Health

	Health - Why should we care! Health vs Disease - Morbidity Compression Cancer - causes - 25% genetics, 75% environment Diseases of Aging (Alzheimers, Cardiovascular, diabetes, depression, etc.) - mainly preventable Exercise and Diet are the primary tools Lifetime Risk - What is the risk for a person to develope a specific disease over their lifetime. Life Expectancy - The United States ranks number 45 in life expectancy. Healthcare - Problems with the entire system
	Myofascial Pain and Trigger Points Self-help relief of acute and chronic pain Headache, neck pain, backache, sciatica, lumbago, etc. Myofascial Pain Origins with a thorough discussion of what it is and what can you do for it. A FAQ is also included. Typical symptom lists are also given. Unusual symptoms are also listed. There is a outline of all trigger points in all muscles broken down by pain location and individual muscle. There are diagrams and charts of each muscle. There is summary of each muscle with a thorough overview of its significance in pain syndromes. Several muscle flexibility tests are given. Appropriate stretches are described for most muscles. PDF files of upper and lower muscles groups can be downloaded. Several books are referenced as well as a few useful websites.
	Diet and Health Health vs Disease (Cancer / Disease Prevention) Disease prevention is discussed from a perspective of the leading causes of death and how they are preventable. This includes heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, lung disease, and alzheimer's disease. Cancers are broken down by their significance and the most important ones are individually discussed as to causation and prevention. Some material from "Fundamentals of Cancer Prevention" is also presented. Various experts in their fields contributed to this compilation. Health Maintenance (Exercise, Diet, Supplements) Extensive vitamin and supplement information is presented including Omega-3 fatty acids. Antioxidants and there importance are discussed. Recommendations from "Healthy Aging" by Dr. Weil is briefly summarized. Exercise recommendations from multiple sources - Dr. Oz, Dr. Weil, Dr. Cooper, AARP, Newsweek, Tufts, and CDC - are listed including weight training and aerobic exercise. Healthy eating and diet recommendations from Dr. Weil, Marion Nestle, Harvard, Bob Greene, government food pyramid are listed. The value of organic food is presented with pertinent web links. Trans fat information is present. There is a separate discussion of the obesity epidemic with information from the CDC, Framingham study, and the American Obesity Association. A comparison of various popular weight loss diets is presented. Glycemic index and glycemic load are presented in detail. There is a full reference of environmental and dietary carcinogens and toxins with several searchable databases. Organic Food with "green" gardening practices are referenced.

