An Illustrated Guide to Your Muscles in Action

Anatomy for Strength and Fitness Training: An Illustrated Guide to Your Muscles in Action

by Mark Vella

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Book Review
Learn how your muscles work before you work your muscles

Perfect for beginning and advanced fitness practitioners alike, this is an in-depth look into the most magnificent machine ever created, the human body. Using detailed anatomical illustrations, Anatomy for Strength and Fitness Training provides you visual insight into what happens to this organic machine during exercise, muscles and tendons working in concert to strengthen your body's building blocks.

With a basic knowledge of how the body works, you can buff up your body with the book's 90 exercises, grouped by body region and involving gym machines, free weights, and body weight/stretching, as well as yoga and Pilates. Each exercise is vividly illustrated by a full-color anatomical illustration of the targeted muscles, together with instructions on execution and technique.

About the Author
Mark Vella has been involved in the field of health and fitness for more than 15 years as a personal trainer, lifestyle counselor, and massage therapist. He lectures to fitness professionals on a variety of health science topics.

Dr. Nick Walters, an exercise physiologist with more than 20 years' experience, is the vice principal and head of research at the British College of Osteopathic Medicine in London.

Fitness Myths

Maybe you already know that “no pain, no gain” is a fitness myth. You don’t gain from pain; instead, if you workout until (or after) you have pain, you can injure yourself.

Fitness misconceptions such as “no pain, no gain” or “women who lift weights get bulky muscles” abound (that second belief is also not true, our biology makes it nearly impossible). Because of such erroneous ideas, many of us exercise incorrectly or avoid being physically active at all.

Even if you don’t fall for the two fitness follies above, there are plenty more you might believe. Here are 7 common exercise misconceptions, with realistic suggestions for effective activity:

Fitness Folly #1: Ab Crunches Will Flatten Your Mid-Section
How many sit-ups or crunches does it take to turn tummy fat into tight muscle? The answer is: none—you can’t turn fat tissue into muscle. Contracting your abdominal muscles in a crunch “will strengthen those fibers, but has nothing to do with the fat sitting on top” of those muscles, says Kathy Stevens, MA, a fitness consultant in Ranchos Palos Verdes, CA.

Stevens calls it “wishful thinking” to believe that exercising one spot on your body will take off fat in that location. “We want to hold onto that belief, even though we’ve been told time and time again that there’s no such thing as spot reduction,” she says. “Fat loss is systemic.”

100 Days of Weight Loss

100 Days of Weight Loss: The Secret to Being Successful on Any Diet Plan

by Linda Spangle

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Book Review
Going on a diet is easy, staying on a diet is hard and it is the consistent, long-term lifestyle change that results in real success. This book is not a diet but a diet companion. There are 100 short lessons that provide coping skills, behavioral tools, and personal growth ideas that serve as a companion and encourager and give dieters the daily strength to stick with their resolution. Spangle tackles the emotional and psychological issues of weight loss, which is missing from most diet plans. They tell you what to eat. 100 Days of Weight Loss gives you the personal tools to make the right choices.

About the Author
A registered nurse with a masters degree in Health Education, Linda Spangle is the owner of Weight Loss For Life, a highly successful coaching and education program in Denver, Colorado. She specializes in helping people deal with the emotional and psychological issues of weight loss as well as healthy eating and exercise. Linda is the author of the nationally-acclaimed book "Life is Hard, Food is Easy: The 5-Step Plan to Overcome Emotional Eating and Lose Weight on Any Diet."

The Relaxation & Stress Reduction Workbook

The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook

by Martha Davis Ph.D.

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Book Review
Since its first publication in 1980, "The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook" has become the most indispensable resource for effective and up-to-date techniques for relaxing the body, calming the mind, and refreshing the spirit. Therapists recommend the book to their clients; readers pass it on to their friends. More than half a million copies have helped millions of people take the edge off their stressful lives and find the peace they need to foster happiness and success. The overwhelming popularity of this book is the result of its comprehensive yet simple and straightforward adaptation of all the most effective relaxation techniques.No other book offers easy-to-use, step-by-step instructions for using progressive relaxation, autogenics, self-hypnosis, visualization, mindfulness, acceptance, and more. This revision will significantly update and simplify this timeless classic. The authors provide the most proven-effective worry and anger models based on the latest research. They have simplified many of the chapters so that readers only get the best treatment methods in the most accessible manner. Two new chapters include "Facing Feelings", which focuses on mindfulness and acceptance, and "Coping with Anger". The chapter on time management will be revised to include information on how to unplug from our wealth of electronic communication conveniences when necessary. The book also includes an updated resources section and subject index.

