Customer Reviews

Spent: Revive: Stop Feeling Spent and Feel Great Again

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I couldn't figure out what was wrong. I'd always been a person with a great deal of energy, could multi-task like crazy, and didn't need much sleep. My kids called me "battery pack." Then, all of a sudden, I began to feel exhausted, could hardly stay awake while reading or at a movie. I developed all sorts of physical symptoms I had never had....backaches, anxiety, and as much as I tried to lose weight despite exercising and dieting, it just wasn't happening. I asked myself "am I getting old and is this what it feels like?" I decided there had to be a way to address how I was feeling, and it wasn't with pills. I bought Dr. Frank Lipman's book Spent which I found to be straight forward, and very user friendly...not daunting. The book is written as if Dr. Lipman were talking to me one on one. He described exactly how I was feeling, truly Spent. I read the book and began a journey to heal myself, which was not overly complicated and was a step-by-step approach I could follow. I began feeling better, respecting my body's rhythm. I began to nourish myself, physically and spiritually, and even got back into yoga. I'm sleeping better, eating better, enjoying friends and family and finding more time for laughter. And yes, some of the unwanted pounds have come off. No, I am not getting older, I am becoming more and more alive.

When I purchased Dr. Lipman's book I thought, "Finally! I can put an end to my chronic 'spent' feeling." However, a few chapters into the book, I quickly realized I have already been doing/practicing what Dr. Lipman outlines in his book. I have the tools and the knowledge base - reading Dr. Lipman's book was like taking a refresher course. Perhaps this is due to the fact that I have always had an interest in health/nutrition. At home, I have a whole library of books about the very topics Dr. Lipman outlines in his book, such as eliminating dairy and wheat/gluten from one's diet. I also agree with the reviewer who wrote that the website is a disappointment and a vehicle by which Dr. Lipman can sell supplements. Do not waste your time on the website unless you want to shell out lots of money for supplements you could find on your own at a local health food store.

If you live under a rock and have absolutely no clue about how to eat healthy or how different foods affect your body, then by all means buy this book but if you already have a strong working knowledge of how to eat and care for you body so that it is operating at its optimum, then save your money.

In closing, I did find Dr. Lipman's recipes, especially those for the protein smoothies to be outstanding. He recommends putting avocado in your smoothie (in place of a banana). My initial reaction was skepticism, but I tried it and it is fantastic! It made my protein smoothies creamy and delicious. I made copies of all the recipes in the book and placed them into my recipe binder at home because I do feel they are worth keeping; however, I am going to try and sell the book as I do not see the need to hang on to it.

I'm following the program and do like the ideas presented. But I think the website (which is mentioned frequently in the book) is a disappointment. It looks like just an outlet to sell supplements. (It reminded me of when Dr. Phil wrote a book on weight loss and started to sell vitamins and "nutrition" bars!).

Also: if you publish a book and refer readers to the website, it should be UP AND RUNNING when the book is published.

As a personal trainer, I read quite a few books on health and fitness per month. Spent stands out simply because it does not just list another fat to fit routine combined with a diet but actually makes the reader stop and rethink his/her life style. That being said, it is not the diet that needs a fix but our whole existence. Dr Lipman provides a 6 week program , which builds upon itself with a goal of teaching an understanding of the body and achieving harmony.
A must read for anyone who is serious about health and fitness.

Although I do like the recipes and the ideas I think the book is just a commercial vehicle to sell via online store Dr. Lipman's supplements.

I've been an avid read of books on health, nutrition and overall well-being since my mother became an Adele Davis follower. Spent offers very little new: eat whole, unprocessed foods, use relaxation techniques, take some proven supplements. The author does also advocate some strategies which are less familiar: eliminate dairy, eliminate gluten, eliminate artifical sweeteners, take Chinese herbs, get some more elaborate medical tests done. Frankly, I think that many people will find the whole program too overwhelming a change from their typical stressed out, processed food, overstimulated lifestyle to make lasting changes.

This is a very good book for those that are truly tired all the time. It has common sense, but sometimes unknown ideas for you to try. Exp: I did not know that turning on the light to go to the restroom at night stops melatonin so you wake up for the rest of the night. Who knew? Ever since I stopped doing that I have slept WAY more soundly and getting up does not turn into an hour plus long battle to go back to bed. Therefore, I feel better and more rested. There are many of these type of suggestions. I also love the shakes! I make up my own recipes and it feels great. I have not felt this alive in a long time!

However, to do ALL of this program would be VERY extreme. It would cost thousands of dollars in equipment, food, supplements, etc... It is very low pressure and he even says if it does not sound like you, then don't do it. I would recommend getting the book and gleaning what works for you and ignoring the rest. Almost anyone can get something very useful out of this book, even if you don't do all of it or you implement it slowly.

Good luck in feeling better! I have been there where you are. I hope this book helps you like it helped me.

I read this book with my mother in mind and actually learned a ton of things to apply in my own life. After reading CLEAN (Alejandro Junger MD) and finding it life-altering, I ordered this book. CLEAN was great for me because most of the recommendations were similar to how I already eat/live and following his recommendations required some simple 'tweaking'; however, many of my friends and family felt it was too far of a departure (i.e. too many changes at once) for their lives. SPENT recommends many of the same changes, but over a more gradual, 6 week time period. Both books do an amazing job of providing clear and comprehensible rationale for decreasing your 'toxic load'. Both physicians (Junger and Lipman) are, in mind, offering the best of both worlds: they are trained in both Western and Eastern medicine. They have some obvious similarities, but also some interesting differences and I learned a great deal from both.
If you know anyone who is seeking to gain more energy and is just 'beat' all the time and is too young to feel the way they do, this book is for them. If you are already eating organically, eating mostly raw foods and using natural products on your body and in your home but want to take things to the next level, then I highly recommend CLEAN.

I'm sure some of the things listed in this book are helpful, like getting back into your circadian rhythms and doing the restorative yoga. The nutrition and eating sections of the book, not so much. Realistically, most people have limited funds and can't afford these organic and sometimes obscure ingredients. I think this is more for the upscale and wealthy, who have people to go buy and prepare the food for them.

Finally a book on integrative medicine that makes sense on many levels and is easy and fun to read. Not only is western and eastern medicine integrated, but so are exercise, nutrition, cooking, meditation, sleep, social relationships and even music. The result is living in a body that can function seamlessly, a mind that is relaxed and an overriding feeling of joy. In fact, joy is what radiates out of every page.

The overriding principle of the book is to return the body's rhythm to what is programmed into our evolving genes. That means to synchronize our morning, afternoon and night cycles with those of nature. Dr Lipman does this by removing what compromises and inflames our bodies and adding elements that de-stress us and boosts our systems. He expresses this elegantly in the Tao philosophy " to attain knowledge, add things every day: to attain wisdom, remove things every day."

Over a 6-week period Dr Lipman eliminates what poisons, inflames and slows our bodies and replaces them with foods, supplements, exercises and meditation to bring each one of us individually into balance. The book is easy to follow and everything seems "sane". This combination of a fun, integrated solution based on medicine and experience brings immediate and lasting results. There is also a selective yet comprehensive resource section that is augmented by a helpful website at www.spentmd.com