McGraw, Phil. The Ultimate Weight Solution: The 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom. New York: Free Press, 2003.
Psychologist Phil McGraw, television’s Dr. Phil, began to build his national reputation as a jury consultant for Oprah Winfrey when she was sued for statements she made about beef. It turned out his psychological practice was broader than reading potential jurors, and included weight management. McGraw has laid out his approach to weight management in The Ultimate Weight Solution.
McGraw describes seven “keys” to weight management. They seem to cover every aspect of life that relates to food. They can be loosely divided into two categories.
The first category involves discovering and counteracting mental and emotional issues that drive or support become on staying overweight. There are many subtle ways people may be sabotaging their weight-loss efforts. Some may have psychological issues that may require professional help, but many can use McGraw’s strategies to change their thinking and use new ways of coping with emotions that are more consistent with good health.
The second category focuses on behavioral change. In general, the approach is to institute healthy behaviors that will supplant unhealthy habits. Each key contains specific actions one can take to make practical changes. These strategies touch on habits, environment and relationships.
McGraw devotes more ink to the behavioral part. Ultimately, if one is going to attain and maintain a healthy weight, one must behave in a way will result in it.
The overall philosophy is that people behave the way they do for reasons. They may not be consciously aware of those reasons. Those reasons might not make sense if they were evaluated rationally. Even so, in some way a person finds the advantages of their behavior to be greater than the disadvantages. Change involves reevaluating the payoffs and costs of old behaviors and implementing new behaviors that have more desirable and rational payoffs.
A secondary philosophy that comes through is that one shouldn’t rely exclusively on one strategy, or even just diet and exercise, and especially not willpower. The keys touch on thoughts, emotions, habits, relationships, environments, exercise and diet. The more supports you have, the more likely you are to succeed.
As you might expect from a book on weight management, there is also information on nutrition and exercise. Obviously, how much we eat, what we eat, and our level of physical activity is behaviors that greatly and directly affect our weight.
McGraw provides some brief explanations of the science behind his strategies, including a bibliography of the works to which he refers. The book is not very technical, though. It is a practical guide aimed at people seeking to control their weight, not a clinical manual or textbook.
If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in
Change Your Brain Change Your Body by Daniel G. Amen
How Much Does Your Soul Weigh? by Dorie McCubbrey
I Can Make You Thin by Paul McKenna
This review of The Ultimate Weight Solution by Phil McGraw appears courtesy of Keenan’s Book Reviews, where there are reviews of other books on weight management.
P.S. Several strategies in this book are adaptable to a small steps approach. Start taking action, start taking steps toward your goal, and the results will follow.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Book Review: Into the Depths of God by Calvin Miller
Miller, Calvin. Into the Depths of God. Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House, 2000.
I’ve wanted to read this book again since the first time I read it. I’m not sure why I was drawn back to a book that challenged me to live a kind of life I wasn’t leading, nor is it easy. Even so, I hunger and thirst for God, like every other Christian, and find myself seeking more of the One for whom my heart most yearns.
Miller begins by challenging worldliness. He puts it more elegantly than that. We live in an age of that values pleasure, material wealth, and making the most of the moment. Even spirituality is focused on how it makes us feel good, though it is rarely so blunt. The alternative to these things is a deeper relationship with the One who satisfies because of who He is.
I’m particularly challenged by Millers take on self-denial. He is far from ascetic. If anything, he is an advocate of art, desire, engagement, and action. Self-denial for a Christian isn’t about the sins we give up (though we should eschew sin); it’s about the things we take up as part of the new life we have. We love God more than any other thing. We see to please Him and obey him rather than to please people. We seek His will instead of ours.
This kind of godliness, this ravenous hunt for more of God, does not make use remote from the world. It draws us into the work God is doing in the world. Christ took on humanity and entered our world to save people and part of what He want His saved people to do is continue the work of saving people until He comes again. I’m reminded of how Jesus said he saw the work His Father was doing and He did the same work. That is how Christians are supposed to be. Each of has a calling; we see some work our Father is doing and we are to do it to as imitators of our savior.
It’s not dogged work. It should be joyous living. Whatever we do, we should do with as much excellence, beauty and art as we can because we are in a relationship with the most beautiful One, the author of beauty in nature and the ultimate inspiration for beauty in art. A Christian’s calling is the most imaginative, creative and fulfilling thing he can do.
It is not an easy life to live. It goes against the grain of the world. It takes us out of the insular coziness churches. We must face truths than can make us uncomfortable. We must humbly acknowledge God and our need for Him in everything.
