An accessible manual about the nuts and bolts of wellness.
In this informal self-help book, first-time author Power provides open-minded individuals with the means to take charge of their well-being and get a longer lease on life.
Power repeatedly returns to the idea of a “bubble belly,” stressing that our tendency to make light of this flaw with a pat and chuckle is a grave error. He points to this mini bulge as a frequently ignored harbinger of the damage caused to the liver and arteries due to poor diet and lack of exercise. He highlights the connection among a sedentary lifestyle, not eating well and the early onset of conditions such as heart disease, cancer and strokes. To simplify his points, Power relies on childlike illustrations that resemble those found in an old-school health textbook. Statistics, which are rarely sourced, offer a larger context for poor habits, pointing out the decade-by-decade increases in TV watching, meat and cheese consumption, and corn production, among other topics. With an index and headings like “Fresh Insights: Energetics,” the book’s structure does little to indicate what topic a chapter will address. It closes with several simple, throwback recipes (pineapple-stuffed squash or “Kaluha (sic) Chicken,” anyone?). The focus on practical nutrition, as well as embracing lifestyle changes as an alternative to overmedicating, echoes the notable documentary Forks Over Knives. Frequently, the lighthearted tone belies Power’s serious message that, for health issues, personal accountability and discipline are the best allies. The book may be simplistic and repetitive for readers already deeply concerned with their own personal well-being, but the plainspoken advice from an experienced doctor will appeal to readers newly interested in getting off the couch and stepping away from the potato chips.
An accessible manual about the nuts and bolts of wellness.Pub Date: March 21, 2013
ISBN: 978-1480118591
Page Count: 132
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2013
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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