A colorful, thorough cookbook that introduces a variety of recipes for those suffering from arthritis.
This alternative cookbook offers a variety of foods that aid in the alleviation of arthritis in the form of creative recipes that veer away from the conventional.
Baker Dan, author and chef, begins this cookbook with a detailed explanation of different nutrients and the ways in which they help control and alleviate pain from arthritis. Diagnosed with Palindromic Rheumatoid Arthritis, the author learned how to engage in alternative cooking, a process in which fewer ingredients are used to prepare meals that reduce inflammation and also satisfy the taste buds. The author posits a central theory: The effects of a food are primary, and gratification from eating is secondary. Eliminating foods that exacerbate inflammation is central to the recipes in this book, and each reader has the freedom to determine which foods to eliminate, whether that’s wheat-based ingredients, meats or certain spices. Organized into categories such as soups, salads, vegetarian dishes, quiches, fish and chicken, the author presents many tasty recipes that depart from traditional fare. For example, the popcorn salad combines popcorn and apples, while the squash soup recipe contains wild sardines. Perhaps the most compelling area of the cookbook is the vegetarian section, which contains exciting combinations, from polenta topped with avocado to seared yams and zucchini and carrots mixed with wild rice. Periodically accompanied by photos, the recipes are colorful and full of healthy nutrients while they’re also mostly light on calories and fats. Baker Dan cites reputable research in the beginning of the cookbook to support the idea that proper nutrition can replace anti-inflammatory medications that can come with a host of side effects such as memory loss, digestive trouble and insomnia. The author also lays out a three-step plan for each individual reader to discover his or her own food intolerances, which includes eliminating foods and then slowly reintroducing them to gauge physiological changes or reactions. Readers who wonder whether they suffer from gluten intolerance or negative reactions to certain foods may enjoy this particularly simple process.
A colorful, thorough cookbook that introduces a variety of recipes for those suffering from arthritis.Pub Date: Nov. 21, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-9894380-1-8
Page Count: 130
Publisher: Baker Dan LLC
Review Posted Online: April 9, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Useful but disappointingly commonplace tips.
In a follow-up to The End of Illness (2012), which explored how technological advances will transform medicine, Agus (Medicine and Engineering/Univ. of Southern California) restates time-tested but too often overlooked principles for healthy living.
The author outlines simple measures that average citizens can take to live healthier lives and extend their life spans by taking advantage of modern technology to develop personalized records. These would include a list of medical tests and recommended treatments. Agus also suggests keeping track of indicators that can be observed at home on a regular basis—e.g., changes in energy, weight, appetite and blood pressure, blood sugar and general appearance. He advises that all of this information be made available online, and it is also helpful to investigate family history and consider DNA testing where indicated. Along with maintaining a healthy weight, Agus emphasizes the importance of eating a balanced diet, with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and a minimum of red meat. Avoid packaged vitamins and food supplements, and if possible, grow your own vegetables or buy frozen vegetables, which will generally be fresher than those on supermarket shelves. The author also warns against processed foods that make health claims but contain additives or excessive amounts of sugar or fat. Regular mealtimes and plenty of sleep, frequent hand-washing and oral hygiene are a must; smoking and excessive time in the sun should also be avoided. Agus recommends that adults should consider taking statins and baby aspirin as preventative measures. He concludes with a decade-by-decade checklist of annual medical examinations that should be routine—e.g. blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol screenings, from one’s 20s on; colonoscopies, prostate exams and mammograms later—and a variety of top-10 lists (for example, “Top 10 Reasons to Take a Walk”).
Useful but disappointingly commonplace tips.Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4767-3095-0
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 30, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Oncologist Agus (Medicine and Engineering/Univ. of Southern California) predicts that the application of advanced technology for modeling complex systems will transform 21st-century medicine.
The author writes that a remark Nobel Laureate Murray Gell-Mann made to him in 2009—“Look at cancer as a system"—transformed the way he views his own specialty and the entire field of preventative medicine. It made him realize that “[r]ather than honoring the body as the exceedingly complex system that it is, we keep looking for the individual gene that has gone awry, or for the one ‘secret’ that can improve our health.” Agus writes that although the ability to sequence the entire human genome is a great step forward, it is insufficient for achieving a significant breakthrough. Even though it may start with a mutation, cancer “is a dynamic process that's happening…far from the confines of a static piece of DNA”—it involves the body's immune system, its ability to regulate cell growth, metabolism and more. Agus directs his university’s Center for Applied Molecular Medicine and is the co-founder of two personalized medicine companies, Applied Proteomics and Navigenics. His hope is that their research will contribute to developing better analytical tools for preventative medicine and for the treatment of cancers. These will address the functioning of the body as a whole, applying digital technology already used by physicists to provide virtual models of cancers and model the action of proteins that regulate cell communication in the body. He also hopes to develop tools that will provide information on the concentration of different proteins in a drop of blood taken from a patient, which may reveal the onset of disease. The author also includes some guiding principles and warnings about certain healthy practices that may not be so healthy. A refreshing change of pace in the medical field, but by venturing beyond his field of expertise to pontificate on a wide range of subjects, Agus makes his otherwise intriguing narrative difficult to follow.
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4516-1017-8
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Free Press
Review Posted Online: Nov. 5, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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