Conditions and Diseases Books

This is a very indepth book which describes in great detail the process by which the ketogenic diet occurs and how this impacts different individuals. It is very technical, yet extremely informative.

This book is a remarkably thorough resource on low-carb dieting and its variants as applicable to those working towards a high level of fitness. By that I mean bodybuilders and other athletes. The rest of us are addressed and educated to a great degree with this book, as well.

The ketogenic diet as explained here is for those who can execute a plan with a high level of independence. There are no food lists, menus, recipes, or pep talk. Just the facts and the methods. There are workout routines, but there are no illustrations or explanations of the exercises. It is assumed that the reader already knows what, say, a deadlift is. If you can assemble the nuts and bolts for yourself, you'll have no need to examine any other low-carb approach (Atkins, South Beach, Protein Power) at length. You'll want the food lists and maybe recipes from such books, however. If you want the all-in-one deal with all that information, I believe the author recommends Protein Power by Drs. Eades.

It bears repeating: it is a very thorough and robust read with an academic tone. If you're interested in the nitty-gritty ins and outs spelling out the rationale of doing such a diet, it's here.

The approaches are in three flavors:

Standard ketogenic- eating low-carb all the time while doing nothing more than, say, walking for exercise
Targeted ketogenic- low-carb eating except before and after weight training only
Cyclical ketogenic- a few days of eating low-carb followed by a couple of days with higher carbs-rinse and repeat

For what it's worth-this book needs some editing, both in text and layout. Enough to notice, not enough to miss the message.

Strongly recommended for the purest of intentions, for those that can.

McDonald is a true scientist who has produced a wonderfully thorough and well-researched book.

The "true scientist" tag is important, for at least four reasons:
(1) This book contains no hype, pep talks, or unduly biased recommendations. It's also not a feel-good "collaborative" book that works with the reader to set goals; it assumes that readers will set, or have already set, QUANTITATIVE goals.
(2) It expects readers to comprehend, and think in terms of, QUANTITATIVE concepts like grams/%/calories of macronutrients, lbs/% of LBM, etc.
(3) It contains no recipes, convenience tips, or lifestyle advice, unless absolutely vital to the program (as with timing of workouts/carb-up in the CKD).
(4) Its text is concise, scientific, and QUANTITATIVE, and therefore rather dry.

If you're looking for an easy-to-read diet book that could potentially sell millions of copies in the aisles of grocery stores, look elsewhere. If you want a thorough volume with exact, QUANTITATIVE factual data, as well as honest discussion of the current state of knowledge regarding various aspects of the diet, this is the book for you.

Did I mention "quantitative"?

"You should also read www.c-k-d.com, particularly the forums."

The people over there generally do not like Lyle, due to the fact that he is not a product of his philosophy whatsoever - google him.

I tried this diet and it worked...to a point. I couldn't perform my work outs because I was so drained all the time. As soon as I resumed normal eating I gained back all the weight I had lost. Then, I just went crazy over carbohydrates for awhile and put on more weight than before, although some of it was muscle (which isn't too bad) since I continued working out. However, I'm still never as lean as I was BEFORE the Ketogenic Diet (I didn't do the CKD), and I was on Tom Venuto's Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle (e-book).

The best resource you can find for this type diet. Actually, I do not consider it a diet but a way of life now. It is not hard to follow. All my questions were answered in this book, and some I did't even know I had.

There is no need to buy any other cookbook as this one has everything. It is well worth the money with recipes that aren't filled with a bunch of foo foo ingredients that you can't find. I highly recommend it!

As a person who has suffered a heart attack, I place great value on the recipes offered through this cookbook. Not only are the recipes a guide for healthful diet, they are very creative and quite tasty. This is a fun book to explore and to use.

