by James Darnell ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 24, 2017
A convincing guide to achieving good health through diet.
A chiropractic physician surveys U.S. health care and suggests precautionary measures contributing to individual well-being.
Debut author Darnell has been a holistic chiropractor for 20-plus years. In this comprehensive, logical guide to modern diet and health, he emphasizes preventive care rather than treating symptoms: “Health doesn’t happen by chance. Begin sowing the right seeds now!” Early chapters contrast U.S. health care unfavorably with that of other developed countries: a life expectancy chart does not correlate in the expected way with total medical spending. Intriguing reasons are suggested for the better overall health in different countries, such as smaller portion sizes in France. Darnell lists America’s most pressing illnesses and tells how chronic inflammation leads to tissue damage. In particular, he reveals dietary factors that lead to epidemics like diabetes. Some of his bugbears are hydrogenated oils (indigestible), high-fructose corn syrup (a source of empty calories, it also blocks insulin receptors), repeated antibiotics use, and the mercury in farmed fish. Even a week of eating mainly processed foods can have a negative health effect, as a study of college students revealed. The author’s discussion of dietary and environmental toxins is sobering, but by revealing the worst offenders, he arms readers with preventive tactics: “Toxic chemicals are part of everyday life…everyone should take steps to minimize their exposure.” Methylation and pH are discussed in later chapters: eating leafy greens and consuming methylated vitamin supplements help to detoxify the body while eating a balanced diet keeps the body’s pH stable. Darnell deftly backs up his advice with references to medical journals, and the useful figures, tables, bullet-pointed lists, and “Health Tip” inset boxes make the information accessible to laypeople. It’s said that folks are “only as healthy as their” spines, and so the book closes with case studies of patients whose diverse complaints—ranging from constipation to infertility—were addressed by chiropractic medicine. Everything is explained very well. The only odd thing is the religious veneer that’s been overlaid on the book: references to the Bible and God seemingly come out of nowhere.
A convincing guide to achieving good health through diet.Pub Date: May 24, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5127-8640-8
Page Count: 166
Publisher: Westbow Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Share your opinion of this book
by David B. Agus ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 7, 2014
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
Share your opinion of this book
by David B. Agus ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 1, 2012
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
Share your opinion of this book
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.