I fear I’ve made it sound esoteric. Focusing on intimacy with God who is infinite, but deigned to take on humanity and suffer the punishment for our sins so we could have an eternal relationship with Him, seems a world away from helping our neighbors in need, serving the sick, and standing up for the oppressed. Yet in deeper living, these seemingly disparate things are intimately linked. When we abide in Christ, He enables us to live this life of service, and in working close to Him this way, we deepen our relationship with him.
It’s rare for me to read a book twice. I think I could read Into the Depths of God a third time and get more out of it. It whets my appetite for God.
You can find my previous, brief review of this book here.
If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in
The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis
The Joy of Supernatural Thinking by Bill Bright
Walking with God by John Eldredge
This review of Into the Depths of God by Calvin Miller appears courtesy of Keenan’s Book Reviews, where you can find reviews of other books on spirituality.
I’ve wanted to read this book again since the first time I read it. I’m not sure why I was drawn back to a book that challenged me to live a kind of life I wasn’t leading, nor is it easy. Even so, I hunger and thirst for God, like every other Christian, and find myself seeking more of the One for whom my heart most yearns.
Miller begins by challenging worldliness. He puts it more elegantly than that. We live in an age of that values pleasure, material wealth, and making the most of the moment. Even spirituality is focused on how it makes us feel good, though it is rarely so blunt. The alternative to these things is a deeper relationship with the One who satisfies because of who He is.
I’m particularly challenged by Millers take on self-denial. He is far from ascetic. If anything, he is an advocate of art, desire, engagement, and action. Self-denial for a Christian isn’t about the sins we give up (though we should eschew sin); it’s about the things we take up as part of the new life we have. We love God more than any other thing. We see to please Him and obey him rather than to please people. We seek His will instead of ours.
This kind of godliness, this ravenous hunt for more of God, does not make use remote from the world. It draws us into the work God is doing in the world. Christ took on humanity and entered our world to save people and part of what He want His saved people to do is continue the work of saving people until He comes again. I’m reminded of how Jesus said he saw the work His Father was doing and He did the same work. That is how Christians are supposed to be. Each of has a calling; we see some work our Father is doing and we are to do it to as imitators of our savior.
It’s not dogged work. It should be joyous living. Whatever we do, we should do with as much excellence, beauty and art as we can because we are in a relationship with the most beautiful One, the author of beauty in nature and the ultimate inspiration for beauty in art. A Christian’s calling is the most imaginative, creative and fulfilling thing he can do.
It is not an easy life to live. It goes against the grain of the world. It takes us out of the insular coziness churches. We must face truths than can make us uncomfortable. We must humbly acknowledge God and our need for Him in everything.
I fear I’ve made it sound esoteric. Focusing on intimacy with God who is infinite, but deigned to take on humanity and suffer the punishment for our sins so we could have an eternal relationship with Him, seems a world away from helping our neighbors in need, serving the sick, and standing up for the oppressed. Yet in deeper living, these seemingly disparate things are intimately linked. When we abide in Christ, He enables us to live this life of service, and in working close to Him this way, we deepen our relationship with him.
It’s rare for me to read a book twice. I think I could read Into the Depths of God a third time and get more out of it. It whets my appetite for God.
You can find my previous, brief review of this book here.
If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in
The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis
The Joy of Supernatural Thinking by Bill Bright
Walking with God by John Eldredge
This review of Into the Depths of God by Calvin Miller appears courtesy of Keenan’s Book Reviews, where you can find reviews of other books on spirituality.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Book Review: Have a New You by Friday by Kevin Leman
Leman, Kevin. Have a New You by Friday: How to Accept Yourself, Boost Your Confidence and Change Your Life in 5 Days. Grand Rapids, MI: Revell, 2010.
By “new you”, Leman doesn’t mean a completely different person. Part if his plan is for you to accept yourself. He does mean a happier more successful you, which is probably more in line with what you really want.
The book is organized into a chapter for every day of the weekday. Leman’s style is light, so you probably can read a chapter a day with no problem. If you thoughtfully complete the exercises in each chapter, it will may a little more time. Some are simple, but as the week progresses, deeper thinking is called for.
In broad terms, Leman calls for you to know and accept yourself, recognize the lies you tell yourself and live with a new perspective. Much of the book addresses self-knowledge.
