Special Diets Books

This book is extremely helpful for children with ADHD. It gives practical and fast working advice that is right on the money. It is a great place to start when looking for an alternative to drug therapy. I highly recommend this be the first book you read when you are learning about ADHD - it may be the only one you need. Thank you to Dr. Bob for all your research and clinical expertise that went into writing this book and for all the children you have saved!

Dr. Bob in his book is another one of those writers about ADHD who believes (sincerely) that supplements, food, good parenting, and so on is the correct answer for treatment of all types of ADHD/ADD. While certainly, the above would help almost any type of disorder, he never bothers to mention at ANY time when his idea did not work, (ie the vitamins failed to solve the child's problems)--so am I believe it is 100% successful?!! Amazing. My question for Dr. Bob is if pharmaceuticals do not work, then why can I name so many success stories from people who DO USE them. Oh, by the way, they do not work all the time. He is a convincing, good writer, he is just totally wrong. Also, he forgets that we now are seeing adults in their 40s still having the symptoms of ADD, who by the way had them first diagnosed in the 1-3rd grades. I would recommend his book, because it is well written and organized. And, all children do NOT need to take medications to modify their behavior. I do think our society at time has gone overboard with that notion. But his book is not the cure all with his omega oils and patented products he so often wants you to use. He has some very good ideas, and I took this into account. He says sugar impairs you immune system, which is abosolutely false, and has some other non sense he tries to pass on with questionable science to back it up. To me it appears as another one of those who believes you should avoid ALL medications at ALL costs no matter what. Also, how many cases a day does he "treat" for ADHD, and how does he deal with adults who have had it for so long. Does he, while flexing soft tissue as a chiropractor, take time out to express his feeling while giving a massage? ADHD/ADD is a long complex condition-- that foods and vitamins cannot "fix" so easily as this half life of 18 days he speaks about. It often involves moral and personal issues at home, that by avoiding sugar is just not going to cover. guyairey

My 5 year old son was recently diagnosed with ADHD. So, when I first saw the title of this book I thought it was a joke and I was hestitant about ordering it. But to my surprise it is a great book! The book does a great job of explaining (in plain english) what ADHD is, how to begin to heal the body and how important a sugar/ dairy/ gluten free diet is.
Upon his suggestion, I immediately, but graduately, changed my son's diet and found an hollistic doctor which we are currently working with. I have seen a change in his hyperactivity since removing the sugar and the fast food and he is even doing much better in school.
This book is an easy read, I read it in four days! I recommend this book to all parents!

When I first saw this book I thought... "18 days? Yeah, right." But I thought I didn't have anything to lose but a few dollars so I got it. We had tried all kinds of diets, vitamins, meds. Things would get better but not be entirely "back to normal".

I read through Dr. Bob's book, took notes, implemented some of the thoughts... I read the entry of one of the readers below that talked about the parasites and wondered if perhaps that was it for us too.

We had an appointment and saw a doctor. Parasites it was. Five days on a course of black walnut tincture and my daughter was a new child. She lost her diagnosis of ADHD the next doctor appointment we had. The teachers could not believe the difference. We are still in awe.

Thank you Dr. Bob. Without you and your book, my daughter would still be on Concerta. And the health of our family would never have been improved from your other recommendations.

For this and so much more, Dr. Bob:
THANK YOU !!!

PS We also HIGHLY recommend the daily devotional Dr. Bob has written. I don't have a friend who hasn't bought it after hearing some of the topics discussed in it - turning grey hair back, the hazards of peanut butter, better sleep, back pain solutions, bringing liver enzymes back to normal, migraines, and the list goes on and on with advice we had never ever heard before and my friends and I read A LOT of health books !!!

My 3 year old son had been out of control for a long time. He had many symptoms of ODD. He had a short fuse and got angry easily. He always whined and wouldn't sleep through the night. Both my husband and I were at a breaking point, but knew we did NOT want to go the medication route. I always thought our family ate pretty healthy; we would limited our kids sugar/snack intake and we weren't a milk drinking family so I didn't think that my son's 'attitude' symptoms were food/mineral deficiant related. Boy, were we wrong!
While reading Dr. Bob's book I compared my son's 'symptoms' to those in the book. Dr. Bob's book has been a lifesaver! We noticed a difference in only 5 days!
We started w/ the nigtly salmon oil, added flax, changed to soy and rice milk and we are beginning to add vitamins and whole food minerals. We even started the program for all 3 my children.
This book has added a bright future for our children and has given my husband and I the peace in knowing we are actually getting to the root of the problam instead of just medicating the problem. Thanks Dr. Bob.