I never was much of a cook, but after embarking on a rigorous fitness program, I was highly encouraged by my personal trainer to cook my own meals. By cooking myself, I would know exactly what I was eating. Although I don't have a heart problem (that I know about, anyway), I saw this cookbook when I was visiting someone in the hospital and noted that it was extensive and varied. It also listed the calories and other nutritional information for each recipe. So when I decided to cook, I ordered a copy. I have to say that I am very pleased. The recipes are very easy to follow, even for the novice. I don't confuse the results with gourmet meals, but they are light and tasty. Thanks to this cookbook, I eat a very varied and healthy diet and look forward every week to trying new things. That is quite a change from my old habits, where I bought a lot of prepackaged meals and tended to eat the same things week after week. I also have a cabinet full of spices that I actually use. If you are looking for a good starter cookbook for healthy eating, I highly recommend this book.

I am truly disappointed with this cookbook. It is in a type of print that is very difficult to read even for my good eyes. The list of ingredients for most recipes is a huge deterrent in my making the majority of these recipes.

Every recipe I have tried has been excellent, I like how each recipe is broken down for fat, sodium, fiber, etc. Helps me a great deal.

Contains a valuable amount of information. Alot of great recipes for healing aids. I still use alot of the recommendations in this book for general health care. I haven't been to a doctor in years, and this book is one of the reasons why. So buy one right away, buy 2 and give one to a friend.

For those who wish to explore beyond the medical orthodoxy for treatments of everyday ailments this book is a must read. However, always discuss any alternative treatments with your medical practitioner if taking natural remedies in conjunction with orthodox medications.

I am really glad there are people out like Dr. James Duke because I am an herbalist and I enjoy this book immensely.

I bought this book based on other people's recommendation of this book. I was disappointed and the lesson I have learned was not to buy a book other the internet without having a chance to flip through it. The print is large so there isn't much ailments covered. If you want an herbal pharmacy guide, I would go with something else. This is basically an "herbs for dummies" book, not a book with real solutions. DON'T BUY. I want my money back..

This compendium of natural remedies, compiled by James Duke, offers herbal and occasionally nutritional solutions for coping with over one hundred different health issues. You can find "Arthritis soup", broth for strengthening bones, "Biblical brainfood soup", soup for strengthening your heart, herbs for dealing with allergies, tea from breast enlargement, even how to make your shampoo to get rid of dandruff.

I have an assortment of books with herbal remedies and this one is among the best of them. What puzzles me is that while they may mention which parts of the herbs to use, practically none of them mention that some constituents in herbs are water soluble, some are only soluble in alcohol, some in oil, and that different methods of preparing herbs will influence what you get out of those herbs. This book also, for the most part, just mentions the herb's name and what are the healing constituents, but it doesn't say what by what method of extraction do you get which constituents.

I have read several books on health and diet and this is one of the best practical books I have found.

Jack Challem is an exceptional nutritionist who provides common sense advice for reducing inflammation, eating right and feeling great. It explains in wonderful detail where aches and pains come from and how to minimize them. It also addresses diseases such as cancer and how to minimize your risk of getting them by eating right and taking the right suppliments.

The Inflammation Syndrome reinforced much of the knowledge about healthy eating right that I already knew. It also provided me with new insights that lead a more pain free life.

Challem makes excellent food recommendation such as eating more salmon and halibut. He also encourages increasing intake of Vitamins C & E, Omega 3 fatty acids, green tea and flax seed. He discusses the benefits of Green Tea, Olive oil, and more.

Overall a great book for anyone serious about eating right and feeling great!

The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide to: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking

Stop Prediabetes Now: The Ultimate Plan to Lose Weight and Prevent Diabetes

I have studied nutrition for 40 years and this brings it all together. It is the best book on the subject of the four that I have read. Unfortunately, it does not mention that FARMED salmon usually contains 5 to 7 times the harmful fatty acids that the same amount of wild salmon has, and that flax seed is not a good substitute for omega-3 fish oil, because humans cannot convert it efficiently. Mice and fish can and that had not been taken into accoount until recently.

The book itself is very informative and easy to understand. It goes a long way in trying to educate a population that health begins at the cellular level and with some knowledge, health is still within our reach. Poor health can be turned around.

The delivery time was quick....I appreciate that.

