Luke Seier Reviews 5 new health and fitness books worth buying
Hello Everyone Luke Seier here. This is an article I came across in regards to 5 new health and fitness books worth buying
In January, the shelves at Barnes & Noble are flooded with books promising you a healthier, skinnier, happier, stress-free new year. You just can’t read them all. And so many are terrible, you shouldn’t. So we browsed the section for you to bring you the best of the new health and fitness releases—testing each tome on its philosophy, methods, and more. We gave each one a grade, so you’ll know whether it’s worth its salt, let alone your subway commute.
Bread is the Devil: Win the Weight Loss Battle by Taking Control of Your Diet Demons By Heather Bauer, R.D., C.D.N. Premise: Don’t be fooled by the title. This is not a low-carb, Dr. Atkins second-coming book. Instead, Bauer believes that we all have diet devils that, well, bedevil our ability to lose weight. For one person it might be parties, restaurants, and passed puff pastries; for another it might be boredom and that bag of potato chips. Bauer turns you into a “Strategic Eater” able to navigate around your demons. Who’s it for? People who understand they should eat cleaner and exercise more but need strategies to accomplish this. How realistic is the method? Very. Bauer’s “Blueprint” offers strategies for all the NYC diet bugaboos, e.g., too many restaurant meals, drinks with colleagues, and City Bakery. Takeaway and grade: Bauer offers sane advice for savvy New Yorkers. It’s commonsensical, but not obvious, and the book is friendly for either skimming or hunkering down and following her plan to the letter. A
Better Each Day: 365 Expert Tips for a Healthier, Happier You By Jessica Cassity Premise: In her job as a health journalist for magazines like Prevention, Cassity was able to speak with some of the top docs, nutritionists, psychologists, and fitness pros. “I was always amazed by the little nuggets of wisdom they would throw out during a conversation,” says Cassity, who shares a year’s worth in this book. Who’s it for? This is Chicken Soup for the Soul for New Yorkers. Smart, busy people looking for pithy bits of wisdom from wellness pros. How realistic is the method? There’s no real method—just bite-size nuggets of information and actionable suggestions from experts, like yogi Elena Brower to Thomas Gilovich, PhD, a psychology professor at Cornell University. Two faves: Vent strategically after an argument. And Strength train for a slim silhouette. Takeway and grade: Should you try out or adopt a handful of strategies in the book, you may be inspired to slow down, eat better, sleep more or even chuck your hectic city life altogether and move to Oregon, like the author. A
Choose to Lose: The 7-Day Carb Cycle Solution By Chris Powell Premise: Powell, the “transformation specialist” (AKA personal trainer) from "Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition", believes that serious, sustained weight loss can only happen if you alternate high-carb and low-carb days to rev up the metabolism. He spends lots of pages detailing his past success, and then teaches you how to eat in carb cycles, accompanied by his at-home workout regimen. Who’s it for? People who need to shed pounds and have little to no knowledge of healthy eating or living. Or carb-fearing folks looking for an out. How realistic is the method? The eating-and-workout schedule is so complicated it would make a tax accountant hesitate. Sticking to the cycles and constantly measuring food portions just doesn’t seem sustainable. Takeaway and grade: This book is not for the everyday New Yorker, but Powell has serious credentials and an effective method that has the potential to help individuals with debilitating weight issues. C+The Physique Solution: Lose Up To 10 Inches Fast, The Groundbreaking 2-Week Plan for a Lean, Beautiful Body By Tanya Becker and Jennifer Maanavi Premise: If you do a “class” everyday from the moves illustrated in the book, and follow the brand’s brand-new slimming diet plan and recipes, you’ll get a long, lean Physique physique in two weeks. (Like celebs like Kelly Ripa, who’ve written testimonials featured on the back cover.) Who’s it for? Women who have the motivation to create their own class everyday for two weeks. Those who don’t live near a studio, or can’t get their reservation in on time. (Guilty!) Or fans of the studio who want to perfect their pretzel or make a Physique-approved smoothie. How realistic is the method? Daily sweating and toning, plus cutting out processed food, wheat, and sugar, and skipping 500 calories should do the trick. Not provided? Motivation, which is on you. Takeway and grade: The book lives up to its promise. But some of our favorite things about Physique can’t be re-created at home: the music that gets you through the (grueling) moves, and the feeling that it’s the place to be. B+The Happiness Diet By Tyler Graham and Drew Ramsey, M.D. Premise: This psychologist-journalist team sets out to show you why the modern American diet (MAD) is not just bad for your body; it’s also bad for your mind. Through easy-to-understand scientific explanations (peppered with fun facts about the horrors of processed foods), and a simple prescription for eating whole, nutrient-rich foods, Graham and Dr. Ramsey teach you how to feed your brain what it needs to stay sharp, happy, and healthy. Who’s it for? Anyone interested in smart, healthy living. How realistic is the method? Easy as pie (note: pie is not recommended). The Happiness Diet is just a brain-centric spin on eating a whole foods, plant-heavy diet rich in variety. Takeway and grade: Tons of useful information in an easy-to-digest format, but a little too dense with butter, cheese, and milk for our taste (without any mention of conflicting nutritional research on dairy.) A-
