Ayurveda Lifestyle Wisdom: A Complete Prescription to Optimize Your Health, Prevent Disease, and Live with Vitality and Joy

by Acharya Shunya

Sounds True    2017

376 Pages     Health/Wellness

I would like to share with you this morning a very insightful and useful book that came across my desk from a publicist. It is available today.

Ayurveda is a health system that believes that true health is everyone's birthright, and that each of us is a self-healing entity who can use nature's abundance to restore and renew ourselves. The practitioner and author, Acharya Shunya, was born in northern India, where her formative years were spent learning the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda from her guru, who was her grandfather (or Baba). He was a spiritual teacher and practitioner of this ancient wisdom. 

Shunya now is a practitioner herself, in California, and her book, Ayurveda Lifestyle Wisdom, is the result of her years of work teaching people how to understand, use, and practice the Ayurveda philosophy. Acharya Shunya presents a narrative-based guidebook that meticulously covers the how-to's of morning and evening self-care, daily contemplations, self-massage and skin care, cooking (including recipes), beauty rituals, and more. It also talks a great deal about yoga.

She writes "To rid ourselves of the suffering that afflicts the body, mind, and soul, what we need is an affirmative knowledge of life and how to live it in alignment with nature."

I loved the stories that begin each section. In them she relates the enormous influence her Baba had on her by giving examples of conversations she had with him as a child and the wisdom he imparted to her.

This is truly a unique book. It certainly can't be digested in one sitting, but it looks to me that someone seeking its wisdom needs to work on it, one step at a time.

Here  are some steps that every reader can do.

  Wake up early each morning at a set time. 

  Have an altar in your room and put fresh flowers on it every day. 

  Every morning meditate to your healing for fifteen minutes. 

  Stop eating (or minimize your consumption of) harmful foods - which foods are harmful, and which foods are best eaten at certain times of the day and the year are discussed throughout the book 

  Eat beneficial foods - there is a big section toward the end of the book that discusses food and includes recipes.

Here is a review in a blog about health and wellness.

Here is Acharya Shunya's website.

The Anti-cancer Diet

by David Khayat

W.W. Norton     2015

274 pages      Nonfiction/Health

Originally published in France in 2010, The Anti-cancer Diet by Dr. David Khayat, is newly translated into English for American audiences. A well known oncologist, Khayat has created an incredible "everything you need to know" food guide to help adults from contracting cancer. 

Cancer is the leading cause of mortality in adults in the world. More than 585,000 Americans die of cancer yearly. Staggering figures. Until I read this book, I knew that by not smoking, I was probably keeping myself from lung cancer, but I had really no idea what the possible effects of the foods I ate could have on my predisposition toward cancer. The book contains many charts to explain foods, ingredients, vitamins, supplements, and just about everything that goes into a person's mouth. Each food is analyzed for its possible contribution to cancer. I was pleased to see that red wine has Resveratrol, a substance that has anticancer properties.

I am always quite amazed that once you are aware of something—in this case preventing cancer—everywhere you look you find information on the topic. This morning in the Google News, there was an article from the Globe and Mail about citrus fruit consumption and skin cancer. This is something mentioned by Khayat. And then, just as i was eating a leftover piece of grilled salmon on my salad, I read that grilling may be dangerous and eating salmon is problematic. Couldn't finish my lunch!

Khayat doesn't expect for his book to be treated simply as a diet plan, and he creates no daily eating guide, like many diet books. His goal is to raise awareness and caution consumers about  the foods that we eat. He also adds the kind of sane advice that we have heard many times: don't smoke, eat a varied diet; vary how you cook your food, eat products that are made by hand, are locally produced, and farmed by sustainable methods; and find your energy balance—which includes getting exercise. 

The Anti-Cancer Diet is a valuable tool for people who are concerned about their health and wellbeing. It will stay on my cookbook shelf. I really appreciated receiving it from the publicist.

The Rechargeables

by Tom Rath

Illustrated by Carlos Aon

Missionday     2015

46 pages     Picture Book

Tom Rath incorporates the philosophy of three of his books, Eat Move Sleep, How Full is Your Bucket for Kids  and Are You Fully Charged, into a picture book for children called The Rechargeables. It is a relateable story about Poppy and Simon, who are completely out of energy. Using experimental research, they figure out how to recharge their energy. They find that eating right, exercising, and getting enough sleep helps everyone in the family become recharged. 