I bought this book because I have fibromyalgia and the only thing that showed up abnormal on my tests was "inflammation". This book helped me understand what was causing my pain and the supplements to take to reduce the inflamation. I have used the suggestions in this book and Meggs' book to reduce my pain.

I've had asthma all my life - luckily it has been fairly well-controlled throughout adulthood. That is until I was unknowingly exposed to mold in my home. Even though the mold was remediated, I continued to experience severe, persistent asthma for over four months. I was referred to a pulmonologist and put on high doses of various types of asthma medication. I had a minimal amount of relief with these medications and still had to use a nebulizer two or three times a day.

I realized this was no way to live my life and started looking for other solutions. Thank goodness I came across Mr. Challem's book - after only one month of following his recommendations of the basic supplements (vitamin C, E, and fish oil) - I have found relief! I have not had to use my nebulizer in a week. I want to ease into the nutritional program because it will be a big change for me, but I can only imagine how great I'm going to feel after once it is implemented.

Take back control of your life, instead of letting your body do it for you!

If you want to understand your little friends and what can you do for them, read this book

This book is alright if you already have a diagnosis from your vet. But trying to figure out if something is wrong in the first place (symptoms)is not happening. Or perhaps your dog just has dry skin and a sensitive stomach..there is nothing in the book that helped me for less serious conditions either. Needless to say, I ended up returning the book.

I wish I had found this book sooner! My dog had a bulging disc and I needed something other then tradional meds (they were making him very ill). I researched everything I cold get my hands on and I have to say- this book is particularly fantastic as it's easy to read. It also lists the traditional meds and the alternatives which could complement those taditional meds. On top of that it lists other therapies such as chiropractic and acupuncture. Overall- it's easy to read, provides great info as well as accuracy. It's a fantastic reference to have for all animal owners!

My Bichon, Bailey, has food allergies. I bought this book to do research on this subject, and found it had lots of other very informative information. I am looking into natural homemade diets and natural care. It did the trick! It was very resonably priced for the size and information it has in it... Also so easy to read and understand.. I would highly recommend it!
Sharon Coombs
Herndon, Ky.

This is one of the more detailed books I have found. I also got Health for Happy Cats and Your Cat by Elizabeth Hodgkins. This one has a lot of details about what to feed, how to feed it, what the diseases are and what the treatments are. You can look it up by both disease and symptom and treatment, which is fantastic. They discuss pros and cons of various things. They also have a good section on cooking natural diet versus raw natural diet. They are more advocates of cooked diet as far as I can tell. They also have a few diets. If you are going to get one book on natural health for cats this should be it. there is a lot of information on supplements.

This book is just what I was looking for- a guide to managing my Lupus-like disease naturally. I only started the diet 2 days ago, so I cannot yet vouch for its efficacy, but a vegan diet is mentioned in numerous places elsewhere in terms of its benefit to those with autoimmunity. Ms. Harrington lays out a plan and justification, offering information as well as support. It can be overwhelming and confusing to look at all the health information out there on managing these illnesses, but this plan is where I choose to start.

Jill's book was outstanding and very helpful. I bought 4 copies to give to other relatives who are caretaking and preparing food for my 4th grader who has a Lupus diagnosis. It was such an easy-read that he read and understood Jill's book as well and is now active in his own caretaking! I highly recommend this book to everyone who has or knows of someone with a Lupus diagnosis. It's a godsend.

-Eric in Auburn,Wa

Every cell in your body is made from what you eat,so absolutely nutrition makes a difference! I am a living testament to this. Am now in remission 5 yrs thanks to nutrition. And just completed a Masters in Holistic Nutrition so that I can help others the way I was helped.

Get this book! Stop eating junk and non-nutrient processed foods ... get your life back!

When I got the book I was rather skeptical and simply put it away after my initial reading. I took my meds and did everything I could to better how I felt with lupus. After resisting over 1 1/2 years, I finally tried some of Jill Harrington's suggestions. The results have been great and I am now much more comfortable and mobile. I have been able to garden daily for the first time in over four years. The author's attitude is very supportive and she makes it easy.

