Cholesterol Books

I have long known we are fearfully and wonderfully made but now understand how true it is when reading this book and seeing how much goes into affecting our cholesterol. This book was informative and interesting.

I am very happy with the information in the book. I felt good when I took Janet's advice. I will be going to get a blood test for Cholesteral in November. I was on the diet but fell off of it while traveling for two weeks. I am back on it now. I felt a difference when I was not eating my high fiber. This is all doable. Not hard at all.

Dr. Brill brings us back to the basics. This is one of the best books I have ever read on the topic of lowering cholesterol naturally. Janet Brill is a dietitian who actually turned the tables on the approach to cholesterol; her ten steps are about things you SHOULD do, not about things you shouldn't do.

In August of this year, I started a strict diet and followed 8 out of the 10 recommendations mentioned in this book. This month (october) I had my cholesterol level checked. I was delighted to see that my total cholesterol dropped by 50 points! In addition, my triglycerides went down to an acceptable level as well. I plan to continue following the recommendations in this book and add the two that I had not been able to do (adding soy to my diet and plant sterols) in order to bring my LDL (bad cholesterol) down a little bit more. My doctor didn't think I could bring down my cholesterol this much without a drug, but I was determined to prove him wrong. I am so thankful to this author and her wonderful, easy to follow steps. It has saved my life.

From: www.BasilAndSpice.com

Book Review: Cholesterol Down by Dr. Janet Brill

Cholesterol Down is for the 105 million Americans who have high cholesterol. The author, Dr. Janet Brill, a registered and licensed dietitian/nutritionist, exercise physiologist, and certified wellness coach has spent years counseling patients on cardiovascular disease prevention, researching, and writing on the subject of cholesterol. Her work has been published in the International Journal of Obesity and the International Journal of Sport Nutrition.

Cholesterol Down provides readers with the information they need regarding cholesterol -- what it is and how it works both for and against the body. It is significantly endorsed by Dr. Jennifer H. Mieres, the National Spokesperson for the American Heart Association. She states, "The simple, consistent, and inexpensive lifestyle therapy outlined in her {Dr. Janet Brill's} Cholesterol Down Plan could be the most important investment you make in your future health." Dr. Brill explains LDL, the bad portion of cholesterol, and offers an effective combination therapy of foods, scientifically based, that are as effective as statins. Besides lowering LDL, the following ten-step program also offers further health benefits.

First, eat 1 cup of oatmeal every day. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends three whole-grain servings daily. This is linked to reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, obesity, some cancers, lower blood pressure, and improved bowel movement. Oatmeal lowers LDL, may raise HDL--the good portion of cholesterol, and studies show that the more consumed, the greater the benefit.

Second, eat a handful of almonds daily, approximately 30. In addition to warding off heart disease, they also are particularly preventive toward colon cancer, and help with weight loss. The FDA, American Heart Association, and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute all recommend eating almonds to lower heart disease risk, possibly by 50%.

Third, eat at least 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed daily. Flaxseed has been shown to be preventative toward breast, colon, and prostate cancers, and is known to lower LDL cholesterol and aid in brain functioning.


Fourth, consume 3 grams of psyllium husk daily, gradually increasing to 10 grams. For the average consumer that means Metamucil. Dr. Brill states that psyllium husk, the active ingredient in Metamucil is "the most powerful LDL-lowering viscous soluble fiber in existence....For every 10 grams of total dietary fiber intake per day, risk of heart attack dropped by an estimated 14% and risk of dying from the disease by 27%." Metamucil also promotes digestion, moving toxins out of the body quickly.

Fifth, eat ½ cup of beans, peas, or lentils daily. Legumes help reduce blood pressure, provide minerals and vitamins, phytochemicals, and antioxidants. Beans help fight obesity, diabetes, constipation, hemorrhoids, and various cancers--lung, colon, breast, esophagus, and stomach.

Sixth, eat an apple every day. Pectin, the soluble fiber within the apple lowers LDL cholesterol. Apples also help maintain a steady blood sugar level, aid in weight loss, provide nutrients, antioxidants, and tannins helpful with preventing urinary tract infections. The fruit is known to promote healthy lung function as well.

