also a good deal of stretching involved. If you cannot give this one or two hours a day every day for 12 weeks then maybe this is not the book for you. But one could still get it and look at the exercises that have good descriptions and are useful, even if not following the programme.

Stretching
There is stretching prior to each session. This helps prevent muscle injury and makes one limber. Stretching after also helps healing faster, too.

Diet
This book does not go too much into diet since there are other books ready for that, but it gives some general rules. Vitamins and supplements are discussed and basic common sense like not drinking alcohol or too much sugar or caffeine before a workout. Their advice is humourous: 'If you're looking around for a mate, consider marrying a nutritionist.'

Other general instructions
This section deals with sore muscles, shoe and foot care (very important for the heavy running schedule). Keeping count and keeping at it is important too! At the end of the book is a record for keeping track of progress.

The Stretching Programme
There are 14 stretches in this, and each of them are done both before and after the calisthenics and running programmes. An important note is that this stretching routine was developed at a university training programme and not by the Navy. The chart at the end of the section shows what you should do, including how much time this should take. The opening stretches should take 5 minutes, and the final stretches should take 2 minutes.

The Calisthenics Programme
There are 46 exercises that are done over the course of the week that will exercise ever muscle in your body. There are five main categories.

General Warm-up
There are 10 exercises in the general warm up, and these exercises work to prepare the whole body for work.

Abdominal Exercises
There are 11 exercises in the abdominal section, and they work to strengthen and stretch the abs and your lower back.

The Side and Obliques
There aren't too many exercises in this part -- only 5, but they are important. These are really tough exercises beyond the usual stuff for sides and obliques.

Leg and Groin Exercises
There are 12 exercises in this section and legs are one of the major muscle groups in the body and often get overlooked. People think of abs and arms for fitness, but the legs carry the body weight all day long.

Arm Chest and Shoulder Exercises
There are 8 exercises in this final section for the upper body. The book said no special equipment is needed, but once will need a place to do pull-ups.

At the end of this section is the 12-week chart for how many exercises need to be done. Out of the 46 exercises you will do about half of them each day. Some things like leg stretchers are done almost every day. Some things like the one-legged push-up are done less often.

SEAL training calls running programmes 'conditioning hikes'. These involve running, walking double-time, and sprints in a programme on varying terrain, mostly on sand, which goes from being soft to hard-packed to ridged to in the water, often done in boots. The book makes recommendations for running in boots, and running with ankle weights or other kinds of terrain variations.

The first week involves running two miles in 15 minutes and makes progress up to eight miles at a maximum for the rest of the programme.

The exercises are described in good form each with pictures of each step. All exercises can be done by males or females. The pictures are basic black-and-white and sometimes a little grainy.

One drawback is that this is a tough workout programme from the very beginnin, and some people not be able to tolerate the stress and muscle effort from the outset. A Week Zero or prep conditioning programme would probably be a good idea to add if the book is ever reprinted.

The last part of this book involves setting out the schedule in a good format. There are also pages are for recording a personal record of progress and that can be motivating.

A helpful tool for students as well as teachers. Each concept ceases to remain redundant.

This is just what my daughter needed. Although it was hard to obtain, I got it from one of your sub-sources. It is beautiful!

STATUS: I HAVE RECEIVED NOTIFICATION THAT PRE ORDERS OF THE NEW EDITION ARE BEING SHIPPED NOW, JULY 25, 2008. Check Amazon or author's website often for availability. This is a wonderful resource for teachers and students. The author does a superb job of setting a focus for the class, guiding you through the practice, and leaving you with reflections for life off the mat, which is when and what yoga is all about. This book is a wealth of information and inspiration. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR NEW AND SEASONED PRACTITIONERS.

I use this book all the time for developing new classes. The lessons are fabulous. The downside is that it does not list nearly enough poses that go along with the lesson. It's a great starting point but you will need other resources to develop good class sequences to accompany the lesson.

I have been teaching for 3 years, and thought this book would be a great addition to my yoga library, something I could turn to for inspiration in my teaching.. However, while there are a few inspiring points in this book, the title of it is "Guiding Yoga's Light: Yoga LESSONS for Yoga Teachers"--and I found the actual lessons to be very brief and lacking. But the topic of this book is a great idea, and I am glad someone has at least thought of the idea to write on this subject.

This book is a saving grace for many whom are seeking the natural route to cure certain ailments...even the most serious conditions!!