Leman addresses several areas of self-knowledge. First is temperament. He uses the classical humors (choric, melancholy, phlegmatic, and sanguine), though he humorously compares them to dog breeds. Next, he addresses way birth order effects personality. Birth order is one of Leman’s specialties. Midweek, he explores early childhood memories and the rulebooks we’ve written unawares based on these memories. I found this to be one of the most difficult chapters, but in some ways, I think it is one of the meatiest. The final aspect of self-knowledge is your love language. By understanding the things that make you feel loved, you can ask for what you need. You can also discover they ways the people close to you feel loved and begin to improve your relationship with them.
By the time we’re adults, our personality is set. Leman isn’t trying to give you an entirely new personality. Accept that you have certain strengths and weaknesses and begin using that knowledge to build a happier life. The truth can set you free to make new decisions that lead to new outcomes instead of taking the same paths that have always lead to frustration.
One of the things you can change is you’re rulebook. These are concepts of how the world works we formed as children. Being children, i.e. ignorant and immature, we formed some wrong ideas that can be driving our behavior even in adulthood. As adults, we can take a look at those rules a see if they are true and if they are helping us live the life we want. With the knowledge and maturity we have as adults, we can begin to counter wrong and unproductive rules (lies we tell ourselves) and develop new rules. Your rulebook won’t change in an instant, but you can train yourself to approach things from a new perspective instead of reacting unthinkingly.
In the Friday chapter, Leman lays out the program for implementing the new you. A couple of the best points are to take baby steps and give yourself room to fail. By the time you’ve been through the first four days, you’ll see that you come to be where you are by many steps over a long time. Getting to a new you will be similarly incremental, and old ways are bound to reassert themselves periodically. Leman encourages you to give yourself some grace, forgive yourself for stumbling, and take the next little step to get moving in a good direction again.
If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in
The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman
Little Shifts by Suzanna Beth Stinnet
One Small Step Can Change Your Life by Robert Maurer
This review of Have a New You by Friday by Kevin Leman
appears courtesy of Keenan’s Book Reviews, a book review blog that includes reviews of many self-help books.
By “new you”, Leman doesn’t mean a completely different person. Part if his plan is for you to accept yourself. He does mean a happier more successful you, which is probably more in line with what you really want.
The book is organized into a chapter for every day of the weekday. Leman’s style is light, so you probably can read a chapter a day with no problem. If you thoughtfully complete the exercises in each chapter, it will may a little more time. Some are simple, but as the week progresses, deeper thinking is called for.
In broad terms, Leman calls for you to know and accept yourself, recognize the lies you tell yourself and live with a new perspective. Much of the book addresses self-knowledge.
Leman addresses several areas of self-knowledge. First is temperament. He uses the classical humors (choric, melancholy, phlegmatic, and sanguine), though he humorously compares them to dog breeds. Next, he addresses way birth order effects personality. Birth order is one of Leman’s specialties. Midweek, he explores early childhood memories and the rulebooks we’ve written unawares based on these memories. I found this to be one of the most difficult chapters, but in some ways, I think it is one of the meatiest. The final aspect of self-knowledge is your love language. By understanding the things that make you feel loved, you can ask for what you need. You can also discover they ways the people close to you feel loved and begin to improve your relationship with them.
By the time we’re adults, our personality is set. Leman isn’t trying to give you an entirely new personality. Accept that you have certain strengths and weaknesses and begin using that knowledge to build a happier life. The truth can set you free to make new decisions that lead to new outcomes instead of taking the same paths that have always lead to frustration.
One of the things you can change is you’re rulebook. These are concepts of how the world works we formed as children. Being children, i.e. ignorant and immature, we formed some wrong ideas that can be driving our behavior even in adulthood. As adults, we can take a look at those rules a see if they are true and if they are helping us live the life we want. With the knowledge and maturity we have as adults, we can begin to counter wrong and unproductive rules (lies we tell ourselves) and develop new rules. Your rulebook won’t change in an instant, but you can train yourself to approach things from a new perspective instead of reacting unthinkingly.
In the Friday chapter, Leman lays out the program for implementing the new you. A couple of the best points are to take baby steps and give yourself room to fail. By the time you’ve been through the first four days, you’ll see that you come to be where you are by many steps over a long time. Getting to a new you will be similarly incremental, and old ways are bound to reassert themselves periodically. Leman encourages you to give yourself some grace, forgive yourself for stumbling, and take the next little step to get moving in a good direction again.
If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in
The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman
Little Shifts by Suzanna Beth Stinnet
One Small Step Can Change Your Life by Robert Maurer
This review of Have a New You by Friday by Kevin Leman
appears courtesy of Keenan’s Book Reviews, a book review blog that includes reviews of many self-help books.
