Review of Strong Women Eat Well (Paperback)

Dr. Nelson notes that the Journal of the American Medical Association has reported that 300,000 premature deaths occur each year due to poor nutrition and physical inactivity.The book's key message is to eat mostly "real, whole foods" rather than processed ones, drink enough water, and get out and walk!
Many books on nutrition skip any discussion of water.I was pleased to see that this book did a nice job of explaining why water is so important.
Each section hit on an important point that you need to know.Whole grains solve the glycemic loading problem that causes you to stress your blood sugar levels and can lead to weight gain.You should eat lots of fruits and vegetables.Avoid salt and sugar.You can get too much calcium.Soy is a valuable source of protein.Some fats help you, and some are killers.
The book also has a fine section on how to read food labels, another on eating out, and some tasty-sounding healthy recipes.My favorite section was on what to keep in the house.
The book's simple focus on eating the right foods, avoiding the wrong foods, drinking enough water, and walking does have a downside.Each section seemed to miss at least one other point that you need to know.
Here are a few examples.With water, if you weigh more, you need more water.This book is one size fits all.Also, if you drink caffeinated beverages and alcohol, you will lose more water due to the diuretic effects of these drinks, and need to consume more water than is suggested here.
With calcium levels, research has shown that getting enough calcium doesn't seem to eliminate bone breakage.In fact, studies have shown that women in countries where they get less calcium have fewer bone breaks.It isn't clear why that's the case, so don't cut your calcium intake yet.
The book also recommends the USDA Food Pyramid and the fifth set of guidelines that came out in 2000, which doesn't reflect the latest research from all the long-term studies of how nutrition affects health as I have read about that food pyramid in other recent books on the subject.
Like most such books, there is little customization for age, sex, and blood type.
If you are looking for a book on this subject, you should also consider Healthy Women, Healthy Lives and Eat, Drink and Be Healthy which will give you more detail on these points, more information about what foods to favor and disfavor, and how each food is related to various diseases.You might also enjoy Your Body's Many Cries for Water....
After you have worked on a healther physical lifestyle, how can you improve your emotional lifestyle?In Love and Survival, Dr. Dean Ornish points out that having loving relationships helps health more than anything else.Be sure to read Relationship Rescue if you would like to work on your relationships.
Live well in all dimensions of your life!




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Review of Nutrition for Women, Second Edition: How Eating Right Can Help You Look and Feel Your Best (Paperback)

I'd been a pizza-and-macaroni-vegetarian from age 16 to 21, then I went back to meat because I was so bored, I suppose.I discovered cooking a couple years later, and was experimenting with thai, meditteranean, and french food by 25.I baked bread, I bought brie, I tried new things.Then I had my nutrition revelation, and I've been learning ever since.

About 5 years ago, I was interested in homeopathic medicine--"it's like astrology for your body!" I said to anyone who would listen to me ramble.But then I started to think more practically--I'm not going to spend hundreds of dollars on homeopathic remedies for my every ailment and neurosis.I'm already eating food.What should I really be eating to give me every chance to be healthy?

This is the book I picked up.Following its recommendations, I tested my vitals--cholesterol, blood pressure, etc.I was just fine, really great, in fact--my total cholesterol was 171 and my HDL was much higher than my LDL.But I soldiered on, figuring that was because I was young (I was 28).

One thing I remember specifically is that I took Somer's advice and wrote down those of her recommendations I was planning to fulfill.I took a look at that list a little while ago, and I did most things (except eating two to three cups of dairy a day, about which, at the time I said, "I'll try, but I doubt it!").For example, I'm eating at least 6 servings of fruits and vegetables a day--at the time, I seriously thought it would be impossible.I vowed to eat half of my grains as whole grains--now I rarely eat refined white flour or rice at all, and certainly never cook them at home.There were several others, and I've incorporated them into my daily life since then, and I have to say, I'm proud.

I had my numbers checked for the first time since then just this week.My cholesterol has gone down *40 points* from 171 to 131 in five years.My HDL to LDL is 1.7 (drs figure it differently--my LDL to HDL is .5, and my Total C to HDL is 1.7).My cholesterol counselor called me a show-off and told me at least four times to keep eating exactly the way I was eating.

Dr. Somer, thank you so much.I had no idea how to be healthy--now I have no idea how to enjoy junk.I've been overhauled.

(I'm resolved now to get some more dairy in my diet!)



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