Review: 'The Whartons' Strength Book' by Jim and Phil Wharton

The Whartons' Strength Book by Jim and Phil Wharton, 1999, Three Rivers Press, $15.00, softbound, 258 pages. Cover: okay. Category/Genre: exercise/health. Where we got it: borrowed it. Where you can get it: Amazon, Barnes and Noble.

This book uses the Wharton father and son team's Active-Isolated Strength Training to help you get the most out of your workout, whether you want to tone up, lose weight, regain lost vitality, or build muscles. 

The book is designed to help you create a workout tailored to your needs. Part I offers tips, cautions, clothing and equipment advice, terminology, and encouragement. 

Part II catalogs 35 exercises, which have been organised to coordinate with five body zones. 

Part III allows you to select your sports/occupation and plug that into your workout. For example, you'll want a different workout if you regularly play cricket or rock climb than if you're stuck behind a desk all day. 

Diet, performance, incentives, and rewards are tackled in Part IV, and there's even a special section on older athletes. 

The Whartons say that a good general-base strengthening programme has three distinct phases (they refer to it as BAMMING an athlete): 

B. Building muscular strength (at least a month to get started). 

A. Attaining proficiency and musculoskeletal balance (at least six months, although they say you'll see results more quickly than that). 

M. Maintaining structural integrity (for life). 

They explain how to slim down and tone up, and how to sculpt and bulk up. They explain how to properly manage a weight, a rep, and a set, and offer a word on training for a specific sport. 

There's a lot more to this book, and it all looks pretty handy. If you're looking to make your workout a better one, or if you're looking to incorporate workouts into your schedule, you might want to check out this book. 

If you like this one, try: Suggestions? 

For more information about the Whartons' method, go to: Wharton Health.

Review: 'SuperFoods Rx' by Steven Pratt, MD and Kathy Matthews

SuperFoods Rx by Steven Pratt, MD and Kathy Matthews, 2004, William Morrow, $24.95, hardbound, 336 pages. Category/Genre: health. Cover: tasty. Where we got it: borrowed it. Where you can get it: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million.


'SuperFoods' are those whole foods that provide massive amounts of nutrition -- in other words, the most healthful foods you can eat. There's a ton of information in this book, from what each of these foods can do for you, to the nutrients each contains, to how you can incorporate each SuperFood into your diet. 

Where possible, substitutions for the SuperFoods are given -- so if you don't like oranges, for instance, you can have lemons, white or pink grapefruit, kumquats, tangerines, or limes instead. Pratt and Matthews say how many servings of each food you should try to get each day, and they also provide a smattering of recipes, some of which sound quite tasty. 

If you like this one, try: Suggestions?  

Review: 'Smart Cookies' by Jane Kinderlehrer

Smart Cookies by Jane Kinderlehrer, Illustrated by Claude Martinot, 1985, Newmarket Press, $7.95, softbound, 170 pages. Category/Genre: cooking. Cover: pretty good. Where we got it: borrowed it. Where you can get it: Amazon, Barnes and Noble.  

Along with 80 high fibre, low fat, no sugar cookie recipes, Kinderlehrer gives information on the ingredients that make these cookies 'smart.' For example, oats provide B vitamins, calcium, potassium, and protein, as well as offering little in the way of sodium. Using items like maple syrup and maple syrup granules, which contain only 65% sucrose (as opposed to the 99% cane sugar has), will help alleviate fluctuations in blood sugar levels. 

There are recipes for cookies for pregnant women, vegetable-based cookies, college survival snack cookies, cookies for executives, heart-healthy cookies, and more.  

Kinderlehrer also lists the nutrients found in the ingredients, although she doesn't tell how much of each nutrient is present. She does, however, mention the calories in each serving. 

Some of the ingredients sound really good; others you may have to get used to. 

If you like this one, try: Suggestions?

Review: 'Quick-Fix Vegetarian' by Robin Robertson

Quick-Fix Vegetarian: Healthy Home-Cooked Meals in 30 Minutes or Less by Robin Robertson, 2007, Andrews McMeel, $16.99, softbound, 210 pages. Category/Genre: cooking. Cover: not bad. Where we got it: publisher. Where you can get it: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million.


As vegetarians who don't like to cook, this title greatly appealed to us. We weren't disappointed.

Along with providing recipes that are both quick to make and good for you, this book shares time-crunch strategies such as keeping a well-stocked pantry and planning menus ahead of time. Robertson provides a list of essential items for said pantry, and the recipes call for fresh ingredients and healthy convenience foods.

Recipes include appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches and wraps, pastas, sauces, desserts, and more.

If you like this one, try: Perfect Pasta, by Julia della Croce. 

Review: 'The Best Rocky Mountain National Park Hikes' by Ward Luthi

The Best Rocky Mountain National Park Hikes by The Shining Mountains Group of The Colorado Mountain Club with Ward Luthi, 2013, The Colorado Mountain Club Press, $12.95, softbound, 108 pages. Category/Genre: reference. Cover: nice. Where we got it: publisher. Where you can get it: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million.  


This book begins by going over the ten essentials systems -- principles the authors say will benefit every hiker. These include hydration, nutrition, sun protection, insulation, navigation, illumination, first aid, fire, a repair kit and emergency tools, and emergency shelter.

Other useful safety measures are also given, along with information on Colorado weather. 

There are twenty trails considered here. Maps are included, as well as comments on the trails, colour photographs, how to get to the trail in question, the route you will take once on the trail, the round-trip distance in miles, the round-trip time in minutes, and the nearest landmark. There is also a rating given, ranging from easy to difficult. 

The authors suggest deciding which kinds of hikes will work best for you, such as easier ones for families or those with disabilities, and narrowing your choices by considering variables like how far away trail heads are from one another and how long it would take you to get to each. 

If you like this one, try: Suggestions?  

Review: 'Skinny Ms. Superfoods' by Tiffany McCauley and Gale Compton

Skinny Ms. Superfoods, by Tiffany McCauley and Gale Compton, 2012, Quail Ridge Press, $24.95, softbound, 224 pages. Category/Genre: health/cooking. Cover: delicious-looking. Where we got it: publisher. Where you can get it: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million. 


This book begins by explaining what superfoods are. Firstly, they are at the very top of the healthy foods list; and secondly, they must meet one or more of the following requirements: they must have large amounts of essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals; they must be filled with phytochemicals; they must be a generous source of omega-3 fatty acids; they cannot be manufactured by the human body, but they are generally necessary for health; they are crucial to proper brain function and normal growth and development; they are important for proper cognitive and behavioural function; they lower the risk of heart disease; they reduce inflammation in human tissues. 

Recipes include a variety of smoothies, soups, stews, and chilis, pizzas and quesadillas, and treats. We've already tried one recipe, 'Black Bean and Brown Rice Salad,' which we like to eat hot. 

One of the niftiest things about this book is that the superfoods are listed in alphabetical order at the back, with the pages in which recipes for them appear. Also handy is the chart which tells you all the benefits found in each superfood. There's also a vitamin chart listing the benefits of various vitamins and in what foods they can be found.