Book Review: The Gospels
The Bible has four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. “Gospel” comes from an Old English word meaning “good news.” The gospels are the good news of the incarnation of Christ, the coming of God to save us from sin and death, to redeem us to Himself, and give us a new, eternal life. They are also biographies of Jesus, summarizing his deeds and sayings.
It may seem redundant to have four biographies of Jesus. Each Gospel emphasizes different aspects of Jesus, and together they give the reader a fuller picture of Him.
-Matthew, traditionally recognized as being written by that apostle, gives particular attention to demonstrations that Jesus is the Messiah, frequently referring to the Old Testament. Jesus had a masterful understanding of the Old Testament, as shown in Matthew’s record of the Sermon on the Mount.
-Mark focuses on Jesus’ miraculous deeds, proofs of His deity. It is the shortest of the four books.
-Luke pays particular attention to Jesus’ character and teaching ministry. It is thought to have been written with a Greek audience in mind, and that may make it more accessible to modern readers than the other gospels.
-John expresses a high Christology, showing Jesus’ claims to deity in His teaching and actions. John devotes more attention to the week leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion than the other gospels.
The gospels corroborate each other. In theological terms, this is referred to as the harmony of the gospels. Matthew, Mark and Luke, collectively called the Synoptic Gospels, track together particularly well.
Some have supposed that Matthew and Luke draw from Mark as a source, or that all have a common source in some unfound book. The more straightforward explanation is that found within the Bible that witnesses of Jesus’ life or their close associates authored the gospels. Matthew and John were followers of Jesus during his earthly ministry. Mark was a member of the early church and new the apostles and others who personally new Jesus. Luke claims to have been closely associated with the apostles and to draw on eyewitness accounts of the life of Jesus. Luke indicates that there were many written accounts of the life of Christ. History (supervised by God) preserved four books that were as authoritative very early by the church.
Calling the gospels biographies of Jesus may set up some false expectations for readers of modern biographies. Ancient biographies were often collections of a famous person’s sayings or a summary of their deeds (Mark is a good example of this); they were not necessarily chronological accounts of a person’s life. The gospels are somewhat chronological, but their middle parts may also be organized along other lines: teachings, miracles, deeds of high character, and other concepts.
If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in
Genesis
The Holy Bible
John
Luke
Mark
Matthew
Proverbs
This review of The Gospels appears courtesy of Keenan’s Book Reviews, a blog where you can find review of books on spirituality.
It may seem redundant to have four biographies of Jesus. Each Gospel emphasizes different aspects of Jesus, and together they give the reader a fuller picture of Him.
-Matthew, traditionally recognized as being written by that apostle, gives particular attention to demonstrations that Jesus is the Messiah, frequently referring to the Old Testament. Jesus had a masterful understanding of the Old Testament, as shown in Matthew’s record of the Sermon on the Mount.
-Mark focuses on Jesus’ miraculous deeds, proofs of His deity. It is the shortest of the four books.
-Luke pays particular attention to Jesus’ character and teaching ministry. It is thought to have been written with a Greek audience in mind, and that may make it more accessible to modern readers than the other gospels.
-John expresses a high Christology, showing Jesus’ claims to deity in His teaching and actions. John devotes more attention to the week leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion than the other gospels.
The gospels corroborate each other. In theological terms, this is referred to as the harmony of the gospels. Matthew, Mark and Luke, collectively called the Synoptic Gospels, track together particularly well.
Some have supposed that Matthew and Luke draw from Mark as a source, or that all have a common source in some unfound book. The more straightforward explanation is that found within the Bible that witnesses of Jesus’ life or their close associates authored the gospels. Matthew and John were followers of Jesus during his earthly ministry. Mark was a member of the early church and new the apostles and others who personally new Jesus. Luke claims to have been closely associated with the apostles and to draw on eyewitness accounts of the life of Jesus. Luke indicates that there were many written accounts of the life of Christ. History (supervised by God) preserved four books that were as authoritative very early by the church.
Calling the gospels biographies of Jesus may set up some false expectations for readers of modern biographies. Ancient biographies were often collections of a famous person’s sayings or a summary of their deeds (Mark is a good example of this); they were not necessarily chronological accounts of a person’s life. The gospels are somewhat chronological, but their middle parts may also be organized along other lines: teachings, miracles, deeds of high character, and other concepts.
If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in
Genesis
The Holy Bible
John
Luke
Mark
Matthew
Proverbs
This review of The Gospels appears courtesy of Keenan’s Book Reviews, a blog where you can find review of books on spirituality.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Book Review: The Gospel of John
The Gospel of John. The Holy Bible. New King James Version. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1982.
