Lifestyle Choices Books

The book is not going to tell you anything revolutionary but employs sound common sense with lifestyle changes that are proven to help you lose weight. I especially liked what she had to say about identifying the feeling of hunger, only eating when hungry, and stopping when satisfied (even if you leave food on your plate). It basically shows you how being conscious of your choices and thinking things through rather than acting on impulse can lead to healthy behavior.

Jill Fleming's book is a common sense approach to living healthy and losing weight~in that order. And it isn't difficult to accomplish these goals if we just apply a few simple lifestyle changes which Jill details in "easy to digest" form. As I was reading, I kept thinking to myself "this makes total sense, this is do-able". I even highlighted my favorite points and reference them from time to time.
It was an enjoyable, easy read and helped to kick-start my resolve of being a healthier person. It's also a wonderful gift for anyone you care about and want to be healthier.

No gimmicks, no forbidden foods, no endless chapters of vague promises about the program to be described later in the (usually too large) book. This is a slim volume of tips and facts that make perfect sense and are completely doable.

The author is a dietician who ironically packed on 40 pounds obtaining her bachelor's and master's degrees and has been through the weight-loss process herself. Unlike most "diet" books, the testimonials are kept to a minimum and there is no sales pitch for packaged foods, tapes or DVDs.

Each short chapter outlines an important step to permanent weight loss in straightforward language, and the chapters address psychological, social, and physical aspects of achieving weight loss in a healthy way.

Whether you need to lose weight because you feel unhealthy, can't deal with the huge restaurant portions presented these days, are overstressed or too busy to think about your eating habits, you'll find the information in this book helpful.

This reminds me of things I was taught when I was a little girl by mother. The simplicity of eating and staying thin before we even realized the medical reasons or the explanation and understanding of what makes us fat. We have been given so much bad information with fad diets with self proclaimed cures and treatments when it is very simple. None of the diets out there tell you to stop eating when you are full. None of them tell you to listen to your body. There are bad fats and there are bad carbs but eating healthy and not eating too much is important too and not over feeding your body. This book will get you started on small changes at a time that will help you behave and eat like a thin person until you are a thin person. It also helps you and teaches you to indentify the reasons why you abuse food. The author is also a caring individual. I e-mailed her with a question and she replied to my e-mail the very next day with an answer and words of encouragement. That in itself is encouraging. I am sick of people getting wealthy on this growing epidemic. Every other TV commericial is trying to sell you something. You buy them all and you are still fat. If you want the refreshing truth...read this book! It is easy to read and to understand.

Jill Fleming a registered dietician with an MS in nutritional science developed the THIN CHOICES program. This program reveals the habits of thin people.

In her book "Thin People Don't Clean Their Plates", Fleming reveals her techniques. The book opens with inspiring quotes from Jill's clients. In the 17 chapters that follow, Jill explains exactly what thin people do that helps them stay that way. Though the 136 page book is slim, Jill gets right to the point instead of including the extra fluff many other "diet" books do. She doesn't spend time writing about why all the other diets out there (except hers) don't work and she avoids a lot of scientific, technical chatter.

Chapters include Thin People Don't Diet, Thin People Carry Snacks, Thin People Don't Go to Bed Full, Thin People Eat Fruits and Vegetables and more.

The bottomline is the commonsense that prevails throughout the book. If you want to lose weight and maintain it you will have to eat less and/or move more. Jill tells you simple ways to do this. I especially liked her information on walking. One thing Jill shares is that a 155 pound woman who adds 1/2 hour of walking to her daily routine with no other dietary changes can lose 26 pounds a year. Sounds very doable to me!

Fleming encourages you to give up dieting and adapt an approach that you can stick with for a lifetime. Simple suggestions to incorporate into your life for wellness and a healthy slim body.

Feed Your Family Right! offers the best of two worlds: practical advice from a real-world mom combined with a well-considered, scientifically- grounded framework for success.

Many diet and exercise books assume we all have three hours a day to train and have the knowledge and discipline to eat a perfect diet.

Zied, however, does a terrific job of balancing the everyday demands of work and family with the goal of raising healthy children and being healthy ourselves.

Feed Your Family Right! is a very readable book. I enjoyed reading it, have already put its advice to work and have given it as a gift to my wife for the holidays so that we can both be on the same page!

I recently bought both of Eliza's books. They are wonerful I am changing my family over to a new lifestyle of eating healthy and her books makes it easy.
Elizabeth Quigley
www.elizabethssimplejourney.blogspot.com

As a new mom and a registered dietition myself I am always looking for great nutrition advice that applies to real life for my family and my clients. This book is filled will wonderful information that targets families and even specifies the needs for specific subgroups like babies, teens, men and women. It even addresses pregnancy needs. After reading this book I started recommending it to my clients that are in charge of their families diet and need a good at home resource. I love that it is written by a registered dietition who is trained to provide tis advice rather than other authors of books that are trying to push a fad diet or quick fix plan. It is simply a "must have" for any family trying to take charge of their health.

