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Sunday, March 10, 2024

Book Review: Change Your Diet, Change Your Mind

Change Your Diet, Change Your Mind: A Powerful Plan to Improve Mood, Overcome Anxiety, and Protect Memory for a Lifetime of Optimal Mental HealthChange Your Diet, Change Your Mind: A Powerful Plan to Improve Mood, Overcome Anxiety, and Protect Memory for a Lifetime of Optimal Mental Health by Georgia Ede
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The author, Dr. Ede, states that her goal in writing this book was to “take the confusion out of nutrition and replace it with science, simplicity, and common sense; to teach you how to think for yourself about food so you can make your own informed choices and find what works best for you and your family” (pp. 6-7).

There are four parts to the book. In part 1: Rethinking Brain Food, discover the causes of mental health problems, failures of current nutrition guidelines, how the brain functions, and defining a brain-healthy diet. Part 2: Our Descent into Dietary Madness chapters cover processed foods, metabolic mayhem, insulin resistance, and the promise of ketogenic diets. In part 3: The Whole Truth about Whole Foods, the benefits and risks of different food groups and how they affect the brain are identified. Part 4: Hope is on the Menu takes the information from previous parts and presents three dietary strategies that you can customize based on your goals, conditions, and preferences.

The plans in the book are intended as short-term, six to 12-week strategies toward better metabolic health. You can then work with your health care provider(s) to further personalize and tweak them.

A brain-healthy diet must meet the following criteria:
1. Nourish the brain with adequate essential nutrients
2. Protect the brain by excluding damaging ingredients
3. Energize the brain by keeping blood sugar and insulin levels in a healthy range

The book is comprehensive and well-researched. Key terms and concepts are noted in bold font with relatable case stories of success. The tour of the brain’s anatomy is informative and makes it easier to understand what it needs. The quiet diet strategies are prescriptive with details (e.g., meal plans, recipes) and instructions for implementation. There is a helpful section on handling challenges and obstacles, such as social gatherings, restaurants, traveling, and cheat days.

The deeper dives into brain metabolism may be too technical for some readers. Molecules, pathways, and systems are described via six concepts. You may want to skim over, read twice, or save for another time.

I would recommend this book to everyone looking to improve their mental health. This review is based on the hardcover, but I wish I had purchased the audio version so I could listen to it several times. There is so much to learn.

Check out the full review, with highlights on LinkedIn.
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Saturday, February 10, 2024

Book Review: GRIT

Grit: The Power of Passion and PerseveranceGrit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book shares that the secret to achievement is grit, defined as a blend of passion and persistence.

There are three parts: Part I: what grit is and why it matters; Part II: growing grit from the inside out; and Part III: growing grit from the outside in. The reader will learn how effort counts twice (over talent), how to become grittier, how lifelong interests are triggered, how to develop habits of daily practice, how to connect work to a purpose, and the importance of outside influencers (parents, coaches, teachers, bosses, mentors, friends).

Everyone should read this book to succeed at being a better person for yourself, loved ones, friends, and colleagues.

The author shares her own discoveries, studies, and real-world examples to explain concepts. It is engaging, thought-provoking, and inspirational.

This is not for the reader expecting shortcuts or a fast track to success.

View all my reviews on Goodreads. Or, read the full review on LinkedIn, including highlighted quotes.

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Book Review: Calm Your Mind with Food

Calm Your Mind with Food: A Revolutionary Guide to Controlling Your AnxietyCalm Your Mind with Food: A Revolutionary Guide to Controlling Your Anxiety by Uma Naidoo
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

There is a connection between the food you eat and how it affects your brain and your body. This book explains how anxiety may be rooted in our brain, our gut, our immune system, and our metabolism and how to fix this so our minds are calm and functioning correctly. Dr. Naidoo, a board-certified nutritional psychiatrist, provides guidelines to apply the six pillars for calming the mind, personalizing a meal plan, and improving your overall mental well-being.

This book has three parts: The Problem, The Solution, and The Protocol. This book is recommended to anyone dealing with anxiety and new to nutrition.

6 Pillars to Calm Your Mind
1. Eat whole to be whole
2. The calming kaleidoscope plate
3. Magnify micronutrients
4. Prioritize healthy fats
5. Avoid anxiety-triggering foods
6. Find consistency and balance

This book is well-organized, well-researched, and presented in a friendly, relatable tone. Dr. Naidoo explains each concept thoroughly with many patient examples. A whole chapter is dedicated to recipes, including a lavender play dough (nonedible) recipe.

