weet dreams: books to help you make friends with the night Hypnos, the Greek god of sleep, usually slips in quietly, delivers his blissful gift of slumber then melts humbly, silently away into the shadows of the night. But the gods can be contrary. Though you offer up countless sheep trying to entice his arrival, sometimes Hypnos is nowhere to be found, leaving you alone, agitated and wide-eyed in the dark. When the god of slumber abandons you, what better reading material to have by your bedside than books on sleep and dreaming? How to Sleep Soundly Tonight by Barbara L. Heller, is a charming and inexpensive little handbook full of simple, easily implemented methods for assessing your night’s sleep and making it the healthiest, most restorative experience it can be. Heller takes a naturalistic approach, promoting sleep-inducing tips like keeping your feet warm at night or drinking chamomile tea, but she concludes with a chapter about what to do and where to turn when self-help doesn’t work. The No More Sleepless Nights Workbook by Peter Hauri, Murray Jarman and Shirley Linde delves a little more deeply into the underlying causes of insomnia. (Hauri is the former director of the Mayo Clinic Insomnia Program and one of the world’s leading authorities on the problem.) The workbook provides many self-examining questionnaires on topics like “Lifestyle,” “Depression” and “Sleep History.” These are designed to help you pinpoint your individual type of sleep problem before planning your own “better-sleep” program. This step-by-step approach is followed by chapters on solutions to each particular “sleep stealer,” including night work, jet lag and Seasonal Affective Disorder. No More Sleepless Nights Workbook is a terrific overall resource book for insomniacs.

Though obviously many sleep robbers such as stress or a poor sleep environment are not gender related, certain sleep adversaries such as hormone-instigated night sweats or the demands of trying to juggle work and new motherhood are specific to women. A Woman’s Guide to Sleep by Joyce A. Walsleben, Ph.

D., and Rita Baron-Faust addresses the particular stumbling blocks to sleep that women face from menstruation through menopause and beyond and offers a wealth of research, insight and advice in a scholarly yet accessible style.

These books are about getting to sleep, but once you’ve gotten there and have Hypnos paying regular nocturnal calls to your bedside, you’ll want a visit from Morpheus, the god of dreams. (We mortals are so demanding!) In fact, many experts believe that REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, which takes place during dreaming, is not only a normal and essential quality of “good” sleep, but plays a crucial role in memory and learning. Much has been written about why we dream, what we dream and what it all means, but The Committee of Sleep, by Deidre Barrett, Ph.

D., takes a different twist. Barrett presents dreams as a means of creative problem solving and explains how creative thinkers through the ages have capitalized on their subconscious visions. The book takes its title from a John Steinbeck quote: “It is a common experience that a problem difficult at night is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it.” In addition to authors, Committee discusses artists, musicians, filmmakers, scientists, mathematicians and others who have used their dreams something which “the committee” has fortuitously sent to them at night to enhance their creative work by day. This book will inspire you to keep a dream journal, so if and when the committee slips you a Pulitzer or Nobel Prize-winning idea, you can write it down and claim it for your own! If you or someone you know needs to make friends with the night, these books (and maybe a glass of warm milk) should help pave the way along the path to the Land of Nod. Sweet dreams! Linda Stankard is a writer in Cookeville, Tennessee.

weet dreams: books to help you make friends with the night Hypnos, the Greek god of sleep, usually slips in quietly, delivers his blissful gift of slumber then melts humbly, silently away into the shadows of the night. But the gods can be contrary. Though you offer up countless sheep trying to entice his arrival, sometimes Hypnos is nowhere to be found, leaving you alone, agitated and wide-eyed in the dark. When the god of slumber abandons you, what better reading material to have by your bedside than books on sleep and dreaming? How to Sleep Soundly Tonight by Barbara L. Heller, is a charming and inexpensive little handbook full of simple, easily implemented methods for assessing your night’s sleep and making it the healthiest, most restorative experience it can be. Heller takes a naturalistic approach, promoting sleep-inducing tips like keeping your feet warm at night or drinking chamomile tea, but she concludes with a chapter about what to do and where to turn when self-help doesn’t work. The No More Sleepless Nights Workbook by Peter Hauri, Murray Jarman and Shirley Linde delves a little more deeply into the underlying causes of insomnia. (Hauri is the former director of the Mayo Clinic Insomnia Program and one of the world’s leading authorities on the problem.) The workbook provides many self-examining questionnaires on topics like “Lifestyle,” “Depression” and “Sleep History.” These are designed to help you pinpoint your individual type of sleep problem before planning your own “better-sleep” program. This step-by-step approach is followed by chapters on solutions to each particular “sleep stealer,” including night work, jet lag and Seasonal Affective Disorder. No More Sleepless Nights Workbook is a terrific overall resource book for insomniacs.

Though obviously many sleep robbers such as stress or a poor sleep environment are not gender related, certain sleep adversaries such as hormone-instigated night sweats or the demands of trying to juggle work and new motherhood are specific to women. A Woman’s Guide to Sleep by Joyce A. Walsleben, Ph.