I'm a registered dietitian in Connecticut, and I've read Zied's book. In fact, I make it a point to keep up with all her work in the media--whether on paper, the Internet, or national TV--because she's one-of-a-kind and truly a gifted nutrition expert. I counsel patients privately, and I encourage them to read Feed Your Family Right! because I know it will help their families. What family doesn't need a positive boost with eating better? Food should be good to eat and healthful. This book will help you with that.

As a new family with a young child, we have obsessively been trying to educate ourselves about how to create a healthier and more nutritious household and family lifestyle. My husband and I recently found Mrs. Zied's book, and it struck so many chords with us. It is so obvious from the anecdotes and insights, that Elisa is speaking from her own vast experience, not just her own obviously immense expertise.

The book covers so many aspects of nutrition and age groups, that we were able to share her advice with our parents, siblings, children and even our grand parents. The section focusing on health conditions that can be addressed with proper diet was invaluable. For any family trying to establish a "plan" for healthy living, this is a "must read."

Zied's meal plans and recipes also made implementing her ideas so much easier - but, also in a much more flexible manner than most nutrition programs.

Elisa's style manages to mix in many humorous and interesting anecdotes, while imparting important messages. But, unlike many other nutrition books, she did this without being "preachy" or cretaing a difficult read. Frankly, this was one of the easiest books to digest (no pun intended...) of any in its genre. We're so impressed by these insights that we've already bought Zied's other book "So What Can I Eat?!" hoping to add to our knowledge base.

This book is full of very informative information and is a "must-read" for all businesspeople. It is part "common sense" and part "cutting edge" information for all marketers. If you want to improve your business and sales skills, this will move you in the right direction !

Mel Dang Real Estate Broker

This book has been so instrumental in helping me grow my small business. I have actually used some of the techniques suggested in the book and they have produced results! This is a "must read" for every business owner. I highly recommend this book to anyone that is looking for new and creative ideas that will increase their company's profits!

I am thoroughly convinced that Jason is a Sales genius. He puts his ideas and principles in simple easy to read concepts that you can run with at a moments notice. He makes "Selling" an art and makes you realize that focusing on how to generate long term business is the key to that art. I will be using his philosophy every single day and I am absolutely positive that I will be a tremendous success in my position in Title Sales. I can't wait for his next book as I will be the first one to buy it!!!

Jason Hartman has done a great job outlining what it means to create a brand. He discusses techniques and tools used by both the business elite and celbrities to help build their "brands," and more importantly, he gives tips on how to apply these techniques in everyday life.

Becoming the Brand of Choice is an important book for any large business, small business or entrepreneur. Jason Hartman's point about creating "clients for life," is ignored by too many in business. The hot new prospect or client is the hardest to sell. If you concentrate on the clients you already have through methods Jason emphasizes in the book (i.e. Customer Care, Collaboration, Consistancy, and Chain of Relationships) you not only get continuing business but attract new clients and customers. This is an important book and long needed on the market.

This book is short, which is great when you are running late for bedtime. More importantly, it's a lot of fun. The basic story is of the grandkids trying to scare Grandpa that all the animals have gone crazy on the farm. Grandpa, knowing that it's Aprill Fool's Day, makes the appropriate concerned noises, but his actions clearly show he is not fooled. That is, he is not fooled until a very smart Grandma tells him April Fool's Day is tomorrow. He runs out in a panic and she gets to enjoy the breakfast he made for himself before letting loose with a cheery, "April Fools." Needless to say, Grandpa looks very sheepish at the end while Grandma and the grandkids look quite pleased with themselves.

The text is simple and rhymes, which makes it enjoyable to read aloud. The illustrations are hysterical (sheep sunning themselves on beach chairs while listening to an iPod or goats wearing clothes from the laudry line are just a couple of examples) and I laugh right along with my 3 and 6 year old boys when I see them. I have read the book several times and it doesn't get tiresome. Definitely money well spent.

This is a fun and enjoyable book for young children. I teach k-3 art and was able to not only refer to the April 1 theme but to the marvelous art work as well. The pictures are very funny and the children were engaged the entire time I shared it with them.

The grandkids are visiting Grandma and Grandpa on their farm. Grandpa is fixing breakfast for everyone when suddenly his grandson bursts into the kitchen shouting "The cows have got loose! I think Big Brown Bessie just stepped on a goose!" But Grandpa doesn't respond to the news -- he just calmly pours himself a glass of milk. Grandpa is so relaxed because its April Fools' Day and the children are playing tricks! Then Grandma steps in with a trick of her own!! In creating her lyrical text for April Foolishness, author Teresa Bateman draws upon her own experiences growing up on a farm and creates a story to which Nadine Westcott's lively illustrations are a perfect complement.