The Rechargeables seems most appropriate for early elementary aged children. I can see it being used in science or health classes or at a story time in the library. There are many activities that could follow the reading of the book. It could be used with a nutrition unit or in a physical education class. I particularly like the battery-style shirt sticker that a child can wear to show that he/she is fully charged. It is a bit longer than a standard picture book, which is why it might be more appropriate for elementary-aged children.

The illustrations are delightful. They are full page and do an excellent job of telling the story, which is the most important part of good picture books. 

The Rechargeables is fun and educational. Your kids will love it. If you are a teacher, it will be a valuable tool for your classroom.

The Gluten Free Revolution

By Jax Peters Lowell

Henry Holt     2015

632 pages     Healthy Living

The Shortlist

The Gluten Free Revolution has everything—and I do mean everything—you need to know about building a gluten-free life for you and for your family. Lowell says, "Fifteen million Americans follow a gluten-free diet, of which three million, myself included, are gluten-intolerant with documented celiac disease." She goes on to say that there is a $4.2 billion market for gluten free, and it is expected to swell to $6 billion by 2017. 

The Gluten Free Revolution includes rules to follow as you are creating a gluten-free life, recipes to try, and ways to create gluten-free families. One of the most valuable parts of the books are the lists of places to find gluten-free foods, lists of brands that are truly gluten free, and lists of gluten-free restaurants. A whole section has been devoted to gluten-free travel and gluten-free cooking schools. I was especially interested in the section on gluten-free baby food. Another section deals with doctors, medical tests, and benefits for some types of chronic illnesses. Additionally, the book has lots of recipes that look truly delicious.

My sister's children have gone gluten-free and so she has had to revamp both her home and her cottage so that she has gluten-free utensils for both places. I noticed when looking through the book that Jungle Jim's, a great grocery in their Cincinnati area neighborhood, has a gluten-free cooking school. This book, which came from the publicist, is going to go to her. 

If you have gluten intolerant family members, or you think you might be gluten intolerant, this definitely is the book for you. Jax Peters Lowell is in the forefront of the gluten-free movement and one of the creators of the gluten-free diet.  

Jax Lowell's website.

Anti-Aging Cures: Life Changing Secrets to Reverse the Effects of Aging

By Dr. James Forsythe

New York, Vanguard Press, 2011

283 pages   Non-Fiction

The Shortlist

No one welcomes the aging process; hardly anyone knows what to do about it. Dr. James Forsythe has become an expert in the use of human growth hormone (HGH) for those who would like to age without the aches, pains, and diseases often linked to growing older. His book, Anti-Aging Cures focuses on the use of several variations of HGH including oral biostimulators as well as injectable HGH. 

The book is divided into four parts: Create Your Anti-Aging Lifestyle; Use an Anti-Aging Silver Bullet; Enjoy your Anti-Aging Benefits; and Protect Your Anti-Aging Rights. There is a lot of good general advice in each section, but in each section, he returns to the subject of HGH—its use and benefits. Sometimes, the book preaches; the term miraculous and revolutionary appears multiple times in the text, but the argument for the use of HGH appears compelling and gives an older person fodder for discussion the next time he/she goes to the doctor.

Forsythe presents a well-researched, well-conceived plan for homeopathic anti-aging treatment. The documentation at the end of the book is extensive; he also presents his thesis that the dispensation of HGH has been thwarted by the FDA and linked unfairly with steroids and other uses of HGH for physical enhancement. 

My husband has been doing a lot of research on HGH and really wants to try it. The cost of the injections is prohibitive at this point for people on fixed incomes. However, when he checked with Medicare and his physician, he learned that the biostimulator, Secretrophin, does fall under Medicare and is available with a prescription. He also learned that his doctor has prescribed Secretrophin for his own father who has been taking it for a couple of years. I believe that my husband is going to give it a try; I am reserving judgment because I am a reluctant pill taker of any sort.