Seventh, consume 2-3 grams of phytosterols per day at two separate meals. This chapter is titled, "Step 7: Eat Margarine with Phytosterols." During the last twenty years we've been moving away from margarines. But recently, new healthier versions -- those without hydrogenated oils and now containing phytosterols, have arrived in the supermarket. The National Cholesterol Education Program asks Americans to eat 2-3 grams of phytosterols daily, to aid in cholesterol reduction by 6-15 percent. Phytosterols are also a protection against colon, breast, and prostate cancers. I highly recommend this chapter is thoroughly read by consumers to raise awareness of how their purchases affect their bodies. A small decision such as which type of margarine to use can yield significant results.

Eighth, eat 20-25 grams of soy protein every day -- also recommended by the U.S. government. This Dr. Brill says, does not include soy oil nor soy sauce. Soy consumption reduces risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and various cancers. It promotes kidney function in diabetics, prevents osteoporosis, eases menopause symptoms, and possibly prevents male balding.

Ninth, eat a clove of fresh garlic and one Kyolic One Per Day Cardiovascular aged garlic extract supplement daily. Modern research reveals garlic's effectiveness against cholesterol. Garlic is also the food of history used for bacterial, viral, parasitic, and fungal infections. Its phytochemicals work naturally against stomach, colon and larynx cancers. Further research shows positive results with garlic's use in possibly treating leukemia.

The last step of the Cholesterol Down Plan is to walk for 30 minutes every day. The American Heart Association regards the lack of physical activity as the biggest risk factor for heart disease. Exercise prevents diabetes, increases length of life, lowers LDL cholesterol, reduces risk of breast and colon cancers, prevents loss of muscle mass, reduces risk of senility, and will save you money when compared with those who are sedentary.

Dr. Brill provides a fresh approach to cholesterol reduction in her simple ten-step plan, freeing patients of undesirable prescription drug side effects. The book includes a daily checklist, a progress chart, meal plans, and recipes. Cholesterol Down: 10 Simple Steps to Lower Your Cholesterol in 4 Weeks -- Without Prescription Drugs should be read by every person with high LDL cholesterol, or who is at risk of heart disease. An affordable paperback and a best-seller, it receives 5 Stars.

A goldmine of information about the scandal of statins. However, it was a much harder slog than the other book with exactly the same name, by Dr Malcolm Kendrick. Both books contain basically the same information but the Kendrick book is also highly entertaining and therefore a pleasure to read - and a third of the price.

For several years I have read multiple research papers and other scientific literature regarding cholesterol and the effects of treating "elevated" cholesterol. This book gives remarkably extensive and contemporary as well as historic scientific information that should help people learn the truth about this subject. It is unfortunate that it will probably take another 10 years before the medical community comes to its senses about "treating" cholesterol. This book is not for the casual reader, however. Expect a lengthy discussion, though logical. Neil Hall, MD

Anthony Colpo demolishes the popular theory that high cholesterol, or even high LDL levels, cause coronary heart disease (CHD). He does this through painstaking, but compelling research, which few doctors have the time to perform. He deconstructs studies and clinical trials going back, in some cases more than fifty years, to show how the results of these trials have been either ignored or manipulated by interested parties, chiefly pharmaceutical companies. This industry has succeeded in brainwashing the medical profession to encourage the use of statins, now the most widely prescribed drugs in the world. This is must reading, not only for anyone who has been told that they need to take statin drugs, but for anyone interested in health care today.

Well I haven't read the book so technically I shouldn't be reviewing it but here's some statistics that may be useful for some. I'd likely be more inclined to give it a bad review as is the case with most of these books the author is ludicrously biased (including statistically) and goes off on an egocentric diatribe. That said, since I've not read it and wouldn't presume to know it I've decided to be sporting and give it 5 stars.




Choose whether to take statins for yourself

Heres a summary of the most important if not all the data


CHOLESTEROL TREATMENT TRIALISTS COLLABORATION META-ANALYSIS OF ALL THE DATA. LANCET 2005:366:1267

Secondary prevention (if you've already got some form of vascular disease such as a previous heart attack or stroke):Number needed to treat:21 over 5 years to prevent one vascular event. ie. This means to prevent one person from having a stroke or heart attack 21 people would have to be on statins for 5 years .

