Jean Carper

Jean Carper is not an obsessively careful writer; she speaks of the 'infinitesimal' gap in synapses. And her book 100 Simple Things You Can Do to Prevent Alzheimer's is not entirely up to date; she speaks of the utility of red wine explaining that its power comes from resveratrol a notion that has been questioned in research recently; she also suggests whole grains including brown rice without mentioning any risks from arsenic.

She is a lucid and practiced writer on health, especially on show more nutrition, though, and I think that this book is potentially very useful. Mere quantity can make for complication, and there are some 100 different suggestions in this book on how to quash dementia. I will be making notes even though I recognized several of the suggestions and even do many of them already. Dr. Weil suggests, among other things, taking acetyl l carnitine; she seconds that and adds alpha lipoic acid to the mix; I have started, Saturday, to do that.

Generalizations can be hard to make although she has a chapter of them at the end. Eat healthy: reduced red meat and sugar, plenty of leafy green vegetables and cruciferous vegetables, dark juices and apple juice or apples, berries. Take supplements: here one would have to concoct a list, but she comes down firmly on the side of taking a multivitamin with anti-oxidants and without iron. Get physical exercise, particularly but not exclusively aerobic exercise. Get mental exercise; actually working your mind and presenting it with novelty is important. Be sociable; well maybe some of these are just too much for some of us.

Some of the suggestions are not for all of us. Those of us who do not drink will not be taking up red wine. Those of us who are not women will not be taking estrogen, a complicated matter as it turns out.

I like this book. I like its clarity, and I like its utility. show less

(also posted on my site The Paperback Stash)

Food: Your miracle medicine is a small paperback that's extremely affordable and packed to the brim with information. Sometimes the best things come in small packages; thankfully Carper's effort is no different.

Broken up into systems, such as cardiovascular and digestive, she covers the most basic of complaints with reasonable food and dietary suggestions. This isn't another one of those common sense guides just published to make a book, however, show more for there was plenty in here I didn't know, and that most people don't. An added bonus is much of this is backed by the latest research, amazing findings, and also personal experience. She has many guest quotes of experts throughout the text. Beyond that, it's very easy to understand, perfect for the beginner, and even perfect for nutritionists who just enjoy the journey of learning.

It all wraps up with food connections you should know about, such as the relationship findings between lupus and fish, a listing of calorie burning foods that promote healthy metabolism, and foods that stiffle the urge to cut the smoking habit. We even get a section on using drugs in foods to stay healthy, such as natural antibiotic sources, antidepressant, carminatives, etc.

While it may not be the ultimate nutritionist guide out there, the amazing effort to cram this much useful knowledge into such a small book is extraordinary. I see from the cover it was a New York Times best seller, and rightfully so. Great work here, something everyone needs to know, no matter where your interests lie. Not unrealistic or glitzy and glamorous, each section is backed up with enthusiasm, facts, and further resources for doing your own research.

Yet another affordable, small paperback offers a wealth of knowledge. Food, your miracle medicine covers a huge amount - from the cardio system to diabetes. Thankfully she covers even the most serious topic, while including the more minor ones. Backed up with much research, studies, and theories, the text is fascinating, makes sense, and I'm sure works. show less

I enjoyed the short chapters and advice on keeping Alzheimer's at bay if not entirely absent in your life. Some of the scientific medical talk was a little above my understanding, but mostly I understood that preventing a lot of other diseases that are out there will also help you to fight Alzheimer's. The preface and afterward were as important as the 100 things chapters.

Wasn't as impressed by this as I expected. Too much of a Freakonomics fan to find her conclusions viable. The fact that people who do X also don't get Alzheimer's doesn't mean that doing X *keeps* you from getting age-related memory loss. Nonetheless, her suggestions won't hurt.