Smart Health Choices : Making Sense of Health Advice

Every day we make decisions about our health - some big and some small. What we eat, how we live and even where we live can affect our health. But how can we be sure that the advice we are given about these important matters is right for us? Many treatments and tests - both mainstream and alternative - are not supported by good evidence and some widely used treatments are actually harmful.Whether you are considering having surgery or taking vitamin supplements, you need to know the effectiveness of the options and their side-effects. This fully revised and updated new edition of Smart Health Choices will provide you with the tools for assessing health advice, whether it comes from a specialist, general practitioner, naturopath, the media, the Internet, or a friend. It shows you how to take an active role in your health care, and to make the best decisions for you and your loved ones based on personal preferences and the best available evidence. Contents 1 Smart health choice essentials 2. Be sceptical 3. Bad evidence 4. Don't always rely on the experts 5. Choosing a practitioner 6. Media and the internet 7. An education in shopping 8. The weakness of one 9. The power of many 10. Judging which tests and treatments really work 11. What makes you sick? 12. Finding the best evidence 13. Doing your bit 14. How to apply the evidence to you and your situation 15. Is this a useful diagnostic test? 16. Decision thresholds 17. Relative risk, relative and absolute risk reduction, number needed to treat, and confidence intervals 18. Testing your skillAlso available: Natural Health & Weight Loss - ISBN 1905140150 Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: a natural way to treat M.E. - ISBN 1905140002 Traditional Herbal Medicines: A Guide to Their Safer Use - ISBN 1905140045Hammersmith Press is an independent publishing house producing books for the general public and health professionals that promote better health and well-being through a greater understanding of the human body and mind, with a particular emphasis on the importance of nutrition and diet.Some of the areas we publish in include:-Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP)-Overcoming Chronic Fatigue Syndrome-Natural Health & Weight Loss-Holistic Medicine-Thyroid Health-Medical stories- Healthy eating-Traditional medicines-Infertility-Menopause-Diabetes Every day we make decisions about our health - some big and some small. What we eat, how we live and even where we live can affect our health. But how can we be sure that the advice we are given about these important matters is right for us? Many treatments and tests - both mainstream and alternative - are not supported by good evidence and some widely used treatments are actually harmful.Whether you are considering having surgery or taking vitamin supplements, you need to know the effectiveness of the options and their side-effects. This fully revised and updated new edition of Smart Health Choices will provide you with the tools for assessing health advice, whether it comes from a specialist, general practitioner, naturopath, the media, the Internet, or a friend. It shows you how to take an active role in your health care, and to make the best decisions for you and your loved ones based on personal preferences and the best available evidence. Contents 1 Smart health choice essentials 2. Be sceptical 3. Bad evidence 4. Don't always rely on the experts 5. Choosing a practitioner 6. Media and the internet 7. An education in shopping 8. The weakness of one 9. The power of many 10. Judging which tests and treatments really work 11. What makes you sick? 12. Finding the best evidence 13. Doing your bit 14. How to apply the evidence to you and your situation 15. Is this a useful diagnostic test? 16. Decision thresholds 17. Relative risk, relative and absolute risk reduction, number needed to treat, and confidence intervals 18. Testing your skill Also Natural Health & Weight Loss - ISBN 1905140150 Chronic Fatigue a natural way to treat M.E. - ISBN 1905140002 Traditional Herbal A Guide to Their Safer Use - ISBN 1905140045 Hammersmith Press is an independent publishing house producing books for the general public and health professionals that promote better health and well-being through a greater understanding of the human body and mind, with a particular emphasis on the importance of nutrition and diet. Some of the areas we publish in -Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) -Overcoming Chronic Fatigue Syndrome -Natural Health & Weight Loss -Holistic Medicine -Thyroid Health -Medical stories - Healthy eating -Traditional medicines -Infertility -Menopause -Diabetes Despite the current emphasis on 'healthy eating' obesity is increasing at an alarming rate, especially in children, and chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease are reaching epidemic levels. Barry Groves tells us that this is because 'healthy eating' is anything but that; it is far too high in carbohydrates from fruit and grain and far too low in fats. Unlike carbohydrates, or proteins, fats do not compromise our insulin levels.They keep our metabolism functioning at a healthily high level and they stop us getting hungry too quickly.And they do not raise our cholesterol levels. Based on years of research, and personal experience, this book tells us how to change our diets and what the benefits of doing so will be. Practical and clearly explained, you cannot read this book without realising it is time to change! Contents Part 1: Health & Weight-loss in Practice Let's Get Started; Most Important Meal of the Day; Eat Real food;Tips for Successful Dieting;The Ideal Diet for Diabetics; Prevention is Better; Dealing With Doctors Part Evidence Mr Banting's Diet Revolution;It's In Our