Primary Prevention (if no established cardiovascular disease), in high risk patients: Number needed to treat of 40 over 5 years to prevent one event



FURTHER METANALYSIS OF THE PRIMARY PREVENTION TRIALS LANCET 2007:369:168. They found for patients with no pre-existing cardiovascular disease
1.No evidence of reduction in total mortality
2.Overall cardiovascular events reduced with statins (NNT OF 67 over 5 years)
3.Analysis suggests benefit is only seen in high risk men aged 30-69 (NNT 50)
4.Women did not seem to benefit, nor anyone over the age of 69


If you get side effects ask yourself if the benefits listed above are worth it.

Colpo writes in clear, engaging and flowing prose. The title does not convey the many other health myths he takes to task using Randomized Clinical Trials as much as possible and keeping an eye on statistical significance. Here is a partial list of the most striking conclusions drawn by the author:

1. Higher than average cholesterol is protective against CVD in those over 50, a population that is much more prone to CVD than young people. The very slight evidence for lower cholesterol being protective appears only in much younger subjects, who are at very low risk in the first place.

2. High cholesterol is protective against infection, including even by HIV. Low cholesterol, below 160 mg/dl is associated with increased mortality in all age groups but markedly so in the very old. It's worth noting here that most lab tests show reference ranges for total cholesterol that go from 200 mg/dl down to zero, that is, having zero total cholesterol, which would certainly be fatal, falls within the normal range given by most testing labs.

3. The supposedly heart-healthy polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are more prone to oxidation than saturated fats. Oxidized LDL is an emerging risk factor thought to aid in the formation of arterial plaque. The body incorporates dietary fats into LDL particles. Thus, consuming the more readily oxidized fats is likely to increase CVD risk by raising oxidized LDL levels, which by the way are not influenced in the least by the level of LDL cholesterol. Saturated fats, due to their lack of double bonds, are more stable and less prone to oxidation. Polyunsaturated are the most easily oxidized followed by the monounsaturated fats. Skip the vegetable oils says Colpo even the ones free of trans fats.

4. High fasting blood sugar is a much better predictor of CVD as compared to standard cholesterol tests, which are almost worthless, yet most people have never had their fasting serum glucose measured. It's an inexpensive test that can be performed by any lab.

5. The French paradox is not so paradoxical. The French have one of the lowest rates of CVD in Europe and yet eat the most saturated fat. According to Colpo, wine consumption is not the correct explaination as the Italians also drink lots of red wine. It only seems paradoxical if one believes the dogma that saturated fat is a killer. Colpo argues that stress is a true risk factor. Stress is lowered and the post-meal rise in blood sugar is muted when one takes a relaxed attitude towards dining, as the French are famous for.

6. Vegetarianism is not so healthy. Colpo does advocate eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables but shows that meat is also of great value. Studies showing the benefit of excluding meat are subject to confounders (vegetarians excercise more and smoke less, for example) that when corrected for result in no benefit to vegetarians.

7. Colpo is a low carb advocate in order to control blood sugar but he is not fond of extreme ketogenic diets.

8. High iron stores are a risk factor for CVD. In Colpo's view this is the reason pre-menopausal women (due to monthly blood loss) have a lower CVD risk than men and post-menopausal women. Pre-menopausal women retain much less iron, which is a pro-oxidant. See point 3 above. Colpo suggests testing serum ferritin levels to determine if one has too much iron. Colpo thinks the standard upper limit given for ferritin by most labs is way too high. So, if your doctor says you have normal iron stores check the reading yourself. Colpo also suggests methods to lower iron levels if too high.

The name of the book is the new 8 week cholesterol cure and it is a fabulous book with plenty of informaion and tips on lower choleterol. I would recommend this book to anyone with heart problems as it gives great advice on all things to do with heart disease and how to keep choleterol down.

I bought this book to help reduce my recently diagnosed high cholesterol problem. I'm an RN and found this book very inspiring and informative. I highly recommend it and am using most of his suggestions. The best book I have found on the subject & I have lowered my LDL and raised my HDL. Now I am trying his weight loss ideas that cover one chapter and suggest restricting carbs. I started that today. This book is worth the money and the author also writes a newsletter that you can subscribe to.

