Read ’em & weep

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/12/2010 (5622 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The wellness section shelves at most bookstores are in disarray — picked apart by shoppers looking for fitness and health inspiration just in time for their January resolutions.

Looking to improve your health for the new year? Here are some of more interesting (if not outlandish) titles available online and at Winnipeg booksellers:

 

The Cosmetic Surgery Companion: A Consumer’s Guide to the Latest Surgical Techniques to Improve Your Body From Head to Toe

 

 

By Antonia Mariconda with Dr. James Frame, consultant

$29.95

 

Maybe it’s a sign of the times — a handbook for cosmetic-surgery junkies detailing procedures for all parts of the body. Written by a British beauty writer who specializes in cosmetic surgery, this spiral-bound hardcover might also appeal to those fascinated by the gory details about going under the vanity knife. Mariconda, who calls herself a “cosmedic” consultant, seems like a proponent of cosmetic procedures — even the most outlandish ones. Considering a labia reduction? Mariconda offers up the pros and cons, plus diagrams of where incisions would go, type of sedation required, downtime away from the office and when the patient can get back into the gym. There’s even a section dedicated to men looking for pectoral enhancements, hair transplants, etc. Also contains info on type of anesthesia required for each surgery. Near the end of the book is a section on non-surgical procedures “for those who are not confident enough” to deal with the scalpel.

 

The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman

 

 

By Timothy Ferriss

$27

 

Penned by the tango world record holder, former national kickboxing champion and occasional actor, The 4-Hour Body offers up grandiose-sounding claims about how to beef up in a month (without steroids), how to reverse supposedly permanent injuries and how to “produce” a 15-minute orgasm. Judging from its top sales position on Amazon, readers seem to appreciate the anecdotes about avoiding white carbohydrates, steering clear of liquid calories and advice on how men should touch their lovers.

 

The Carb Lovers Diet: Eat What You Love, Get Slim For Life!

 

 

By Ellen Kunes and Frances Largeman-Roth

$27.95

 

From the editors of the popular magazine, Health, this diet tome has a catchy gimmick — eat carbs. Just the right ones called “resistant starch.” Carb Lovers is an antidote to the low-carb craze that started in the 1970s and came back with a vengeance over the last decade. The diet touts “resistant starch” which the writers say helps reduce appetite and make you “thin for life.” Basically, it’s starch that resists absorption in the small intestine. And although it’s been around for ages, scientists have just started to really understand its effects on digestion and weight loss. Rye bread, potatoes, beans and whole-grain pasta are staples here and also contain the apparently magical “resistant starch.” The diet contains recipes and wants readers to take in at least 10 to 15 grams of resistant starch a day. A green banana, believe it or not, is 12.5 grams of the stuff while a ripe one has 4.7.

Lots of colour photos and interchangeable meal plans consisting of three daily meals and one snack.

 

The Crazy Sexy Diet: Eat Your Veggies, Ignite Your Spark, and Live Like You Mean It!

 

 

By Kris Carr

$24.99

 

Passers-by can’t help but take a second glance at this book written by the same motivational speaker who wrote and directed Crazy, Sexy Cancer, a documentary that aired on TLC. A low-fat, vegetarian diet that focuses on green juices said to balance the body’s pH. Includes a “21-day adventure cleanse.” Carr, a friend of celebs such as singer Sheryl Crow has a graphic, irreverent tone. In one section of the book, she encourages her readers to “take out the trash” and “poop” on a regular basis, or risk seven to 10 pounds of “backup lurking in your colon.”

 

Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic

By Peter H.R. Green and Rory Jones

$32.99

A hidden epidemic? Sounds scary. Written by a Columbia University doctor and a science writer/celiac patient, this book is timely considering the increased public awareness of Celiac disease, a condition that prevents sufferers from digesting gluten, a protein found in some grains. In turn, the disease can damage organs and wreak all sorts of havoc on the body. There are no illustrations in this book, but lots of information on the gluten-free diet, diagnosis and the latest research.

 

Have an interesting story idea you’d like Shamona to write about? Contact her at Shamona.Harnett@freepress.mb.ca