Leigh Ann Hirschman – författare

Later to bed, munching some fries, makes a girl pretty healthy and wise. . . .Yes, it’s true—more or less. Why? Women do need to eat healthier, exercise, get adequate sleep, and take preventive health care seriously, yet it’s equally important for them to relax. Relax, take a breather, and give up trying to follow the narrowly prescribed health “rules” that are constant sources of unhealthy stress and guilt. In Live a Little!, women finally get a long-overdue dose of realism about what’s truly healthy and what’s mostly hype. Susan Love and Alice Domar take on the health police, whose edicts make us feel terrible when we don’t get eight hours of sleep or eat the maximum daily serving of veggies. Most important, they remind us of a forgotten truth: Perfect health is not achievable.Breaking down the prevailing health “musts” in six areas—sleep, stress, preventive care, exercise, nutrition, and personal relationships—these doctors, with a little help from the other experts of BeWell, cut to the heart of these topics and give us realistic guidelines for living a healthy enough life, one that also includes laughter, relaxation, and a commonsense attitude about being pretty healthy.To learn more health truths and whittle down your overblown expectations of yourself, open this book. Using science combined with these experts’ surprisingly refreshing opinions, Live a Little! shows you how to be healthy without driving yourself crazy!From the Hardcover edition.

Every morning, more than 50 million Americans wake up to another day in pain. If you are one of them, you know the way chronic pain can take over your life: the lost work and missed pleasures, the harsh drugs or surgeries, the feelings of anger and frustration, the endless search from doctor to doctor. It doesn’t have to be that way. This remarkable book, by one of the leading pain specialists in America, puts in your hands the resources usually available only at the most sophisticated pain clinics. Recent research has shown that the solution to the puzzle of pain is almost never one “magic bullet” treatment. What works is a combination of therapies--often three or more--customized to your individual needs. Some drugs or surgeries can actually make your condition worse, while surprisingly gentle alternative therapies can provide measurable, lasting relief. The key is knowing how to combine the best of both conventional and alternative medicine.Dr. James Dillard offers you what few physicians today are trained to provide:• fascinating new information on how pain affects your body and mind--including six myths that can keep you from healing• a detailed guide to more than 40 treatment methods, from state-of-the-art microsurgery and pharmaceuticals to acupuncture, yoga, and biofeedback• individual chapters on the 12 most common types of pain, from arthritis and back pain to fibromyalgia and migraines--clearly indicating what works and what to avoid• The Pain-Control Diet--and 20 top supplements for pain relief• how to build your pain-management team and get what you need from your insurance company • checklists, self-evaluations, and guides for tracking treatment• special chapters on children, seniors, pregnant women, terminal pain--plus how you can help a loved one in painYou can take back your life from pain. The Chronic Pain Solution will guide you every step of the way.From the Hardcover edition.

Research shows that people cannot reach their full potential unless they are in healthy connection with others. Dr. Amy Banks teaches us how to rewire our brains for healthier relationships and happier, more fulfilling lives. We all experience moments when we feel isolated and alone. A 2006 Purdue University study found that twenty-five percent of Americans cannot name a single person they feel close to. Yet every single one of us is hardwired for close relationships. The key to more satisfying relationships—be it with a significant other, a family member, or a colleague—is to strengthen the neural pathways in our brains that encourage closeness and connection. In this groundbreaking book, Dr. Banks give us a road map for developing the four distinct neural pathways in the brain that underlie the four most important ingredients for close relationships: calmness, acceptance, emotional resonance, and energy. Wired to Connect gives you the tools you need to strengthen the parts of your brain that encourage connection and to heal the neural damage that disconnection can cause.From the Trade Paperback edition.