Review of Beyond the Blues: A Guide to Understanding and Treating Prenatal and Postpartum Depression (Paperback)

"Contrary to popular mythology, pregnancy is not always a happy, glowing experience! Approximately 10 percent of women experience depression. Of these, about 15 percent are so severely depressed that they attempt suicide."

During a time when you would imagine most women would be happy and fulfilled in their new roles as a mother, many women experience the nightmare of postpartum depression. While many of us have heard of postpartum depression (PPD), I was unaware of prenatal depression. In fact, this book presents five postpartum mood disorders that can also occur during pregnancy.

Since depression can have fatal results, it is essential to get counseling. This book is not intended to be a replacement for individual counseling, medical assessment or group support. "Beyond the Blues" shows the reality of Prenatal and Postpartum depression. It is one of the most well-organized books I've seen on any type of depression. You can quickly assess the condition and find help, treatment options and support.

The authors wrote this book to help provide critical information to psychotherapists and clients. Shoshana S. Bennett, Ph. D., founded "Postpartum Assistance for Mothers in 1987" and also holds her second masters degree in Psychology and a doctorate in Clinical Counseling. Pec Indman, Ed.D., MFT has a doctorate in counseling and a masters degree in health psychology.

Our Stories - Shoshana and Pec show how they became aware of perinatal mood disorders. You soon realize the lack of sensitivity out there in the "real world" and can't believe we humans are not more nurturing. For some women, becoming a new mom can be a shocking experience when they start feeling suicidal.

Pregnancy and Postpartum Psychiatric Illness - An excellent chapter showing how perinatal mood disorders are caused by hormonal changes. The authors explain a variety of mood disorders. Some are not "considered a disorder" but can be experienced by 80 percent of mothers. What I found interesting was the "risk factors." PMS and PMDD are risk factors. This chapter contains stories of women who went through one of the mood disorders. I was shocked at how much I didn't know about pregnancy even after reading numerous books on the subject.

Women With Postpartum Mood Disorders - Once you have analyzed your behaviour or the behavior of a friend/client, you can then find a therapist, website information, find people to support you, understand the value of medication and develop a healthier lifestyle. The section on "myths" was enlightening.

Partners - You will be especially encouraged by the "What to Say, What Not to Say" comments. Learning to be encouraging should be an essential life skill.

Siblings, Family, and Friends - A great chapter on how you can explain this disorder to children, family and friends. Love the list of "What you can do to help."

Health Practitioners - The authors present answers to the questions they have been asked over the years. They deal with signs, symptoms and treatment. This is just an excellent chapter for doctors who are going to be asking the pertinent questions. Later, in the Appendix, there are Medical Terms with definitions.

Treatment - Yes, there is hope. Read this chapter to find out how you can use a combination of therapies to encourage a more balanced mood. It was interesting to consider the "impact of medication vs. the impact of illness." It was very comforting to know that SSRIs or TCAs can be used during pregnancy. This was news to me and will give you a sense of security, especially if you have realized the risk factors involved in getting pregnant in the first place. The authors also discuss drugs that should not be taken during pregnancy. You can even use sleep aids? Who knew! This was very helpful. There are even charts showing what treatment should be used during what stage. Doctors need this information!

Resources - A collection of websites and organizations to help you take care of yourself and do more research. You may also want to read additional books on this subject. A list is provided. The book ends with a helpful index.

If you have ever been depressed, you know that sometimes just knowing someone understands what you are going through, can be very healing. "Beyond the Blues" is a beautiful gift to women struggling with pregnancy-related mood disorders. This is literally a book that could help you save your life or the life of a woman who needs your emotional support.

Highly Recommended as essential reading for the human race! If you know someone who is pregnant or if you are pregnant, you should read this book. You know, I even think this book will be helpful for anyone dealing with a situation in which they are caring for someone experiencing depression.

Especially Recommended to:

New Moms taking charge of their health
Anyone who is considering becoming pregnant and wants to evaluate the risk factors.
Primary Care Providers
Pediatricians
OB/Gyns and Midwives
Psychiatrists
Doulas
Nurses
Lactation Consultants
Childbirth Educators
New Parent Group Leaders

~The Rebecca Review

Product Description
Beyond the Blues contains the most up-to-date information about riskfactors, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mood disorders inpregnancy and postpartum. Straightforward yet compassionate, it isrequired reading for all who work with pregnant and postpartum women,as well as for those suffering before or after the baby is born.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Beyond the Blues: A Guide to Understanding and Treating Prenatal and Postpartum Depression (Paperback)

Review of Pregnancy = 40 Weeks of Preparation (Paperback)

I thought this book, "Pregnancy=40 Weeks of Preparation", offered great insights on how to prepare yourself for the stressful events during pregnancy and after giving birth to your child.Also, it had great suggestions on how to heighten the good times, too.Eventhough I am past the time in my life to be pregnant and to give birth, I found many wonderful ways to reflect on my life and make it better.I thank you author, Tina Ellis, for this great book.

