Some useful health advice can be found amid the plethora of suggestions.
A debut book pinpoints the myriad sources of stress in modern life and offers tips for coping with it.
Ben-Joseph identifies himself as a naturopath and healer; Lewis trained with him in manual physical therapy in the 1970s. The authors previously co-wrote a radio script, The 6 Ways Stress Can Kill You. This book’s title suggests a practical medical guide whereas the contents actually veer more toward holistic self-help. But the title does faithfully reflect the tone: familiar, even jokey, and reader-friendly—with plenty of exclamation points, phrases emphasized in boldface, and stock images to vividly illustrate the material. Initially, the problem is that the work doesn’t seem to be sure what it wants to be: readers must wade through 50 pages of florid meditations on the human condition (“For each of us, existing on this blue-white sphere called earth, the wheel of life continues its constant turn”), metaphorical thoughts on the seasons, and generic advice on nutrition and hygiene before getting to the matter at hand in Chapter 4. From here on, the authors break down the causes of stress into digestible sections on everything from moving problems to foot ailments. They helpfully list the effects of physical stress on bodily systems, but the suggestions are all too basic: for example, label your moving boxes; buy appropriate footwear; try earplugs. Chapter 8, disingenuously titled “Helpful Hints,” is nothing but a one-page plug for Ben-Joseph’s “Prime Longevity” supplement. Not until the 12th chapter do readers get the expected straightforward techniques for dealing with stress, such as visualization. This section plus the one on two- to three-minute exercises to alleviate stress are the most valuable, hands-on ones. But the dietary tips, again, seem self-explanatory, or too niche—perhaps echoing Jewish guidelines? (No pork or crustaceans, for instance.) A sex education lesson serves no obvious purpose, and there is some decidedly odd wording that detracts from the authors’ arguments, like “Monitor how many chews you perform with each mouthful” and “Why is the lure of dangerous men that attracts females.”
Some useful health advice can be found amid the plethora of suggestions.Pub Date: July 27, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5246-9242-1
Page Count: 251
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Review Posted Online: Nov. 3, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Hormones often upset the body's equilibrium, and Smith is here to bring back the balance. Smith has studied hormones for years, and her latest release is an encouraging summation of all her research. Her advice on how to contend with the maladies associated with hormonal change is square with the latest in medical understanding of hormonal activity (our old friends estrogen, progesterone, FSH, LH, thyroxin, etc.), and it’s all hopeful and elevating. She’s not a fan of hormone replacement therapy or supplements, preferring to address a woman’s new hormonal configuration with a combination of diet and psychological well-being. Her nutritional suggestions are of particular note: how to counter the stresses of menopause with specific dietary additions, including natural and fresh foods, fiber, calcium, water and how to turn down the hot-flash thermostat with phytoestrogens, a wide range of edibles including legumes, seeds, grains, garlic, fruits, vegetables and herbs. She also includes helpful tips for men about how to tender the right moves at the right time, ones that will make both parties happy.
Pub Date: Feb. 6, 1936
ISBN: 0310242185
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A helpful if arduous map for living a better life that certainly beats the alternative: giving up and dying.
With his health declining, McFarland took control and turned his life around.
At 52, the author was what has become your Standard American Male–obese, sedentary, hypertensive and in deep denial–when his doctor reported that he was a prime candidate for type-two diabetes. The good news is that he decided to do something about it. In frank language, he discusses his renewal strategy and the routines and behaviors for rebuilding his physical and mental health, finding balance and peace in the process. First he had to own up to his rotten condition, his blubber and sloth, and become conversant with his body’s cardiovascular needs, his metabolism, what comprises a healthy diet and his need for physical activity. Thus began his education in cholesterol, stress, midlife depression, the body mass index, blood analysis, high blood sugar and a host of other subjects–all of which he manages to convey in clarity and modest depth, despite his lack of professional training. He endeavored to use common sense in his eating and exercise, gradually creating a life script comprised of the seven Fs: Fitness (he provides a detailed, gradual program), Finding what is important in your life, having Faith in what you believe (discovering some spiritual support), eating the right Foods, time with Family, Friendships and having Fun. He consistently stresses the elemental need for self-respect; without it, he says, you won’t have the will to embark on what amounts to a complete lifestyle change.
A helpful if arduous map for living a better life that certainly beats the alternative: giving up and dying.Pub Date: Aug. 8, 2005
ISBN: 0-595-35496-3
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2011
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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