This book is perfect for newly diagnosed children and the steps to take biomedically. I have used it in conjunction with my son's doctor to develop a tailored plan as my son is PDD-NOS. Some of the testing has produced results that have required some changes in diet and allergies that we did not realize our son had. This book is very easy to understand and is highly recommended!

Dr. Bock presents a very interesting theory regarding why we see so much autism, ADHD, and allergies these days. The information presented is vastly different than that presented in my training and my interest in this area has been perked. I plan to set forth to master this knowledge base and see what I think as time passes. In the meantime, I will recommend this book to all my parents. Interestingly enough, I had a parent group of children with dual exceptionalities. This group is now together getting tested and carrying out the recommended steps in the book. Several parents are very impressed with the changes in their children. This is quite promising. I hope others in my field read this book as well. We can then have a healthy and enlightening discussion.

Steven Curtis, Ph.D.
Child Clinical Psychologist
Author, Understanding Your Child's Puzzling Behavior: A Guide for Parents of Children with Behavioral, Social, and Learning Challenges

I am so grateful for this book! Last summer I reached a point where I knew I'd have to take my 2 year old's healing out of the hands of traditional medicine because they couldn't offer me a CURE and I was losing my son and my sanity. After reading this book and working with a local naturopathic doctor, I am blown away by all the changes in my son's health, development, and social skills. Each step brought incremental improvements and all those little "good" moments are now the norm. Family, friends and teachers have all been impressed by his progress and I attribute it all to the things I learned from this book.
Recently my 1 year old began developing multiple allergies, but I knew the warning signs from this book and am already seeing improvements as I follow it's guidance.
I can't say enough good things about this book - I found it interesting, insightful, and well written. Thank you Dr. Bock! And thank you to all those who are doing research in this revolutionary field

This is was a wonderfully helpful book. It not only helped me with my autistic daughter, but my other childern as well. It was very parent friendly compared to some other autism books.

My children don't have autism, but have struggled with asthma, gluten and casein sensitivities and nutritional deficiencies causing neurological and many other symptoms. Dietary changes and nutritional supplements to treat underlying deficiencies have resulted in great positive changes in health for myself and my children.

Unlike another reviewer, I loved the case studies!! I found them so interesting that I couldn't put the book down until I finished with that part. I thought the rest of it makes for an excellent resource for anyone wanting to explore biomedical treatment.

I would like to see this book in the office of every pediatrician, and anyone else dealing with children affected by ADHD and Autism on a regular basis, like school psychologists. At the very least, it will offer them a foundation of understanding for parents who may be interested in or already using biomedical treatments.

Biomedical treatment is here to stay, because it looks for and addresses the root causes, and results in positive changes for so many. Personally, I think we've entered a new age of medicine. Hooray!

Cholesterol Down is a great book for people who want to lower there cholesterol without the risks of prescription drug side effects . The science behind high cholesterol is explained in detail and the ten steps to lower your cholesterol are easy to follow. Many great recipe suggestions are provided. Best of all is the fact that Dr. Janet Brill's program really works! Thank you Dr. Janet

Cholesterol Down: Ten Simple Steps to Lower Your Cholesterol in Four Weeks--Without Prescription Drugs

All I can tell you is that this Cholesterol Down eating and exercise plan works! When I decided to get this book, I had already tried to take two different prescription cholesterol medications, but I could not tolerate the side effects. Well, the side effects with this plan turned out to be my total cholesterol going from 234 to 166, triglycerides going from 133 to 89, LDL (bad cholesterol) going from 167 to 69, and HDL (good cholesterol) went from 56 to 80. At the same time, totally unexpected, my diabetes A1c test was PERFECT (5.8) for the first time since I was diagnosed 4 years ago.

The book is well written and easy to understand. She explains what cholesterol is in a way that a lay person can understand. She also explains the science behind choosing the foods she includes in the plan.

The second half of the book includes a daily planner for working these foods into your diet, numerous suggested menus and recipes. I really didn't use her recipes much, although they looked good. I worked the foods into my diet using menus I was already comfortable with. I was already exercising 30 minutes a day and eating a healthy diet, but did not know which foods were best for lowering cholesterol before I read the book.

