The Ultimate Prescription, A Review

When I saw this title, written by a cardiologist and Christian believer, I was excited to see what he had to say about health.  So excited, that despite my own moratorium on requesting books for review purposes, I requested this one from Tyndale House.  The reason for my self imposed moratorium is that the book arrives, I set it on the shelf-and then forget that I'm to read it and post a review in a timely manner.  This one was no exception to that pattern.

A few weeks ago I finally picked it up and started reading.  I liked what he had to say about conventional medical practices and our society's belief that doctors and prescriptions cure what ails us.  He was willing to admit that this approach just treats the symptoms-that true change can only occur by discovering the source of the problem and addressing that.

He reminds us that we're asking the wrong questions.  Instead of asking how to get well, we should ask "Why am I sick?"  The author states that it's been estimated that 80-90% of all cardiovascular disease is acquired.  As in something we do that causes it, not simple genetics.  He states,

The painful truth is that we give the disease to ourselves by the choices we make over a lifetime.

Now I was really getting excited!  I know he's speaking about heart disease, but the principle applies to anything else, don't you think?  If bad choices cause the problems, the good choices ought to be able to prevent and maybe even reverse them, right?

He goes on to briefly point out the dangers of high fructose corn syrup (and the irony that it's in nearly every hospital meal served) and the argon gas applied to fruits and vegetables.  He poses the questions I've asked myself.  If it's dangerous, why has it been allowed into our food supply?  Whose responsible?  He suggests we take a look in the mirror and ask if the Standard American Diet is really working.

Then it happens.  The myth that animal fat is what causes heart disease is upheld by this doctor.  I was so disappointed that I put the book down for the night!  I decided that I didn't have time to spare reading a book that propogated a myth that has been disproven.  The next day however, I glanced through the table of contents to see what else to expect and read a few more pages in later chapters.  Unfortunately, there wasn't enough there to redeem my hope and I've chosen to write my review and offer the book to anyone that wants to read it.

I also just decided to include a short video on how the lipid hypotheses came about.  I don't think it explains why society bought into it, but here's some myth busting for you.

Tyndale House Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book, which did not affect my review.