4 out of 4 stars
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Tips, Myths, and Tricks: A Physician’s Advice is a health and wellness manual written by Morton E. Tavel, with the aim of debunking what he classifies as long-held erroneous ideas and harmful practices in the area of health and well-being. The book was published in 2015 by Brighton Publishing LLC.
This highly informative handbook is structured into 62 chapters under the three sub-headings of Tips, Myths and Tricks. The tips section deals with what the author succinctly describes as evidence-based measures for the enhancement of overall health and well-being. The myth section dwells on widespread misconceptions which keep people glued to the wiles and swindles of health and pharmaceutical marketing operatives, while, the last segment of the book is on tricks. It focuses on alternative medical approaches such as Ayurveda and a wide variety of herbal remedies.
From Aids to Losing Weight in the first chapter to Standard Medical Care or Chiropractic Treatment in the last chapter, Tips, Myths, and Tricks: A Physician’s Advice is heavily loaded with thought-provoking health information. For instance, it is interesting to know from chapter 15 of this book that sweet potatoes outrank bananas on the list of foods that are high on potassium. Commonly, foods that make us happy are not often healthy foods. So, it is refreshing to know from the guru that chocolates and cocoa are outside the culprits that initiate some of the much dreaded health conditions such as heart problems. The author basically runs us through the gamut of medical information garnered from his long medical practice and invites us, as it were, to make informed decisions on health matters.
The book lays bare the nagging issue of why a large segment of the public continues to uncritically accept unsubstantiated medical methods and claims. The author notes that some alternative medicine methods are at times added to conventional approaches. He defines this combo as complementary/alternative medicine (CAM). How beneficial is CAM? Do vaccines trigger autism? Is red wine good for cardiovascular health? Does sunscreen prevent premature aging of the skin? How accurate is the polygraph test? Are the often prescribed yearly medical tests and checkups really essential? Is detoxifying the body beneficial? This book will assist in distilling the scientifically proven facts from health myths, and thus, help equip the reader against the ills of uninformed health and fitness choices.
Generally, I like a dose of humour infused into my readings. No doubt, the author delivers on this. His reference to “a partridge in a pear tree” in relation to the detox tea claim, gets me giggling. I relish the detailed contents of the Hippocratic Oath he makes available to the reader in the last chapter of the book. It’s interesting to know that on graduation, doctors as well as other practitioners in the medical field swear to abide by this code of medical ethics which dates back to ancient Greece. However, I do not like the fact that the author insists that “there cannot be two kinds of medicine – conventional and alternative”. As a result of this, he gives a blanket verdict of “false cures” or “snake oil” on other treatments or health advice, outside conventional medicine. I think this absolute rejection of alternative medicine, based on the notion that it is unproven remedy, amounts to throwing away the baby with the bath water.
I rate Tips, Myths, and Tricks: A Physician’s Advice 4 out of 4 stars because Morton E. Tavel does an impressive job of deftly alerting readers to the importance of a healthy life style. I like the idea that for most part of this volume, he does not only provide information on standard medical care as well as its alternatives, but, allows the reader the discretion to examine the various issues he raises. The book is written in a format that is effortless to grasp. Therefore, I do not have issues with any medical jargons or editing errors. The style of organizing the book into various fascinating segments makes it a lot easier to read and digest. I think Morton E. Tavel has written an invaluable guidebook which will appeal to readers who are interested in issues of health and wellbeing. Thus, I recommend it to anyone who wants a well-researched and vastly informative book on health, fitness and general wellbeing.
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Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks
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. But, the book is an incredible rich health maunual.
