Dieting Books

Aunt Pam and I have been working together to create a website for Butter Busters. Its online now at butterbusters.com! Be sure to check it out and come back often for new additions. We're just getting started!

This is a very inspiring book. I bought the Butter Busters cookbook years ago, and I bought this one when it came out. I've been eating and living low-fat and healthy for three years, and it has definitely paid off! This book is like a support system as well, connecting to all the other people who have found the knowledge of Pam Myscoski. There are also really good recipes in here, some for bread machines as well. Just a great book! This system of living can change your life for the better, if you let it!

With georgeous photography, and easily applied hints & tips, one can quite happily powder one's nose with some confidence after reading this book. The follow up on hair & makeup is an essential as well.

This is a great book for you inside & out, & head to toe. It gives you great basic tips on everything from skincare, haircare, nails, makeup, body, homespa, ect... I love it and always refer back to it. A must have for any skincare and natural beauty junkie like myself. My next purchase will be Jane Campsie's Hair and Makeup. (I'll let you know)

Vitalism is a profoundly science-ejected concept, though many CAM or 'natural health' cabals falsely claim that vitalism survives scientific scrutiny.

This book is a prime example of naturopathy's vitalism [aka "vis medicatrix naturae"].

I quote:

"naturopathy [...] the main aim of diagnosis is to find out how well your vital force is working [...in naturopathy,] hydrotherapy may be used to help stimulate the body's vital force [p.058]."

-r.c.

The book provides classic symptoms for inflammatory bowel
disease; such as, feeling of fullness, irritable bladder,
headache, fatigue and fibromyalgia. The authors distinguish
between mechanical digestion and chemical digestion which
is the enzyme breakdown of food in the body. IBS happens when
the muscular activity or motility is altered. Contraction
either speeds up or slows down food movements through the
digestive tract. John Hopkins University found that 6 - 8
peristaltic contractions were the ideal; whereas, IBS patients
can have as few as "0" contractions and as many as 25.
A slowdown of food movements can lead to putrification of
the food, fermentation and bacterial overgrowth. Classic
triggers of this condition are dairy, insufficient fiber,
excessive smoking, stress and certain types of drugs.
The challenge for the patient is to diarize the food each
day and the adverse reactions as a condition precedent to
managing this disease. A related work by Hamlyn recommends
the evaluation of stool samples for parasitic infection and
the sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy. Loperamide may be utilized to
reduce bowel contractions and Mebeverine is an anti-spasm
drug. Ispaghula husk may be used as a bulking agent to harden
stool prior to elimination. Peppermint oil classically relaxes
gut muscles. Hamlyn's work recommends that IBS patients
reduce sugary foods, reduce or eliminate smoking, increase
omega 3 oils and decrease milk consumption.

Jack Sprat, Low Fat is the best healthy lifestyle book (including a very conscientious 28-day example complete with "wart hog days"!) that we have ever found (I am the mom, not the 12 year old!). The authors masterfully reveal the culprits that create un-healthy eating habits, and address the issues as they pertain to the informed middle-class American culture. They soundly convince the reader of the dire importance of eating right. Even with a health background, I find that the older we get, the less time there is to committ to even our best lofty intentions of healthy changes! Bryant Stamford and his co-auther R.N. Becca Coffin do NOT endorse or promote any quick-fix or product, but prevail with undisputable common sense and digestable physiological facts the importance of living healthfully. I applaud this book! If you are an informed individual, but still looking for that perfect healthy-lifestyle resource, then look no further. You will find this book in a class of its own. I hope that you will appreciate it as much as I do.

This no-fat cookbook/diet plan/informational book is full of useful information presented in a way that is easily understood. There is a light-heartedness to the approach that keeps the information from being tedious or dull. A good guide to more heathful eating and overall lifestyle.

I know the cover of this book--a guy in shorts doing a cheerleader-type jump--may look faddish and ultra-cheese, but it really is a fantastic book. It is easy to read and easy to understand, and highly informative. Plus, the guy is realistic. No matter how good something might be for you, we have to plan our lives with a realistic view in mind. Plus the back is filled with great, easy recipes. It has an alphabetical index that tells you what different fruits and vegetables are best for. I can't wait to read Jason Vale's other books. Give it a try, I say.