If you're serious about getting that cholesterol down, this is the book for you.

Too many of us in the US want a "quick fix" to every "problem" that comes our way, whether personal issues or public policy. The plan outlined by the author is just that - a quick fix - - or so the cover leads us to believe. We much prefer to treat symptoms than address the cause of the problem in the first place.

That said, I bought it because (1) I'm educated ( a continuing process ),(2) statistical correlation between elevated cholesterol and adverse health conditions exists, (3)"they" keep lowering the bar re total cholesterol levels, (4) the use of statins can be dangerous, in addition to being costly, and (5) my historical levels of cholesterol exceed currently accepted average guidelines.

Brill's plan had a positive impact on participants cited. It may be doing the same in my case - though I've chosen only 8 or the 10 steps. We'll see. That said, a CT scan of my heart shows zero plaque, and my calculated cardiovascular age is 15 years less than actual. I believe I'm in good health - and intend to stay that way. This is proactive choice on my part. I'm not under a physician's care and even if my cholesterol levels remain the same, I expect to continue most of the steps chosen. I've concluded they make sense.

Brill educates well in the first 42 pages. Whether you choose to adopt any of her suggestions in principle or with a specific objective, the subject matter is important. In truth, the broader issue as it relates to overall health is that of oxidation and free radical generation. LDL levels are indicators, but the culprit in CV disease from what I've read is VLDL and inflammation - - triglyceride levels are a more important focal point than LDL by itself. Neurosurgeon author, Russell L Blaylock, can provide interested readers additional comprehensive knowledge of basic mechanisms of disease and how nutrition impacts the process.

Cholesterol DOWN is worth your time and the few dollars it costs. BUY IT. READ IT. SHARE IT WITH OTHERS. Most importantly, learn to identify and focus on the CAUSE of things you believe to be problems. Quick fixes are a foolish waste of time.

This is one of the best books available on market today for anyone struggling with the dos and don'ts of meal plans. It is direct and to the point and no matter where your learning curve is you will have no problem reading and gaining all of the necessary tools and tips with this very well written book. A must have for folk who have no idea where to start when the doctor says "we must lower your cholesterol".

On 11/30/2007 my total cholesterol was 220, LDL 166, HDL 43, and triglycerides 53. My Doctor recommended that I start Lipitor. Before staring Lipitor I researched the drug and side effects and decided that there must be a better way. Today 2/5/2008 after using the "Cholesterol Down" recomendations since 12/15/2007 my cholesterol total is 134, LDL 91, HDL, 31, triglycerides 58. This is an amazing turn around. I did not use the Metamucil as recommended because I was prescribed a blood pressure med at the same time. The concern was that the Metamucil would bind to the blood pressure medication and limit its benefit. I am thrilled and have thanked Janet Brill for showing me the way without drugs. Let me tell you however that you must be dedicated to the diet. It worked for me.

This is the third copy of this book that I have purchased for relatives affected by prostate cancer. All have praised it as an invaluable guide to their own treatment, as it allowed them to participate in their own care and decision making.

This is definitely a great source of information about prostate cancer and how to modify diet to minimize the effects of the malady. This basic approach should be common knowledge, perhaps more widely taught in schools, for all men around the world, of all ages, but unfortunately it is not. What I find most interesting is the various foods that can shrink prostate cancer cells, and should therefore be consumed regularly, such as broccoli, tomato paste, watermelon, and soy, and also foods that feed or cause growth in those cells, and therefore should be avoided, such as red meat and dairy fats. Although I have not finished the book, it is rapidly affecting my personal food preferences. I don't know for certain if I am accomplishing what I intend, but I get a pretty good sense of optimism from reading this book.

Dr Walsh's book is a must read for the older American male. Well written and quite detailed, it is easily understood by senior men regardless of their educational background. Reading this book should be recommended by primary care physicians to patients with an abnormal PSA who are referred for an urological consultation.

