The Culprit and the Cure.

The Culprit and the Cure

Steven G. Aldana, PhD

Maple Mountain Press

935 East 900 North, Mapleton, UT 84664

ISBN 0975882805 $24.99, 272 pages

Most everyone knows a healthy lifestyle includes eating right and exercising, yet many people don't eat right or exercise regularly. What will it take to get you committed to a healthy lifestyle? For me, it was Dr. Steven Aldana's book The Culprit and the Cure.

The Culprit and the Cure clearly connects the dots between a healthy lifestyle and the prevention of chronic diseases, a prolonged life, and a higher quality of life. It also shows you what you need for a healthy lifestyle and how to achieve it. Dr. Aldana, a professor of lifestyle medicine in the College of Health and Human Performance at Brigham Young University, "read just about every scientific article ever published on nutrition, physical activity, and chronic diseases."

He uses them to make a convincing case for permanent lifestyle changes and to define healthy nutrition and exercise guidelines. It's his engaging, but matter of fact, presentation that gets your attention. For example, "?approximately 40% of all cancers are caused by the typical American diet, lack of physical activity and obesity, and that cancer is mostly a preventable disease." And, "Chronic diseases are among the most common and costly health problems to treat, but they are also among the most preventable."

Have I heard these facts before? Probably, but study results tend to go in one ear and out the other because the results seem to conflict. One study says, "Do this," and the next one says, "No, don't." Because of his extensive research and background, Dr. Aldana can state,"17 studies show this, 3 studies show this, and 2 show this. Taking all of them into account, here's what we know." I feel like I'm finally getting the whole picture, not just part of it. Having convinced you of the need to make permanent, healthy lifestyle changes, Dr. Aldana next gives you the tools to make them. No quick fixes or meal-by-meal plans. Dr. Aldana doesn't advocate giving up all red meat, or all white breads, or extremes of any kind. He advocates something much more realistic: a balanced diet and regular exercise. He lays out nutrition and exercise guidelines, such as a new food pyramid, and a thorough explanation of why food closer to its natural state is healthier. He gives you a blueprint for planning how to incorporate proper nutrition and exercise as a natural and permanent part of life. You'll find tips on how to overcome obstacles, helping children accept healthier food, setting goals, useful websites, and more.

Making lifestyle changes happens when you see benefits outweighing the barriers. The Culprit and the Cure had a profound impact on me. It tipped my benefit/barrier scale to the benefit side, thereby changing my life. If I feel barriers creeping back up, I can refer back to the book to reinforce the benefits. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who wants to be healthy or raise healthy children.