About the Author
Martha Davis, Ph.D., worked as a psychologist at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Department of Psychiatry in Santa Clara, CA, where she did individual, couple, and group psychotherapy. She is now retired and living in northern California with her family. She has co-authored Thoughts & Feelings, Messages, and The Messages Workbook.

Elizabeth Robbins Eshelman, MSW, is a licensed clinical social worker who worked as a staff operations consultant for the marketing and internet services group of the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan. She is now retired and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is preparing to become a certified coach for executives and other individuals and plans to use skills and techniques from this book in her practice.

Matthew McKay, Ph.D., is a professor at the Wright Institute in Berkeley, CA. He has authored more than twenty-five books, including When Anger Hurts, Self-Esteem, and ACT on Life Not on Anger. In private practice, McKay specializes in the cognitive behavioral treatment of anxiety, anger, and depression.

5-Step Program to Control Blood Sugar Naturally and Prevent Diabetes Complications

Diabetes Without Drugs: The 5-Step Program to Control Blood Sugar Naturally and Prevent Diabetes Complications

by Suzy Cohen RPh

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Book Review
Based on breakthrough studies, Cohen’s program reveals how people with diabetes can reduce their need for prescription medication and minimize the disease’s effect on the body.

Most doctors consider diabetes a one-way street, once you have it, your only option is to manage the symptoms with a restricted diet, close monitoring of blood sugar, and expensive medications. Pharmacist Suzy Cohen shows that diabetes can be treated instead through safe, natural means, like food and vitamins, rather than strictly relying on prescription drugs. She shifts the focus away from glucose management to a whole body approach, using supplements, minerals, and dietary changes to lose weight, repair cell damage, improve insulin function, and reduce the side effects from prescription drugs, many of which rob nutrients from the body and cause additional symptoms.

This 5-step program uses natural alternatives, such as drinking nutrition-packed green drinks, adding vitamin D and anti-inflammatory supplements, increasing fiber intake, and including minerals in the diet to help restore the body’s own supply of insulin. Diabetes without Drugs explains how patients can protect their heart, kidneys, eyesight, and limbs from the damage often caused by diabetes and shows the impact that the right foods and the right supplements can make in reducing blood sugar levels, aiding weight loss, and restoring vibrant health to everyone with diabetes.

About the Author
Suzy Cohen, RPh, has been a licensed pharmacist for more than 20 years and writes the syndicated health column "Dear Pharmacist." She has made guest appearances as "America’s Most Trusted Pharmacist" on many network shows, including The View and The Dr. Oz Show, and hosts a medical minute on the syndicated TV health show, Know the Cause. Suzy is a member of the Institute of Functional Medicine, American College for Advancement in Medicine, and The American Association of Anti-Aging Medicine.

Half-Assed: A Weight-Loss Memoir

Half-Assed: A Weight-Loss Memoir

by Jennette Fulda

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Book Review
After undergoing gall bladder surgery at age twenty-three, Jennette Fulda decided it was time to lose some weight. Actually, more like half her weight. At the time, Jennette weighed 372 pounds.

Jennette was not born fat. But, by fifth grade, her response to a school questionnaire asking “what would you change about your appearance” was “I would be thinner.” Sound familiar?

Half-Assed is the captivating and incredibly honest story of Jennette’s journey to get in shape, lose weight, and change her life. From the beginning—dusting off her never-used treadmill and steering clear of the donut shop—to the end with her goal weight in sight, Jennette wows readers with her determined persistence to shed pounds and the ability to maintain her ever-present sense of self.

Introduction to weight loss

Whether you are trying to lose 5 pounds or more than 50, the same principles determine how much weight you lose and how fast your weight loss will occur. Remembering the following simple guidelines and putting them into practice can lead to weight loss without the aid of any special diet plans, books, or medications.

Our body weight is determined by the amount of energy that we take in as food and the amount of energy we expend in the activities of our day. Energy is measured in calories. If your weight remains constant, you are probably taking in the same amount of calories that you burn each day. If you're slowly gaining weight over time, it is likely that your caloric intake is greater than the number of calories you burn through your daily activities.

Everyone is in control of the amount of food he or she consumes each day, so our intake of calories is something we can control. To a major degree, we can also control our output of energy, or the number of calories we burn each day. The number of calories we burn each day is dependent upon

• our basal metabolic rate (BMR), the number of calories we burn per hour simply by being alive and maintaining body functions
• and our level of physical activity.