Amazing results and pretty easy! Believe me, you can lower that colesterol and still eat well! Following a few suggestions in this book--I wasn't even that strict---oat bran, niacin, more vegatables, avoiding transfats ect, my total colesterol dropped 116 points in SIX WEEKS! My "bad" colesterol went from 177 to 80. The book is easy to read and you will learn tons about how your body works.

I got my total cholesterol down from 275 to 191, Triglycerides down from 221 to 96. LDL down from, 182 to 118 and HDL up from 49 to 54.
This was accomplished in 10 weeks by rigidly sticking to the zero saturated fat recommendation and half heartedly trying the Niacin regimen.
I cut out cheese, milk, whole eggs, etc. and substituted with olive and canola oils.
I have since ramped up the niacin regimen to the complete doses recommended by the book and will see if I can improve on these already impressive numbers.
Try it, it works.
UPDATE - 10 weeks after the review above I had my lipids checked again and my total cholesterol is now 133; that's pretty amazing considering my
total was 275 just five months ago and I have not taken any prescription medications. My LDL is now 75 (down from 182) and my triglyserides are now 71 (down from 221). I am actually concerned my cholesterol may now be too low. Great advice!

This book is an excellent read with practical, easy to follow diet changes. My cholesterol went from 257 to 187 in 3 months time. In addition to reading this book, I used recipes from the American Heart Assoc. cookbook, excersized almost every day, and read the "Cholesterol Down" book. This book has helped me understand how to change my life for the better, giving me the information to understand why I needed various diet adjustments.
In particular, I really enjoy the muffin recipes in the back of the book. And typically eat 2-3/day! Benecol also now makes a chewy caramel that I used to help get my intake of plant stanols/sterols as per the recommendations.

Just looking through the chapters I was in awe at the far reaching extent of Vegan Fire & Spice ... Close to Callalou, Nigerian Peanut Soup, Majorcan Baked Vegetables, Turkish Eggplant, Moroccan Spiced Carrots, Vegetable Samosas, Vindaloo Vegetables, Fusian Asian Noodles, Hunan Fried Rice, Indonesian Coconut Rice ... I could easily go on as this cookbook has around 200 savory recipes. Yes, savory. I have to admit, as much as I love dessert, I find the baked goods and sweets recipes often overwhelm vegan cookbooks. Robin gets right to the point, offering tons of recipes for everyday meals. And I do mean everyday. While the flavors may be exotic, the ingredients are surprisingly accessible. Most of the recipes can be whipped up using ingredients I readily stock in my pantry. Somehow Robin has fused dozens of international flavors with American staples, no easy task I am sure!

As for the layout, the cookbook is divided by region, The Americas, Mediterranean Europe, The Middle East & Africa, India, and Asia, with a recipe guide at the beginning of each regional section. The recipes are listed as appetizers, soups and stews, salads and sides, main courses, or dressings, sauces, and condiments. With a well-stocked spice rack and pantry (rice, lentils, canned tomatoes, canned beans, peanut butter, etc.), and a week's worth of basic perishables (bell peppers, potatoes, eggplant, onions, carrots, etc.), most of the recipes are just minutes away. Some of the recipes do call for tofu, tempeh, or seitan, which are pretty easy to find, even at traditional grocers, and common staples in many vegetarian diets. Since I don't typically purchase these ingredients, I opted to stick with the all-vegetable recipes (of which there were many), but you can also substitute another protein (I know, it's a vegan cookbook, but it's still versatile!).

In our earlier years my husband and I loved to challenge one another with douses of hot sauce, but these days we prefer our meals filled with flavor, not heat. Luckily, it really was easy to adjust the heat in these recipes, using just a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes when a ½ teaspoon was called for, for example. Also, Robin uses little chili peppers at the top of each recipe to denote the natural heat (when unadjusted) of each recipe, ranging from one to three chili peppers.

