Book Review: 'The New Me Diet' by Jade Teta and Keoni Teta

“Eat more, work out less, and actually lose weight while you rest.” What chubby, chunky or downright hefty gal or guy trying to knock off the pounds wouldn’t want some of that?

The subtitle on the cover of “The New Me Diet” may be technically correct but could also be a little misleading. If you read it to mean “Order up a large pizza, grab the TV remote and lose weight while you channel surf” -- well, no.

What it really means is this: Eat a diet composed of an unlimited quantity of most vegetables, certain fruits and lean proteins; some fat; and a small amount of whole grains, legumes and beans. Do a 30-minute interval and weight training workout that incorporates periods of rest three times a week, and walk every day for 30 to 60 minutes. And you will lose weight.

Now that sounds doable.

"Me Diet" authors Jade Teta and Keoni Teta are brothers who each have a couple of decades of experience as personal trainers and degrees in biochemistry and naturopathic medicine, among other health and fitness credentials. But though their backgrounds are similar, their body types and metabolisms are different, they say.

Their curiosity about why food and exercise affect people differently led them to develop what they dub their Metabolic Effect, or ME, program, which they say is based on the new science of hormonal fat burning. Translated, that means that certain hormones control how fat is stored and burned in the body. The Tetas say you can manipulate those hormones by what you eat and how you exercise.

Their book spends a few pages discussing the science behind their program but quickly launches into the practical matter of how to make it work for you. They divide people into three different types -- sugar burners, muscle burners and mixed burners -- and offer a quiz for readers to determine which type they are.

Book Review: 'The Roadmap to 100' by Walter M. Bortz II and Randall Stickrod

What if you could live to 100 and not just survive but thrive -- even in your elder years? Dr. Walter M. Bortz II and Randall Stickrod, authors of "The Roadmap to 100," say it's not only possible but probable that many of us will do so.

There will be as many as 6 million centenarians in the world by the middle of this century -- most of them healthy, functional and largely independent, Bortz and Stickrod write. But conversely, there's also a large population that may die at a younger age than the previous generation and be in poorer health while alive, putting a strain on healthcare resources, they say. 

Which of these groups people fall into largely is not determined by hereditary factors but by lifestyle choices, they write. "Longevity is neither an accident nor an isolated phenomenon. It is a product of specific healthy behaviors, a direct consequence of health maintenance."

With "Roadmap," Bortz and Stickrod say, they are "issuing a clarion call to reclaim ownership of our health, to learn to take responsibility for it and not rely blindly on medical technology to repair the damage we do to ourselves."

They present a persuasive case, backed up by numerous studies, and outline specific behaviors people can adopt to live longer and live well. However, they may be preaching to the choir. Their science-oriented book is geared to an educated reader who probably already knows the components of a healthy lifestyle. 

Bortz is no stranger to the topic. He's former co-chairman of the American Medical Assn.'s Task Force on Aging, former president of the American Geriatric Society and author of "Dare to Be 100." Stickrod, a science and technology publisher and writer, was the founding executive publisher of Wired magazine.

The two have examined studies and writings on aging, exercise, obesity, nutrition and disease and come up with several factors they believe contribute to longevity. Their top prescription for a long and productive life might be summed up in two words: Move more.

Book Review: 'Difficult Personalities' by Helen McGrath and Hazel Edwards

Most people have at least one person in their lives they consider "difficult." This is the co-worker, in-law, neighbor or friend who's bullying, controlling, hypercritical or so anxious they can't make a decision.

Interactions with them can be challenging, frustrating, even perilous, depending on the role they play in your life. A new book, "Difficult Personalities," by Helen McGrath, a clinical psychologist and adjunct university professor in Melbourne, Australia, and writer Hazel Edwards, offers advice on managing this kind of behavior in other people -- and in yourself.

The authors share insights into what's behind various personality traits, typical behavior, positive aspects of the types and practical strategies you can use to deal with them or cope with your own tendencies.

