Individual
Immunotics,
Robert Rountree, M.D. and Carol Colman
The coauthors of this book urge individuals to take proactive steps toward better physical and mental health by combining proper nutrition, vitamin and mineral supplements, a positive attitude, and an 'immune friendly environment.'
The authors describe the power of the human immune system, which needs to be reinforced by nutrititious food, anitoxidants, optimism and a safe environment. They offer a four-part Immunotics Program: Pharmacy, supplements to bolster immune function and treat disease; Food, nutritious selection of 'superfoods' that can strengthen the body's resistance on a daily basis; Mind, harnassing the power of the mind for faster healing and optimal health; Environment, simple changes in everyday habits to minimize the risk of getting sick, even in the workplace
Factors of modern life, such as poor nutritional habits and exposure to toxic substances (and people and situations! - ed. note), cause our bodies to be deprived, even starved, of these compounds, say the authors, who propose a complete program to ensure the best functioning of the immune system.The 30 supplements they discuss range from aloe vera, "the herbal immunotic for GI problems," to the less familiar western larch, "good for colds, ear infections, and flu." The authors recommend a diet high in fruits, vegetables and soy. They make alternative suggestions for people with special immunotic needs: those who work in a high-risk or high-stress environment; the aging; those recovering from surgery; travelers; and people with a family history of cancer. Finally, they stress the importance of maintaining a positive mental attitude, especially for patients who are fighting chronic illnesses.
Real Food
Nina Planck
"As Planck reveals, in her compellingly smart Real Food: What to Eat and Why, much of what we have learned about nutrition in the past generation or so is either misinformed or dead wrong, and almost all of the food invented in the last century, and especially since the Second World War, is worse than almost all of the food that we've been eating since we developed agriculture. The only sensible path for eating, the one that maintains and even improves health, the one that maintains stable weight and avoids obesity, happens to be the one that we all crave: not modern food, but traditional food, and not industrial food, but real food." Publishers Weekly
What are industrial foods? In the triple epidemic of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, the three main villains are trans fats, corn oil, and sugar - not butter and eggs. (Refined carbohydrates are also trouble.)