This book has become on of my favorites in my collection of about 30 vegan cookbooks. (My husband can't believe there are that many vegan cookbooks in print!) We love spicy food around here and let's face it, many vegan recipes could use a little more spice. There are several things I like about this cookbook. One is that it's divided up into sections: American, Mediterranean & Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia and India, so wherever you're taste buds are taking you that day, there's a section that will probably suit your fancy.

The recipes I've tried so far (a lot!) have all been good and are pretty easy to make. You can also vary the heat by ramping up or cutting down on the spice amounts. The author is somewhat conservation by my tastes on the amount of spiciness overall. Most are even better after a day or two in the frig so I usually double or triple the recipes. So far my family has liked everything I've made from this book and I've even served a couple of the dishes to guests who were mainly meat and potatoes people and have gotten rave reviews.

If you want to add a little spice to your life and want something a little different than your average vegan cookbook, I highly recommend this one. Two thumbs up!

After a three week culinary trip around the world I still can`t wait to sample another of these tasty dishes. So far, none has proven disappointing.
Some are pretty close to recipes in "Vegan Planet", the other cookbook written by Robin Robertson I own, but, as I love hot and spicy food, those additonal recipes make it worthwhile buying this collection.By the way, the vegetable broth in "Vegan Fire and Spice" is much better than the one in the above mentioned book.
Cook with this book and you won`t miss animal products at all.

I bought this book a few weeks ago for my vegetarian daughter. She has cooked many different recipes from it and they are all great. I think that we'll throw out all our other cookbooks. This is the only one that we now use. My husband and I have stopped eating meat since my daughter's cooking is so good. The meals are rich and hearty, and they don't need meat to make them great. Robin may be a couple of new vegetarian converts soon!

I always know that if Ms. Robertson is the author, the recipes will be wonderful. Vegan Planet is my most used cookbook but Fire and Spice is certainly competing for number one. All of the recipes I have made to date are easy and taste delicious. The quinoa stuffed avocados is a perfect recipe to serve to guests. it is both easy and colorful. I just made the Garlic Soup yesterday and it is absolutely delicious!

Thanks so much, Ms. Roberston; keep them coming!

Well, being a French trained cook, I didn't believe there was life without butter, creme fraiche, or triple cream cheese. A wake-up call of high cholesterol made me look for a tool to help reduce my numbers.

This appealing book has certainly helped me change my lifestyle into a healthier one. Her book, with excellent food resources and recipes has kept me interested and satiated for over a year! I have dropped 50 points and plan on giving a copy to my primary care physician for her office. I don't even miss those high fat ingredients of yesteryear. (ok, maybe a little!) Thanks, Catherine for your creativity and meticulous and delectable recipes. I await volume 2!

Following the advice in this book reduced my total cholesterol by 30 points, and my waistline by 15 pounds! No other book has been able to deliver like this one. I'm never bored by the recipes, and Jones makes it easy to shop, eat, and live a healthy life. Totally delectable and worth every penny.

We're discovering this cook book and we're just loving it. Last night we did a vegetarian meal that featured the Healthy Lentil Salad with Tomatoes and Radishes, Hearts of Palm, Tomato and Asparagus Salad, and the Romaine Lettuce with Chickpeas, Feta and Lemon Shallot Vinaigrette.... DELISH and totally filling.

We're also big fans of:

Chicken, Arugula, Sun-Dried Tomato, Olive, and Feta Cheese Pasta Salad
Chicken Fajitas with Homemade Guacamole (YUM! - Served it at a dinner party and it was a huge hit)
Feta and Fresh Basil Chicken Burgers
Turkey Loaf
Southwestern Breakfast Burrito

The recipes are very easy to make. The ingredients affordable. And the taste is something everyone in the family will appreciate!!!

I have loved all the recipes so far. Recipes use some of the same ingredients so that you don't have to spend tons of money. Nice information sections of foods to stay away from and why. I feel heart healthier already.

This book has a very good introduction on how to change the way you cook and eat. The recipes are simple and easy to prepare. Basically shows how to replace high calorie ingredients with low-fat, non-fat ingredients. Quite good overall.