By the time you are purchasing this book you probably are on your way to having a biopsy or, more likely, have received the report and its not good news....This book is the most comprehensive of all that I've looked at since my own biopsy, though one warning is to keep in mind that surgical techniques have still improved even further since the book went to press a couple years ago....The stress on incontinence after the radical prostatectomy may be overwrought -- or at least I became overwrought with anxiety until I actually spoke with several men who have had the procedure (robotic surgery) in recent months. Compared with those who shared their stories with me who had surgery four to seven years ago, it seems like night and day. So maybe talk to a few folks before reading this book, or else you are likely to despair more than you need to. Very well written, filled with all the detailed information you'll want to know.

Excellent book. It contains everything a man needs to know. This cancer is beatable but each of us needs to take a couple of basic steps to protect us from this desease. It calms the person who is undergoing a removal of the prostate. It need not be life-threatening. Yes it will be painful and bothersome but nothing a man cannot withstand.

This is a good book with a lot of good information. The problem with the book is that it has an agenda. If I didn't know any better I would have to think that the author was a member of PETA. Keep the politics out of the book!

Easy reading and great guide to becoming vegetarian and even vegan. Highly recommend for those just beginning. Also recommend as a refresher for nutritional needs.

This book is fantastic, it goes over many vegetarian issues and teaches you how to eat to get the maximum benefit from your food.

This is an excellent book for anyone wanting to change their eating habits and improve their health. highly recommend this book

This book is extremely comprehensive. It is the first book about becoming vegetarian that I have read but I am completely satisfied that it covers all the requirements of a vegetarian diet. I would also recommend this book to non-vegetarians, particularly those seeking to reduce meat intake and increase nutrition from plant foods.

I found this book to be very informative. It is written in easy to understand, plain language. Everything is explained well enough for a lay person to understand.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who would like a deeper understanding of how the digestive process works. Anyone who desires to take control of their health should read this. My doctor told me that the colon controls 90% of the other organs of the body. I had a hard time believing that until I began to do research on the digestive system. I have concluded that he was right.

This is an exceptional book about the digestive system. I would highly recommend it. I also ordered the children's digestive wellness and it too is an exceptional and informative book.

This is a great book, refresher for those medically trained, but fabulous information to help one with problems and to keep others healthy

I usually don't write reviews on Amazon unless I have extreme satisfaction from my purchase. Well this is one of them. I used to get bad heartburn frequently and was taking proton-pump inhibitors, which I felt were not alleviating the problem but maybe making it worse. I bought this book and learned a bit about the digestive system and the bacteria involved in helping us digest. Knowing that I have H. pylori which was the main cause of my heartburn, I decided to take the approach of promoting the good bacteria in my system. Since then I've done this, and barely ever get acid reflux. The only times I will get it is when I deviate to eating bad foods for a prolonged amount of time.

My sister, who is an Holistic Counselor, suggested that me and my Fiance read this book to help with his digestive problems that severely impact his life. I'm totally impressed with the information presented in this book; not only does the author discuss remedies to common, yet severe, digestive issues, but she takes the time to describe the digestive system in a way that anyone can understand. The initial description of the digestive system and the way that our bodies convert the items we ingest is, to me, the key to fully understanding the remedies she presents. I believe that the contents in this book are so valuable that I wonder why some of it is not included in high school curricula.

A great help. Full of factual information and practical tips from parents who've "been there." It's a valuable resource for those of us who have a child who has been diagnosed with leukemia.

I was loaned the 2nd Edition in the hospital after our son was diagnosed with ALL. This book is so valuable to the family to help you learn and weather through all the processes you could face during this difficult time. I knew I had to have my own copy and bought a second copy of the 3rd edition to share with other families through the hospital. Many other members of our family intend to buy their own copies of the book as well.

If you are hungry for information, buy this book. It calmed my nerves and made me a better team member in my son's fight against cancer.

Our Son was diagnosed in April of 2006 with ALL Leukemia. Trying to understand all of the terms, meds and schedules is hard enough. This book is written by a Mom with the help of her Doctor's expertise. It puts very scary helpless feelings in laymen's terms. This Mom goes into detail on how to comfort and successfully treat your child. She gives you her experiences on what works and what doesn't and what to expect. It is also an up- to- date book, whereas many books were written years ago. As a Mom who has gone thru 7+ months of this diagnosis, I wish someone would have given me this book the moment our Son was diagnosed. It's great for the whole family to read as well.