I received this book from the publicist and would recommend it to those who are interested in knowing more about HGH. The book is very readable and convincing. 

Website for Dr. James Forsythe: www.drforsythe.com

Below you will find an article by Dr. Forsythe about organic superfoods.

Nutrition Helps to Keep You Youthful
By Dr. James Forsythe,
Author of Anti-Aging Cures: Life Changing Secrets to Reverse the Effects of Aging

Remember that as we mature, our ability to appear and feel young involves more than human growth hormone replacement therapy, though that can certainly be an essential key. Exercise, proper sleep, food selections, minerals and vitamins all combine in a synergy to play integral roles in this process. People who employ a balance of these factors position themselves for healthy, quality-filled aging -- while lessening the possibility of chronic degenerative diseases like cancer.
Whether you are young or advanced in age, a nutritious diet is indispensable to maintaining exceptional health and a longer life, with or without the use of injectable HGH and its natural precursors.
That's why I put so much emphasis on your absorption of healthy nutrients. Nutrition literally defines what you are made of because it is the foundation for every living cell and organ in your body. Nutrition in the blood supplies the body with the very fuel for existence. It supplies strength, energy and vitality, while empowering the body to fight disease and illness.
Hunger is more than just a reason to consume food. This vital craving serves as your body's essential communication, conveying a basic need for important nutrients. When you consume natural, nutrient-dense foods, you satisfy your body's need for high quality fuel and that empowers your immune system to combat illness and disease.
Want to know more about the most nutrient rich foods on earth? Here is a list of Nature's Superfoods:
Nine Groups of Organic Superfoods You Need In Your Diet

• Super Greens such as kale, spinach, broccoli, beet tops and all dark green leafy vegetables in both whole and juice form; also nopal cactus, nettle leaf, and cabbages.
• Maca root from the Andes and maca root juice.
• Mushrooms, in particular these: reishi, cordyceps, maitake, chaga, mesima, lion's mane, turkey tail, shitake.
• Spirulina and chlorella: these include Klamath Lake Blue-Green Algae.
• Herbs and spices like garlic, dandelion leaf, nettle and parsley: the most potent spice is curcumin from the turmeric plant, a staple in Indian cuisine.
• Bee pollen and royal jelly.
• Dark red and purple fruits and berries: these include blueberries and raspberries. Also, goji berry juice and hawthorne berry.
• Kelp and sea plants
• Taro root, orange tomatoes, carrots, and orange vegetables

Other additions to the Superfoods list include: cacao (raw chocolate), sweet mesquite pod, and sprouted flax.
I also urge our patients to consume healthy smoothies that they prepare at home on a regular basis. Most of these recipes include soy milk, non-fat yogurt, berries such as blueberries, blackberries or strawberries, bananas and a raw egg, plus a couple tablespoons of flaxseed oil and whey protein. Many patients consider such smoothies delicious, and they're also good for digestion.
Two Reasons to Always Eat ORGANIC Superfoods

1. Wise consumers will want to avoid the residues of pesticides, herbicides and other synthetic chemicals applied to plants and fruits. Washing the produce with water will not remove all of the residues. These chemicals can cause health problems in humans, including neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson's disease.

2.      Organically (non-chemically) grown Superfoods contain higher levels of phytochemicals. These nutrients have been documented in thousands of medical science studies as being important to good health and a long life. Phytochemicals are produced by plants in response to stress and to protect against insects and disease. When pesticides and other chemicals are applied during the growing process, plants produce lower levels of these important phytochemical nutrients.

Make Your Food Selections a First Level of Defense
Adopting a proper food selection or diet program should be your primary first step in any serious anti-aging program.
While maintaining a trim, ideal weight might sound merely vane or narcissistic, various medical studies through the years strongly indicate that excessive or unnecessary weight contributes to cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus. Maintaining an ideal body weight can go a long way toward preventing or at least lowering the probability of such negative health factors.
Read more about what foods to avoid and ones that prevent cancer in my book;, "Anti-Aging Cures".
Copyright © 2012 Dr. James Forsythe, author of Anti-Aging Cures: Life Changing Secrets to Reverse the Effects of Aging