I went directly to Amazon and purchased this cookbook after borrowing it from a co-worker. It's a terrific find using modern-day, healthy products, such as egg substitutes and yogurt. All the recipes I've tried are especially yummy, and even better, provide guilt free eating! Pork Chops and Applesauce: A Collection of Recipes and Reflections

This is the best cook book that I have ever used. I am just amazed; I can cook healthy with food that I actually use on a daily basis. Usually when I try and cook a healthy meal for my family, I have to go to a health food store, like Trader Joes, just to find the ingredients.

Bought our copy years ago, and now buying one for our daughter who also loves the recipes. It uses actual brand name ingredients, so it's easier to follow the recipe. One of my favorites is the BAKED cordon bleu, which has also become a favorite of my younger daughter. We've got it tabbed,since we use it so much. At this cost, certainly worth it, and its gold/silver edged pages and hardcover make it an excellent gift for many occasions.

I borrowed a copy of this from my secretary and then had to get my own copy. The food is so good, you don't realize that you're eating healthy! I have yet to find a recipe that hasn't turned out to be very delicious in the book. I highly recommend it.

This is a great cook book. There are so many wonderful dishes to choose from. It is a must have.

my mother recieved a copy of this book when she had her open heart surgery. i have read it and have been hooked on it ever since. when i lost my mother my sister got rid of the book before i could get to it. i was extremely glad i found it on amazon,com after my own heart attack. it is a lifesaver.

After my father had an emergency triple-by-pass, our entire family experienced a "wake-up call" and finally decided to start learning about our hearts and how to eat for better heart health. One by one, each of us has bought a copy of this book--it is SO well written and Mr. Piscatella explains everything so well that it makes you excited about eating healthier. He is also very realistic about what it takes to change habits you've developed over many years. The first half of the book is all of the background information you need and the second half is the cookbook portion. The recipes are a helpful way to get started in your new appraoch to cooking and eating! Do yourself a favor and get this book--and get one for others in your life who need to take better care of their heart!

I started using this book for my husband. He as a combination of bad genetics and scant will-power. The dishes are very easy to make, most of the ingredients are already in your kitchen, and best of all, they are delicious. It is very easy to follow and you can't believe you are eating so healthy because it tastes so good.

In this cookbook designed for the heart patient, Piscatella devotes the first half to discussion of heart disease, cholesterol, unhealthy elements of American diet, and a seven-step plan to change eating habits - including reductions of fat, salt, sugar and even restaurant eating.

The second half introduces the recipes, accompanied by nutritional information, variations and serving suggestions. Recipes range from Italian vegetable soup to grilled swordfish steak, chicken curry and barbecued lamb roast. There's even a pie crust recipe. With an emphasis on herbs and judicious use of small amounts of fat, recipes are attractive as well as healthy.

I just bought this book for my husband and me, and I can't put it down. The information in the first half of the book is priceless. It goes in-depth about not only the workings of the heart and the causes of coronary heart disease, but also contains a step-by-step guide for how to change your lifestyle to prevent, control, or even reverse heart disease. The recipes in the second half are delicious and practical, if somewhat pricey. The author's focus is on presenting a practical, "do-able" approach to health, and he certainly achieves that. If you aren't buying it for yourself, buy it for your kids... their future dietary habits are determined by how they eat today. And "traces of the disease are common in American children by age 10" (p. 25). I'm buying another one for a friend.

Statins are toxic and unsafe at "effective" doses. Once the truth comes out, the pharmaceutical industry will collapse and will likely take us M.D.'s down with them. Can't say we don't have it coming, though.

In practical terms, it is difficult to get the word out. The propaganda on statins is pervasive, and any time you tell a patient the truth, they look at you like you just told them the earth was flat. The other docs in the community may start thinking you're a crackpot as well, and perhaps stop referring patients your way.

Cholesterol is a great moneymaker for primary docs. Periodically, patients come in to get checked, get a prescription for Lipitor, and from then on every 3-6 months will require LFT's to check liver and recheck cholesterol. Between then, the patients will come in to be evaluated for side effects (GERD, memory loss, myalgia, etc). Anyway, good book.