	Integrative Medicine - Dr. Andrew Weil Excellent source of medical information Books, tapes, dvds
	Food Politics - Marion Nestle, PhD, MPH Practical and very informative source on what to eat and why Fantastic books
	Fundamentals of Cancer Prevention - David S. Alberts and Lisa M. Hess, Editors Oriented for medical professionals but very up to date complete resource Good reference for almost anyone
	Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio - Hungry Planet 30 families, 24 countries, and 600 meals - what the world eat - photos and descriptions - vignettes of how the world eats Fantastic book, something you can't put down. How the world is changing and not necessarily for the better.
	Barbara Kingsolver - Animal, Vegetable, Miracle A wonderful book promoting "local" eating to the extreme. Mrs. Kingsolver and her family shows it can be done and why. It promotes a healthy locally grown/produced diet.
	In Defense of Food, Omnivores Dilemma Excellent books, In Defense of Food tells us what to eat and the why Omnivore's Dilemma gives a deep look into food production in America - where does our food come from and how does it get there "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants"
	Jungle Effect - Daphne Miller The author visits 5 "cold spots" for various chronic diseases throughout the world to find out how their diets contribute to the low frequency of these diseases. An entertaining global trip with many nutritional and dietary tips
	Quantum Wellness - Kathy Freston "Conscious living" counselor - presents a nice organized approach for changing all aspects of your life - spiritual, emotional, physical, mental. All must be right for you to achieve your maximum potential. A very step by step approach. Worth reading and thinking about.
	Dangerous Grains: Why Gluten Cereal Grains May Be Hazardous To Your Health - James Braly and Ron Hoggan Interesting book - premise is many people can have a variety of medical problems secondary to Gluten sensitivity - much more than "Gluten sensitive enteropathy" Lab tests are complete and fairly standard for a workup for gluten sensitivity Title sounds sort of out there but the text itself is mostly quite reasonable.
	Nutritional Oncology - George Blackburn, David Heber, Vay Liang, and John Milner Excellent resource but not light reading. Most people might want to look something up in this textbook but not sit down and read it.
	Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy - Walter Willett Fantastic book for everyone. Should be read cover to cover. "Harvards guide to health eating" Excellent Food pyramid - what the government food pyramid should be. Link to food pyramids of various diets including the "harvard" food pyramid.
	The Drunkard's Walk - Leonard Mlodinow Excellent book - Why health - Mental Health - randomness and probability as it applies to everyday life Mainly - ability and accomplishment are randomly associated. People should be judged on their ability, not their accomplishments. Perseverance is the single most important attribute for "success".
	David Heber, MD, PhD - What Color is Your Diet? Excellent short book with a invaluable discussion of fruits and vegetables and their role in health and disease. Very practical
	Dr. Jennie Brand-Miller - The New Glucose Revolution Excellent short book with a concise discussion of the glycemic index and glycemic load Long list of foods with their glycemic indices
	You - Staying Young - Michael Roizen, M.D., and Mehmet Oz, M.D. Excellent book - A must read with pearls for all readers Documents well what causes us to age and how to prevent it or slow it down Very up to date
	You on a Diet - Michael Roizen, M.D., and Mehmet Oz, M.D. Excellent book - Why we gain weight and how we should approach weight loss and weight control Many practical tips for having successful long term weight loss Many healthy recipes
	The Good LIfe - Helen and Scott Nearing Excellent older book - Organic farmers who started in the Depression Self-Sufficient living - growing all their own food, building their dwellings, vegetarians and pacifists 1st - 30 yrs in Vermont starting from scratch, 2nd - 30 yrs in Maine again starting from scratch Scott lived to 100. Helen nearly so.
	Four Season Harvest - Eliot Coleman Excellent organic farming book - How to grow 3 seasons and harvest for all 4 - even in Maine. Fresh salad materials year around. Pretty amazing book. Portable greenhouses, moving duck enclosures, winter vegetable choices, etc.
	Engine 2 Diet - Rip Esselstyn Plant based low fat diet which prevents and cures coronary artery disease A diet and lifestyle for everyone Excellent book
	Anticancer - A New Way of Life - David Servan-Schreiber, MD, PhD A neuropsychiatrist who developed a malignant brain tumor at age 31. He is alive 15 yrs later despite a recurrence. He has researched cancer and how to prevent and cure it as only an educated cancer patient could. Superb, passionate book. Well-written, well-researched and documented, and entertaining. Mandatory reading for all cancer patients or their loved ones.
	Spark - John Ratey, M.D. and Eric Hagerman A wonderful book which clearly documents the beneficial effects of exercise upon the brain. It promotes learning, improves mood and attention, guards against and even reverses some of the effects of aging on the brain. PE4life - reversing childhood obesity and improving academics
	Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips - Kris Carr Diagnosed in 2003 with stage 4 (very advanced) cancer involving her liver and lungs - she is alive and well today with "stable" cancer. Her book (and video of which I have seen only a portion) is a retelling of her odyssey of self-preservation and taking charge of her life after such a crisis. Many other cancer survivors tell bits and pieces of their stories. It is an inspirational self-help book for the newly diagnosed cancer patient with practical, useful information.
	The Truth About the Drug Companies - Marcia Angell, M.D. A required read for everyone. Dr. Angell exposes the deceitful practices by all the major drug companies which endanger the health of all patients, substantially raise the cost of health care, and fatten their bottom lines.