Genes;The Metabolic Syndrome; Glycaemic Truth; Eat Less,Weigh More? Why Blame Cholesterol? Why Healthy Eating Isn't; Why Your Low-Carb Diet Must be High-Fat, Not High-Protein; Exercise Isn't Necessary; Fat or Fashion? Appendix Diseases Helped or Prevented by the Natural Weight-loss and Health Way of Eating;Adult Height/Weight Tables; Glossary; Reliable Sources of Information; Carbohydrate Content and Glycaemic Loads of Foods; Recipes, Menus and Food Preparation Also Natural Energy - ISBN 1905140029 Smart Health Choices - ISBN 1905140177 Traditional Herbal A Guide to Their Safer Use - ISBN 1905140045 Hammersmith Press is an independent publishing house producing books for the general public and health professionals that promote better health and well-being through a greater understanding of the human body and mind, with a particular emphasis on the importance of nutrition and diet. Some of the areas we publish in -Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) -Overcoming Chronic Fatigue Syndrome -Natural Health & Weight Loss -Holistic Medicine -Thyroid Health -Medical stories - Healthy eating -Traditional medicines -Infertility -Menopause -Diabetes Are you suffering from M.E.? Are you caring for someone with M.E.? Does someone close to you have M.E.? Whoever the sufferer, young or old, man or woman, he or she is highly likely to have been told the condition is 'psychosomatic' ( all in the mind ), depression is the root cause, and antidepressants the only sensible answer. In Professor Basant Puri's ground-breaking new book you will discover a very different way of looking at M.E. Historical and contemporary evidence are combined to show how M.E. is almost certainly a physical, or 'organic', condition resulting from viral and other influences that reduce essential chemicals in the body. As such, it can be treated, and in a natural, cost-effective way. Read how and why EPA ('eicosapentaenoic acid') will be essential to recovery, how to take it, what supplements to have with it, and how to change to a lifestyle that will promote recovery. Contents 1.A breakthrough 2.What is chronic fatigue syndrome? 3. All in the mind? 4. How and why fatty acids can help 5. How to take fatty acids 6.The vitamin and mineral cofactors 7. Other benefits from taking fatty acids 8.Treating chronic fatigue syndrome naturally Glossary References Further sources of information Useful names and addresses Index Also Natural Health & Weight Loss - ISBN 1905140150 The Perrin Technique - ISBN 1905140126 Your Thyroid and How to Keep It Healthy - ISBN 190514010X Hammersmith Press is an independent publishing house producing books for the general public and health professionals that promote better health and well-being through a greater understanding of the human body and mind, with a particular emphasis on the importance of nutrition and diet. Some of the areas we publish in -Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) -Overcoming Chronic Fatigue Syndrome -Natural Health & Weight Loss -Holistic Medicine -Thyroid Health -Medical stories - Healthy eating -Traditional medicines -Infertility -Menopause -Diabetes Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is one of the most enigmatic medical disorders of our time, striking adults most often in their most productive years. With the controversial debate over cause and treatment of the illness in mind, the authors seek to unravel many of the questions surrounding the disorder and its features and characteristics.Integrating an overview of the latest research with patients' personal experiences, they look at CFS in relation to: * clinical features * personal and economic implications * biological and psychosocial factors * experiencing symptoms * coping with the illness.T Natural Health and Weight Loss explains in non-scientific language, supported by a huge body of evidence from clinical trials and population studies, what really constitutes a healthy diet, not just to prevent and cure obesity, but also to lead a long and healthy life. The author can claim to be one of Britain's leading exponents of the low-carb/high-fat way of life, having lived, researched, lectured and written about this subject for nearly 50 years. Smart Health Choices provides the tools for assessing health advice, whether it comes from a specialist, a general practitioner, a naturopath, the media, the internet of a friend. It shows you how to take an active role in your own healthcare, and how to make the best decisions for you and your loved ones, based on your personal preferences and the best available evidence. The part played by traditional medicines in our health care continues to increase year on year. Covering Chinese, Afro-Caribbean, Unani and Ayurvedic traditional medicines, this book describes the sources of these medicines, their known effects and side-effects, recommended dosages, and, very importantly, precautions. This guide gives ordinary health consumers the information they need to seek and assess health advice - whether it comes from a specialist, general practitioner, naturopath, newspaper or neighbour - and make wise decisions. It also highlights some common mistakes made in interpreting information. Looking at the latest research findings and also by talking to sufferers themselves, this fascinating book looks at the condition of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, attempting to get to the bottom of this mysterious condition that affects so many In this highly structured compendium the authors bring together what is currently known and has been scientifically validated regarding traditional medicines from around the world "Natural Health and Weight Loss" talks about healthy eating. It states that true healthy eating means eating more fat and for less carbohydrate including fruit and grain.