For some people, due to genetic (inherited) factors or other conditions, the resting metabolic rate (BMR) can be slightly higher or lower than average. Our weight also plays a role in determining how many calories we burn at rest -- the more calories are required to maintain your body in its present state, the greater your body weight. A 100-pound person requires less energy (food) to maintain body weight than a person who weighs 200 pounds.

Lifestyle and work habits partially determine how many calories we need each day. Someone whose job involves heavy physical labor will naturally burn more calories in a day than someone who sits at a desk most of the day (a sedentary job). For people who do not have jobs that require intense physical activity, exercise or increased physical activity can increase the number of calories burned.

As a rough estimate, an average woman 31-50 years of age who leads a sedentary lifestyle needs about 1,800 calories per day to maintain a normal weight. A man of the same age requires about 2,200 calories. Participating in a moderate level of physical activity (exercising three to five days per week) requires about 200 additional calories per day.

American Medical Association Family Medical Guide

American Medical Association Family Medical Guide

by American Medical Association

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Book Review
The Long-Awaited Revision of the Bestselling Family Health Guide

"This completely updated fourth edition of our bestselling health reference is comprehensive, easy to understand, and even more user-friendly than the previous editions. We're excited to provide our patients with an invaluable resource to help them become more involved in their own health care. We think this is a book that belongs on the bookshelf in every home." - AMA President John C. Nelson, MD, MPH

The American Medical Association is the nation's premier health authority-an organization that both patients and doctors look to for state-of-the-art medical information and guidance. Now, for the first time in 10 years, the AMA has updated its landmark medical reference-a book that belongs in every home.

This new edition of the American Medical Association Family Medical Guide has been thoroughly revised to bring it up to date and make it more accessible than ever before. Opening with a brand-new full-color section that walks you through key health issues, it follows with several new and expanded sections on everything from staying healthy and providing first aid and home care to diagnosing symptoms and treating hundreds of different diseases and disorders. This classic guide is the definitive home health reference for the twenty-first century-an indispensable book to keep you and your loved ones healthy.

• Authoritative guidance on hundreds of diseases and the latest tests, treatments, procedures, and drugs
• New or greatly expanded coverage of genetic testing, sexuality, learning disabilities, preventive health, infertility, pregnancy and childbirth, substance abuse, home caregiving, and first aid
• A host of new and updated features-including full-color spreads on important health topics, Q&A sections, first-person case histories, and newly designed symptoms flowcharts
• New chapters on diet and health, exercise and fitness, maintaining a healthy weight, reducing stress, genetics, complementary and alternative medicine, staying safe and preventing violence, cosmetic surgery, and preventive health care
• A new section on health issues at various life stages
• 64 pages in full color and almost 1,000 illustrations and photographs

About the Author
For more than 150 years, the AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION has been the leading group of medical experts in the United States and one of the most respected health-related organizations in the world. Its publications include the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) as well as popular patient guidebooks such as the American Medical Association Complete Guide to Men’s Health, American Medical Association Guide to Home Caregiving, and American Medical Association Guide to Talking to Your Doctor, all from Wiley.

The Men's Health Big Book of Exercises

The Men's Health Big Book of Exercises: Four Weeks to a Leaner, Stronger, More Muscular YOU!

by Adam Campbell MS CSCS

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Book Review
The Men’s Health Big Book of Exercises is the essential workout guide for anyone who wants a better body. As the most comprehensive collection of exercises ever created, this book is a body-shaping power tool for both beginners and longtime lifters alike. From start to finish, this 480-page muscle manual bulges with hundreds of useful tips, the latest findings in exercise science, and cutting-edge workouts from the world's top trainers.

Inside The Men's Health Big Book of Exercises you'll find 619 exercises expertly demonstrated with color photographs, with dozens of movements for every muscle in your body, including:

• More than 100 core exercises! You'll never run out of ways to sculpt your six-pack.
• 74 biceps, triceps, and forearm exercises: Build your arms faster than ever before.
• 64 chest exercises, and featuring dozens of variations of the pushup and bench press.
• 103 back exercises, so you can carve a v-shaped torso.
• 40 shoulder exercises, for a tank-top worthy torso.
• 99 quadriceps and calves exercises, to help you jump higher and run faster.
• 62 glutes and hamstrings exercises, for a more powerful, athletic body.

About the Author
ADAM CAMPBELL, is the fitness director for Men's Health and a National Magazine Award-winning writer. He holds a master's degree in exercise physiology and is a NSCA-certified strength and conditioning coach. Campbell has appeared on Good Morning America, The Early Show, and VH-1.