I am interessted in both standard and alternative medical treatments. My doctor has prescribed Lipitor for me to control my cholesterol. Shane Ellison is an experienced pharmaceutical chemist who has broken ranks with the "standard march to the drumbeat" group to share his knowlege of helpful alternatives which he feels will work just as well, if not often better, than standard prescription products. In so doing, he feels there is also greater savings and less chance of experiencing dangerous side effects. The reader is then left to weigh the information, share concerns with their health care professional and move forward from there, armed with additional information enabling one to make more confident decisions. Definitely a highly interesting read!

I purchased this book not knowing much more than about the title. Book arrived in timely manner. Content of book was wonderful and informative. Combined with two other books I purchased of similar material, this book helped me understand the truth regarding statins in a way I certainly had not before.

This is an awesome book on the subject matter and should be read by EVERYONE, including everyone in the medical field and every other field you can think of. It should be required reading for ALL "Big Pharma" sales representatives...It would give them a real "fuzzy" feeling about their JOB....BUY this book and reccomend it to everyone you know, or even think you know... TODAY!!

This Book is as Must for everyone who is fooled by the Drug companies and their Doctors who are controlled by the Big Pharma.
Don't walk to get this Book RUN!!!!!!!

I bought this book several years ago used and have dog earred most of the pages.
The recipes are simple for the most part with common ingredients. Some of the recipes are a little bland for my taste but are easily tweaked to provide more robust seasoning. Many rely on pasta as a main ingredient.
There are lots of suggestions on ways to use tofu and how to make it family friendly including many that I've never seen anywhere else.
There are tons of recipes to make creamy sauces with less or no fat.
Anyone looking to reduce their fat or explore vegetarian eating should consider this a staple in their recipe collection.

My sister gave me this book years ago. Not being into cooking at the time, I didn't even open it until recently. I've discovered a new hobby and a new joy---cooking! For a total novice like me, the authors make it simple and easy. Their recipes are excellent...full of flavor, using spices well, tasty but low fat. I am especially enjoying their section on grains and am having an adventure experimenting with millet, kasha, and brown rice. I would imagine that more experienced cooks too would like this book; there are some recipes that look more complex. But the 9-10 ones that I've tried have been quick and easy for a beginner. If you want healthy, vegetarian food that tastes great and doesn't require you to be a gormet chef, get this book!

Finally a vegetarian cookbook without all kinds of bizarre ingredients to track down...I have numerous vegetarian cookbooks, but this one is one of my favorites !

I love this cookbook. I've had it for years and have tried countless recipes, all of which turn out deliciously. Alot of the recipes can be made in little time, and with common ingredients. They are also economical, easy and delicious. It has something for an elegant dinner and something for a quick and easy dinner. GET this book. It is totally worth it.

originally purchased this cookbook for the nutritional breakdown that is listed @ bottom of every recipe, I was watching my protein level due to some disturbing numbers from medical tests,I
found that I liked every recipe I tried they all tasted really good, a few of them were a little bland but simply by slightly increasing the spices that they called for took care of that. Not only were the recipes good but my cholesteral improved from 256 to 172, blood sugar greatly improved, I've lost weight as long as I stay with it, and too much protein situation improved to the point of seeing the specialist every 6 months instead of every 6 weeks. I feel much better eating this way, a big thanks to the author.

If you have a typical headache, you can count on aspirin, acetaminophen or ibuprofen to bring relief. If you have a stuffed nose and can't breathe, Nyquil or another decongestant will provide easier breathing for sleep. On the true preventive side of things, having a pregnant woman take folic acid and other supplements absolutely prevents neural tube defects. And making sure that growing children consume calcium and get sun exposure (or take Vitamin D) absolutely prevents rickets and other bone problems.
So does taking a statin reliably prevent a heart attack? Absolutely not! The true statistics show that statins might lower the absolute risk of a cardiac event by just one or two percent over placebo. But the drugmakers use a statistical trick called "relative reduction in risk" to artificially boost this small difference, which is the way they've convinced their sales people and the prescribing physicians to believe in this giant scheme. If 7 percent of placebo users suffer a cardiac event over five years, while about 5 percent of statin users have one, that's an absolute reduction of just 2 percent over five years. But the drugmakers state publicly that it's a "relative reduction in risk" of almost 30 percent, which mathematically is correct. But it's not ethically correct, in my judgement.
And for that one or two percent increased chance of avoiding a cardiac event, side effects occur in far greater percentages of users, and some of these side effects are severe and dangerous. Dr. Graveline's important book points this out in truthful, objective and honest ways. In fact, numerous studies have shown that statins do not increase mortality statistics.
As Dr. Kauffman, Dr. Rosch, and the other reviewers have written, Dr. Graveline's book is a critically important one. It should be required reading for all prescribing physicians.

