Here is your 2009 reading list

Happy New Year. I thought that it might be helpful to recommend a few books on health and wellness to kick start your new year.
The first book on my list is one of my top-five books of all time. It is "Healthy at 100," by John Robbins. In this revolutionary book, bestselling author Robbins presents us with a bold new paradigm of aging, showing us how we can increase not only our lifespan but also our health span.
Through the example of four very different cultures that have the distinction of producing some of the world's healthiest, oldest people, Robbins reveals the secrets for living an extended and fulfilling life in which our later years become a period of wisdom, vitality and happiness.
Bringing the traditions of these ancient and vibrantly healthy cultures together with the latest breakthroughs in medical science, Robbins reveals that, remarkably, they both point in the same direction.
With an emphasis on simple, wholesome but satisfying fare and the addition of a manageable daily exercise routine, many people can experience great improvement in the quality of their lives now and for many years to come.
But perhaps more surprising is Robbins' discovery that it is not diet and exercise alone that helps people to live well past 100. The quality of personal relationships is enormously important. With startling medical evidence about the effects of our interactions with others, Robbins asserts that loneliness has more impact on lifespan than such known vices as smoking. There is clearly a strong beneficial power to love and connection.
The second comes from another of my favorite authors, Dr. Dean Ornisch. The book is entitled "The Spectrum." First published in 1990, Ornish's program for reversing heart disease presented scientific evidence that lifestyle changes alone can reverse even severe heart disease without surgery and medication. Subsequent research convinced Ornish that his program could be applied to other conditions with similar success.
Ornish's philosophy has gained the respect of colleagues and patients, but critics say it is too difficult for many to sustain. Perhaps to counteract this notion, this newest edition offers choices along a continuum of physical, mental and spiritual health.
Ornish's spectrum consists of nutrition (extremely low in fat, vegetarian), exercise (aerobic, resistance training and flexibility), stress management (yoga, meditation) and nurturing relationships, and he describes how they influence specific conditions.
The last book is "The Cure" by Dr. Timothy Brantley. In this remarkable book, Brantley writes that most health problems are not caused by genetics or germs but by the standard American diet. Rather than eat foods the way they were created, we all too often pollute our bodies with refined, packaged products. When we feel ill, we may take drugs to temporarily mask the symptoms.
Drawing on Brantley's groundbreaking research and his years of working with nutritional healing, "The Cure" contains a revolutionary program that can flush toxins out of the body, restore balance, promote natural healing and increase vitality. Brantley's program has already helped many seriously ill patients, including several well-known celebrities.
Brantley shares his revolutionary, step-by-step program, which features a diet of raw or lightly cooked organic foods as well as exercise, rest, fasts, water, whole-food supplements and herbal formulas.
This book has a few more radical ideas than the other two, but I think it is a very good glimpse into what miracles can happen with your body when you really clean up your diet.
I hope that you get a chance to read at least one of these books this year. They say if you read a book a month on a given subject, you will become an expert in a year. I have given you a head start on expert status.
Until next time, all the best, in health and life.

Dr. Charles Suber is a local chiropractor. He may be reached at 433-7611 or drsuber@yahoo.com. This article offers general dietary guidelines and is not meant to diagnose, treat or cure any disease. Please consult with your doctor before making any changes in your diet.