Their approach changes depending on the behavior. With worriers and perfectionists, they suggest offering understanding, empathy and a reality check. With inflexible and over-controlling people they suggest an assertive, rational and sometimes reassuring manner. They describe pragmatic ways to confront and defuse (or avoid) negative, bossy or "superior" people. And for dealing with bullies, con artists and sociopaths, they focus on concrete steps to identify the behaviors and protect yourself.

But for the most part, McGrath and Edwards advise an approach toward other people -- and ourselves -- that is respectful and compassionate, recognizing that we all have flaws and annoying traits. To that end, they include chapters on getting on top of anxiety, practicing rational thinking, managing anger, negotiating conflict and maintaining strong romantic partnerships.

They base much of their material, they say, on the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders," the widely used American Psychiatric Assn. reference book. They also draw on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator psychological test to discuss ways to manage differences between introverts and extroverts, thinkers and feelers, and planners and "optionizers." 

-- Anne Colby

Photo: "Difficult Personalities," Helen McGrath and Hazel Edwards, the Experiment, $14.95

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Book Review: 'The Strong Women's Guide to Total Health' by Miriam E. Nelson and Jennifer Ackerman

Although men may have more heart attacks, more women die as a result of them. Women have stronger immune responses  --  with increased resistance to many infections -- but are much more likely than men to develop autoimmune diseases. Men are more likely to have schizophrenia and alcohol and drug addiction, whereas women have more depression, anxiety and eating disorders. 

Those are just some of the ways women's health differs from men's, according to Miriam E. Nelson and Jennifer Ackerman, authors of "The Strong Women's Guide to Total Health."

"Our gender affects everything from the makeup of our bones and the architecture of our joints, to our skin's response to sunlight and aging, to how we experience pain, react to drugs, and cope with stress," they write.

Until fairly recently, medical researchers considered men's bodies the prototype for both genders. But today women are more than half of participants in health studies, and researchers are looking closely at illnesses affecting mostly them, Nelson and Ackerman write. 

In fact, there is so much health information available to women -- much of it contradictory -- that it can get confusing.

That's where "Strong Women's Guide" comes in. The book aims to summarize the latest thinking on women's health and offer "basic, reliable guidelines for staying well in body, mind and spirit."

And it appears to do so remarkably well considering the range of topics it covers, including reproductive and sexual health; skin, teeth, hair and nails; body weight and metabolism; muscles, bones and joints; the heart and lungs; cancer and disease; vision and hearing; and mental health.

Nelson -- the director of the John Hancock Research Center on Physical Activity, Nutrition and Obesity Prevention and an associate professor of nutrition at Tufts University -- has gained a following with earlier "Strong Women" books on topics such as weight control and bone health. Ackerman is a science and health writer and the author of several other books, including "Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream."

Their new book is not the place you would go for in-depth coverage of a specific health topic, but it offers solid overviews, useful advice and quite a bit of up-to-date detail. 

The section on birth control, for example, looks at the varied oral contraceptives available today, including a spearmint-flavored chewable pill, the three-month combination pill, the mini-pill, the "no more period" pill and other hormonal options such as a skin patch and injections. The chapter on menopause sorts through recent research findings on hormone therapy and summarizes the options for easing symptoms. A discussion of heart disease details the symptoms unique to women and tells what to look for in cholesterol, triglyceride and blood pressure screenings.

The writing is intelligent, accessible and sometimes personal; amid the matter-of-fact health discussions are anecdotes such as one in the sexuality chapter that describes a nervous first-time trip to a sex-toy boutique. A chapter on changing habits includes a story about how a colleague once chastised Nelson for not practicing what she preached about exercise -- a comment that prompted her to start running regularly to train for the Boston Marathon.

"Strong Women's Guide" is as much a how-to health book as it is a medical reference work. It starts with a health self-assessment section that looks at everything from body mass index to joy quotient. Sprinkled throughout the book are checklists of ways to protect or improve health. The book ends with chapters on managing stress and sleeping well, eating and exercising right and getting the proper screenings, tests and vaccines at every age.