I have only read 3 chapters thus far...however,from what I have read soo far I am content to say that this book is a great starting place for holistic health care.
This wonderful book not only gives you meal advice or whatnot,but it also gives you an structured plan for the meals..and schelduled timeframes to eat the meals ect.
Most of the healing comes from detoxification of the body...and an rested/peaceful mind...which the author explains the importance of the mind and thoughts when trying to achieve significant health.
This book is amazing and I am glad I have purchased it.

This book is AMAZING!!!!!
Truly necessary in today's world of synthetic products and services.
All we really need to heal ourselves are tools and self love - this book assists in finding ways to take care of ourselves and to honour ourselves as women.
Thank you Queen Afua!!!

LIFE KNOWLEDGE - READ AND LEARN!
CHANGE YOUR LIFE & EMPOWER THE WOMEN IN YOUR LIFE

I really enjoyed reading this book. It has been a while since I have bought a book and was unable to put it down. It is a great spiritual guide for healing. The only reason I did not give this book all five stars was due to some confusion I had while reading the book. The author tends to write things in various order so it was hard to write her formula down for fasting. You have to read the book all the way through (you can't simply go to a certain chapter and get all the directions to start the fast). Also she does not make any product recommendations so I am not sure what type of juicer or blender would be good to buy.I must say this book has started my journey of rebirth and is a great buy if you are searching for something to jump start the holistic path of healing.

THIS BOOK IZ A GREAT REFERENCE FOR EVERYDAY LIVING. QUEEN AFUA SHOULD B COMMENDED FOR HER EXECPTIONAL WORK.

This is an excellent book. It is journey for the different ways of spiritual healing.

if you're just getting into learning about different energy healing techniques that are simple and easy, this is a book to add your collection!!!!

The author made it very easy to use all the exercises and make it so it is an everyday resource for all practitioners from beginner to advanced. It gives you the back to basics of what so many lightworkers seem to forget once they get into the realm of having clients.

Good stuff, basic to intermediate level healing techniques. The author does a great job of explaining (and proving) somewhat complex ideas related to hands-on vibrational healing. I've been involved with this field of study for a few years and I still learned a few things.

I found the book very interesting and informative. I had very little
exposure to this type of practice before this book and now have a much
better understanding of the intricacies involved in Energy Therapy. I
rate this book a 5 and recommend it be acquired by any student of the
occult. If you are a student of alternate therapies and holistic healing
you will benefit by what this work has to offer. It will make an excellent addition to the occult library.

This is an excellent reference book for rainforest herbs. In some respects it is technical but understandable and interesting. You can access information by malady or by the herb itself. Portions are very activist in nature giving suggestions as to individual action toward preserving the natural bounty of medicines yet discovered or near extinction. Highly recomended.

Most people know of the Amazon rainforest only because of ecological concerns. This is unfortunate since the rainforest is far more than just a figurehead for Green Peace. In THE HEALING POWER OF RAINFOREST HERBS, Leslie Taylor provides a starting point for those who know little of rainforests in general but wish to learn of the medicinal properties of its indigenous plants. My own interest I suspect is typical. I take a variety of nutritional supplements and over the years I realized I needed a reliable source to explain the use of some of the more arcane herbs commercially available. Taylor's book proved a boon. Taylor organizes her text in a commonsense way. She provides an alphabetical list of rainforest herbs that ranges from Abuta to Yerba Mate. She later adds a great deal of information about each herb that is not readily available anywhere else, even on the internet (I've looked). What I found particularly useful is her listing of each herb's traditional usage and chemical compositions. Yet, HPRH is far more than a shaman's field guide to rainforest herbs. Taylor uses the Amazon rainforest as both a literal and symbolic metaphor for the human need to find a working balance between using the environment to survive and abusing it to make a buck.

what a great book! Leslie Taylor has written a very valuable resource to anyone interested in plants and herbs. whether you are an expert or just curious to know what herbs can do, this is a must have!! i am looking forward to the next book---AWESOME!!!

Excellent just what I expected.

God said choose life or death!
God gave us herbs. Use them.
Man gave us pills, avoid them.
Pills kill and herbs cure.
Make your choice.
Pills made my life hard and I almost
submitted to a useless operation.
Desperately, I looked for another choice.
Herbs gave me the answer.
No operation needed, life is good again!!!