	Talent is Overrated - Geoff Colvin Interesting book with multiple convincing examples of how exceptional people in their fields became exceptional. It is not "god given" talent but instead a concentrated type of practice and preparation which he explains well in the book. This book is a good eye-opener.
	Hippocrates Shadow by David Newman, M.D. An invaluable book which clearly documents how modern medicine seems to have lost its way. Both patients and physicians are clearly unhappy. He highlights many examples in medicine where expensive, nonworking procedures have replaced the close Doctor / Patient relationship.
	Cheap - Ellen Ruppel Shell This seems to have become my list of books to read - so far all non-fiction. This book clearly documents the hidden costs, not just monetary, of everything we buy and why "cheap" is not such a good thing for the individual or society. It is a bit depressing as I now realize the consequences of each penny I spend and how I can choose to make a difference or not. My shopping bargains seem a little less of bargain now. Health pearl (this is the Health area of my website) - less than 1% of imported fruits, vegetables, and grains are inspected at all. Consumer protection is minimal at best.
	The Spectrum - Dean Ornish, M.D. A very doable lifestyle of choices which has been scientifically proven to reverse cardiac disease. It also appears to be an effective treatment for low grade prostate cancer. Many insurance companies pay for it including medicare. So it must work.
	The End of Food - Paul Roberts Very thorough and thought provoking book which covers food from all aspects - truly a global perspective. He tells us where we are today and how we got there. He amply demonstrates the path we are on is not sustainable and the world will be forced to make changes in the near future. The epilogue is his view on how the world might provide for future food security. The choices that need to be made will not be made until the situation worsens and it is forced upon us. I love to be informed but overall I would say the book is depressing and most probably very accurate.
	Why Our Healthcare Matters - Andrew Weil, M.D. Interesting book describing our current Healthcare system's strengths and weaknesses and how and why we must change now. The politics and money involved are immense and as with the pending healthcare bill, we can't get anything done.
	29 Gifts by Cami Walker Excellent book that delves into how our "mental" and "spiritual" health in intertwined with our "physical" health How to live with and improve an incurable disease - Multiple Sclerosis 29 Gifts website
	The Longevity Factor by Joseph Maroon, M.D. How resveratol and red wine activate genes for a longer and healthier life Xenohormeosis, xeno factors, and nutrigenomics 4 step program - 1) baseline evaluation, 2) Balanced life: mind-body connection, 3) Xeno diet, and 4) Xeno factors supplements Longevity - 30% Genes, and 70% Lifestyle Balance - Work, Physical Activity ( 1 hr/day ), Family Life, and Spirituality
	Our Choice: How we can solve the climate crisis - Al Gore Thought provoking text and pictures - more to follow
	Killer at Large (dvd) - Director Steven Greenstreet Excellent movie documenting the greatest threat to the United States - Obesity, in particular, childhood obesity. Video clips
	Eating Animals - Jonathan Safran Foer A most ethical and compelling book which lets all readers decide what it is to be "human". Both sides of the argument are thoroughly presented.
	Healthy at 100 - John Robbins Fascinating book with a thorough discussion of the world's healthiest and longest-lived peoples Practical application of what we can learn and apply in our own lives
	Food Rules - Michael Pollan Excellent short book which distills healthy eating into pithy rules which are easy to remember and apply. A must read for the average person concerned about healthy eating. Example 1 - What should we eat? Example 2 - A corollary for example one. Page 1, Page 2
	The Tipping Point - Malcolm Gladwell Excellent short book which uses multiple real life examples of where small changes have a greatly magnified outcome. He breaks it down to a few basic components of what is needed for great change.
	Deadly Spin - Wendell Potter Excellent current expose of how the Health Insurance Industry is destroying America's Healthcare system. 8 commonly used public relations tools used to sway public opinion about anything - page 1 and page 2
	Overdiagnosed - H. Gilbert Welch, M.D. Excellent extremely useful book which exposes how medicine overdiagnoses and overtreats many patients for a benefit to a limited few. A person seeking practical knowledge about their own healthcare will surely rethink some standard accepted practices and probably opt out of many.
	Blue Zones - Dan Buettner Lessons for living longer from people who've lived the longest
	Hot, Flat, and Crowded - Thomas L. Friedman Excellent book which explains in detail why simple solutions to global weirding do not exist. It is imperative we do something now. And it will take significant government intervention to get us there.
	Know Your Chances - Steven Woloshin MD, Lisa M. Schwartz MD, and H. Gilbert Welch MD Excellent book which simply explains risk in medicine. You will learn how to evaluate an ad on TV, newpaper, magazine or the latest medical recommendation, Is it right for me? Outcomes Group - .... promoting a healthy skepticism about medical care (a wonderful resource) 4 charts comparing risk of death from various causes for men and women - gain perspective on true risk of dying over the next 10 yrs - simple male, simple female, complex male, and complex female.
	The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness - Elyn R. Saks Living with Schizophrenia is truly an eye-opener for what it really means. Understanding and empathy shows us how we are more alike than different.
	Train Your Mind Change Your Brain - Sharon Begley Eye opening book with much research data explaining how plastic and malleable our brains really are. It is flat amazing. The Mind and Life Institute
	Comments / Discussion / Questions

