Customer Reviews

Let's Eat Right to Keep Fit : A Practical Guide To Nutrition Designed To Help You Achieve Good Health Through Proper Diet

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

It may sound like hyperbole to claim that this book can change lives, but after 40+ years it's still a startling and informative work. I found this gem by accident in a book store, shoved to the back of the shelf, in 1976 when I was in such poor health that I was visibly upset when I looked in the mirror. After poring thru this classic from cover to cover in 2 days, I put its information to work. And did it work! Forget the fad diets and the beauty cranks, and find out how your body (and mind) react to typical American food fare, and how to change it. Glad to see that this venerable bible is still around. You don't have to be a health nut to get success from what's here, you just need common sense and the information in this great book.

We own this in both hardback and paperback and its nice to see that it is still in print, and with a few changes. First became aware of Ms Davis in the late 60's and she was the one who was at the forefront of the whole foods movement here in California and what would later become known as holistic living and the belief that supplements like vitamins and minerals could alleviate and even rid a plethora of medical concerns. That it is additives, coloring and preservatives in foods that cause problems including hyperactivity and obesity.

She was ahead of Ornish and McDougal and all the others when it came to teaching moderation and healthy oils like olive oil, as well as the need to drink more water. This is a book I still recommend.

Thirty years ago my mother used the nutritional principles in this book to "cure" my numerous childhood food allergies. I have always been skeptical of this claim, because it's possible that I simply outgrew my allergies at the same time that she pursued this therapy.

Now I have my own severely allergic children, and all that mainstream medicine has to offer me is total avoidance of the offending foods. Could it be that my children's immune systems are not functioning properly because of nutritional deficiencies that my family is prone to? Ms. Davis gives concrete, detailed information on the relationship between essential nutrients and immune system function, and how to improve your diet to provide what your immune system needs to function well. I picked up this book feeling very skeptical; having read it, I am persuaded that it is very likely that my mother's nutritional therapy played a larger role in my "cure" than I was willing to credit before. Mom, I'm sorry I doubted you. To anyone else struggling with allergies, this book is an excellent addition to your arsenal.

I've used "Let's Eat Right to Keep Fit," on and off, for 30 years. It's the best "no fad" nutrition advice for everyday living I have ever seen.

What I like about the book is that Adelle tells me what to expect when I eat or don't eat certain foods. She tells me the EFFECTS of what I choose to eat, mental, physical, general outlook, and health symptoms such as skin tone or heart rate.

For example, the relationship of protein to blood sugar is discussed (the more protein you eat, especially at breakfast, the more stable your blood sugar level stays throughout the day -- fewer highs and lows), and that has served me well over the years in planning for high-performance days that require an alert mind and body all day long.

These "old" studies still apply -- I think the book was written when they were studying vitamins intensely, as she cites a lot of studies on this with human volunteers, and what happens if you are missing just 1 vitamin, B6 for example.

She puts together this type of information:
- mental state
--- depression
--- irritability
- physical symptoms
--- sore mouth
--- dry, cracked lips
--- magenta tongue!
- vitamins
- minerals
- soils
- oils
- protein
- food preparation and growth style
--- organic
---frozen
--- fresh
- supplements
- What to Eat in certain cases:
--- to recover from long-term chronic stress
--- to keep your blood sugar level stable
--- each day

... and she walks you through how to establish a daily diet (you can do the quick view or spend time and do it more completely).

You can take one or two tidbits of info, or really read what happens at the cellular level (i.e., the relationship of SALT to POTASSIUM -- inside each cell and outside each cell - it's fascinating).

I recommend the hardcover book. You may want to skim it, get what you need today from it and apply it, and put the book on the shelf.

Sure as can be, pretty soon you'll remember, "didn't I read in Adelle..." and you'll want to reference it again.

You know why you'll do that? Because your mind will be functioning better, and you'll have a better outlook on life, be more curious about new things, and have the energy to do something like write this book review, which I've never done before!

By the way, she says if you put several healthy choices of food in front of a young child, she'll pick the ones her body needs! I found this to be true, and I do it myself -- if those apricots are calling to you (for me it was the dried sweetened mangoes), it may mean you NEED something they have (vit. A).

Some things we go to our shrinks for can be helped by adding a few key nutrients -- look up depression, for example. We may still need therapy, but we won't be fighting the battle at the cellular level in addition to dealing with our histories!

My originals were so worn from use, highlighting, and notes, I had to buy new ones. I started with these on my quest for nutritional knowledge around 1970. I've read many nutrition books since and I still recommend these first, and almost exclusively, to anyone who wants answers about their poor, mistreated bodies and why they misbehave so, and what, if anything might be done to help or fix the problems. She's always come through. I wish she were alive today.
I suggest keeping a copy of "Let's Get Well" and "Let's Eat Right To Keep Fit" as staples in the bookcase in every home. Read them and devour them and apply them. They're incredible. Also, with "Let's Cook it Right" I experienced the most delicious roast I had ever cooked, just knowing the science behind the meat and the heat.Literally cut with a fork, so tender! The woman's knowledge never failed to amaze me.

Before Pritikin, Ornish, Brody, the New Pyramid, and all that no fat, low fat insanity - there was Adelle Davis. Through her writings she introduced a nation to good balanced nutrition. From her we learned what vitamins, minerals, essential amino acids, good fats, etc. were important for our health. She wrote in a no nonsense easily understandable and at times entertaining manner (she made learning about nutrition fun). Though there have been many new discoveries in nutrition since then, much of her writings remain basic and true today. I still often refer to this book and only wish that the publisher re-issues it - as my copy is barely holding together.