I bought this book perhaps three years ago when I was first diagnosed with Lupus. I read it extensively. I have had Lupus for more than a decade now, although I was only diagnosed just before I purchased this book. I am 45 years old, and I can honestly say that good nutrition is pivotal for any healthy body, but that Jill's proposed diet should be viewed with caution. There are indeed some lovely ideas about using whole foods, but here I was, a vegetarian for most of my life, eating a whole foods based diet, as slim as can be, and still searching for ways to amend my already sound eating habits to hopefully embrace remission. I too have Celiac disease and many people with Lupus have other comorbidities. My advice is not to look at this book as the only way to heal. Far more helpful to me (and I was a practicing pharmacist for many years) was to discover a wonderful naturopath. With no Lupus medications, my approach to healing is all about stress control, rest, diet, exercise and supplements. Most importantly, get an allergy screen. The night shades are not good for anyone with Lupus and this is not made clear in the book. After working with my naturopath, and after 30 years, I began to eat wild fish and use fish oil supplements. Last week, after 40 years, and following the Type O diet as elaborated by Dr. Dr D'Adamo, I began to eat grass fed meat. That was the most difficult thing to do and not something that Jill would ever advocate. I avoid the fruits and veggies that are toxic to my blood type and I honesly can say that for the first time in years, I am feeling so much better. My thoughts about Jill's work is that diet is important in helping people with Lupus feel better, but her diet is certainly not for everyone. In fact, eating raw produce even though organic, can be quite dangerous if you are immune-compromized. There are times when people with Lupus need to eat softer cooked foods so as not to stress the gut and avoid possible infections. I would strongly suggest eating according to your blood type, while avoiding allergens after allergy testing. Stay away from alfala and nightshades all together. I know Jill uses nightshades but they are pro-inflammatory. Gluten containing foods are also pro-inflammatory and should be avoided regardless of sensitivities. Certain gluten-free grains are wonderful like quinoa and buckwheat and I do not think Jill favors the use of grains. I think too often in life we grapple with the illusion that one plan fits all. Would it not be so lovely if that held true. I certainly think that Jill has devoted so much of her life's work to helping people with Lupus, but from my own journey, I have begun to understand immunology a whole lot more. Eating foods that do not awaken those auto-anti-bodies might just be another logical approach.

This book along with my faith is one of the key reasons why I am succeeding in my professional career. Learning to build my A team with people that connect with my vision and values as well as understanding the root causes of a bad attitude. I recognize that attitude is a choice and I'm choosing to have a Super-Fantastic attitude every single day. Thanks Dr. Attitude for the attitude tune-up!

This is a very readable and engaging bullock aimed to give you a jumpstart on your attitude. Keith Harrell is a former IBM salesman and trainer who parlayed his skills into motivational speaking. As is the case for any motivational book, the question lies in the book's lasting effect. Many of motivational books are the intellectual equivalent of Chinese food; 30 minutes after reading it, you are hungry for more and not sure what exactly you consumed. The key is implementing Harrell's suggestions.

Incidentally, if you ever get a chance to watch a live performance or tape performance of Keith Harrell, do so. I saw him on a recent PBS special and he was engaging and funny as hell.

Give your motivation a boost, even if only for a limited time, by reading and heeding "Attitude is Everything"!

This is a great book, I first heard Keith speak when I was at a previous company. Keith was speaking in the office in the U.S. and I listened from a speaker phone in the UK. I'm not easily impressed by motivational speakers but I was with Keith, so impressed that I bought his book on cassette so I could listen in the car. After following Keiths advice and tips I had a new outlook on life and also understood why sometimes things did not go my way, what Keith gives you are tools to help understand your current situation, what you want to achieve and how to go about achieving the correct mindset to reach your goals. Years later, I have lost the cassettes so I have purchased the book again. I've been walking 25% faster ever since :o)

Really enjoyed reading this book. Beleive it will help change my life. Becuase attitude is everything. I truely beleive that statement. Must have for the person who wants to be a winner in life. Great for a person who thinks negatively all the time.