-- Anne Colby

Photo: "The Strong Women's Guide to Total Health," Miriam E. Nelson and Jennifer Ackerman, Rodale Books, $27.99 

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Book Review: 'The 10 Things You Need to Eat' by Dave Lieberman and Anahad O'Connor

As roommates and friends at Yale University and later in New York, Dave Lieberman and Anahad O’Connor found themselves on opposite sides of a culinary divide. Lieberman was a cook who prized the finer points of European food and drink, O’Connor a health-food enthusiast who favored raw vegetables and whole grains.

They’ve since become media figures in their fields of interest  -- Lieberman is a contributing editor at Saveur magazine, cookbook author, former Food Network host and chef; O’Connor is a New York Times science and health reporter and author of a bestselling health book. But today they’ve found a way to bridge their nutritional gap. 

The two have collaborated on a new book of essays and recipes, “The 10 Things You Need to Eat,” that looks at foods considered extremely healthful -- superfoods, if you will. They sought out foods that met three criteria: “scientifically supported health benefits, extremely easy to find, and so versatile that we could easily build a complete and varied repertoire of home-style, satisfying, and delicious meals around them.”

Their picks include both everyday staples such as tomatoes and the often praised but not widely eaten quinoa. Others are avocados, beets, spinach, lentils, cabbage, super fish, nuts and berries.

Short chapters on each of these are written in a conversational style that gracefully blends nutritional science, cultural and historical details, food descriptions, personal stories, and cooking and shopping tips.  O’Connor explains why he chose each food from a nutritional standpoint, and Lieberman describes what he learned while experimenting with recipes. Scientific studies asserting health claims are clearly described and neatly documented at the end of the book.

Their book carries a “food as medicine” message but is so beautifully written and designed that the medicine goes down very easily. 

Many autism memoirs, books and advice -- now one for all

Parents of autistic children can be impressively connected to each other even while feeling painfully alone. Now there's a book that makes the most of their willingness to engage the wider world, even as it, perhaps, ameliorates their feelings of loneliness.

In what's called the Open Text Project, the University of Michigan Press is temporarily offering free access to "The Accidental Teacher," a mother's book about life with a severely autistic child. And here's the key: The online presentation solicits comments -- paragraph by paragraph -- should readers desire to respond, discuss, share, give feedback...

The foreword, written by Catherine Lord, director of the Autism and Communication Disorders Center at the University of Michigan, offers this overview:

"Many observations in the book will be familiar to parents and professionals who work with individuals with ASD: the need to consider (though not necessarily try) any possible treatment, even those that seem far-fetched; the daily concerns with sleeping and eating and disruptive behaviors; the difficult trade-offs in building a life for an entire family and responding to the extraordinary needs of a child with a disability. Yet, in the end, this is a unique story about a boy who loved long, quiet walks; rolling on frozen ground; and banging cobs of corn; a boy who enthusiastically perused books with photographs and had a Houdini-like ability to disappear."

The writer herself, Annie Lubliner Lehmann, says in the introduction:

"Parts of this book, the challenges, bureaucracies, humor and bittersweet moments, will be familiar to those who know autism intimately. Yet I have learned that despite meeting similar designated criteria, each story, like each person with autism, is unique.

I am no autism expert, just a mother and soldier, one of many in an army of parents. There are many insights to share. My report comes from the front lines. Here is our story."

Here's more about the book. And a previous essay by the author, on her breast biopsy,  published in the Los Angeles Times.

And here's the full book. Comments are more than welcome -- they're encouraged.

-- Tami Dennis

Credit: Richard Hartog / Los Angeles Times

 

A sensible approach to diet and exercise

SparkPeople.com has become a popular stop on the Internet for people looking for advice, information and support regarding their diet and exercise goals. Now the founder of SparkPeople, Chris Downie, has published a book and DVD.

The book, "The Spark" (Hay House), offers a 28-day program that teaches the major concepts, supported by science, on diet and exercise. It's well-suited to people who are new to a weight and fitness program because it doesn't ask for much at the start and really addresses the need for effective motivation to make long-term lifestyle changes. The DVD, called "The Spark: Fit, Firm & Fired Up," demonstrates eight workouts to improve strength and toning.