Eating for Beauty

Eating for Beauty

by David Wolfe

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Book Review
In Eating For Beauty, author David Wolfe, one of America’s foremost nutrition experts, describes how to cleanse, nourish and beautify by utilizing the benefits of a fresh-food diet. The lessons contained within this book can be applied to improve one’s appearance, vitality, and health. This book is about how to become more beautiful, not just how to maintain beauty or even slow the aging process. It is about rejuvenation at the deepest level, and the enjoyment of life.

This book contains the key for creating beauty within oneself through diet and other complementary factors. Though it explores the role of yoga, beauty sleep, and the psychology of beauty, this book is primarily about the way to eat for beauty. The Beauty Diet is based on principles of raw nourishment representing the cutting edge nutritional science.

With scientific explanations of the human body’s chemical reactions to various elements of nutrition, physical activity and sleep, this book provides a guide for how to reach your potential for beauty. More than 30 gourmet “beauty recipes” and in-depth descriptions of beneficial foods help to steer beauty-seekers down the path of aesthetic enlightenment. The magical, beautifying secrets held within this book will help the human race reclaim one of its most divine attributes: beauty, inside and out.

About the Author
Considered the world’s leading authority on raw-food nutrition, David Wolfe is the author of the best-selling book The Sunfood Diet Success System. He conducts 70 to 80 health lectures and seminars each year in the United States, Canada, Europe and the South Pacific, and hosts at least five health, healing, and beauty retreats each year at various retreat centers around the world.Wolfe is the middle son of two medical doctors, and has an extensive educational background, which gives him a unique perspective in the health field. He holds degrees in mechanical and environmental engineering, and in political science. He has studied at many institutions, including Oxford University. He concluded his formal education by receiving a Juris Doctor in Law from the University of San Diego.In addition to his action-packed schedule, Wolfe is currently completing several new books and playing the drums in his all-raw rock and roll group -- The Healing Waters Band.

Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain

Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain

by David Eagleman

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Book Review
If the conscious mind the part you consider to be you is just the tip of the iceberg, what is the rest doing?

In this sparkling and provocative new book, the renowned neuroscientist David Eagleman navigates the depths of the subconscious brain to illuminate surprising mysteries: Why can your foot move halfway to the brake pedal before you become consciously aware of danger ahead? Why do you hear your name being mentioned in a conversation that you didn’t think you were listening to? What do Ulysses and the credit crunch have in common? Why did Thomas Edison electrocute an elephant in 1916? Why are people whose names begin with J more likely to marry other people whose names begin with J? Why is it so difficult to keep a secret? And how is it possible to get angry at yourself—who, exactly, is mad at whom?

Taking in brain damage, plane spotting, dating, drugs, beauty, infidelity, synesthesia, criminal law, artificial intelligence, and visual illusions, Incognito is a thrilling subsurface exploration of the mind and all its contradictions.

About the Author
David Eagleman is a neuroscientist at Baylor College of Medicine, where he directs the Laboratory for Perception and Action as well as the Initiative on Neuroscience and Law. His scientific research has been published in journals from Science to Nature, and his neuroscience books include Wednesday Is Indigo Blue: Discovering the Brain of Synesthesia (with Richard Cytowic) and the forthcoming Live-Wired. He is also the author of the internationally best-selling book of fiction Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives.

Occupational Therapy in Mental Health

Occupational Therapy in Mental Health: A Vision for Participation

by Dr Brown, Stoffel

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Book Review
"This is a text we have all been waiting for. I can't help but think that our earlier leaders in mental health-Dr. Adolph Meyer, Dr. William Dutton, and Eleanor Clark Slagle, to name a few-who knew the power of occupation and stressed the importance of engagement in an enabling environment, would be pleased to see this work come to a format that would guide clinicians to make a difference in the everyday lives of people with mental challenges that require the skills of an occupational therapist."-Carolyn M. Baum, PhD, OTR/L,FAOTA Past President American Occupational Therapy Association (2004 to 2007) from the Foreword This Client-centered, recovery-oriented text gives voice to the lived experience of mental illness across the life span. You will be guided through the assessment and interventions of individuals with mental health conditions and those whose life circumstances generate significant challenges to their participation in valued activities.