I bought the audio-CD version of this book and I am glad I did; I don't think I would have finished it by reading.

The utility of Keith Harrell's book is not as a "self-help" book from the standpoint of helping the reader to identify changes to make in her or his life, then giving you helpful steps to make those desired changes. The value of Keith's story is in his personal stories, which individually and collectively are uplifting and provide vivid examples of "he turned it around, so can I". I identified with some of Keith's stories, which was helpful since they reminded me of my own limiting attitudes and how they effect my "circumstances".

His message reminds me of what I already know, that I have attitudes that are affecting my results, and I need to change certain ones to get the results I really want. Keith doesn't tell me 'how' nearly as well as others might, but he shares a compelling message of 'what' and 'why' attitude is everything. If you recognize the powerful force of your attitudes, both those that propel you forward and those that hold you back, then buy the audio-CD version of this book and listen to it more than once.

My aunt from Iron Mountain, MI (who doesn't own a computer or knows how to use one) called me in Fort Worth, TX, to say she wanted this book and could I help her find a store that carried it? As she's talking, I open the Amazon site, find the book and order it before she can take a breath. Isn't technology great? By the way, she loves the book! :-)

I like this book very much. It's readable - not bogged down with a lot of boring information that I wouldn't be interested in anyway.
Over the past 3 months I have lost 21 lbs. and I feel confident that 20 more will come off over the next couple of months. How? I removed ALL high fructose corn syrup from my diet and buy organic whenever possible. I have also found the recipes in the book to be very helpful.

The book is very comprehensive, and I hope to get lots of ideas from it, and a chance for better health!

The article I read about this book lead me to expect a more of a reference-type book..."if you have a cold, eat this soup because it contains....", but it's not. The first part is more of the health info I'm reading everywhere, although the author is quite funny, and it's easy to read. (Warning: if you'll be offended by crass humor and extramarital sex references, you'll be offended!) The recipe part is fun. The things we've tried were amazing, but not worth buying the book for. Though my family typically eats well, many of these recipes are a little too exotic to be useful for us on a regular basis. If you have crystallized ginger and agave in your kitchen already, you'll be in good shape. It's not really bad, but it's not what I wanted. I'd recommend checking this out from the library first to see if it's what you really want.

ChefMD's Big Book of Culinary Medicine is a fabulous book. I have read it and re-read many sections of it. I began his regime for osteoarthritis and have had huge success. I am off painkillers and walking much, much better. I feel like I have experienced a miracle.

book, I haven't really had a chance to read much of the book. what I have read seems interesting.

The review before me says this book is very AMERICAN. I think all of McDougall's books are anything BUT american. The american diet is our problem to begin with. I had (notice past tense) severe JRA and had been on medications. While pregnant with my son i was in remission and thought this state would stick around afterwards. Didn't happen. I flared horribly 6 weeks after his birth and could hardly hold him. i was afraid I would drop him or be unable to care for him without medication. A friend gave me his book and I have yet to be on medication again. My son is 12 months now! It isn't an easy plan to do because our society is not set up for this type of eating. So, eating out is rare for us, but my results are beyond appreciation for his research. I have no doubt that God sent us this program. My husband and I are healthier than we have ever been in our lives and we were pretty healthy people to begin with. My husband did the program with me as support and he has seen his allergies go away as well!

(a) very, very American
(b) very sugary writing, almost patronising
(c) weak on facts and evidence
(d) no help whatsoever except as a grade 1 introduction

If you are a fan of Dr.McDougall, you will know that he recommends a plant based diet to cure disease. He explains in great detail along with humorous cartoons to get the message across as to what causes constipation, diverticulits, colitis and so much more. Eat your plants and you won't end up like the cartoon characters, overweight and miserable.

