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(More customer reviews)When I read the release copy for The Brain Wash: A Powerful, All-Natural Program to Protect Your Brain Against Alzheimer's, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Depression, Parkinson's and Other Diseases by Michelle Schoffro Cook, I thought that the concept sounded interesting. But for me, the reality was significantly different. I could have done without all the gloom and doom of the first part of the book. By the time I finished, I would have thought it was a minor miracle that everyone hadn't yet succumbed to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's by now based on the writings...
Contents:
Acknowledgments; Introduction - Your Brain Is at Risk; Your Marvellous Brain in Action
Part 1 - The Brain Killers: Heavy Metal and Your Brain; The Deadly Neurotoxins; Food, Pseudo-Foods, and Chemicals in Disguise
Part 2 - The Brain Defenders: A Gut Instinct for Brain Health; Protective Foods and Nutrients; Healing Herbs
Part 3 - The Ultimate Brain Health Program: The Brain Wash Plan; The Brain Wash Plan for Specific Brain Diseases; Natural Therapies to Boost Your Brain
Resources; Endnotes; Index; About the Author
Before we get too far into this review, let me state very clearly... I agree that diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's exist, and I have no problem with the theories that they may be caused in part by environmental and/or nutritional issues. Having said that, I don't think it's useful to say that pretty much everything we eat, drink, breathe, or touch will somehow put very bad things in our body and guarantee we'll die early. Part 1 of the book is where I got off on the wrong foot. Heavy metals such as cadmium, aluminum, and mercury are explained, symptoms of poisoning are listed, and sources of these poisons are listed. The symptom lists are enough to cause hypochondriacs to have a field day. Just about any ache or pain can be found in one of the lists (except for the fabled four hour... you know.) And the source list encompasses pretty much everything you have in your house, car, kitchen, and refrigerator. So if you're living a relatively typical life, face it... you're toast. And toast is on the list too if you're toast with white bread.
Getting into parts 2 and 3, you start to learn what you can do to clean up the damage already in your body, as well as stave off additional problems. There's less gloom and doom here, but you could go crazy and broke trying to do everything listed. There are the typical vitamins and minerals, as well as a number of foods that have healthy properties. But then you start getting into what I would call esoteric things like rhodiola rosea, wild lettuce extract, grape extract, pectin, NADH, etc. I'm sure your local health food store will just LOVE you! And pretty much everything has to be organic, as that seems to be the only way to "guarantee" the food is healthy for you. But I couldn't help wondering... do you trust the "organic" label thrown on stuff these days? (I'm cynical.) And if the environment is already so polluted with mercury, lead, and other nasties, then aren't the "organic" foods sucking up those same things as part of their growth? Granted, probably less so than pesticide-laden crops, but I don't think we're talking black and white extremes here. It seems as if it's more a spectrum of grey...
There's much to be said for Cook's information and general approach. If you made the effort to eat and supplement as she directs, you would definitely live longer and probably eliminate some physical ailments you have. But I don't think I want to have my monthly paycheck direct deposited at the health food store, nor do I want to agonize over every last piece of fruit I pick up. The value I see here is to raise your awareness of how the brain is affected by food and chemical exposure, and give you the information you need to make potential changes as you see necessary. But like many radical dietary changes, I don't hold out much hope of long-term sustainability when the average person can't even stay on a basic diet and lose weight... myself included.
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The Brain Wash: A Powerful, All-Natural Program to Protect Your Brain Against Alzheimer's, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Depression, Parkinson's, and Other DiseasesA Powerful, All-Natural Program to Protect Your Brain Against Alzheimer's, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Depression, Parkinson's, and Other Brain Diseases.Scientists predict that within fifteen years brain disease will kill or disable more North Americans than cancer and heart disease combined.The Brain Wash is a powerful, holistic health plan based on the most cutting-edge brain, nutrition, and healing research. Combining thousands of scientific studies from around the globe, The Brain Wash offers a comprehensive, easy-to-follow approach proven to help protect your brain from damage.*** The Ultimate Brain Health Plan **** Get individualized, proven prevention and treatment plans for Alzheimer's, depression, ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Attention Deficit Disorder, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, Parkinson's, Multiple Sclerosis, and more.* Learn how everyday drugs, environmental pollutants, heavy metals, and pathogens cross the blood-brain barrier to wreak havoc on your brain.* Discover that your nutrition and lifestyle choices have been proven to be the key determinants in your brain's health--and what to do about it. Using brilliantly coloured foods and the most powerful natural medicines on earth, this book will show you how to strengthen your brain, prevent and treat disease, and enjoy your long life to its fullest.
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