Overall, the concepts are not new.


View all my reviews on Goodreads; read this review, including highlights, on LinkedIn

Thursday, December 28, 2023

Book Review: Forever Strong

Forever Strong: A New, Science-Based Strategy for Aging WellForever Strong: A New, Science-Based Strategy for Aging Well by Gabrielle Lyon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book focuses on the importance of healthy muscle tissue, navigating nutrition with a focus on protein, and having the right mindset for implementation and consistency. While there is extensive information on the benefits of muscle building and healthy eating, the mindset principles in each chapter make this book stand out. The author, Dr. Lyon, emphasizes the importance of getting your mind right in addition to your body.

The book may be more appropriate as a reference guide for the nutritionist, health coach, or personal trainer. The extensive, scientific explanations may be overwhelming to the layperson. The prescriptive plan requires figuring out your macronutrients and exercises. Meal plans and recipes are included in the appendix.

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Sunday, December 10, 2023

Book Review: The Obesity Fix

The Obesity Fix: How to Beat Food Cravings, Lose Weight and Gain EnergyThe Obesity Fix: How to Beat Food Cravings, Lose Weight and Gain Energy by James DiNicolantonio
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This book is not for the average reader looking to gear up for the New Year with a prescriptive plan to lose weight. It may come across as too scientific and complex for most. There are seven chapters covering the cause of obesity, calorie conundrum, hormonal mechanisms, sugar, enrichment, fat, and structuring a diet for sustainable weight loss. I agree with many other reviewers who have recommended that you follow Dr. DiNicolantonio on Instagram. He regularly posts succinct, helpful information on nutrition.

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Read full review on LinkedIn.

Thursday, October 19, 2023

Book Review: The Joy Choice

by Michelle Segar
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Some people naturally gravitate toward a more disciplined lifestyle with habits and routines, while others wrestle to a greater extent with self-control and focus. If you struggle to maintain healthy lifelong habits and are looking for a simple strategy, this book might be right for you.

The book's first part exposes barriers to lasting change—i.e., decision disrupters—and how we can understand and avoid them. The second part presents the solution with graphic-based strategies, decision shortcuts, and choices that keep us moving forward and achieving lasting change.

The key to lasting change is to be mindful when faced with a challenging situation and avoid derailing through temptation, rebellion, accommodation, and perfection (TRAP). The strategy used is POP!—pause, open up your options and play, and pick the joy choice.

The advice is straightforward. Instead of all-or-nothing and giving up, you learn to make trade-offs that keep you moving toward your goals. The graphics reinforce the concepts and break up the text. Appendix A showcases an eating example, which is helpful, and I recommend reading before jumping into chapter one. Appendix B is written for health care professionals and is well-thought-out.

There are a lot of psychological terms that are defined but may cause the reader to skim over sections. The concepts are simple and repeated often throughout the book. The approach and strategies may not appeal or work for everyone; however, reflecting and honoring what may work for others is equally important.


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Sunday, September 17, 2023

Book Review: Glucose Revolution

Glucose Revolution: The Life-Changing Power of Balancing Your Blood SugarGlucose Revolution: The Life-Changing Power of Balancing Your Blood Sugar by Jessie Inchauspé
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book educates the reader on what glucose is, possible related symptoms from dysregulation of glucose, and hacks to level out the body’s reaction to glucose. Listen to your body and observe your symptoms—they are powerful messages—and then make changes to improve your health.

There are three parts to this book: Part 1: What is glucose?; Part 2: Why are glucose spikes harmful?; and Part 3: How can I flatten my glucose curves?

10 Hacks
1. Eat foods in the right order.
2. Add a green starter to all your meals.
3. Stop counting calories.
4. Flatten your breakfast curve.
5. Have any type of sugar you like—they’re all the same.
6. Pick dessert over a sweet snack.
7. Reach for vinegar before you eat.
8. After you eat, move.
9. If you have to snack, go savory.
10. Put some clothes on your carbs.

The author provides a great example of how she applies these hacks with a “day in the life.” The information and recommendations are presented kindly, encouraging you to connect with your body and use the hacks as you see fit and to whatever degree. There are no strict rules.

Some of the studies that are cited are small or done on mice. And, although one of the hacks states that you should eat any type of sugar you like, they are all the same—in the detailed explanation, she says that there are better and worse sugar options, e.g., agave is worse than table sugar. I wouldn’t recommend this book as a cure-all for someone with severe or complex health conditions.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking to reduce sugar spikes.

View all my reviews on Goodreads. View my LinkedIn review.