Review by Quin8y -- Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks
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Quin8y
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- Latest Review: Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks by Morton E Tavel, MD
Review by Quin8y -- Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks
[Following is a volunteer review of "Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks" by Morton E Tavel, MD.]
3 out of 4 stars
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The book Tips, Myths, and Tricks, A Physician's Advice Health Information to Liberate Us From "Snake Oil" was written by Morton E. Tavel, M.D. In his introduction, Dr. Tavel said he wrote the book with the goal of cutting through the nonsense we as consumers are inundated with while providing us with useful tips that can improve our health and wellbeing.
In my opinion, he comes pretty close to accomplishing his goal. I give this book, 3 out of 4 stars, not because I necessarily agree with everything he says, but because as a consumer of products and services that affect mine, and my family's health, he provides numerous references and suggestions that make me question those products and services. He makes the reader think.
The book is divided into three sections: Tips, Myths and Tricks. I discovered a number of little nuggets of information in the Tips section. For instance, I knew that drinking water before a meal was a good idea simply because you would be fuller faster, but I did not know that by drinking 16 ounces of water before meals, a person could cut up to 75 calories per meal!
Additionally, I learned a lot about trans fats. Now, granted, that's a topic that I have very little interest in except to know that I am supposed to avoid them as a healthy eater. However, with Dr. Tavel's conversational tone, I found myself paying close attention to what I read. Specifically, I now know that trans fats are essentially used to prolong the shelf life of certain foods. Just that little bit of information alone, makes me want to avoid them even more.
The section on Myths was most entertaining and embarrassingly enough, I found myself thinking back on certain advertising gimmicks that I have bought into over the years. A good example of this is lunchmeat, specifically sliced turkey. I am not a huge deli meat aficionado, however, I have bought turkey slices that look like they've been carved right from the breast. According to Dr. Tavel, the carved look is designed to make us think it's healthier because it looks like freshly carved slices, when in fact, there's no difference. It's those little changes that companies make that we as consumers buy into. I have a friend who for years has bought organic canned soup thinking it was healthier for her, simply because it said organic. The sodium content was higher than a similar, non-organic soup. Dr. Tavel has plenty to say about buying organic food as well.
The final section of the book deals with Tricks or rip-offs that Dr. Tavel steadfastly encourages readers to avoid. Examples include weight loss or weight gain supplements touted by professional athletes, as well as medication promoted by drug companies that do not necessarily do the job they're advertised to do.
To dispel many of these myths and tricks, Dr. Tavel is quite adamant that it's the medical community that need to be more pro-active vocalizing the inaccurate information that consumers are getting. There are a few areas in the book that left me a little confused. His explanation on nitrites and nitrates didn't give me the answers I needed and the chapter on sodium state there were six foods with high sodium content but only five were listed. Overall, however, I found Tips, Myths and Tricks an easy, informative read that provides a wealth of information to improve our wellbeing. There's something for everyone in this book.
******
Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks
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3 out of 4 stars
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The book Tips, Myths, and Tricks, A Physician's Advice Health Information to Liberate Us From "Snake Oil" was written by Morton E. Tavel, M.D. In his introduction, Dr. Tavel said he wrote the book with the goal of cutting through the nonsense we as consumers are inundated with while providing us with useful tips that can improve our health and wellbeing.
In my opinion, he comes pretty close to accomplishing his goal. I give this book, 3 out of 4 stars, not because I necessarily agree with everything he says, but because as a consumer of products and services that affect mine, and my family's health, he provides numerous references and suggestions that make me question those products and services. He makes the reader think.
The book is divided into three sections: Tips, Myths and Tricks. I discovered a number of little nuggets of information in the Tips section. For instance, I knew that drinking water before a meal was a good idea simply because you would be fuller faster, but I did not know that by drinking 16 ounces of water before meals, a person could cut up to 75 calories per meal!
Additionally, I learned a lot about trans fats. Now, granted, that's a topic that I have very little interest in except to know that I am supposed to avoid them as a healthy eater. However, with Dr. Tavel's conversational tone, I found myself paying close attention to what I read. Specifically, I now know that trans fats are essentially used to prolong the shelf life of certain foods. Just that little bit of information alone, makes me want to avoid them even more.
The section on Myths was most entertaining and embarrassingly enough, I found myself thinking back on certain advertising gimmicks that I have bought into over the years. A good example of this is lunchmeat, specifically sliced turkey. I am not a huge deli meat aficionado, however, I have bought turkey slices that look like they've been carved right from the breast. According to Dr. Tavel, the carved look is designed to make us think it's healthier because it looks like freshly carved slices, when in fact, there's no difference. It's those little changes that companies make that we as consumers buy into. I have a friend who for years has bought organic canned soup thinking it was healthier for her, simply because it said organic. The sodium content was higher than a similar, non-organic soup. Dr. Tavel has plenty to say about buying organic food as well.
The final section of the book deals with Tricks or rip-offs that Dr. Tavel steadfastly encourages readers to avoid. Examples include weight loss or weight gain supplements touted by professional athletes, as well as medication promoted by drug companies that do not necessarily do the job they're advertised to do.
To dispel many of these myths and tricks, Dr. Tavel is quite adamant that it's the medical community that need to be more pro-active vocalizing the inaccurate information that consumers are getting. There are a few areas in the book that left me a little confused. His explanation on nitrites and nitrates didn't give me the answers I needed and the chapter on sodium state there were six foods with high sodium content but only five were listed. Overall, however, I found Tips, Myths and Tricks an easy, informative read that provides a wealth of information to improve our wellbeing. There's something for everyone in this book.
******
Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like Quin8y's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks by Morton E Tavel, MD