This book would be an awesome addition to your health and recipe library. I didn't expect to have my life changed by reading this book, but it has done that. I would highly recommend this book to anyone. It is encouraging and fun!

Very pleased with this....have started the turbo charge my life programme...thank you - far cheaper than buying locally!

Turbo Charge is a truly original, witty and thoroughly inspiring read, that really does kick-start you into action!

After just a couple of pages I seriously couldn't put the book down. The author's chatty and humorous style makes it easy and pleasurable to read and you are left feeling empowered, more knowledgeable and genuinely motivated to go out and grab life!

Thanks to Turbo charge I am no longer deprived and on "yet another diet" My life style, health, diet and outlook have all massively improved and I am feeling slimmer and happier than I have in years - Thank you!

This was a ... sort of purchase. I bought this figuring I might find a few good dietary nuggets. To my surprise and delight, Natalie Savona has stuffed "The Kitchen Shrink" with loads of truly inspired advice and recipes. This is not the usual "stop eating xyz!" nonsense. Ms. Savona's guidelines--while not necessarily consistent--is nonetheless easy to read and easy to follow. Most importantly, her dietary suggestions just plain make sense--meaning readers are more likely to adopt them and follow them over a long period of time. In the recipe portion of the book, Ms. Savona really struts her stuff. There is an incredible variety of recipes here, and it would take years to try everything.

All in all, this is a pretty impressive volume. Well done, Natalie!

I had to admit that when I first encountered the title of this book, I succumbed to an abiding uneasiness. Who, I thought, knows better than anyone else what constitutes a healthy mind? What if there's some aspect of my brain that varies from the definition? What if I eat what she recommends and end up turning into somebody else? If I am what I eat, shouldn't I change what I eat only with the utmost care?

Further, in matters of nutrition, I am wary. I firmly believe that people do not have opinions on nutrition; they have convictions. Whenever I catch wind of a looming nutritional crusade, I run lest I be targeted as the infidel. There's nothing worse than sitting down to a meal you love and not being able to enjoy it because you're worried about what other people will think.

But Natalie Savona is not the kind of nutritional writer who thinks you should be burnt at the stake for eating burnt steak. She has attracted rather than repelled me with her concentration on the blood sugar/mood connection. In my case, she's preaching to the choir. I remember what all that ice cream used to do to me in my younger days.

The Kitchen Shrink is a beautifully produced, large format book, filled with Savona's food doctrine. Though Savona includes some interesting recipes at the tail end of the book, her writing on the food/mood connection is the gist. She comes to the point quickly. Blood sugar balance isn't the whole story, but it comes first for a reason. We've heard it before (but we can stand to hear it again): the "blood sugar seesaw" puts our bodies through an unnecessary daily workout. It makes our daily stress worse; it is itself stress. Stimulants like alcohol and coffee, sweet, sugary and starchy foods give us temporary highs, then more pervasive, longer lows.

Savona suggests adding certain foods to strengthen the adrenal gland and build up the body's ability to handle stress. "At least three times a week," she writes, "eat pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, hemp, and flax seeds and/or oil-rich fish, such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, tuna, or herring." She follows with predictable advice about choosing fresh foods, then specific advice as to which foods, vitamins and minerals enhance levels of serotonin, dopamine, and other mood maintaining neuro-transmitters. She covers familiar ground in talking about good and bad fats, essential fatty acids, and the virtues of olive oil. But then she has an interesting section I found very useful: a complete strategy to use nutrients to give the body's "waste disposal" systems, like the liver, a needed break. Fiber and water are important here, but we should also avoid processed foods, too much alcohol, too many prescription and over the counter drugs, too much food in general. For the truly motivated, she lays out a complete 21-day body cleansing program.