Philly's Fast Fit-Step Diet: Slim Down, Shape Up & Look Younger

Philly's Fast Fit-Step Diet: Slim Down, Shape Up & Look Younger

by Dr. Fred Stutman

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Book Review
Philly's Fast Fit-Step Diet plan is a combination of a quick weight-loss healthy diet, and an easy-to-follow fitness and body-shaping plan. Dr. Stutman originally formulated weight-loss and fitness plan for his patients in Philadelphia, who like most of you, really wanted a healthy, easy, and effective way to lose weight and get fit quickly. This weight-loss and fitness plan actually boosts energy and burns fat, while keeping you trim and fit. By combining a healthy, easy-to-follow diet plan with an aerobic walking program and easy strength-training exercises, you will boost your energy level, lose weight, and build muscle. This unique Fit-Step Diet combination delivers a double blast of calorie burning for complete cardiovascular fitness, maximum weight loss, and power body shaping.

About the Author
Dr. Stutman has done extensive research in exercise physiology, diet and nutrition, and physical fitness at the U.S. Naval Air Development Center. He established one of the first walking programs for cardiac patients in the U.S. Air Force. He is the author of twelve books and numerous medical articles on diet, nutrition, and exercise. Following the publication of his The Dr.'s Walking Book, he became known as Dr. Walk. His books have been featured in national and international magazines and newspapers over the past twenty-five years. He has appeared frequently on national radio and TV, including the Today show and Good Morning America. He is currently practicing family medicine as a Temple University Family Practice Physician in Philadelphia.

Fast Food Nation

Fast Food Nation

by Eric Schlosser

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Book Review
Everyone frets about the nutritional implications of excessive dining at America's fast-food emporia, but few grasp the significance of how fast-food restaurants have fundamentally changed the way Americans eat.

Schlosser documents the effects of fast food on America's economy, its youth culture, and allied industries, such as meatpacking, that serve this vast food production empire. Starting with a young woman who makes minimum wage working at a Colorado fast-food restaurant, Schlosser relates the oft-told story of Ray Kroc's founding of McDonald's. The author also tells about the development of the franchise method of business ownership and the health and nutrition implications of fast-food consumption. In a striking chapter, Schlosser gives a glimpse into the little-known world of chemically engineered flavorings, both natural and artificial. The coming together of so many diverse social, scientific, and economic trends in a single industry makes this book a relevant, compelling read and a cautionary tale of the many risks generated by this ubiquitous industry.

About the Author
Eric Schlosser is a correspondent for the Atlantic. His work has als

The Essential Guide to Emergency Medical Procedures & First Aid

Medicine for the Outdoors: The Essential Guide to Emergency Medical Procedures & First Aid

by Paul S. Auerbach MD MS FACEP FAWM

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Book Review
Since 1986, Medicine for the Outdoors has been hailed as the definitive take-along manual on the subject. Packed with step-by-step instructions, how-to explanations, and practical approaches to outdoor and wilderness emergencies, it tells you the best ways to respond to just about any medical problem when help is miles or days away. Author Paul S. Auerbach, MD, MS, FACEP, FAWM, is recognized as one of the world's leading authorities on wilderness medicine. This 5th edition features major updates to bring you the latest on emerging infectious diseases...the most current drug and dosage information...an increased emphasis on making do with the materials at hand...and much more. Logically organized, easy to reference, and simple to understand, Medicine for the Outdoors may literally save your life. When you're venturing into mountains, deserts, forests, jungles, or out to sea, it belongs in your duffel or backpack!

• Provides the most diverse and comprehensive coverage of medical conditions related to the outdoors.
• Offers logical and complete explanations of every topic.
• Includes numerous drawings and instructions to enhance your understanding of the descriptive material.
• Contains recommendations for injury and illness prevention.
• Features a comprehensive index that helps you locate answers quickly.
• Offers an increased emphasis on making do with the materials at hand (like using a fanny pack as a cervical collar).
• Presents the latest guidance on dangerous infections like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), avian flu, and West Nile virus.
• Offers current and accurate drug and dosage information via careful updates throughout.
• Provides new safety recommendations on avalanches, forest fires, bear attacks, and more.
• Demonstrates how to apply various bandages and splints with the aid of brand-new drawings.

About the Author
Dr. Paul S. Auerbach, FACEP, FAWM, is the Redlich Family Professor of Surgery in the Division of Emergency Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine. He is the world's leading expert on wilderness medicine and a prolific author. He is the Editor of Wilderness Medicine, and author of Medicine for the Outdoors and Field Guide to Wilderness Medicine. Dr. Auerbach holds his MD from Duke and completed his internship at Dartmouth and residency at UCLA. He is certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine. He has been recognized as a Hero of Emergency Medicine by the American College of Emergency Physicians and received the New Orleans Grand Isle Award for Science from the Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences, the Founders Award from the Wilderness Medical Society, and the Outstanding Contribution in Education Award from the American College of Emergency Physicians, among others. Dr. Auerbach has served as a volunteer physician in Haiti, Nepal, and Guatemala.

