Habits of Health

RELEASES FALL 2008

BACKGROUND

The numbers speak volumes: Over two-thirds of Americans are either pre-obese or obese. Given these grave statistics and the challenges that we face to stay fit and healthy in today's world is the basis for, Habits of Health, a new book written by Dr. Wayne Andersen that is intended to help you reach your optimal health. (Dr. Andersen defines Optimal Health in the Diet Blog.)

Dr. Andersen is the medical director of Medifast, a weight-loss program that has helped more than 10,000 people lose weight. Also known as just 'Dr. A,' he creates a four-phased path for you to create your own optimal health. Relying on science, the environment and social influences, Habits of Health tailors an optimal health plan for you that fits your needs and your lifestyle.

Using Medifast meal supplements, consistent exercise, smart grocery shopping and healthy meal preparation, Habits of Health focuses on not just helping you lose weight, but keeping it off permanently so that you can enjoy permanent optimal health. The plan promises to help you lose weight and give you renewed energy. You can expect to lose 2-4 pounds each week following Dr. A's advice.

Habits of Health takes a long look at the history of the human body and disease, starting from the cavemen when conditions like obesity and heart disease were as absent as Twinkies and potato chips. And that is much of the book's point: That given the current availability of food, its highly processed and refined nutritional contents, and our sedentary lifestyle, our bodies are biologically programmed to eat all that is in sight and hold onto those calories for survival sake.

Habits of Health is split into four phases: Beginning the Weight Loss, Incorporating the Habits of Health, Optimizing Health and Longevity. Each phase builds upon the next as you journey to your own optimal health.

The book is not just a rulebook for eating and exercising in a set manner as your ticket to losing weight. It also contains guidelines for getting enough sound sleep, surrounding yourself in a positive environment and creating a network of support via friends and family.

PRO

- Includes credible science and data

- Created by a diet and nutrition medical expert

- Includes sound nutrition and exercise information

- Safe for diabetics

- Includes an immediate and long-term plan for health

- Inclusion of Medifast meals, a proven weight loss method

CON

- Not available for purchase until late July, 2008

- Diet may be too stringent for some

FOOD and RECIPE

Habits of Health's eating plan is designed to move you through a fat-burning stage to a recalibration stage to an optimizing stage, in which your metabolism is working at its most efficient level. By following this plan, hunger pangs or food cravings are promised to be avoided since you'll be eating six times throughout the day rather than eating three square meals. Dr. A backs his grazing eating-regimen through research studies, which show that eating mini-meals throughout the day helps to drop pounds and balance blood-sugar levels.

Nutrition also comes into play in reducing inflammation, which when you're overweight, a higher level of inflammatory substances are released from your fat and circulate through your body. The meal plan tells you which foods fan this inflammatory process and which foods temper it.

Dr. A also includes some fun dietary tricks like eating on small plates to reduce portion size and eating off of placemats and dishes that are blue since blue is a color that supposedly suppresses appetite.

Habits of Health encourages the inclusion of the Medifast meal plan, you can read our Medifast Review for more information.

EXERCISE

Exercise is critical for long-term success according to Habits of Health. But unlike many diet plans, which introduces exercise immediately, in this plan, exercise is performed in baby steps. Once you start to lose weight, the expectation is that you'll naturally become more active. At that point, your activity will be increased incrementally through fun choices that increase muscle mass.

EXPENSE

The price for the book Habits of Health is undetermined until it publishes, scheduled for Fall 2008.

Purchasing the Medifast plan will start at about $140 for two weeks worth of meals.

CONCLUSION

Habits of Health is a comprehensive and fact-based guide to losing weight and keeping it off. The concepts contained in the book are easy to understand and the guidelines for eating, grocery shopping and exercising are similarly easy to follow.

Dr. Andersen is clearly no stranger to the dieting world. His guidelines for helping you to achieve optimal health are practical and sway from other dieting plans, making Habits of Health intriguing to chew on.

COMMON MISSPELLINGS

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