Back in the late 1960's, a good friend gave me a copy of Let's Eat Right to Keep Fit. After absorbing the message that book delivered, I became a truehearted fan of Adelle Davis. She showed us so much research had been conducted confirming the need and uses of vitamins, minerals, and other nutritionals. Long before the 1990's it was known folic acid is needed during the first few weeks of gestation to prevent spina bifida. Pre-eclampsia is still treated with magnesium sulfate, but to avoid developing that condition, Adele Davis prescribed the supplements an expectant mother needs. How did she know about these? She perused so many documents and researched studies, much of which occurred in the early 20th century.
Some have said her writings are outdated and newer research refutes some of her findings, but the broad picture is she opened the public's eyes about nutrition's role. She told us there have been people curious enough to pursue Vitamin A's impact on skin health, cold fish oil and its role in cardiovascular disease, tryptophan, serotonin, lithium, and the B-complex benefitting the central nervous system and the brain.
Adelle Davis planted the seeds. Are we wise enough to pick the fruit?
Ibid.

This was one of the first books I read that explained the power of nutrition and the weakness of the present 'drugs-only' medical model towards health. Adelle really lays the ground rules for what has elsewhere been described as 'orthomolecular' medicine -- using natural substances to restore and maintain optimum health. She introduced me to Dr Abram Hoffer (try ISBN 1550820796) and Dr Linus Pauling (try ISBN 0380702894), both of whom you should pursue if you want to gain more knowledge than your GP about the power of nutrition to heal both body and mind. It's true that some of Adelle's content will be dated, as diets and theories have come and gone. She was a professional with great wisdom from her years of practice, and a dedicated writer. This is a book worth seeking out. Who knows -- in your travels its possible you might just stumble across cures for schizophrenia and cancer...

I've used "Let's Eat Right to Keep Fit," on and off, for 30 years. It's the best "no fad" nutrition advice for everyday living I have ever seen.

What I like about the book is that Adelle tells me what to expect when I eat or don't eat certain foods. She tells me the EFFECTS of what I choose to eat, mental, physical, general outlook, and health symptoms such as skin tone or heart rate.

For example, the relationship of protein to blood sugar is discussed (the more protein you eat, especially at breakfast, the more stable your blood sugar level stays throughout the day -- fewer highs and lows), and that has served me well over the years in planning for high-performance days that require an alert mind and body all day long.

These "old" studies still apply -- I think the book was written when they were studying vitamins intensely, as she cites a lot of studies on this with human volunteers, and what happens if you are missing just 1 vitamin, B6 for example.

She puts together this type of information:
- mental state
--- depression
--- irritability
- physical symptoms
--- sore mouth
--- dry, cracked lips
--- magenta tongue!
- vitamins
- minerals
- soils
- oils
- protein
- food preparation and growth style
--- organic
---frozen
--- fresh
- supplements
- What to Eat in certain cases:
--- to recover from long-term chronic stress
--- to keep your blood sugar level stable
--- each day

... and she walks you through how to establish a daily diet (you can do the quick view or spend time and do it more completely).

You can take one or two tidbits of info, or really read what happens at the cellular level (i.e., the relationship of SALT to POTASSIUM -- inside each cell and outside each cell - it's fascinating).

I recommend the hardcover book. You may want to skim it, get what you need today from it and apply it, and put the book on the shelf.

Sure as can be, pretty soon you'll remember, "didn't I read in Adelle..." and you'll want to reference it again.

You know why you'll do that? Because your mind will be functioning better, and you'll have a better outlook on life, be more curious about new things, and have the energy to do something like write this book review, which I've never done before!

By the way, she says if you put several healthy choices of food in front of a young child, she'll pick the ones her body needs! I found this to be true, and I do it myself -- if those apricots are calling to you (for me it was the dried sweetened mangoes), it may mean you NEED something they have (vit. A).

Some things we go to our shrinks for can be helped by adding a few key nutrients -- look up depression, for example. We may still need therapy, but we won't be fighting the battle at the cellular level in addition to dealing with our histories!

my mother used this book for us kids when i was growing up, my father's mother used this book throughout her life. the information in this book gave my great grandfather 20 more years after a heart attack from clogged arteries almost killed him & he was facing major surgery & a lifetime on medications. in her time adele was one of the first of a 'new' generation of thinkers to suggest vitamin doses & truly proper nutrition as a way to prevent & cure disease & common ailments. the basics of nutrition never change, but some of the information adele gives in this book has since been changed, updated or even outdated in some cases & revised in some way. many have tried to discount what she was teaching & tried to discredit her. she had some trouble years ago when a child died after the parents misread & misunderstood the suggestions & doses of vitamins she gave to help cure a certain problem. these days this is not a book for the beginner or novice in nutrition & vitamins as medicine, but is for those who already have a decent background in it. this is a good reference book, but you really need to have others on hand that have the more current knowledge & understanding of drug-vitamin-herb interactions, age related doseage restrictions & warnings, counterindications, etc. (jean carper's books on food as medicine are highly recommended by this layperson.) this book should be ONE of several in a reference collection for nutrition, food & vitamins as medicine, & healthy cooking, using each books' information together.