What's central to the SparkPeople movement is its promotion of group support. "Our program radiates a joyous team spirit and the knowledge that people are nourished by each other as much as by food," Downie writes in the introduction. It makes sense. Start with small steps and cheer each other on.

-- Shari Roan

Photo credit: SparkPeople Inc.

Book Review: 'The Perfect 10 Diet' by Michael Aziz

You might say Dr. Michael Aziz believes in the middle way. In his new book, "The Perfect 10 Diet," Aziz proposes a weight-loss plan that combines elements of both low- and high-carb diets -- and rejects aspects of each of them as well. 

It's all about finding balance, the board-certified internist writes. Specifically, Aziz -- founder and director of New York's Midtown Integrative Medicine -- believes we need to be eating the right foods to balance 10 key hormones that contribute to our weight and health.

These hormones are insulin, glucagon, leptin, thyroid hormone, human growth hormone, cortisol and DHEA, as well as estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. The latter sex hormones may not be crucial to survival, he writes, but they can affect how you age, look and feel.

Aziz is not shy about proclaiming what his program will do for you. His diet isn't just for losing weight, he writes; it will benefit anyone who wishes to reduce the risk of many cancers, boost memory, lower anxiety, improve his or her sex life and have a glowing complexion -- to name just a few promised results.

What does Aziz propose? First of all -- and he will find little argument among many nutritionists here -- he says to cut out sugar, products containing high-fructose corn syrup and anything made with white flour. Low-fat and fat-free baked products are to be avoided as well. Steer clear of soy protein isolates, processed meats with nitrates and anything with monosodium glutamate, he says. 

And while you're cleaning out your cupboards, get rid of the refined polyunsaturated vegetable oils, as well as the margarine and anything containing trans fats. These are "killer" fats, in his view.

That doesn't mean all fats are bad. In fact, he believes the popularity of low-fat diets is one reason for the obesity epidemic. He says to choose full-fat organic milk, butter, eggs, cheese and yogurt products in moderation rather than the low-fat versions because saturated fats and cholesterol-rich foods are needed to satisfy appetite, maintain sex hormone levels and assist in proper cell functioning. Also on his "good" fat list are avocados and nuts and olive, palm and coconut oils.

His Perfect 10 food pyramid has at its base fiber-rich vegetables, fruits and fats from natural sources. Above that on the pyramid is protein from poultry, fish and other seafood. Whole grains, nuts, legumes and calcium supplements or dairy are included in smaller amounts. Refined carbs and red meat should be eaten only occasionally.

His ideal is a diet that gets 40% of its calories from carbohydrates, 40% from fat and 20% from protein. This proportion, and the foods he recommends, will support the hormones needed for health, vitality and weight loss, he says. 

To get started losing weight, he offers a three-stage plan. The first stage is a variation on the so-called Paleolithic diet and focuses on vegetables, fruits, poultry, seafood, beans, nuts and seeds. He says most people lose 10 to 14 pounds in this three-week phase. Subsequent stages -- the last being a maintenance phase --  add more foods in moderation.

There's much that makes sense in Aziz's program -- once you get past the sweeping claims ("The Perfect 10 Diet is the only diet in the world that will help you balance these ten important hormones"), unsupported statements ("Centenarians ... all have one thing in common -- low insulin levels") and occasional leaps of logic.

Though his book may not win awards for its prose, it's clear the doctor has much passion for his subject. His diet apparently has a following, and his message is one that some may want to hear.

-- Anne Colby

Photo: "The Perfect 10 Diet," Michael Aziz, Cumberland House, $24.99

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Book Review: 'The 5-Factor World Diet' by Harley Pasternak with Laura Moser

Personal trainer and nutritionist Harley Pasternak has logged a lot of international miles traveling with such celebrity clients as Kanye West, Alicia Keys, John Mayer and Lady Gaga.

The bestselling author of "The 5-Factor Diet" and "5-Factor Fitness" noticed that wherever he went in the world, people seemed healthier and leaner than they do in the United States. Curious about why, he started collecting diet, exercise and lifestyle "secrets" of the countries he visited.