Safe Practice for Expectant & New Mothers

Iyengar Yoga for Motherhood: Safe Practice for Expectant & New Mothers

by Geeta S. Iyengar, Rita Keller

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Book Review
From the daughter of yoga guru B.K.S. Iyengar, a book that every mother-to-be and new mom will celebrate!

With its superb provenance, encyclopedic coverage, and meticulous allopathic medical vetting, Iyengar Yoga for Motherhood is THE indispensable volume for every woman who wishes to continue her Yoga practice during pregnancy and the first 18 months of motherhood. Lavishly produced, with a fresh, contemporary design and a strong emphasis on safety, it offers guidance, reassurance, and easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions. More than 350 photographs using ethnically neutral models, carefully guide readers through every asana, highlighting variations on each for safe practice. Additionally, women will find safety rankings for each trimester of pregnancy, call-outs listing benefits and cautions, and detailed instructions for proper anatomical alignment and Pranayama breathing. Officially sanctioned by B.K.S. Iyengar, who has also written the foreword, the publication of Iyengar Yoga for Motherhood is sure to be an important event in the Yogic community.

About the Author
Geeta Iyengar is the distinguished student and daughter of Mr. B.K.S. Iyengar, one of the most respected leaders in the yoga world.

Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It

Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It

by Gary Taubes

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Book Review
An eye-opening, myth-shattering examination of what makes us fat, from acclaimed science writer Gary Taubes.

In his New York Times best seller, Good Calories, Bad Calories, Taubes argued that our diet’s overemphasis on certain kinds of carbohydrates not fats and not simply excess calories, has led directly to the obesity epidemic we face today. The result of thorough research, keen insight, and unassailable common sense, Good Calories, Bad Calories immediately stirred controversy and acclaim among academics, journalists, and writers alike. Michael Pollan heralded it as “a vitally important book, destined to change the way we think about food.”

Building upon this critical work in Good Calories, Bad Calories and presenting fresh evidence for his claim, Taubes now revisits the urgent question of what’s making us fat and how we can change in this exciting new book. Persuasive, straightforward, and practical, Why We Get Fat makes Taubes’s crucial argument newly accessible to a wider audience.

Taubes reveals the bad nutritional science of the last century, none more damaging or misguided than the “calories-in, calories-out” model of why we get fat, and the good science that has been ignored, especially regarding insulin’s regulation of our fat tissue. He also answers the most persistent questions: Why are some people thin and others fat? What roles do exercise and genetics play in our weight? What foods should we eat, and what foods should we avoid?

Packed with essential information and concluding with an easy-to-follow diet, Why We Get Fat is an invaluable key in our understanding of an international epidemic and a guide to what each of us can do about it.

About the Author
Gary Taubes is a contributing correspondent for Science magazine, and his writing has also appeared in The Atlantic, The New York Times Magazine, and Esquire. His work has been included in The Best of the Best American Science Writing (2010), and has received three Science in Society Journalism Awards from the National Association of Science Writers, the only print journalist so recognized. He is currently a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Investigator in Health Policy Research at the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health. He lives in Berkeley.

Reprogram your genes for effortless weight loss, vibrant health, & boundless energy

The Primal Blueprint: Reprogram your genes for effortless weight loss, vibrant health, & boundless energy

by Mark Sisson

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Book Review
Combining modern genetic science and evolutionary biology, The Primal Blueprint dispels a number of the myths that modern medicine and conventional wisdom have come to accept as fact. Author Mark Sisson takes the reader on a fascinating journey through human evolution, comparing the life and robust health of our hunter-gatherer ancestors with a day in the life of a modern family - exposing potential health issues that arise from trying to do the right things living in the 21st century. Sisson offers a solution in 10 empowering "Blueprint Lifestyle Laws" that can help us reprogram our genes away from disease and pain towards a direction of effortless weight loss, vibrant health and boundless energy. The reader learns how the right high-fat diet can actually help one lose weight; how popular low-fat, grain-based diets might trigger illness, disease, and lifelong weight gain; why doing too much cardio exercise might actually suppress the immune system and how some of today's most common medications might make a health condition even worse. The consummate book on "Paleo" or "Primal"

About the Author
Former world-class endurance athlete (2:18 marathon, 4th place Hawaii Ironman), BA degree in biology (Williams College), former Anti-doping Commissioner of International Triathlon Union and its liaison to the IOC, founder and CEO of Primal Nutrition, Inc., owner/founder of MarksDailyApple.com a top-ranked health and fitness blog with 3 million page views per month.