More than the other gospel writers, John emphasized the deity of Jesus--that Jesus is God. The other gospels contain this part of Jesus’ nature, but John stated it explicitly in his opening statement, which mirrors the opening of Genesis, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (NKJV).
After this introduction, John starts his biography of Jesus shortly before He started His opening, with the witness of John the Baptist to who Jesus is. Mark’s gospel begins at this point, too. This would have been an important testimony to John the Apostle because he was probably a follower of John the Baptist before he became a disciple of Jesus.
As Matthew lays out prophetic demonstrations that Jesus is the messiah predicted in the Old Testament, John presents a number of Jesus’ claims of deity. Other witness, most importantly God the Father and John the Baptist, a prophet, corroborate these claims. Other supporting testimony comes from Jesus’ disciples, His family and, surprisingly, evil spirits. His miracles and, ultimately, His resurrection provide additional support for His claims. In John and the other gospels, He is called the “Son of God” and this is clearly understood as a claim of equality to God; it was one of the charges against Him when He was sentenced to death.
Like the other gospels, John gives a lot of attention to the days leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus. The crucifixion is the central act of Jesus’ ministry, in which He suffers all the punishment and death we deserve so we no longer have to pay it and can become recipients of God’s mercy; it is the central act of God’s mercy.
John gives more attention to Jesus’ post-resurrection ministry than the other gospels. His death and resurrection becomes the basis of our reconciliation with God, and this is symbolized especially well in Jesus’ restoration of Peter, which ends the book. Outside the courtroom where Jesus’ was tried, Peter denied being one of His disciples. After His resurrection, Jesus sought out Peter and said, “Follow me,” just as He did when He first called he disciples.
The other gospels are referred to as the “Synoptic Gospels” because they offer synopses of Jesus’ life and because of the similarities in the material they cover. John covers some of the same material, chooses many episodes that aren’t covered elsewhere.
What may be most striking is that John expresses focuses on Jesus’ highest attribute, His deity, while at the same time presenting the most private and affectionate view of Him. Jesus showed his power over death by raising Lazarus, but He wept because his friend had to suffer death. John showed us Jesus writing on the ground with His finger before showing mercy to an accused adulteress. The apostle who explicitly called Jesus the creator of all things referred to himself as the disciple “whom Jesus loved,” as if they were best friends. It is a radical thing about John’s gospel, and about the teachings for Christianity, that the all-powerful, perfect, sovereign God, creator and judge of the universe, could love us with such tender affection that he could take on humanity and suffer a horrible death to save us and reconcile us to Himself.
If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in
Matthew
Mark
Luke
Other books of the Bible
This review of The Gospel of John appears courtesy of Keenan’s Book Reviews, a book review blog that features several Christian books.
More than the other gospel writers, John emphasized the deity of Jesus--that Jesus is God. The other gospels contain this part of Jesus’ nature, but John stated it explicitly in his opening statement, which mirrors the opening of Genesis, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (NKJV).
After this introduction, John starts his biography of Jesus shortly before He started His opening, with the witness of John the Baptist to who Jesus is. Mark’s gospel begins at this point, too. This would have been an important testimony to John the Apostle because he was probably a follower of John the Baptist before he became a disciple of Jesus.
As Matthew lays out prophetic demonstrations that Jesus is the messiah predicted in the Old Testament, John presents a number of Jesus’ claims of deity. Other witness, most importantly God the Father and John the Baptist, a prophet, corroborate these claims. Other supporting testimony comes from Jesus’ disciples, His family and, surprisingly, evil spirits. His miracles and, ultimately, His resurrection provide additional support for His claims. In John and the other gospels, He is called the “Son of God” and this is clearly understood as a claim of equality to God; it was one of the charges against Him when He was sentenced to death.
Like the other gospels, John gives a lot of attention to the days leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus. The crucifixion is the central act of Jesus’ ministry, in which He suffers all the punishment and death we deserve so we no longer have to pay it and can become recipients of God’s mercy; it is the central act of God’s mercy.
John gives more attention to Jesus’ post-resurrection ministry than the other gospels. His death and resurrection becomes the basis of our reconciliation with God, and this is symbolized especially well in Jesus’ restoration of Peter, which ends the book. Outside the courtroom where Jesus’ was tried, Peter denied being one of His disciples. After His resurrection, Jesus sought out Peter and said, “Follow me,” just as He did when He first called he disciples.