Pasternak has put those observations together in his latest book, "The 5-Factor World Diet," written with Laura Moser. In it, he gives his picks for the 10 healthiest countries in the world and describes the elements he thinks are responsible. A good portion of the book is devoted to "5-Factor"-adapted recipes from each of the nations' cuisines.

In selecting countries for his admittedly subjective list, he took into account such things as longevity of the population, obesity rates, calorie consumption, the proportion of meat to vegetables in diets and the amount of exercise people get. He focused on industrialized countries with a standard of living and resources comparable to that of the U.S. 

There are as many differences among the cultures he describes as commonalities. He writes that the Swedes and the French eat a great deal of dairy, whereas milk products are rarely consumed in the Asian countries on his list. Some of the nations eat their heaviest meal at midday; others in the evening. Italians may have an espresso and a small roll for breakfast; a Japanese breakfast might feature steamed rice, miso and grilled fish. Garlic is a focal point in South Korean and Spanish diets yet all but absent in some of the other cuisines.

However, the populations he profiles also share some characteristics: All walk a great deal more than Americans do in their daily lives, take their time when dining, focus on enjoyment during their meals and eat in moderation, he says. 

Though he takes pains to explain his interest in writing the book (including a lifelong love of exploring ethnic cuisines cultivated in his native Toronto), the connection between these nations' diet and exercise habits and Pasternak's "celebrity-approved" 5-Factor program is a loose one at best. (Briefly, Pasternak advocates eating five simply prepared meals a day, each of which should include protein, carbohydrates, fiber, healthy fat and a beverage. Each week there's a "free day," in which anything may be eaten. Exercise is done in 25-minute periods five days a week.)

But the book is a good read, with a personable voice and some interesting cultural details. And it's as much a dieter's international cookbook as anything else, with 120 low-fat, high-fiber recipes for such dishes as soba noodle stir-fry, garlic chicken cassoulet, lemon and parsley hummus and Korean beef grill. Recipes do not include nutritional data.

-- Anne Colby

Photo: "The 5-Factor World Diet" by Harley Pasternak with Laura Moser, Ballantine Books, $25

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Book Review: 'The "I" Diet' by Susan B. Roberts and Betty Kelly Sargent

"The 'I' Diet" is a diet book with a difference. Like many other books in the weight-loss genre, it features eating plans, nutritional advice and recipes. But the new paperback -- previously published in 2008 as "The Instinct Diet" and updated with new material -- offers something more: practical strategies for changing eating habits.

" 'I' Diet" author Susan B. Roberts is a professor of nutrition and of psychiatry at Boston's Tufts University, where she focuses on obesity. She says that after writing nearly 200 research papers and reading several thousand by other scientists, she decided that all studies agreed on five things that influence our eating behavior: hunger, the availability of food, the variety of food, the familiarity of food and how rich or calorie-dense the food is.

Roberts' book, written with Betty Kelly Sargent, addresses these variables to help dieters shed pounds and develop a healthier relationship to food. She's tested her plan on volunteers in her Tufts weight-loss lab and others. She promises that her program drops weight faster with less hunger than other plans, eliminates dieting plateaus and cuts cravings -- and will result in permanent weight control.

These are hefty claims, but her approach has plenty of influential fans. The new book includes favorable reviews and endorsements from former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner David Kessler, New York Times personal health writer Jane Brody and a slew of academics in the nutrition and medical fields, as well as Harvard's Henry Louis Gates Jr., who lost 30 pounds on her diet while eating out five nights a week.

Roberts says one contributor to obesity is the wide variety of foods available today. Choice is a problem for many of us because we instinctively eat until we've satisfied ourselves with each individual food rather than with the meal overall.

To cope, she suggests reducing the variety of high-calorie foods you eat, while adding variety among high-fiber vegetables, fruits and cereals. For example, eat broccoli and strawberries one day, cauliflower and mango the next and so on. But keep only one type of dark chocolate on hand rather than several different kinds of chocolate candy.

One way Roberts addresses cravings is to say that it's fine to indulge occasionally in high-calorie foods but that they should never be eaten alone: Always combine them with lower-calorie foods so you'll be less tempted to overeat the calorie-rich items.