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.

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.