Health vs Disease - Morbidity Compression

Cancer - causes - 25% genetics, 75% environment

Diseases of Aging (Alzheimers, Cardiovascular, diabetes, depression, etc.) - mainly preventable

Exercise and Diet are the primary tools

Lifetime Risk - What is the risk for a person to develope a specific disease over their lifetime.

Life Expectancy - The United States ranks number 45 in life expectancy.

Healthcare - Problems with the entire system

Self-help relief of acute and chronic pain

Headache, neck pain, backache, sciatica, lumbago, etc.

Myofascial Pain Origins with a thorough discussion of what it is and what can you do for it. A FAQ is also included. Typical symptom lists are also given. Unusual symptoms are also listed.

PDF files of upper and lower muscles groups can be downloaded. Several books are referenced as well as a few useful websites.

Diet and Health

Some material from "Fundamentals of Cancer Prevention" is also presented. Various experts in their fields contributed to this compilation.

There is a full reference of environmental and dietary carcinogens and toxins with several searchable databases.

Organic Food with "green" gardening practices are referenced.

Excellent source of medical information

Books, tapes, dvds

Practical and very informative source on what to eat and why

Fantastic books

Fundamentals of Cancer Prevention - David S. Alberts and Lisa M. Hess, Editors

Oriented for medical professionals but very up to date complete resource

Good reference for almost anyone

Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio - Hungry Planet

30 families, 24 countries, and 600 meals - what the world eat - photos and descriptions - vignettes of how the world eats

Fantastic book, something you can't put down.

How the world is changing and not necessarily for the better.

Barbara Kingsolver - Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

A wonderful book promoting "local" eating to the extreme. Mrs. Kingsolver and her family shows it can be done and why. It promotes a healthy locally grown/produced diet.

In Defense of Food, Omnivores Dilemma

Excellent books, In Defense of Food tells us what to eat and the why

Omnivore's Dilemma gives a deep look into food production in America - where does our food come from and how does it get there

Jungle Effect - Daphne Miller

The author visits 5 "cold spots" for various chronic diseases throughout the world to find out how their diets contribute to the low frequency of these diseases.

An entertaining global trip with many nutritional and dietary tips

Quantum Wellness - Kathy Freston

"Conscious living" counselor - presents a nice organized approach for changing all aspects of your life - spiritual, emotional, physical, mental. All must be right for you to achieve your maximum potential. A very step by step approach. Worth reading and thinking about.

Dangerous Grains: Why Gluten Cereal Grains May Be Hazardous To Your Health - James Braly and Ron Hoggan

Interesting book - premise is many people can have a variety of medical problems secondary to Gluten sensitivity - much more than "Gluten sensitive enteropathy"

Lab tests are complete and fairly standard for a workup for gluten sensitivity

Title sounds sort of out there but the text itself is mostly quite reasonable.

Nutritional Oncology - George Blackburn, David Heber, Vay Liang, and John Milner

Excellent resource but not light reading. Most people might want to look something up in this textbook but not sit down and read it.

Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy - Walter Willett

Fantastic book for everyone. Should be read cover to cover. "Harvards guide to health eating"

Excellent Food pyramid - what the government food pyramid should be. Link to food pyramids of various diets including the "harvard" food pyramid.

The Drunkard's Walk - Leonard Mlodinow

Excellent book - Why health - Mental Health - randomness and probability as it applies to everyday life

Mainly - ability and accomplishment are randomly associated.

People should be judged on their ability, not their accomplishments.

Perseverance is the single most important attribute for "success".

David Heber, MD, PhD - What Color is Your Diet?

Excellent short book with a invaluable discussion of fruits and vegetables and their role in health and disease.

Very practical

Dr. Jennie Brand-Miller - The New Glucose Revolution

Excellent short book with a concise discussion of the glycemic index and glycemic load

Long list of foods with their glycemic indices

You - Staying Young - Michael Roizen, M.D., and Mehmet Oz, M.D.

Excellent book - A must read with pearls for all readers

Documents well what causes us to age and how to prevent it or slow it down

Very up to date

You on a Diet - Michael Roizen, M.D., and Mehmet Oz, M.D.

Excellent book - Why we gain weight and how we should approach weight loss and weight control

Many practical tips for having successful long term weight loss

Many healthy recipes

The Good LIfe - Helen and Scott Nearing

Excellent older book - Organic farmers who started in the Depression

Self-Sufficient living - growing all their own food, building their dwellings, vegetarians and pacifists

1st - 30 yrs in Vermont starting from scratch, 2nd - 30 yrs in Maine again starting from scratch

Scott lived to 100. Helen nearly so.

Four Season Harvest - Eliot Coleman

Excellent organic farming book - How to grow 3 seasons and harvest for all 4 - even in Maine. Fresh salad materials year around. Pretty amazing book.

Portable greenhouses, moving duck enclosures, winter vegetable choices, etc.

Engine 2 Diet - Rip Esselstyn

Plant based low fat diet which prevents and cures coronary artery disease

A diet and lifestyle for everyone

Excellent book

Anticancer - A New Way of Life - David Servan-Schreiber, MD, PhD

A neuropsychiatrist who developed a malignant brain tumor at age 31. He is alive 15 yrs later despite a recurrence. He has researched cancer and how to prevent and cure it as only an educated cancer patient could.

Superb, passionate book. Well-written, well-researched and documented, and entertaining. Mandatory reading for all cancer patients or their loved ones.

A wonderful book which clearly documents the beneficial effects of exercise upon the brain. It promotes learning, improves mood and attention, guards against and even reverses some of the effects of aging on the brain.