The other gospels are referred to as the “Synoptic Gospels” because they offer synopses of Jesus’ life and because of the similarities in the material they cover. John covers some of the same material, chooses many episodes that aren’t covered elsewhere.
What may be most striking is that John expresses focuses on Jesus’ highest attribute, His deity, while at the same time presenting the most private and affectionate view of Him. Jesus showed his power over death by raising Lazarus, but He wept because his friend had to suffer death. John showed us Jesus writing on the ground with His finger before showing mercy to an accused adulteress. The apostle who explicitly called Jesus the creator of all things referred to himself as the disciple “whom Jesus loved,” as if they were best friends. It is a radical thing about John’s gospel, and about the teachings for Christianity, that the all-powerful, perfect, sovereign God, creator and judge of the universe, could love us with such tender affection that he could take on humanity and suffer a horrible death to save us and reconcile us to Himself.
If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in
Matthew
Mark
Luke
Other books of the Bible
This review of The Gospel of John appears courtesy of Keenan’s Book Reviews, a book review blog that features several Christian books.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Book Review: Change Your Brain Change Your Body by Daniel G. Amen
Amen, Daniel G. Change Your Brain Change Your Body: Use Your Brain to Get and Keep the Body You Have Always Wanted. New York: Harmony Books, 2010.
Psychiatrist Daniel G. Amen explores the brain-body connection in his medical practice and in this book. In particular, Change Your Brain Change Your Body focuses on how taking care of the health of your brain can result in better health for your entire body.
In the early chapters of the book, Amen makes the case for brain health and how it can affect the health of the rest of the body. This is enhances by images from SPECT scans, which Amen uses in his practice to measure activity in different parts of the brain.
The subtitle of the book touts the brain as a means to get “the body you’ve always wanted.” For me, that includes getting my weight under control, and several chapters are devoted to the subject. There is no escaping a good diet and exercise, both of which get a chapter. What Amen adds is that an understanding of how one’s brain works can help on curb cravings and address brain deficiencies that may be roadblocks to sticking to a weight loss program. By addressing problems in the brain, one becomes more able to address problems with weight.
Good health is more than proper weight. It includes the skin, heart and glands. Good health is also a full life, which includes relationships, the ability worthy pursue worthy goals and the capacity to remember and savor our experiences. Each of these issues is addressed.
Amen doesn’t prescribe a single solution for everyone. Depending on your brain issues, the solution may be as simple as diet and exercise, it may include supplementation or even particular medications or therapies. Obviously, medical interventions should only be undertaken with the supervision of a physician and you should supplementation and physical fitness programs with yours.
The book doesn’t stick too close to traditional medicine. Amen thinks nutritional supplements can be useful and can reduce reliance on medications, but supplements can have issues of drug interaction and side effects that should be covered with a physician. He suggests meditation for stress management and has used hypnosis in his practice to address several issues including weight loss. (For those interested in meditation, Amen recommends The Relaxation Response by Herbert Benson. Hypnosis is recommended in other weight loss books including I Can Make You Thin by Paul McKenna, which includes a self-hypnosis CD.)
In some ways, the book could say change your body change your brain. Many of Amen’s recommendations, especially related to diet and exercise are good recommendations for physical health. Throughout the book, he says that what is good for the heart is good for the brain. He even mentions a study that shows that physically active children perform better academically.
Order this book here.
Based on the recommendations in this book, I started taking a fish oil supplement. You can find out about my experience with it here.
If your interested in this book, you may also be interested in
The Emotional Energy Factor by Mira Kirshenbaum
How Much Does Your Soul Weigh? by Dorie McCubbrey
I Can Make You Thin by Paul McKenna
Instant Self-Hypnosis by Forbes Robbins Blair
The Relaxation Response by Herbert Benson with Miriam Z. Klipper
Psychiatrist Daniel G. Amen explores the brain-body connection in his medical practice and in this book. In particular, Change Your Brain Change Your Body focuses on how taking care of the health of your brain can result in better health for your entire body.
In the early chapters of the book, Amen makes the case for brain health and how it can affect the health of the rest of the body. This is enhances by images from SPECT scans, which Amen uses in his practice to measure activity in different parts of the brain.
The subtitle of the book touts the brain as a means to get “the body you’ve always wanted.” For me, that includes getting my weight under control, and several chapters are devoted to the subject. There is no escaping a good diet and exercise, both of which get a chapter. What Amen adds is that an understanding of how one’s brain works can help on curb cravings and address brain deficiencies that may be roadblocks to sticking to a weight loss program. By addressing problems in the brain, one becomes more able to address problems with weight.