Kids love to visit their grandparents, and grandparents love to have them (most of the time). A visit may hold many surprises when it begins on April Fool's Day, which is what happened when two rambunctious youngsters arrived at the farm.

Told in lilting rhyme and illustrated in bold full-page color "April Foolishness" is a merry look at that special day. Grandma begins the day as grandpa is cooking breakfast in the kitchen. She thinks, "Life on the farm keeps a gal on her toes. That's what grandma thought as she flung on her clothes."

Well grandpa needs to be on his toes, too because the first thing he hears from his young visitors is that the cows have gotten loose and one stepped on a goose. Next is the announcement that the chickens are out, and the pigs broke the gate.

Children will smile their way through this rollicking story until they learn who pulls off the best April Fool joke of all.

- Gail Cooke

Angels in the Dust is a beautifully written book about life during the Dust Bowl. The story is touching and Margot Theis Raven has a true talent of writing. The illustrations are breathtaking!!!

This is a wonderfully written book. The story is touching. The language is expressive and descriptive. The illustrations are vivid and add much to the story. This was a great book to read aloud. It can give students a taste of life in a different time and place. Wonderful!

My mom picked this book out for me and when I first saw the cover I thought to myself, "yeah right like I'm going to read this." I let the book sit in my room for a couple of days but then I kind of got interested in it. I decided it wouldn't hurt to read the first chapter. The first chapter started and then ended and then the second, the third, and so on untill the book was finished. I had read the whole book in one evening. I loved it!! Not only was it interesting and kept me wanting to read it but it was written about stuff that happens to teens like me in everyday life. I liked this book so much that I thanked my mom and had her go and buy me numbers 1-4. I've been reading the series ever since. In closing I would just like to encourage you to read this book and the others in the series! They truley are awesome!!

My mom picked this book out for me and when I first saw the cover I thought to myself, "yeah right like I'm going to read this." I let the book sit in my room for a couple of days but then I kind of got interested in it. I decided it wouldn't hurt to read the first chapter. The first chapter started and then ended and then the second, the third, and so on untill the book was finished. I had read the whole book in one evening. I loved it!! Not only was it interesting and kept me wanting to read it but it was written about stuff that happens to teens like me in everyday life. I liked this book so much that I thanked my mom and had her go and buy me numbers 1-4. I've been reading the series ever since. In closing I would just like to encourage you to read this book and the others in the series! They truley are awesome!!

Fred Birkett is not just writing about charter schools. He runs the first charter school in Harlem, New York. He is a committed instructional leader with hands-on knowledge about how to make charter schools work. Buy this book and take it from a pro.

Charter Schools, by Frederick A. Birkett, is a well-written and informative guide for anyone considering an alternative solution to traditional public school education. Like the subtitle implies, the book includes "everything you need to know to make the right decision for your child." Debate over quality education (or lack thereof) in our nation's public school system is finally drawing the attention it deserves. Although my own two children are grown and have completed their schooling, I was interested in knowing what charter schools were all about. The concept, barely 10 years old, was not in existence when my sons were in school. But, what about the next generation?

To find out about this new trend in education, I searched for that one "perfect" book that could answer all my questions. Birkett's Charter Schools was the ideal choice. In a simple, straightforward manner, the author addresses everything from "what is a charter school?" to the wide range of flexibility permitted under the charter system, and the different approaches that make each facility unique. Birkett's step-by-step process of what to look for in a system that best fits your child's needs, includes: individualized instruction, class size comparison, and overall quality. In addition, he is careful not to overlook important details as transportation and before- and after-school programs. Finally, the author offers three appendixes of valuable resource material, including--basic facts and figures; state charter granting agencies, websites, publications; and, a complete list of "existing" and "newly approved" schools. I highly recommend this book to everyone interested in the subject!

My about-to be 15 year old, only child grand-daughter is very very bright, but her parents have fairly minimal experience at college choice-making, and we all want for her to be able to leave no stone unturned in the continuingly more complex, but sometimes generous options available to the college-bound. I plan to send it to her for her June birthday. Not much glitz or teen appeal, but she has more than a modicum of tolerance for delayed gratification, and loves schools and achievement. I think this book is excellent in its approach, its readableness (neologism ?), and the broadness of its' scope. I have read a library copy and can't wait for her to own one.

I found the book to be very informative. It covers everything from what courses admission officers' like to see on transcripts, to tips on how to save money for college without having it deducted from, if your applying for it, financial aid.

The book doesn't contain anything about specific schools (like admissions, GPAs, etc..), it is more of a overview on things like deciding location, size, and other factors involved in choosing a college.

One thing I found really interesting was that the book gave all sorts of hints,tips, and facts on colleges. It also proved and disproved many myths surrounding college entrance.