Yoga for Osteoporosis

Yoga for Osteoporosis

by Loren Fishman, Ellen Saltonstall

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Book Review
Osteoporosis leads to painful fractures due to loss of bone mass; yoga strengthens bones without endangering joints: it stands to reason that yoga is the perfect therapy for osteoporosis. Forty-four million Americans suffer from low bone mass, and osteoporosis is responsible for more than 1.5 million fractures annually. Drugs and surgeries can alleviate pain, but study after study has shown that exercise is the best treatment, specifically low-impact, bone-strengthening exercises, yoga.

In this comprehensive and thoroughly illustrated guide, Loren Fishman and Ellen Saltonstall, who between them have seven decades of clinical experience, help readers understand osteoporosis and give a spectrum of exercises for beginners and experts. Classical yoga poses, as well as physiologically sound adapted poses, are presented with easy-to-follow instructions and photographs. The authors welcome readers of all ages and levels of experience into the healing and strengthening practice of yoga.

About the Author
Loren Fishman, MD, is a professor at the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons and lives in New York City.

Ellen Saltonstall is a certified Anusara Yoga instructor and licensed massage therapist who lives in New York City.

Personal Health: Perspectives & Lifestyles

Personal Health: Perspectives and Lifestyles

by Patricia A. Floyd, Sandra E. Mimms, Caroline Yelding

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Book Review
PERSONAL HEALTH: PERSPECTIVES AND LIFESTYLES, Fourth Edition emphasizes the individual's personal responsibility for wellness by presenting general (core) and current health information to guide decision making. The focus of the text is to present health topics, including cultural, racial, ethnic, and gender diversity issues, identify risk factors, and give you useful and sensible suggestions to reduce the risk for preventable diseases and conditions in order to achieve optimal levels of wellness for yourself, your friends, and your family.

50 Things You Can Do Today to Manage Migraines

50 Things You Can Do Today to Manage Migraines

by Wendy Green, Anne MacGregor

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Book Review
Discover how to avoid migraine triggers, choose beneficial food and supplements to help manage migraines, and more in this comprehensive healing manual

According to the World Health Organization, migraines are one of the most serious, disabling medical conditions. Teaching how to deal with them, this guide explains how dietary, psychological, and environmental factors can cause migraines and offers practical advice and a holistic approach to help manage them, including simple lifestyle and dietary changes and DIY natural therapies. The guide also teaches a solid understanding of conventional and alternative treatments.

About the Author
Wendy Green is a trainer for a health program. Dr. Anne MacGregor is director of research at the City of London Migraine Clinic.

The Relaxation & Stress Reduction Workbook

The Relaxation & Stress Reduction Workbook (New Harbinger Self-Help Workbook)

by Martha Davis, Elizabeth Robbins Eshelman, Matthew McKay

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Book Review
The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook broke new ground when it was first published in 1980, detailing easy, step-by-step techniques for calming the body and mind in an increasingly overstimulated world. Now in its sixth edition, this workbook, highly regarded by therapists and their clients, remains the "go-to" source for stress reduction strategies that can be incorporated into even the busiest lives.

This new edition is updated with powerful relaxation techniques based on the latest research, and draws from a variety of proven treatment methods, including progressive relaxation, autogenics, self-hypnosis, visualization, and mindfulness and acceptance therapy.

In the first chapter, you'll explore your own stress triggers and symptoms, and learn how to create a personal plan for stress reduction. Each chapter features a different method for relaxation and stress reduction, explains why the method works, and provides on-the-spot exercises you can do to apply that method when you feel stressed. The result is a comprehensive yet accessible workbook that will help you to curb stress and cultivate a more peaceful life.

About the Author
Martha Davis, Ph.D., worked as a psychologist at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Department of Psychiatry in Santa Clara, CA, where she did individual, couple, and group psychotherapy. She is now retired and living in northern California with her family. She has co-authored Thoughts & Feelings, Messages, and The Messages Workbook.

Elizabeth Robbins Eshelman, MSW, is a licensed clinical social worker who worked as a staff operations consultant for the marketing and internet services group of the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan. She is now retired and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is preparing to become a certified coach for executives and other individuals and plans to use skills and techniques from this book in her practice.

