Comments (6)

By jamie, February 25, 2010 1:42 pm

This chapter made me more sad than scared. Before I write about it, I have to say that the one thing that really bugs about this book is that Jillian (or her editor) chose not to properly cite sources. The “selected” bibliography might be extensive, but it’s often impossible to know whether the specific piece of information was taken from a newspaper article or from an actual study. The citations are divided by chapter – and Chapter 3 is heavy on academic journals – but there are no proper end notes. I suspect that this was done to make the book more readable and less “academic,” but it opens the door for doubt – a big problem for a book about health. I have read enough of the environmental literature to believe what she is saying in this chapter, but I can’t help but feel like it might be worth my time to fact check, just in case.

Chapter 3 makes some pretty serious claims, and, while many of them are backed by specific studies (she usually gives credit to the university without naming either article or study), it’s really impossible to tell whether they all are. It’s too bad, because the general public SHOULD know about the dangers of environmental toxins, especially the ones we voluntarily bring into our homes.

If you don’t intend to buy/borrow this book, you probably owe it to yourself to at least skim Chapter 3 in the bookstore (don’t tell them I sent you) and then check out some of the most interesting information at a university library, or even through Google Scholar, if that’s all you have access too.

Here are some highlights (NOT fact checked by me, so buyer beware):

• Many major municipal water supplies have been found to have detectable levels of pharmaceuticals, including antibiotics, sex hormones, and mood stabilizers. Guess how they got into to water supply – through our toilets.
• Those flame retardants sprayed on baby pajamas contain toxins, but so do the fragrances in fabric softeners (which are not to be used on baby pajamas, because they remove the flame retardant).
• Toxins known to have a negative effect on hormones added to perfumes and fragrances to make them last longer (and we spray them on ourselves).
• High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is very bad (regardless of what the corn industry tells us in their current PR campaign), but it’s not the only terrible food additive.

Okay. I have to stop now. I thought this book was just going to tell me how to eat so that my metabolism would start zooming like a teenager’s. There is more it then that, obviously (which I knew, but it’s much easier to have a fitness guru tell you how to eat, no?). I could start a discussion about Big Business and how regular people – but especially the poor – get screwed in the quest for the almighty dollar. It’s more sad than scary, especially because we end up supporting this behavior despite our best interests. And now I really do have to stop, go drink some (possibly toxin-laden) water, wash some laundry (maybe I’ll skip the fabric softener), and check my fridge for food additives.

Scroll down for other posts about Master Your Metabolism:

Other posts about Master Your Metabolism:
Review
Part 1: So Long, Chocolate, Old Friend
Part 2: I KNEW It – My Hormones are Out of Whack!
Part 3: Nothing Funny About Chapter 3
Part 4: “There’s No Food in Your Food”
Part 5: Artificial Sweetener Can Mess Up Your Brain?
Part 6: “Okay, I’ll Admit it. Organics Can Be Pricey.”
Part 7: Ice Cream and Chocolate are Allowed!!!
Part 8: Really, Jillian, I Just Wanted a Cute Butt
Part 9: Protein! I Need You Protein
Part 10: Now, Off to the Market

Comments (7)

By jamie, February 24, 2010 3:03 pm

Chapter 2 reads like a super-easy science text – Jillian (we are on a first-name basis now) does a good job of describing the major metabolism hormones, and provides lists of symptoms of hormone imbalances. If this book was ghostwritten rather than co-written (and I tend to think it was just heavily edited), the writer has done an excellent job of capturing Jillian’s “voice,” even while using technical/science terms.

Of course, being the former psych major who was convinced had not only a personality disorder, but was possibly even bipolar, after taking abnormal psych, I am now certain than my hormones are completely out of whack. I did say a quick prayer of thanks that I have not grown a beard (yet), but, of the many symptoms listed, I have at least five of them. Jillian’s advice – get thee to an endocrinologist and DO NOT take supplements without a doctor’s care, and also preferably a second opinion. Of course, she also recommends trying out her diet to see how much that can help – I think I’ll start there.

Stay tuned for Chapter 3 – Jillian warned me to “prepare to be scared” when I read it, so I’m going to make sure I’m not home alone just in case I feel compelled to throw out all of the food that was not damaged in the Great Pantry Bug Episode of 2010 (don’t ask).

Scroll down for other posts about Master Your Metabolism:

Other posts about Master Your Metabolism:
Review
Part 1: So Long, Chocolate, Old Friend
Part 2: I KNEW It – My Hormones are Out of Whack!
Part 3: Nothing Funny About Chapter 3
Part 4: “There’s No Food in Your Food”
Part 5: Artificial Sweetener Can Mess Up Your Brain?
Part 6: “Okay, I’ll Admit it. Organics Can Be Pricey.”
Part 7: Ice Cream and Chocolate are Allowed!!!
Part 8: Really, Jillian, I Just Wanted a Cute Butt
Part 9: Protein! I Need You Protein
Part 10: Now, Off to the Market

Comments (8)

By jamie, February 23, 2010 3:06 pm

I think I should probably read this book one chapter at a time and then reflect on (and blog about) each before moving on. There are 12 chapters, but the last one looks like it’s just a grocery list, so that means 11 posts (give or take) on this book.

I served myself a bowl of low-fat lemon cookie ice cream and read the Introduction and Chapter 1 this afternoon. Jillian Michaels, the famous trainer from The Biggest Loser, shares her story about how she was a chubby kid, and how she struggled with maintaining her famous physique while on television helping people lose 100 pounds or more. Cry me a river, huh? – That’s what I was thinking at first, but then she started to win me over. It looks like I am going to learn about my body chemistry, hormones in particular, and how my choices over the years have negatively effected my metabolism. I may even clear out my pantry of junk (I don’t know about giving up my secret chocolate stash, but more shocking things have happened).

In truth, this book is scaring the heck out of me so far. Some highlights:

• “For each can of diet soft drink consumed each day, a person’s risk of obesity goes up 41 percent.” (!!!!)
• One in four diabetics do not yet know they have diabetes.

I could go on, but I would just be quoting from every page so far. Let’s just say that, in the U.S., we eat a lot of junk, have too much stress, don’t sleep enough, and are killing ourselves slowly with our lifestyles. This is not easy to hear, but is certainly true. (As for the specific statistics, I would be remiss not to mention that they are not connected with specific studies, so I am taking the numbers with a grain of salt, and you should too – they are still scary to read though.)

It’s difficult for me to feel any commonality with someone who is famous, in part, for her perfect body, but she does her best to make us feel as though we are all in the same boat. I like her – and I think I would like to follow her advice. We’ll see how it goes as I read further.

Scroll down for other posts about Master Your Metabolism:

Other posts about Master Your Metabolism:
Review
Part 1: So Long, Chocolate, Old Friend
Part 2: I KNEW It – My Hormones are Out of Whack!
Part 3: Nothing Funny About Chapter 3
Part 4: “There’s No Food in Your Food”
Part 5: Artificial Sweetener Can Mess Up Your Brain?
Part 6: “Okay, I’ll Admit it. Organics Can Be Pricey.”
Part 7: Ice Cream and Chocolate are Allowed!!!
Part 8: Really, Jillian, I Just Wanted a Cute Butt
Part 9: Protein! I Need You Protein
Part 10: Now, Off to the Market