Overall, being a highschool sophomore, I found it well worth the price. This book takes you from beginning to end on the ABCs of college and gives steps on how to prepare no matter what age or level you're at. It really helped me, and I would highly reccomend it to anyone who is planning to go to college and doesn't know where to start.

The flyleaf of the book features the following quote by Polly Williams: "We've got to break these chains before the system turns our children into slaves." If you haven't heard of her, Polly Williams is the African American mother and state legislator in Milwaukee that took on the failing urban public school system and has succeeded in improving the lives of her children, constituents, and maybe all of America. The school district in Milwaukee mandated where kids were allowed to go to school, and many were forced to be bused across town. Many parents applied, appealed, and reapplied to stay in their own neighborhoods, but were refused. Schools in their neighborhoods were poor, but bussing provided no advantage. "They sold us desegragation as a panacea, a placebo," Mikel Holt, the editor of the local newspaper declared. "For fifteen years we've been on a bus ride to nowhere." Daniel McGroarty describes just how bad the situation was--one student secretly took a hidden video camera into the urban school and recorded teachers reading magazines during class, students throwing spit wads, playing dice games and bragging about flunking, among other problems. But he also tells what can be done. Polly Williams wanted her children to attend the private school near to her home, and saw no reason that she shouldn't be able to somehow, even though she could not afford tuition. She formed a parents group, got articles published in the newspaper, began lobbying the legislature, and before she knew it she was arguing before the State legislature as an elected member of that body. She had to battle entrenched groups, supposedly advocates for the disadvantaged, who did everything they could to stop her from succeeding, for their own self-serving reasons. But she managed to join with conservatives and business people who wanted to see her improve education in Milwaukee, and got a limited voucher program started her district. The program started out with a proposal for 3,000 students to attend private schools. I read recently that it has now been expanded for 15,000 students. Scores are up, parents are much happier, and the Milwaukee program promises to be a successful model for choice programs all over the country. If this program can bring substantial improvements, in spite of its limited nature and many restrictions placed on it by the establishment, then there's real hope for solving education problems and lifting people out of poverty. It cannot be done by continually trying the same old reforms in the same old system though, like Grey Davis is trying to do in California. Citizens have to take hold, start having parent's meetings in their basements, and start pressuring legislators. Daniel MacGroarty tells us how Polly Williams and her friends did exactly that. I also recommend "School Choice:Why you Need It, How You Get It", by David Harmer, the author and promoter of Prop 174, the School Choice Initiative in California.

Not long after politicians discovered opinion polling did they find that there was political capital to mine from the votes of women. This was based on the observation that more single women vote liberal and, more intriguingly, tend to vote more conservatively once they have a family and children. In 1983 sociologist Brigitte Berger wrote a prescient book about the politicization of the family entitled The War Over the Family: Capturing the Middle Ground. Her recent 2002 book The Family in the Modern Age: More than a Lifestyle Choice is an apparent sequel to her earlier work. Berger, perhaps the most apolitical of all the social scientists of the family, says in her new book that the war against the family is effectively over, as both political parties in the U.S. have tried to capture the middle ground of the "family values" issue. The family may have won the political war, but, if recent literature is any indication, the ideological battle continues to be lost in academia and in the clinics of most family therapy experts. Berger finds four distinct camps battling for the "hearts and minds" of the family: the radical, the conservative, the mainstream, and the postmodern. The radical Marxist attack on the bourgeois (i.e., affluent father-mother-child) family has lost its ideological momentum or gone underground. Perhaps Sylvia Hewitt and Cornel West's The War Against Parents (1999) can be seen as an attempt by the radical wing to co-opt the political capital to be found in the family values debate. The conservative camp can be found in such books as Cameron Lee's Beyond Family Values (1998) and James Dobson's Bringing Up Boys (1999). The mainstream view is epitomized in James Q. Wilson's more recent The Marriage Problem: How our Culture Has Weakened Families (2002). The postmodern view has found a recent voice in sociologist Elisabeth Beck-Gernsheims's advocacy for family diversity titled Reinventing the Family: In Search of New Lifestyles (2002). Berger's apolitical book is a counterpoint to Beck-Gernsheim's view that families should serve political ends. Beyond the ideological and academic debates, Berger's book contains many sound sociological postulates for family policy making. Berger's sociological postulates could even make a sound basis for "family therapists," although Berger seems to avoid any sort of prescriptive advice giving. If you believe that it is critical for the family to continue to carve out an apolitical cultural sphere in society, and if you are skeptical of any grand intellectual or therapeutic prescriptions for the family, Berger's book may be for you. On the other hand, if you are looking for a book to resonate with your political views or agendas, perhaps you should look elsewhere. For another book in the Berger genre one might also see Richard T. Gill's Posterity Lost: Progress, Ideology, and the Decline of the American Family (1999).