Recommended Reading
The China Study
The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-Term Health
Author: T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D.
Referred to as the “Grand Prix of epidemiology” by The New York Times, this study examines more than 350 variables of health and nutrition with surveys from 6,500 adults in more than 2,500 counties across China and Taiwan, and conclusively demonstrates the link between nutrition and heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. While revealing that proper nutrition can have a dramatic effect on reducing and reversing these ailments as well as curbing obesity, this text calls into question the practices of many of the current dietary programs, such as the Atkins diet, that are widely popular in the West. The politics of nutrition and the impact of special interest groups in the creation and dissemination of public information are also discussed.
The Autoimmune Epidemic
Bodies Gone Haywire in a World Out of Balance–and the Cutting-Edge Science that Promises Hope Author: Donna Jackson Nakazawa In The Autoimmune Epidemic: Bodies Gone Haywire in a World Out of Balance—and the Cutting Edge Science that Promises Hope, Donna Jackson Nakazawa lays forth the disturbing ways that “autogens” — a term Nakazawa coins to denote chemical, lifestyle, and other triggers of autoimmune disease — are wreaking havoc with the human immune system. She offers a clear course for hope, detailing the personal, political, and economic choices that can help curb this epidemic before it is too late. As Nakazawa’s personal accounts show, anyone is susceptible to autoimmune disease—from an athletic doctor in her 40s to an entire neighborhood of teenage girls to small children. However, surveys reveal that nine out of ten people cannot specifically name an autoimmune disease. More disturbingly, many general practitioners lack in-depth knowledge of these diseases and their diagnoses, and the average autoimmune disease patient sees six doctors—over an average of four years—before being diagnosed and treated correctly.
The Balance Within
The Science Connecting Health and Emotions Author: Esther M. Sternberg Since ancient times humans have felt intuitively that emotions and health are linked, and recently there has been much popular speculation about this notion. But until now, without compelling evidence, it has been impossible to say for sure that such a connection really exists and especially how it works. Now, that evidence has been discovered. A thrilling scientific detective story, ” The Balance Within” tells how researchers finally uncovered the elusive mind-body connection and what it means for our health. In this beautifully written book, Dr. Esther Sternberg, whose discoveries were pivotal in helping to solve this mystery, provides first hand accounts of the breakthrough experiments that revealed the physical mechanisms – the nerves, cells, and hormones – used by the brain and immune system to communicate with each other. She describes just how stress can make us more susceptible to all types of illnesses, and how the immune system can alter our moods. Finally, she explains how our understanding of these connections in scientific terms is helping to answer such crucial questions as “Does stress make you sick?” “Is a positive outlook the key to better health?” and “How do our personal relationships, work, and other aspects of our lives affect our health?” A fascinating, elegantly written portrait of this rapidly emerging field with enormous potential for finding new ways to treat disease and cope with stress, “The Balance Within” is essential reading for anyone interested in making their body and mind whole again.