Good health is more than proper weight. It includes the skin, heart and glands. Good health is also a full life, which includes relationships, the ability worthy pursue worthy goals and the capacity to remember and savor our experiences. Each of these issues is addressed.
Amen doesn’t prescribe a single solution for everyone. Depending on your brain issues, the solution may be as simple as diet and exercise, it may include supplementation or even particular medications or therapies. Obviously, medical interventions should only be undertaken with the supervision of a physician and you should supplementation and physical fitness programs with yours.
The book doesn’t stick too close to traditional medicine. Amen thinks nutritional supplements can be useful and can reduce reliance on medications, but supplements can have issues of drug interaction and side effects that should be covered with a physician. He suggests meditation for stress management and has used hypnosis in his practice to address several issues including weight loss. (For those interested in meditation, Amen recommends The Relaxation Response by Herbert Benson. Hypnosis is recommended in other weight loss books including I Can Make You Thin by Paul McKenna, which includes a self-hypnosis CD.)
In some ways, the book could say change your body change your brain. Many of Amen’s recommendations, especially related to diet and exercise are good recommendations for physical health. Throughout the book, he says that what is good for the heart is good for the brain. He even mentions a study that shows that physically active children perform better academically.
Order this book here.
Based on the recommendations in this book, I started taking a fish oil supplement. You can find out about my experience with it here.
If your interested in this book, you may also be interested in
The Emotional Energy Factor by Mira Kirshenbaum
How Much Does Your Soul Weigh? by Dorie McCubbrey
I Can Make You Thin by Paul McKenna
Instant Self-Hypnosis by Forbes Robbins Blair
The Relaxation Response by Herbert Benson with Miriam Z. Klipper
Book Review: I Can Make You Thin by Paul McKenna
Small Steps Big Changes is all about doing simple things that can have great results in your life. You’d be hard pressed to find a simpler weight-loss system than the one laid out by Paul McKenna. He even trademarked the phrase “The Simplest Weight-Loss System in the World.” Even so, one doesn’t develop new habits overnight, so patience and perseverance can be required even for the simplest changes.
McKenna, Paul. I Can Make You Thin. New York: Sterling, 2009.
This is not a diet. Paul McKenna believes they don’t work, so he won’t be recommending one for you. He won’t even be taking much of your time. He says you can read I Can Make You Thin in two hours, and that’s about right.
McKenna dislikes diets because they tell you what to eat and not eat and are prescriptive in other ways, in addition to them just not working. People have trouble with their weight because they’ve become disconnected from their bodies and their natural senses of hunger and satiety. Diets perpetuate this disconnection, so they don’t have lasting results.
What McKenna offers instead of a diet is four simple rules. In fact, he suggest that you may be able to get by with just one rule, and it has nothing to do with what you eat. In fact, the entire system is more about the way you eat that what you eat.
You don’t even have to memorize the rules. One of the back pages has a punch-out card with the rules on it so you can review them every time you eat or want to eat.
The book isn’t quite as short as just four rules. It includes some information to help you stay on track by dealing with cravings, emotional eating, self image and getting back on the system when you fall off.
Included with the book is a self-hypnosis CD. McKenna recommends using the CD to help change your self image and solidify the new habits you’ll be developing as you follow the four rules.
Order this book here.
If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in
How Much Does Your Soul Weigh? by Dorie McCubbrey
Instant Self-Hypnosis by Forbes Robbins Blair
McKenna, Paul. I Can Make You Thin. New York: Sterling, 2009.
This is not a diet. Paul McKenna believes they don’t work, so he won’t be recommending one for you. He won’t even be taking much of your time. He says you can read I Can Make You Thin in two hours, and that’s about right.
McKenna dislikes diets because they tell you what to eat and not eat and are prescriptive in other ways, in addition to them just not working. People have trouble with their weight because they’ve become disconnected from their bodies and their natural senses of hunger and satiety. Diets perpetuate this disconnection, so they don’t have lasting results.
What McKenna offers instead of a diet is four simple rules. In fact, he suggest that you may be able to get by with just one rule, and it has nothing to do with what you eat. In fact, the entire system is more about the way you eat that what you eat.
You don’t even have to memorize the rules. One of the back pages has a punch-out card with the rules on it so you can review them every time you eat or want to eat.
The book isn’t quite as short as just four rules. It includes some information to help you stay on track by dealing with cravings, emotional eating, self image and getting back on the system when you fall off.
Included with the book is a self-hypnosis CD. McKenna recommends using the CD to help change your self image and solidify the new habits you’ll be developing as you follow the four rules.
