Rating: 
Summary: Interesting reading.
Review: I have read both books. I will say that both books are well written, in a sense that they are easy to understand. Marilu relays all of the information to you as if she is talking to you - no big words, no hard to understand philosophies. I found the information interesting and tried this way of life for about 3 weeks - no dairy, no meat, no sugar, no caffiene, no white flour....I went "all out". I have a feeling this way of life is nuch easier when you have someone shopping and/or cooking for you. I found it very difficult to shop and cook for one. (My husband thought I was nuts, therefore he would not take part in this new way of "looking at food".) Most of the foods were very expensive, and some would go bad before I could eat them, not to mention that many of them were impossible to find in the grocery store/health food store. What Marilu says about the foods we eat, the foods we don't really need to eat, and food combining makes a lot of sense, but applying it to real life was an obstacle for me. I will still pay close attention to my sugar and caffiene intake, and even white flour - but the rest of it? I don't forsee it working into my busy schedule...I think this way of life almost has to become a hobby, for it to work for you. It takes a great deal of dedication, energy and imagination to convert to this change. (I will say that after reading the chapters on milk and beef, I have no desire to consume these produts. YUCK!) I think it is great that it works for Marilu, (she looks terrific!) and some of her readers. I just don't think it is something we all can make work!
Rating: 
Summary: Great Ideas: Tricky Execution
Review: Very well-written and thorough approach to healthy lifestyle. I bought the book 3 days ago, have finished it and already loaned it to a friend. Her chapter on dairy, while stomach-turning, was thought provoking. I must say that the overall plan is difficult for the average person who doesn't have the financial diet Henner has (the brands of products she mentioned are available in stores 50 miles away from me AND cost way more than my food budget will allow.) A sideline that I found most inspiring was Henner's complete honesty about her weight fluctuation. Most actresses would rather die than have pictures of themselves at the weights Henner had throughout her life. Added a very refreshing dose of honest and proof that she knows what she's talking about. I appreciated the overal honesty, but wish that it could be more practically applied to people NOT pulling down grande salary a year. That being said, the principles are the signficant factor, and shouldn't be over! ! shadowed by Henner's tendancy to brand-name drop. I know I'm convinced and have already decided to give up red meat AND caffeine. If I can look 1/10th as good as her, it will be time and money well-spent. The best $24 investment you can make in your health!
Rating: 
Summary: MILK CAN BE AN ALLERGY... geat book
Review: When I came here to read the reviews, I noticed that one person said that milk is not an allergy, but rather an intolerance. As someone who IS allergic to milk without an intolerance to lactose, I can tell you that her claims are not unfounded. I appreciate the book from it's outlook on the milk perspective because ever since I was young, I have carried this ongoing allergy -- until a doctor finally told us, we never knew. I had chronic ear aches, an ongoing runny nose, and dark circles under my eyes. And now as an adult, my face breaks out in zits if I consume large quantities. I repeat... I AM NOT LACTOSE INTOLERANT, BUT AM ALLERGIC, so when you read all of these reviews remember that not everyone knows what they are talking about. If they did, they would be writing a book, and obviousely they aren't... only bad reviews.Everyone should make their own decision about any book, and since technology is changing at such a fast rate, so does much of the information we learn about nutricion. Make your own judgments. From my personal perspective, there are many great claims in the book. I think her ideas about food balancing are great, and I love the milk speech. A few of the ideas are questionable, such as not having protien with a starch, but I have cut most starches out of my diet due to the "South Beach Diet." I only consume whole grain breads and pastas (minimally), etc. I do agree with the statement in one of the reviews about the claims on soy. There have been research claims that state that it can be hazardous. And again, this is another highly allergetic food. In fact, I am allergic to soy milk as well! If you decide to incorporate soy into your diet, make sure to do some research before delving head first. Do not buy this book as a diet to lose weight... that's not what any diet should be intended for. You have to look at it as a life-style change, and I think Marilu does a good job of portraying that. She made a believer out of me and changed my perspective on true health.
Rating:
Summary: An enjoyable read but nothing really new here. Recipes?
Review: Having read a myriad of health books over the past 10 years I can't say that Marilu's book offers anything really new or different (except perhaps the paragraph on "floating poops"...yeccch!) This information can be found in numerous books about food combining (Fit for Life, Suzanne somers recent one all the Natural Hygiene ones, etc.) and macrobiotics. Marilu's is really a hodge podge of alternative health ideas that have obviously worked well for her. By the way, does anyone else out there think she looked just fine at some of her higher weights? Geez, a bit obsessive about her weight she is! Anyway, I give her high marks for doing her research, her very readable style, and her infectious enthusiasm. If people followed her advice we'd have a much healthier population. (I didn't offer 5 stars because I believe that including some non-restaurant recipes and perhaps menu plans would have made it really useful.) I don't think, however, that I would invite her to dinner at my house if she finds it necessary to jump on a soapbox at the dinner table as she says she does!!
Rating:
Summary: Will change your life--if you are ready
Review: The reason I like this book so much is that it is about getting healthy--not getting thin. You may not agree with everything she says, but if you are willing to try some of the steps, you will feel and look better than you ever have in your life. The weight loss follows the healthy living. The book itself could be written a little better, but she seems to have done her homework. Don't try to do all the steps at once, this is about making over your life, which of course does not happen overnight. This is a refreshing break from the high protein, low carb fad.
Rating:
Summary: This book is a must read!