D., and Rita Baron-Faust addresses the particular stumbling blocks to sleep that women face from menstruation through menopause and beyond and offers a wealth of research, insight and advice in a scholarly yet accessible style.

These books are about getting to sleep, but once you’ve gotten there and have Hypnos paying regular nocturnal calls to your bedside, you’ll want a visit from Morpheus, the god of dreams. (We mortals are so demanding!) In fact, many experts believe that REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, which takes place during dreaming, is not only a normal and essential quality of “good” sleep, but plays a crucial role in memory and learning. Much has been written about why we dream, what we dream and what it all means, but The Committee of Sleep, by Deidre Barrett, Ph.

D., takes a different twist. Barrett presents dreams as a means of creative problem solving and explains how creative thinkers through the ages have capitalized on their subconscious visions. The book takes its title from a John Steinbeck quote: “It is a common experience that a problem difficult at night is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it.” In addition to authors, Committee discusses artists, musicians, filmmakers, scientists, mathematicians and others who have used their dreams something which “the committee” has fortuitously sent to them at night to enhance their creative work by day. This book will inspire you to keep a dream journal, so if and when the committee slips you a Pulitzer or Nobel Prize-winning idea, you can write it down and claim it for your own! If you or someone you know needs to make friends with the night, these books (and maybe a glass of warm milk) should help pave the way along the path to the Land of Nod. Sweet dreams! Linda Stankard is a writer in Cookeville, Tennessee.

Does stress send you straight to the cookie jar? Is a dinner just not complete without a slice or two of sourdough bread nestled alongside your linguine? If so, chances are, according to nutritionist Adele Puhn, you’re a Sugar Baby with a case of “metabolic mix-up,” or an extraordinary carbohydrate sensitivity. Puhn, author of a previous bestseller, The Five-Day Miracle Diet, returns to corral our sugar cravings with The Midlife Miracle Diet: Tame Your Insulin Resistance. This book’s impassioned message urges everyone, young and old, toward a radical reduction of carbohydrates in their diets. Heart disease and diabetes are on the rise in the United States, Puhn says, and carbohydrates, with their inherent sugars, are the culprits.

Puhn, a committed advocate for vibrant health and longevity, clearly explains the dangers of a metabolism unbalanced by carbohydrate addiction. Her plan outlines the basics and benefits of assessing and controlling blood sugar, provides easy dietary guidelines with food lists and five days’ worth of sample menus, and emphasizes the integral importance of supplements and regular exercise. To further prove her case, she includes a comprehensive source list of scientific research that supports her findings.

So, does this mean a life without pasta, without bread? No, says Puhn, just be “carb careful,” and don those walking shoes. Alison Hood is a freelance writer based in San Rafael, California.

What if you haven’t got eight weeks to shape up? Say, for example, there’s only a month left to fit into that spiffy sundress you bought (one size too small) for your best friend’s beachside wedding. Relax, take a deep breath, and let Shape magazine editor Barbara Harris’s comprehensive and compassionate plan coax you into a healthier, more balanced lifestyle in only four weeks. Shape Your Life: 4 Weeks to a Better Body and a Better Life ethinks not only your workout and diet routines, but weaves a holistic approach to fitness for optimum health and well-being. Says Harris, “The punitive, deprivational approach to fitness isn’t necessary. . . . The sure and healthy way to get results is to learn to listen to your body and your heart to create a better life.” This plan is designed to sculpt physical and emotional health, based on the premise that one cannot exist without the other. Though half of the book is devoted to exercise and diet, the remaining chapters cover other vital elements for overall wellness: spirituality, adequate rest (including sleep and relaxation), balanced emotions, a healthy body image and a satisfying, rewarding work life. The content is presented in a well-organized, logical format that clearly outlines what readers will learn and how they can use the information. Helpful features embedded in each chapter include mini-articles that offer “quick tips” and “mistakes to avoid.” A final chapter offers four fully integrated makeover plans, each with a different focus: weight loss, stress management, body fitness and lifestyle change.

In the introduction to Shape Your Life, Robert Ivker, a past president of the American Holistic Medical Association, claims that an individual’s health profile is influenced by their responses to two questions: “Do you love your life? Are you happy to be alive?” If you take advantage of the kindly support, creative strategies and useful information packed into this book, the answer you’ll give to both queries is likely to be a resounding “Yes!” Alison Hood is a freelance writer based in San Rafael, California.

Your New Year’s resolutions are set: You’re ready to lose those extra pounds, but you need help. The luxury of a personal trainer would be great, but Christmas shopping has temporarily busted the bank. Don’t despair: Matt Roberts, personal trainer to the likes of Sandra Bullock and Sting, is ready to lend a hand. Matt Roberts’ Fat Loss Plan promises a leaner, fitter body in eight weeks, offering a day-by-day personalized diet and exercise program in an easy-to-follow workbook format. Roberts’ program is accessible; you don’t need any fancy gym equipment, stylish exercise togs or exotic food items to get started.

