3 out of 4 stars
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Morton E. Tavel’s book , Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks is a physician’s thematic advice on major health issues. Being both a physician, cardiologist, and a clinical professor at Indiana University, Dr. Tavel shares his academic expertise and experience on how to foster our health and wellness. At the same time, the author deflates various entrenched health-related “myths” and scams in regards to vigorously marketed fraudulent remedies that threaten both our bodies and wallets.
The book consists of three sections: Health Tips, Myth, and Tricks, being very well structured thematically. Readers can always go back and find the information they seek just by browsing through the table of contents.
Most of all I liked the section on tips as it puts a reader in a proactive mode. Knowing what foods are really good for you and consuming them mindfully may keep doctors at bay. For instance, we learn that eating a nutritious breakfast, containing high protein level and fruits, is really beneficial for general health and body metabolism. People who are concerned with weight loss should certainly follow this advice.
Dr. Tavel gives a sound advice on how to avoid consuming trans fats, finding their healthy and natural alternatives with monounsaturated fats, like olive, nuts, fish, etc. I liked the chapters about health benefits of dark chocolate and green tea due to a class of flavanols they contain. Even though these are commonly known facts, it’s always good to remember that the dark chocolate, if consumed moderately, may help to maintain cardiovascular health and even boost a brain function. As some studies tentatively assert, explains the doctor, populations that consume more dark chocolate also produce per capita the most Nobel laureates.
The book provides a very useful the information in regards to a bottled water myth. After reading it, one will certainly become cautious of what kind of bottled water to consume. Also, it’s really vital to be aware of aggressively marketed dietary supplements, energy drinks, and so forth. The book does share a valuable information on all these dubious potions, metaphorically termed by Dr. Tavel “snake oil”. And yet I found some information in the book biased and dogmatically presented.
The way Dr. Tavel talks about alternative medicine and healing modalities in general, like acupuncture, herbal alternatives, spinal manipulations, and the like, sounds pretty partial. The author refers exclusively to the studies that prove his point, presenting a black-and-white picture that may convince only those who, beyond a shadow of a doubt, conform to conventional medicine.
The chapter about GMO products also sounds unpersuasive. The author thinks that GMO foods are safe, but he doesn’t mention the fact that a large number of GMO products have been banned across Europe. While conventional thinkers believe it’s all politically motivated, there is also plenty of science behind GMO regulations, employed in European countries. Consumers need to see whether the product they purchase contain GMO ingredients, or not.
In the final part of the book, Conclusion, the author’s rigid stance of a "whistle blower" against everything that is labeled as "alternative medicine" sounds almost like a some kind of manifesto. Whilst it’s essential to be aware of all kind “oil snake” scams -- and the doctor does a really good job in busting multiple health related “myths” and tricks -- high standards and good judgement need to be applied to both alternative and conventional medicine. Thankfully, in the United States, we are given choices.
Overall, Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks is a helpful reference guide for educating readers on wellness, incorporating healthy lifestyle and developing nourishing eating habits. If we are proactive and nurture our bodies with wholesome foods, drinks, and exercise, we may not even need to go to a doctor. And yet the guide is bogged down by frequent alluding-- and not always congruently-- to academic research and studies that sometimes appear more confusing than elucidating. I will give it 3 out of 4 stars.
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Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks
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