Review: Marilu Henner's Total Health Makeover changed my life! Marilu put into writing ideas that I had floating around in my mind and made sense of them. Like, why am I eating high fat and lots of red meat on the Atkins diet and trying to fool myself into thinking that it won't effect my health later? And is a pound of fat lost today worth a pound of diseased flesh later in life? Marilu showed me how to lose weight in an easy, fun, healthy manner. She introduced me to some new ideas about how my digestive system works, and why calves can digest cows milk but I cannot. If only I had known this as a child, it would have saved me years of discomfort. She talks about smart carbs, and how they're good for us - yeah, I love my carbs! And fruit - what a natural cleansing way to start the day, I got my fruit again! After I read her book I logged onto her Message Boards at Marilu.com and was amazed at the support I found there. And then I discovered her 30-day Total Health Makeover, packed full or recipes and menus for a whole 30 days to show us just how easy it is to eat this way. I LOVE the Total Health Makeover and it truly has changed my life! I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to lose weight - or just get healthy!
Rating:
Summary: Yeah for Dairy Free!!!
Review: Finally a way to live Dairy Free- I have had so many problems and when I finally discovered how to live dairy free- Thanks to Marilu. The book talks to you like a good friend- not a doctor who talks above you. She has also written lots of follow up books to help you even more with recipes and holidays. She is full of energy and common sense advice. She has a wonderful on-line community where there is lots of support and Marilu is very involved. Marilu and her Total Health Makeover have changed my life. Thank you!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Knowledge is power...
Review: ...and Americans are clearly too ignorant of what they're putting into their mouths. Skyrocketing obesity, heart disease and cancer rates all show that we are not acknowledging how our bodies deal with what we ingest. The digestive process simply does not know how to break down the majority of ingredients in a typical commercial product. (Remember, the food companies are in the biz to make money, not to see to our nutritional well-being.) I think Marilu's addressing the issue of chemical additives is so important. Next, I'm grateful for the information about sugar. Addressing these two factors alone would probably relieve thousands of families who deal with unhealthy, overweight, and/or hyperactive children. As for her guidelines on food combining, Marilu is not the first to advocate this principle (nor does she claim to be). Inconvenient or not, the simple fact is that the body isn't designed to digest starches and proteins together. Many people have no issues with this, but for those of us whose bodies feel bogged down, have depleted energy and slow metabolisms, food combining makes a huge difference. Several reviewers take issue with her unprofessional manner of writing. That does not undermine the value or correctness of what she is teaching. She's not a clinician or doctor, so don't expect tons of laboratory-style expression. But, like a friend, she is imparting her own experience and research. The reading is light and fun, but make no mistake...the subject matter is sound. I've never liked nor disliked Marilu Henner as a celebrity. In fact, I tend to be turned off by celebrity endorsements. I'm grateful I overcame my prejudice long enough to stick my nose in this book. Implementing the priciples of the Total Health Makeover helped my skin clear up, fueled my energy like I've never experienced, improved my mental clarity and outlook, and helped me drop 12 pounds with no portion control in place. This book is somewhat limited on recipe ideas. I have supplemented this with both the 30-Day Makeover book, and most recently I bought her Healthy Life Kitchen. That book is packed with THM-compliant recipes that are awesome! "You are what you eat" has long been an accepted standard; this program bears that out.
Rating:
Summary: A good program
Review: I purchased this paperback edition for fifty cents at a yard sale. I glanced through it, and put it away. I felt honestly that i could not give up dairy, sugar, and caffeine...but eight months later, I had gained another ten pounds, so I decided to try the program. After 10 days I could feel a difference. By getting dairy out of my diet I had cleared my stuffy nose and congested lungs. I had no idea that there was a connection there. Other chronic problems vanished--stomach aches, constipation and heartburn-- all completely gone. I had thought they were all due to aging, not my eating habits.
I am much more limber and energetic when doing yoga or walking--I can really feel the difference.
The one disappointment is after 10 days I could only report a 2 pound weight loss. But I could fit easily into jeans that I could not zip at all before I started. The 2 pound weight loss
sort of bothered me, and although I do continue to lose, it is very slow... a pound per week it seems.
The health benefits are worth doing the program for.
The lack of decent recipes makes me work harder,
The book is full of info,but Marilu's style is sometimes silly or overly dramatic. Like if your face looks like **** this you may have serious kidney problems...etc... and she cracks jokes that are childish all of the time. It's like the book got no editing. But if you ignore the bad writing style, and just use the program you will be getting healthier and you will change the way you eat, and you will enjoy food more.
Rating: 
Summary: Success on a diet does not a diet expert make....
Review: I bought this book last year and after trying it for a month I could no longer follow Marilu's bizarre regimen of eating. Food combining (proteins and carbs separate) put me on a blood sugar sugar roller coaster and made me feel drained and miserable much of the time. It was a challenge to get any sort of protein at all since almost meat and dairy with the exceptions of egg whites and fish are forbidden. Most protein was derived from soy which has increasingly come under fire as a potential health hazard in and of itself when consumed in large amounts as Marilu encourages. I don't know about anyone else, but I am not willing to spend the rest of my life depending on fish and soy as my only sources of protein. The other problem that I have with this book is that Marilu goes off on this tirade against milk and additives. As for milk, I think her fears are ungrounded and can be circumvented if you are really worried about by drinking organic milk. As for additives, I agree with her the sugar is very, very bad and should be eliminated from the diet as much as possible. Other additives I choose not to fret over. They are in everything and seriously doubt that Yellow No.6 is going to kill anyone. I think a good deal of this book is devoted to hysterics without much evidence to back them up. I would strongly recommend against following this diet, especially to those with blood sugar disorders. I would recommend a good low-carb diet such as Atkins or Protein Power instead.
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