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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good place to start, August 27, 2009
This review is from: Fit at Fifty and Beyond: A Balanced Exercise and Nutrition Program (A DiaMedica Guide to Optimum Wellness) (Paperback)
Reviewed by Deb Shunamon for Reader Views (8/09)
Where I live people tend to be quite health-conscious, so I think the language and general makeup of "Fit at Fifty and Beyond" are more appropriate for people well over the age of fifty. However, this is around the age when most of us begin to notice how much harder it is to lose weight, or to build and maintain muscle. Adults who want to know the reasons for this, or wish to finally get themselves started on an exercise program or healthy eating regime, will find this book a good place to start.
The front cover and writing style of this book are very much like the pamphlets and publications you find in a doctor's office, where the writing is very simple and the section conclusions faithfully review, sometimes using the exact same words, the important points in each chapter. Dr. Michael Gloth is a well-respected authority in the area of geriatrics, and he provides an extensive variety of topics in his book. A clear explanation on effective calories and useable energy; another on why eating less may no longer result in weight loss as we age; and why exercising does not have to be as intense as we get older, all support his view that being informed can help overcome our evolutionary tendency to store fat. The author even takes into consideration lifestyle issues such as exercising while traveling, or if there is an injury or illness (such as osteoporosis or balance issues), as well as some possible problems between vitamin use and certain prescription drugs. As a bonus, each chapter ends with simple yet interesting recipes provided by Chef Rudy Speckamp, who shows readers that healthy, home cooked meals can still be elegant.
This book is definitely not flashy, and the way it is written will not appeal to everyone. I found the overabundance of exclamation marks quite annoying, and the registered trademark ingredients in a few recipes confusing. For example, I do not know what "Egg Beaters" are, or if the recipes will work if a normal egg is used. However, learning about the aging process and how this knowledge should affect our food and exercise choices as we get older was quite interesting. Overall, I think that elderly or sedentary adults, who wish to lose weight, or start improving their overall health, will find "Fit at Fifty and Beyond" by Michael Gloth, M.D., a practical and informative place to begin.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not for your coffee table - a book to live with, May 17, 2009
This review is from: Fit at Fifty and Beyond: A Balanced Exercise and Nutrition Program (A DiaMedica Guide to Optimum Wellness) (Paperback)
My Early Reviewers copy of Fit at 50 and Beyond, extruding a dozen colorful markers, creased along its thin spine on the front cover, stained with juice on the lower edge and stocked with gritty black and white photographs of people over 50 exercising, is not a pretty book. It is the kind of book that one lives with, not the kind that sits unread on the coffee table.
The text, like the rest of the book, is plain, straightforward and lacking any kind of gimmicks. I love it. At just 168 pages, Fit at 50 and Beyond is an exercise book on a diet - all facts and no puffery. This is a book for people who think Ms. Senior America is someone special, and she does in fact appear in some of the pictures.
I have fifteen books tagged "diet" in my library, but this one is unique. Dr. Gloth is not selling anything - not a sports drink, or special exercise equipment (one picture is of a man lifting a chair - "chair curls" - hah!). He is not pushing expensive pre-packaged diet food or memberships in anything. I felt throughout the book as if I could trust him to give me the unvarnished scientific facts of diet and exercise. For example, some books I have claim that all calories are equal. Now I understand that is an over-simplified approach. Dr. Goth explains how carbohydrates, fats and protein are metabolized differently in the body, and how that affects weight gain or loss.
He also gives tips such as the best time of day to exercise and why, and what to eat after exercising and why. I was born asking "Why?" and I like it that Dr. Gloth's explanations are clear and concise.
Dr. Gloth, like a good coach, includes all the effective diet and exercise pointers I am aware of, some that I didn't know before, and doesn't waste my time with silly alternatives. I wish someone had given me this book when I turned 50! But as he points out, it is never too late.
The main part of the book is devoted to exercise, with pictures and tips on good form and not causing yourself injury. There are short and sensible chapters on healthy eating, what to do to prevent a lapse in your program or if you have a lapse, how to maintain diet and exercise when traveling, and more.
Thanks to Rudy Speckamp, C.M.C. this handy little book includes recipes from an award-winning chef, at the end of chapters like a treat for your progress, and a whole chapter of them later in the book.
If you or someone you know is turning 50, this book would be a useful gift, but it could help any adult design their own effective diet and exercise program.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well worth the investment for those who have passed the half century mark, July 7, 2009
This review is from: Fit at Fifty and Beyond: A Balanced Exercise and Nutrition Program (A DiaMedica Guide to Optimum Wellness) (Paperback)
The gut that comes with age doesn't have to stay there. "Fit at Fifty and Beyond: A Balanced Exercise and Nutrition Program" is a health guide for those who have reached age fifty (or close to it) and don't want to miss a step in maintaining their health. Good physical fitness is very much possible past fifty, but age is a cruel mistress and some things must be approached differently. "Fit at Fifty and Beyond" is well worth the investment for those who have passed the half century mark.
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