Customer Reviews

The Culprit and The Cure: Why lifestyle is the culprit behind America's poor health

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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Unlike the last person who posted a review about The Culprit and The Cure, I have actually read this book. The review by "slim woman" was the first book review I've ever read where the writer actually admitted that she never actually read the book. Strange. She gives the book 1 star based on a photo of the author that appeared in a magazine.

This book is excellent. It is one of the best health books I've ever read. Dr. Aldana presents all of the data, both for and against a healthy diet and regular exercise. He tells it like it really is, no biases or ulterior motives. I've had the privilege of taking a class from professor Aldana. He really does practice what he preaches and it was the best class I took in college.

Reviewer "slim woman" is correct. He is not "slim" and will never have the perfect Hollywood figure. But I do know that based on DEXA measurements (the most accurate method of measuring body fat), Dr. Aldana has 14% body fat. The average for men is 24%. Obese for men is 27%. He also has a mesomorph body type, very thick and muscular. He generally runs 4-5 miles several times a week, and walks with his wife 3 miles every morning. He eats extremely healthy food. No, he is not "slim", nor will he ever be. I've shared this book with my family and friends and I would recommend it to anyone who is wondering what they should do to have a long, healthy life. It has improved my health and the health of my family. It is just a great book.

This is the first review I have written for any product on Amazon.com. I feel so strongly about this book it would be a disservice not to comment on it.

I have ordered numerous books on the topic of health and healthy living. None have presented a complete picture. Most books contained fragments, at best, of the completeness of information as presented in this book.

The cover of this book is completely accurate when it alludes to it contents: why our lifestyle and diet are the causes of our poor quality of health, and how we can solve this.

If you have any doubt as to the value of this book, I would encourage you to do a search on Google for the title/publisher of this book. On the website for this book you can find the complete contents of chapter one in PDF (Adobe Reader) format.

If you are in search of a book that dispenses with the politics and misinformation on the topic of health, I highly recommend this text to you. As of this writing, the book is selling for about $16. What a small price to pay for the wealth of knowledge contained between its covers!

I am a teaching physician at a medical school. Dr. Aldana's book Culprit and the Cure has done a fantastic job summarizing and clarifying all of the confusing information out there about which foods to eat and what type of physical activity is best to live a long healthy and happy life. Scientifically I fully agree and personally I fully recommend this book to help anyone "get it right" when it comes to taking control of your own health. He takes each area one at a time and makes it simple without "dumbing" it up. I use the principles espoused in the book to keep me and my family healthy.

This book changed my life by changing my mindset, making a firm commitment to a healthy lifestyle finally possible. Dr. Aldana connects the dots between a healthy lifestyle, prevention of chronic diseases, and a longer life by presenting the science in a clear, concise and engaging manner. He convinces you to make permanent changes now. Then he gives you the tools needed to make those changes: which foods are healthiest, what "good nutrition" really means, how much exercise is needed - and realistic ways to incorporate these things into your life. It's working for my family! I've recommended The Culprit and the Cure to friends, and sent copies to my parents, brothers and sisters. If you're ready to get serious about having a healthy lifestyle, or want to know the real scoop behind all those research study results, you need the information in this book.

My mom sent this book as a gift to all of her children. I have been living a pretty healthy lifestyle, but as I read this book I have been motivated to make several changes for the better for me and my family. The thing I like the most about this book is that Dr Aldana has read through thousands of scientific studies and laid out the information in a consise and unbiased way that is completely compelling and motivating. I don't know that anyone could read thorough the first chapters without having a desire to improve his or her lifestyle in at least some small way. I have been telling everyone about this book, and every time I do I get more excited about it. This book will be a gift to my friends and family members.

Maybe so. This author is writing for the lay reader but is a stickler for supporting positions with scientific research. In a time when so much media-reported science is contradictory, he uses meta-studies, or "studies of studies," to average research findings...a very helpful tool to approach "the truth." Aldana makes understandable why regular exercise is such an essential factor in the long-term health equation. Also provided are clear discussions of saturated and trans fats, the effects of social dynamics and cultural "blind spots" and how they affect our dietary choices, how phyto-chemicals and anti-oxidants work, and the need (or not) for nutritional supplements. He explains how we got tricked into thinking that our genes are at fault and how society became over-reliant on medicine to "fix" us. Yes, we've all heard we need to exercise more, reduce the consumption of meat and dairy products and eat more whole grains, fruits and veggies. This book explains why in easily understood yet scientifically backed terms.

I work as the wellness coordinator for a large school district in Reno, NV. We recently completed a 7-week program which used The Culprit & The Cure as the focus of this educational program. 2,514 district personnel and retirees participated. This book proved to be, by far, the most effective tool I have used in my efforts to educate, engage and empower individuals during the past eight years. Its simple, straight forward approach with powerful scientific support reached and changed many lives. Every wellness director and coordinator should have this book as a solid reference and consider ways to make it available to their members. A complete report of this program is available at:
www.washoe.k12.nv.us/wellness

Steve Aldana has taken complex science and boiled it down to common language that everyone can understand. It has helped me to understand the physiology of health and fitness so that I can make informed choices and recognize fad versus fact. He has answered the "why" (in words I can understand) for eating healthy and exercising everyday. He has related the scientific concepts to things I worry about (cancer, diabetes, heart disease, etc.) and tells me how I can reduce or prevent my chances of contracting these diseases. I love this book!

Lifestyle medicine expert Steven Aldana shows why it is the sedentary, fast food, high pressure American lifestyle that is behind our health problems and issues. The cure doesn't solely lay in medications or dietary "quick fixes". The answer to addresses our American culturally induced healthy problems in transforming our entire lifestyles in substantive ways that will extend life expectancy, prevent chronic disease, control body weight, and general improve our overall physical, emotional, and mental well being. Enhanced with references, useful links on the web, additional recommended reading materials, and a "user friendly" index, The Culprit And The Cure is especially well written for the non-specialist general reader concerned with improving their physical health and avoiding the consequences of a flawed and all-to-traditional American couch-potato, advertising driven, workaholic lifestyle.

This book does a fantastic job of analyzing all the current scientific evidence there is about the benefits derived from healthy living and spelling it out for the "layman". Fad diets and weight-loss gimmicks provide a "band-aid" for today's obesity crisis, quickly to be ripped off, leaving a deeper wound than the original. Dr. Aldana truly offers the permanent cure for the downward spiral Americans are taking towards unprecedented obesity and chronic illness. A must-have for all those interested in preventing heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other debilitating and fatal chronic illnesses. Dr. Aldana is today's guru in leading a healthy lifestyle.