This practical, positive approach begins with an initial fitness assessment and goal-setting session. Roberts introduces the workout regimen, a gradually paced, balanced method of cardio-aerobic activity, resistance training and stretching. Then, it’s on to what and how to eat. The author advocates an “80 percent/20 percent” eating strategy: The majority of foods you eat should be healthy; the rest can be foods that are your favorites. “Food,” says Roberts, “should be a joyful experience, and not the enemy. The perfect diet should let us savor food without ever leaving us feeling guilty.” The diet plan favors an abundance of low glycemic (low carbohydrate), more alkaline foods for daily intake, highlighting fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Recipes for each day’s meals are included, though for additional, more varied menu planning there are comprehensive food lists, ranked from low-to-high carbohydrate content.

Roberts does a fine job of establishing his supportive, cohesive presence throughout the book with motivational chats and tips (each chapter opens with a pep talk). You’ll feel like he’s right there with you, applauding as you successfully reach your fitness goals. Alison Hood is a freelance writer based in San Rafael, California.

Thank goodness we’ve ditched the notion that only men can benefit from weight training. In recent years, health specialists have proven that pumping iron can help women burn fat, tone their bodies and build bone mass without becoming muscle-bound mini-Schwarzeneggers.

Personal trainer Brad Schoenfeld gives women a clear and comprehensive guide for working with weights in Sculpting Her Body Perfect. The first edition of the book, released in 1999, became a top-selling fitness title, and the newly released second edition improves on the original with the addition of 30 new exercises that can be done at home, rather than in a gym.

Schoenfeld, who also wrote the memorably titled Look Great Naked, provides a bodysculpting routine for each of the major muscle groups and includes a brief anatomy lesson at the start of each section. Every exercise is described in detail and illustrated with photos of top fitness models. From the one-armed dumbbell row to the hanging knee raise, there are plenty of options here for whipping even sadly sagging bodies into toned, shaped and sculpted perfection. And for those who need inspiration to get started or maintain a workout routine, Schoenfeld includes personal profiles of fitness competitors, who share tips on training and nutrition. If your number one New Year’s resolution is to get in shape, Sculpting Her Body Perfect offers a roadmap for reaching your goal.

Knowledge is power especially when beginning any new fitness regimen. All the self-evaluation tools you’ll need are at your fingertips in Prevention’s Ultimate Guide to Women’s Health and Wellness by Elizabeth Crow and the Editors of Prevention Health Books for Women. This desk reference stresses the importance of informed consumer choice when selecting health care providers and treatment. The guide is also a thorough compendium of female wellness strategies, profiling the latest developments in Western medicine, alternative and natural healing, and nutrition.

The book begins with a primer on the female body, and the body’s specific health needs as it ages. This information, offered in clear, concise terminology, helps women build effective health action plans by providing wellness “checklists” that assess physical and emotional well-being. Each chapter includes at-a-glance health tips and techniques, prevention and treatment advice from certified health practitioners, and positive stories from women who have successfully dealt with personal health challenges. Sections on female reproduction and sexuality, major health threats facing women and a guide to common ailments complete the book and suggest medical treatments, preventative health lifestyle strategies, nutritional counseling and home remedies.

Overall, the book seeks a balance between traditional and alternative health perspectives, but the Western medical delivery system is subtly preferred; for example, the chapter on menopause discusses hormone replacement therapy to the virtual exclusion of alternative solutions. This is, though, a fine resource for women who want an overview of current health delivery options so that they may act, in tandem with their doctor, to take charge of their health. Alison Hood is a freelance writer based in San Rafael, California.

Beginning with this book’s subtitle “How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World” you get the idea that the author, journalist Greg Critser, isn’t going to pull any punches. And he doesn’t. Readers looking for an easy solution to the nation’s weight problem or their own won’t find it here. As Critser explains it, a convergence of circumstances, none particularly ominous in itself, brought us to where we are today. A relaxation of trade barriers in the 1970s, combined with simultaneous advances in food-processing technologies, gave us cheap sweeteners and cooking fats. These enabled fast-food and snack-food purveyors to increase portion sizes without substantially increasing their costs, an irresistible incentive for us to overeat. Also during this period, tax-cutting movements reduced school budgets. This factor led to the dropping or cutting back of physical education classes and the introduction of high-fat fast foods into the schools. At the same time, more women were joining the work force, which meant that they had less time to prepare food at home and monitor the family diet. Even as our individual and collective weight problems grew, Critser says, opportunists made money and reputations by convincing us that there were swift and painless ways to handle the consequences of our gluttony. Some diet theories held that we could eat more and still lose pounds. Special interest groups protested that too much attention to weight would drive young girls to anorexia and cause overweight people to form poor self-images. But there is more here than history and harangue. Having explained why Americans have become fat, Critser then details what this costs in terms of such diseases as diabetes and cancer. He also explores the roles that culture and class play in this national epidemic. Although breezily written, Fat Land is a profoundly disturbing book. The forces that drive Americans to overeat are so strong and entrenched that when we reach Critser’s final chapter, “What Can Be Done,” it seems like a straw in the wind.