Order this book here.
If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in
How Much Does Your Soul Weigh? by Dorie McCubbrey
Instant Self-Hypnosis by Forbes Robbins Blair
Progress Report
I’m building my exercise up one little step at a time. Here is my new schedule.
1 minute of knee lifts, touching knees with opposite hands
1 minute of walking in place
1 lower body exercise
1 upper body exercise
1 core exercise
1 stretch/flexibility exercise
Aim for 12 reps
Use a 10 lb when weights are needed
Walk dog 3-4 times a day for a total of 30-45 minutes
1 minute of knee lifts, touching knees with opposite hands
1 minute of walking in place
1 lower body exercise
1 upper body exercise
1 core exercise
1 stretch/flexibility exercise
Aim for 12 reps
Use a 10 lb when weights are needed
Walk dog 3-4 times a day for a total of 30-45 minutes
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Progress Report
I fell off the exercise wagon. I caught something nasty on a flight from Nashville and out of it for a while. Here is my program for getting back on it.
1 minute of walking in place
1 lower body exercise
1 upper body exercise
1 core exercise
1 stretch/flexibility exercise
Aim for 12 reps
Use a 5 lb when weights are needed
If you’ve fallen off the horse, pick yourself up and get back on it. Don’t be discouraged. If you keep going and keep learning, you will improve.
1 minute of walking in place
1 lower body exercise
1 upper body exercise
1 core exercise
1 stretch/flexibility exercise
Aim for 12 reps
Use a 5 lb when weights are needed
If you’ve fallen off the horse, pick yourself up and get back on it. Don’t be discouraged. If you keep going and keep learning, you will improve.
Book Review: Little Shifts by Suzanna Beth Stinnet
Stinnett, Suzanna Beth. Little Shifts: Tiny Shifts that Make a Big Difference. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks, 2004.
Stinnett has a utopian vision. If the people of the world, particularly women, will unleash there imaginations, we can they can transform their lives and the entire world in the process.
Before reading this book, I asked someone else who had read it if it was New Age-y. They said not much. As I was starting to read it, they skimmed it again and said it was more New Age-y than they remembered. It is, but in a philosophical way. Stinnett doesn’t express her views in religious terms, but like many self-help authors, indicates that some powerful, abstract force is shaping our lives and the world we experience according to our own consistent thought. For Stinnett, this is imagination directly.
It’s not all about thinking. As the title indicates, Stinnett recommends many little things people can do to make themselves happier and healthier. She calls many of them radical steps. They are radical in the sense that few people take the time to do them and they could result in a change of perspective; they are still little things that ordinary people can do.
The main audience for the book is women. Stinnett feels that women’s views and perspectives have been underrepresented in our culture and as they begin to express themselves, they’ll bring a new dimension to society that can make it fuller, happier and more sustainable.
The book has an unexpected environmental message. A concern for the environment carries through the book and one chapter is largely devoted to things people can do to improve the environment. As with the rest of the book, the vision is grand and the steps are small, so the focus is on making little changes to the way we live, buy and use (and reuse) products that can reduce our negative effects on the environment.
Order this book here.
If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in
One Small Thing Can Change Your Life by Robert Maurer
Stinnett has a utopian vision. If the people of the world, particularly women, will unleash there imaginations, we can they can transform their lives and the entire world in the process.
Before reading this book, I asked someone else who had read it if it was New Age-y. They said not much. As I was starting to read it, they skimmed it again and said it was more New Age-y than they remembered. It is, but in a philosophical way. Stinnett doesn’t express her views in religious terms, but like many self-help authors, indicates that some powerful, abstract force is shaping our lives and the world we experience according to our own consistent thought. For Stinnett, this is imagination directly.
It’s not all about thinking. As the title indicates, Stinnett recommends many little things people can do to make themselves happier and healthier. She calls many of them radical steps. They are radical in the sense that few people take the time to do them and they could result in a change of perspective; they are still little things that ordinary people can do.
The main audience for the book is women. Stinnett feels that women’s views and perspectives have been underrepresented in our culture and as they begin to express themselves, they’ll bring a new dimension to society that can make it fuller, happier and more sustainable.
The book has an unexpected environmental message. A concern for the environment carries through the book and one chapter is largely devoted to things people can do to improve the environment. As with the rest of the book, the vision is grand and the steps are small, so the focus is on making little changes to the way we live, buy and use (and reuse) products that can reduce our negative effects on the environment.
Order this book here.
If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in
One Small Thing Can Change Your Life by Robert Maurer
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