After a short concession to issues of food sensitivity, Savona moves on to what I consider her most original work, individual sections on how to use food to alleviate specific mind/body complaints. She covers, in turn, energy deficit, premenstrual problems, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), insomnia, binge eating, brain fog, and depression. She indexes her back-of-book recipes to menus designed for each particular problem; for pre-menstrual problems, you'll cut down on salt and perhaps start your day with Savona's "Designer Muesli," an amalgam of oats, barley, rye, wheat germ, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, raisins and dried apricots, with soy milk or yogurt. Can't sleep? Have a "Baby Spinach and Goat Cheese Salad" for dinner, or perhaps "Quinoa With Roast Vegetables." For every mood, there's a menu.

Just as Savona was seeming too much the crusader for my particular taste, she presented me with a side bar, designed to get on my good side, that conceded the value of chocolate in maintaining good mood. She even admits that this "food of the gods" (as the Aztecs originally named it) "has been scientifically shown to have built-in feel-good factors, including mental stimulants such as caffeine and theobromine," as well as the important mineral magnesium. Even though chocolate releases coveted endorphins into the brain, Savona counsels moderation because of its high sugar and fat content. (We all know that with chocolate, moderation is more easily preached than practiced.)

There's plenty of material in The Kitchen Shrink to warrant a purchase, even if you've heard much of it before. The book is truly handsome, suitable for gift giving or displaying on your coffee table. My nutrition conscious sister has already appropriated my first copy.

Food writer Elliot Essman's other reviews and food articles are available at www.stylegourmet.com

If you are curious about the low carb lifestyle, or have been living it for years, this is the book to read! Karen has done a fabulous job of putting together an easy to read, informative book that everyone can understand. From plan summaries to helpful tips, her down-to-earth explianations and experience are priceless. For only $5, no low carber should be without this book in their library.

"What can someone who's been living the low carb lifestyle for five years say about a basic book like Karen Rysavy's "Learn the Low Carb Lifestyle for 5 Bucks"?

BUY IT! This book is not only the absolute best short version of how and why low-carb works, but Karen's informal style and first-hand knowledge of the subject make this little gem a joy to read. It got me excited about low-carb all over again!

Whether you're a beginner, or a beginning-again dieter, you'll find "Learn the Low-Carb Lifestyle for 5 Bucks" a suprisingly meaty (LOL) and helpful guide to improving your health by controlling your carbs."

Andrea M. Mondello
Web editor, LowCarb Living Magazine Online
LCLmag.com

This is a great book. I have referred friends to it. Simple ideas, but put into action. Great for all ages and especially if you and a group of friends want to do it together... great for group motivation!

I absolutely loved this book!! Kelly does a great job of getting the readers involved and motivated to lose weight. After reading her book i have applied the practical weightloss techniques to my everday life.

This cookbook is awesome! The recipe Crunchy Chicken Bake was so easy to make! It was wonderful eating too! My friends enjoyed the meal as well! My friends didn't even know that the recipe was for a diabetic! All the ingredients are easily found in the grocery store! I can't wait to try even more recipes! Thank you so much!

The right foods, in the right amounts, with the right kind of preparation is a key element in the treatment and control of diabetes. In Light & Easy Diabetes Cuisine, culinary expert Betty Marks (herself an insulin dependent diabetic for 26 years) has compiled a superb collection of easy-to-make, diabetic diet appropriate, thoroughly delicious dishes that are especially appropriate for people with little or no time available for meal preparation. From Cucumber Buttermilk Soup (cooking time: 0, preparation time: 10 minutes); Crabmeat Salad (cooking time: 0, preparation time: 15 minutes); and Fusili with Sun-Dried Tomatoes (cooking time: 15 minutes, preparation time: 15 minutes); to Almond Rice (cooking time: 15 minutes, preparation time: 5 minutes); Sesame Bread (cooking time: 20 minutes, preparation time: 10 minutes); and Coffee Cream Pudding (cooking time: 0 minutes, preparation time: 25 minutes), Light & Easy Diabetes Cuisine is a welcome and ardently recommended addition to any diabetes sensitive cookbook collection.