I would also like to add that the more natural your diet is, the better for you and you feel fantastic. If you feel that eating a plant-based diet is a horrible thing to do, then you aren't creative. You don't just put veggies on your plate..you create wonderful and delicious recipes. There are so many sites online to find great vegan and raw recipes.
I recommend getting a powerful blender and a food processor. With those two gadgets you can make delicious soups, smoothies, sauces, ice cream, pudding, and so much more. You will never miss your old way of eating, and you will stay regular, your skin will clear up, and you will have more energy than ever before. Guaranteed.

Our standard American diet can result in many digestive ailments for adults and kids. This book has helped many of my clients get back on track.

This book is very informative, but there is too much repetition. What would be equally useful would be some charts listing low and high glycemic foods, some foods that lower blood sugar, etc. I skimmed the book and made my own lists.

Every American eats an average of 5 and a half POUNDS of sugar a month.

No, you say. Not me. Oh yeah? Start counting.

This book is a must for those who would understand the role sugar plays in our lives and how our society has been turned into the fattest in the world through the food industry's inclusion of high-fructose corn syrup in almost everything it sells.

Commercially prepared foods are full of high-fructose corn syrup - which is not the "natural" sugar manufacturers would like us to believe it is. It's simple refined sugar - and it's deadly.

This is a must read book for those who wish to turn their lives and their diets around.

I got a lot of closure as well as information from this book. the day that I read it helped me to understand what my grandmother had just gone through. I read it at work. By the time I got home she had just died. So then I ordered this the book. Yes she was a diabetic.

While the focus of this book is how sugar does damage to your body by raising your insulin level and leads to weight gain, it also covers every other topic related to health. It shows you which foods to throw out and what to buy on your next grocery trip to lead you to a healthy lifestyle. You will receive specific advice on exercise and meal plans. The end of the book provides you with 60 healthy recipes using the items you were told to buy.The book also provides you with 30 sugar solutions that are great tips I have found in other books that will really help, like always eating breakfast, making sure you have enough fiber, drinking lots of water and much more. If you are new to reading diet books this may very well be the only one you ever need. I lost 60 pounds on a similiar program "The Zone", and my guiding principle was controlling my insulin level through balancing my carbohydrate (Sugar) intake with my protein intake. The key is that insulin is a fat storing hormone, sugar intake causes your body to release to much insulin which brings your blood sugar down to much and stores the calories you eat as body fat. Your body can only burn fat when your insulin level in your blood is very low, allowing your body to release stored fat as energy. While the book is rather boring, it does contain all the information you need. It is not a 5 star because the writer could have made reading it at least a little fun.

After a long, up and down battle with weight and food, I ballooned to a dangerous size that threatened my health. At 32, I was confused. I knew that it was harder to drop weight as one ages, but I wasn't that old. Worse still, I was hungry constantly. How could I lose weight if I literally couldn't stop thinking about food? I had forgotten what true hunger felt like.

Then I purchased The Sugar Solution. The first thing the book did was scare the crap out of me. I didn't realize how my eating habits literally endangered me. About 50 pages in, I began to realize that sugar was possibly keeping me from losing weight. It was affecting me on a cellular level, urging my cells to retain unneeded fat. It was also putting my arteries in severe risk of damage due to high blood pressure and unchecked sugar levels.

I began checking sugar content before I ate anything and was surprised to find how much sugar seemingly "safe" foods contained. Soon, I began to drop some weight. Amazingly, I found myself putting food away 3/4 into a meal. I began eating when I was actually hungry. A month and a half after reading the book, I am 25 pounds lighter and generally calmer. I don't suffer mood swings anymore--another symptom of blood sugar spikes.

My beef with this book is in the tone. The book was put together from pieces of magazine content, and it feels like it. Titles are consistently alliterate and tacky. Exclamation points should be used sparingly (or so I thought). After a few hundred pages of this, I began to get irritated, as the book felt less scientific and more corny.

Overall, I would absolutely suggest this book to people on the road to diabetes or people simply concerned about their health. For me, the culprit is sugar. If I can control my sugar, I can control my eating. Get healthy before it's too late.

UPDATE
Forty-five pounds shed and counting. I can't say things would have gone this smoothly if not for this book.