Coach Heather is talking about the health benefits of being dairy-free today in the No Excuses online class.

Hey! You can still join the class! Sign up here!

Here’s a video that talks about some of the reasons dairy is unhealthy.

For more information, check out Milk – The Deadly Poison by Robert Cohen and Brian Vigorita

Or visit Robert Cohen’s website www.notmilk.com

The Engine 2 Diet
The Texas Firefighter’s 28-Day Save-Your-Life Plan that Lowers Cholesterol and Burns Away the Pounds
by Rip Esselstyn

Two things will catch your attention if you glance at the cover of this book. First, it’s red. Fire engine red. Appropriately enough, it turns out. Second, the author’s name is “Esselstyn” – could this guy be related to Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, the Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease guy? Why yes. This is his son’s book, and it’s based on the same theory – eating a plant-based diet is the healthiest diet for your body, and it will prevent and reverse heart disease, among other things.

Rip Esselstyn is a triathlete and Austin, TX firefighter (see? fire engine red). He’s in excellent physical condition. And he’s vegan. This is his 4-week program for changing your health, including an exercise plan and a diet plan with recipes. He makes it very easy. The stories are entertaining, and will appeal to men. (Not that they won’t appeal to women, but not every diet book is this macho.)

That’s the best part of the book – it’s accessible to men. If your man is skeptical about THM® then maybe he’d read about the E2 diet. It’s actually more “strict” because there is less animal protein (after the first two weeks, if you choose to ease into it) and less fat. You could certainly prepare these recipes as part of a THM® plan.

There’s a greater reliance on soy subs than in THM®, and less concern about chemicals. In general, the two programs are complimentary, and the recipes would work well for anyone following Marilu’s program. The information about correcting coronary heart disease with diet is really good, and completely in harmony with what we’ve learned from Marilu and other experts.

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The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who’ve Lived the Longest
Dan Buettner
National Geographic, 2008

Dan Buettner first got interested in longevity as part of his interactive, educational “Quest” program, when he traveled around the world trying to answer difficult questions with a team of scientists linked through the internet. Then he wrote the 2005 National Geographic cover story “Secrets of Living Longer.” That story led to this book. In interviewing some of the world’s oldest people, he’s learned some of the secrets of healthy aging – not just living long, but living long well.

Buettner and his team of scientific researchers studied four populations in this book – the centenarians (yikes! they’re all over 100!) of Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Loma Linda, California; and the Nicoya peninsula of Costa Rica.

Each population has a chapter detailing research such as age verification and family trees, regional history, geography, and a social/cultural study. The centenarians were interviewed about their daily and lifetime habits, but Buettner also managed to establish deeper relationships with many of his subjects, joining them for family meals, daily work, social gatherings, and more. Each population also has specific longevity secrets – a few practices that can be adopted for your own life.

The final chapter of the book is a summary of the lessons we can learn from these longevity populations, as well as from the centenarians themselves. These lessons include lots of natural movement, cutting calories, eating mostly plant foods, drinking red wine (in moderation), seeing the big picture, downshifting to relieve stress, participating in a spiritual community, making family a priority, and surrounding yourself with people who have similar values. Each of these lessons has several strategies so you can incorporate the lesson in your own life.

The Blue Zones is easy to read, filled with anecdotes and personal histories. It also makes healthy living seem easy and attainable.

The book is not completely aligned with the Total Health Makeover®, however, it certainly supports many of our dietary guidelines and THM basics. One of the big messages of the book – health is more than diet and exercise – is something Marilu has taught since the publication of her first book on health, The Total Health Makeover. The lessons and strategies of The Blue Zones may be a way to introduce more people to healthy living, and even to THM.

Available TODAY in paperback!

Wear Your Life Well
Use What You Have To Get What You Want
by Marilu Henner with Lorin Henner

What I’ve come to realize is that the key to wearing your life well is to fully understand what you have and, equally important, know what you want. You have to take a profound look at your dreams, goals, and aspirations, followed by a good, hard look at your assets, resources, liabilities, and talents. And then, you have to find a way to bridge the gap between the two — while learning to enjoy the adventure!

~ Marilu Henner, Wear Your Life Well

It’s not enough just to live—you have to wear your life well! Learn how in this inspiring guide from New York Times bestselling author and beloved actress Marilu Henner.

Ten years after actress Marilu started her bestselling Total Health Makeover series, she’s in better shape than ever—at peak health, working with a very active online community at Marilu.com, and celebrating life with her new husband, whom she helped to put his cancer in remission. Now she’s back with an inspiring guide to making your life work for you, whatever your age or condition.

Are you happy? Are you living the life you want, or are you living for other people? Are you guided by your own plans or by the design of others? Do you see your life as a daily grind, or are you eager to face each day and every new challenge? Do you get along well with your family, friends, relatives, and coworkers, or do you harbor anger, resentment, or guilt? Are you working toward a dream, or are you daydreaming about not working? In essence, do you Wear Your Life Well?

With the verve of a teenager and the wisdom of a sage, Marilu breaks down all the elements in our lives—our minds, our bodies, and the world around us—that can sabotage our progress, and helps us discover the best in ourselves. She pinpoints the often surprising ways we are compromising our lives and offers smart, sensible, healthy alternatives. And Marilu also includes a Booty Camp Life Blitz—a five-day jumpstart that uses the principles in the book in a very specific, directed way to get you a fresh start on the path to optimal wellness. So whether you need a major life change or simply want fresh ideas on improving your life, let Marilu be your cheerleader, muse, and guide.

Get your copy today!

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I recently answered this question for an article in Personal Development magazine.

List 3 books everyone should read and why. (If you have written any they can’t be your own.)

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare because it’s difficult to choose only one of his plays to read, and everyone should read at least one; The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz, my latest favorite book; The China Study by T. Colin Campbell for the most comprehensive explanation of why we shouldn’t be eating dairy products.

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Get a copy of Marilu’s book Wear Your Life Well!