Matthew McKay, Ph.D., is a professor at the Wright Institute in Berkeley, CA. He has authored more than twenty-five books, including When Anger Hurts, Self-Esteem, and ACT on Life Not on Anger. In private practice, McKay specializes in the cognitive behavioral treatment of anxiety, anger, and depression.

50 Things You Can Do Today to Manage Eczema

50 Things You Can Do Today to Manage Eczema

by Wendy Green, Helen Pugsley

Check out detail of "50 Things You Can Do Today to Manage Eczema "

Book Review
Eczema is an uncomfortable and often distressing skin condition that affects an alarming number of people worldwide. Explained here are the psychological, dietary, and hormonal factors that can cause eczema, as well as practical advice and a holistic approach to help you deal with the symptoms including simple lifestyle and dietary changes and do-it-yourself natural therapies. It will teach how to manage stress to prevent flare-ups, how to adapt your home environment, how to choose beneficial foods and supplements, and how to find helpful organizations and products.

About the Author
Wendy Green is a trainer for a health program. Helen Pugsley teaches dermatology.

Top 100 Baby Purees

Top 100 Baby Purees

by Annabel Karmel

Check out detail of "Top 100 Baby Purees"

Book Review
Making your own baby food is not only more economical than buying commercial brands - you can be sure that your baby has only the best-quality ingredients. This essential collection of Annabel's best ever purees features 100 quick and easy recipes that will make for a healthy and happy baby. From sweet and smooth apple, apricot, pear and vanilla, through savoury purees such as sweet potato with spinach and peas, to the autumnal delights of peach, pear and blueberry, all the recipes are suitable for babies aged 6 months and above, and are so tasty you will want to eat them yourself!

About the Author
Annabel Karmel, a busy working mother of three, has written 20 bestselling books, including the New Complete Baby and Toddler Meal Planner. She is a celebrity chef on BBCi, the BBC website, has contributed to the Mothercare.com site, and has her own website, www.annabelkarmel.com. She also writes regularly for newspapers and magazines, including The Times, Mail and Sunday Mirror, as well as Practical Parenting and Mother and Baby, and appears frequently on radio and TV as the UK's expert on children's nutritional issues. Annabel's 'Make Your Own' range of equipment and foods, as well as her own 'Eat Fussy' chilled ready meals, are available in all major supermarkets.

The Plant-Based Way to Health

Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based Way to Health

by Gene Stone, Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Jr.

Check out detail of "Forks Over Knives"

Book Review
For decades, that question has fascinated a small circle of impassioned doctors and researchers and now, their life-changing research is making headlines in the hit documentary Forks Over Knives. Their answer? Eat a whole-foods, plant-based diet, it could save your life.

It may overturn most of the diet advice you’ve heard but the experts behind Forks Over Knives aren't afraid to make waves. In his book Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn explained that eating meat, dairy, and oils injures the lining of our blood vessels, causing heart disease, heart attack, or stroke. In The China Study, Dr. Colin Campbell revealed how cancer and other diseases skyrocket when eating meat and dairy is the norm and plummet when a traditional plant-based diet persists. And more and more experts are adding their voices to the cause: There is nothing else you can do for your health that can match the benefits of a plant-based diet.

Now, as Forks Over Knives is introducing more people than ever before to the plant-based way to health, this accessible guide provides the information you need to adopt and maintain a plant-based diet. Features include:

• Insights from the luminaries behind the film -- Dr. Neal Barnard, Dr. John McDougall, The Engine 2 Diet author Rip Esselstyn, and many others
• Success stories from converts to plant-based eating like San’Dera Prude, who no longer needs to medicate her diabetes, has lost weight, and feels great!
• The many benefits of a whole-foods, plant-based diet for you, for animals and the environment, and for our future
• A helpful primer on crafting a healthy diet rich in unprocessed fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, including tips on transitioning and essential kitchen tools
• 125 recipes from 25 champions of plant-based dining from Blueberry Oat Breakfast Muffins and Sunny Orange Yam Bisque to Garlic Rosemary Polenta and Raspberry-Pear Crisp, delicious, healthy, and for every meal, every day.

About the Author
Editor Gene Stone is the author of the international bestseller The Secrets of People Who Never Get Sick and the coauthor, with Rip Esselstyn, of The Engine 2 Diet. Stone, who has written or ghostwritten more than thirty books and numerous magazine articles, lives in New York and follows a plant-based diet.