The best I have ever read about the side effects of Statin Drugs. Dr Graveline not only deals with the side effects. He also goes into the mode of action of the drugs and what happens on the cellular level. What cholesterol is and why it is so important to our well being. If fact too little cholesterol and we die.
The book is written so non-medical consumers can easily understand what he is talking about.
If you are taking a statin or a Doctor is trying to put you on a statin. THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ. It might just save your life or keep you from having severe debilitating side effects.
I have taken the book and put together a power-point presentation to present to the Rotary Club. Everyone needs to be made aware of the danger of statin drugs. No one presents this any better than Dr Graveline.

This book provides an insight into how our bodies deal with statins. It is written by a highly qualified medical doctor, who is known internationally for his work. He discusses the side-effects of statin medication from the unique viewpoint of examining the cases he has collected over time and placed into a respository of statin side-effects. He has used that information to guide his own researches into the unwanted effects that statins produce in the human body.

Dr Graveline focusses on the mechanisms that produce the side effects . This is the sort of information that ordinary people will not find very easy to discover. The internet may well supply readers with much of this information in some form, if one could be bothered to dig it up and then filter out all of the tales that mark out the information as personal. Dr Graveline has rendered a valuable service to all statin users, by writing this book. He deserves our thanks for unravelling the language that keeps all non-medically qualified people in the dark, when it comes to our health. This book ought to be in every medical practitioner's personal library, because it is a prime example of what can happen to patients when clinicians do not listen to what their patients are saying to them. This book is highly recommended, especially if you really do want to know more about which adverse effects may be caused by statins.

Dr. Graveline is unfortunately one of the very few who has looked with superb detail into the side effects of statins, a class of drugs that is a true chain saw to the base of the trunk of one of our most important biochemical trees. In order to affect one important limb, the one making cholesterol, ALL other branches are similarly deprived of the same vital building blocks. It is here that Dr. Graveline has done marvellous work in pointing out some of these 'side' effects. Some branches will have fewer leaves [think: muscle strength], fewer fruits [think: cognitive effects] or fewer flowers [think: cancer in the elder].
It is sad if not plain dangerous that probably the vast majority of the doctors who prescribe these drugs do so without the fundamental knowledge that this book and other Graveline work provides. Statins affect every system in the body and doctors and patients should be aware of these effects, some of which are certain, some rare but all are real.

This concise but comprehensive compendium not only lists the cornucopia of statin side effects, but also clearly explains the mechanisms of action responsible for their insidious side effects. Many of these dangerous complications, including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders that have been skillfully concealed or denied by statin manufacturers are just now beginning to surface. As Dr. Graveline emphasizes, in blocking cholesterol, which is essential for neuronal communication in the brain, statins also interfere with the synthesis of Coenzyme Q10, dolichols and NF-kB (nuclear factor kappa B), vital nutrients crucial for energy production, neuropeptide synthesis and proper immune system function. He also discusses the important role of homocysteine in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and the fallacies of current dogma that perpetuates the high fat diet high cholesterol heart attack myths. Equally valuable is a chapter devoted to statin alternatives that are certainly much safer and can be more effective for many, especially senior citizens and women of any age. The author, who is a physician with impressive credentials, became interested in this subject after suffering two episodes of global amnesia. His previous book, Lipitor, Thief of Memory, details this and similar memory problems experienced by many others. Since then, he has established a web site www.spacedoc.net that now includes reports of over 7,000 patients who have experienced documented statin side effect. As also emphasized, statins have been the best selling drugs ever for several years. This meaty book should be required reading for the many millions of patients that take them and the hundreds of thousands of physicians who prescribe them.

Paul J. Rosch, MD, FACP
President, The American Institute of Stress

Clinical Professor of Medicine and Psychiatry
New York Medical College

Honorary Vice-President
International Stress Management Association