As a grandparent of a recently diagnosed 3 year old with ALL leukemia I have found this book an important resource for me to understand the treatment for this terrible disease. The descriptions of the types of chemo used and its side-effects have been particulalry valuable during the early months since the diagnosis. The book is comprehensive with all aspects of the disease and is full of anecdotal and suggestions for coping with this disease at all phases of treatment. It also offers lists of available resources to be accessed. I highly recommend this book for parents, family members and caregivers.

I have been a survivor of ALL Leukemia for 23 years now, and really wish there were books like this then. But now is when all these books are coming out, I am trying to find a book or information on how long term survivors can cope with the long term issues we face.

Topics like planning for college, buying a home, saving for retirement. These are issues my mother addressed with me, and now it is too late to start addressing these issues for me. For others it is not to late. We are surviving longer, and this is a new arena for the doctors and social workers need to address.

This is my favorite macrobiotic/whole foods cookbook. This is what I love about it:
-The easy-going no-guilt, listen to your body perspective
-All the suggestions for making healthier foods with similar textures, tastes and appearances as the less healthy more conventional foods
-The many charts, drawings, tables showing you how to diagnose what you need by the emotions you are feeling - ie do you need a cleansing meal or a calming one? Do you need to feel inspired or grounded? etc
-There is a variety of recipes
-Many recipes have suggestions for changing or adding things (which suits me just fine because I don't always follow recipes when I cook anyhow)

Overall, the book makes me feel good. It tells you to slow down, savor the food, pay attention to how it makes your body feel, understand the connection between emotions and weakness in your organs and also covers how to get sufficient iron, calcium etc on a non-dairy diet.

I highly recommend this book.

As someone who is new to the world of macrobiotics, the Self-Healing Cookbook actually became the most useful to get me started. It gives the basics but gives confidence to just jump in and begin cooking. It's a great resource.

I refer to this book often - just this morning I was feeling down and turned to the Food/Mood page. Feeling better already! I keep this one on hand for my own reference and give a copy to all my clients. - Jennifer Howe, Holisitic Health/Food Counselor (www.HoweToEat.com)

I got this cookbook because it was highly reccommended. I can see why! It gives more than just recipes, it gives you a plan to better health. I am still working through my plan but I am loving it. Great book.

I found this book to be a great resource. I am at a time in my life where I am ready to make a change and this book was the perfect introduction to a new life - consciously living healthy.

I've edited many, many cookbooks and this is one of the best! Fabulous recipes that are easy to follow and most importantly, healthy! A must have for every cookbook collector.

I love "Mr. Abe's Goody Book." I bought copies for my family last Christmas and they are all using his recipes. Mr. Sylvester has created recipes that are easy to follow. I wanted to change my eating habits and become healthier. I found this cook book helpful in changing my diet. I don't give up flavor and I don't feel like I'm depriving myself from eating what I enjoy! So far, every recipe that I have tried has turn out wonderful. Mr. Kenny Sylvester is the best chef in Mobile!!!

Incredible, that says it all. I am from the Gulf Coast and know what the great southern seafood taste like... and I did not think anyone could make a healthy dish from some of my favorite foods. Then I tried Kenny's recipes and WOW! I was astonished. Dishes like his Shrimp Creole was even better... some of the best I have ever had... No loss of taste here! And Healthy! Thanks Kenny!

I purchased my copy of Mr. Abe's Goody Book at Bebo's in Mobile, Alabama. It was bought as a gift for my sister, and she loves it. Having to pay more attention to her health, she now can easily prepare healthy meals that taste great thanks to this book. These few words of mine would be incomplete unless I gave some insight about Mr. Sylvester. Kenneth is and has always been my very best and dearest friend, and I am sure there are many others who would say the same of him. Kenneth introduced me to different cuisines as we would frequent various restaurants about Mobile during the 70's. We would eat as much as we could of whatever we wanted. I noticed a change in Kenneth in the 80's when I would visit him from Texas. Now when we would have dinner he would make comments about my menu selections of red meat and French fries, then he would proceed to lecture me about the detriments of an unhealthy diet containing excess cholesterol and fats. I figured that he knew something of what he was saying since he owned a catering business at the time. The point that I want to make is that when you purchase this book, know that in it Kenneth has combined 30 years of experience in excellent cooking with an eye towards a healthy diet and lifestyle.

Johnie Sims
Austin, Texas

Kenny's book is absolutely the best! I have found it to be easy to follow and the food is terrific. This is a must book for anyone who likes to cook.

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.

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