Product Description
Pregnancy can be time of trial, challenge, and opportunity. Pregnancy = 40 weeks of preparation is the ideal book for any mother to be.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Pregnancy = 40 Weeks of Preparation (Paperback)

Review of Eating Right: For the Health of It! (Paperback)

I thought it was a book on his philosophy of eating for better health.While it did include some of his concepts, it is mostly a cookbook.In the past, I listened to an audio presentation by Dr. Joe and it contained a wealth of information.I guess I thought the book was going to be morealong those lines.If possible, have him contact me by email or let meknow if there is another book or audio available.Thanks.

Product Description
Dr. Joseph Esposito, known as "Dr. Joe" to his colleagues, patients and friends, has been called one of the most dynamic and authoritative international nutritional experts of our time.Dr. Joe, because of his knowledge, expertise, and legendary sense of humor, is a highly sought after lecturer by corporations, educational institutions, trade shows, conferences, professional and civic organizations and international sports events.He is also a nationally recognized radio and television nutritional consultant and a pioneer in the field of nutriton, health and longevity.His leading edge reserach in the field of food and howit affects all aspects of health and disease has helped thousands of people.He now shares his knowledge with you.His philosophy is to show you how to lead a happier, healthier, and longer life by teaching you to prepare dishes you will be proud to serve to even the most finicky eaters among your friends and family.

The concept is simple-eliminate the foods that rob your body of vital nutrients, and replace them with high quality, fun and tasty foods.The idease are easy to implement in anyone's life.Included in this book are what to eat when on the road, how to feed the kids and family, hidden poisons in many everyday meals and how to avoid them, stocking your pantry, less expensive alternatives to the "bad" foods that taste great and much, much more.

This book is a must for the person just beginning to make the transition to better eating, as well as the seasoned expert looking for new ideas and recipes.

About the Author
Dr. Joseph Esposito, affectionately knownas "Dr. Joe" to his colleagues, patients and friends, has become one of the most dynamic authoritative international nutrtion speakers of the 1990's.Dr. Joe is a much-sought lecturer by corporations, educational institutions, trade shows and conferences, professional and civic organizations, and international sports events, including Atena Insurance, AT&T Challenge, Lockheed Aeronautical Systems, The Coca-Cola Co., Deloitte & Touche, Sportslife, Georgia Endometriosis Society, and the American College of Chiropractic Orthopedists.

Dr Esposito, a nationally-recognized radio/television nutritional consultant on Atlanta's WXIA-TV (NBC) 11-Alive News and Noonday shows, Z93 and WSTR94 radio, is host of "Nutrition Kitchen" cable show.A published author on nutrtion, sports medicine and health, Dr. Joe's Nutrtion Kitchen Cookbook was published during the winter of 1997.

An extensive background in science and chemistry laid the foundation for his educational sutdies, which includes a B.S. degree in Clinical Nutrtion and Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Life Chiropractic College.He also holds advanced degrees including Diplomate, American College of Chiropractic Orthopedists, and Diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management, and is a former licensed dietitian.

A New Jersey native, Dr. Joe is the President of HealthPlus Chiropractic Center-one of the largest chiropractic centers in Georgia - and a former senior advisor to the Doctor's Chiropractic Exchange.

Dr Joe has received numerous awards for his efforts in the advancement of his profession, including the International Chiropractic Honor Society; Diplomate, National Board of Chiropractic Examiners; Who's Who is Executives and Professionals; and selected for the second year as one of the "Top 50 Single Business Leaders in Atlanta" by the Georgia Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.He also has had the distinct honor of providing chiropractic services to the "Theater of the Stars" Broadway Series and the Council for Perfoming Arts of New York.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Eating Right: For the Health of It! (Paperback)

Review of Eating For Life (Hardcover)

My fiance did the Body-for-Life challenge and lost 40 pounds in 12 weeks!Currently we are 2 weeks in to another Body-for-Life challenge and we've found the biggest problem for us is lack of interesting food to eat.We decided to pick up the Eating-for-Life book to hopefully get some better recipes and all I can say is WOW!Bill Phillips really outdid himself with this book.

This book starts with 70 pages describing many of the ideas about food he covered in his bestselling book, Body-for-Life.As he explains, diets are BAD.They are impossible to maintain, so 95% of people who go on diets end up gaining back everything they lost (and often MORE than they lost).His philosophy is to eat balanced, nutrient-rich meals six times a day.This keeps you full, so you never feel like you're starving, and also signals to your body that its getting the nutrients it needs and can stop storing all the fat.

This is the first time I've seriously done the Body-for-Life challenge and I've already lost 8 pounds of fat!The biggest problem for me, as I said, was how BORING I thought healthy foods were.This book has shown me how wrong I was!The first day I got it, I flipped through it and salivated at all the delicious recipes!There are over a hundred GOOD recipes in here, including shrimp scampi, chicken noodle soup, filet mignon, chicken fajitas and SO much more.There are even several healthy dessert recipes, including fruit crepes, cheesecake and walnut brownies!The recipes are not only healthy, but extremely easy to prepare and very delicious!

A lot of people have said that Bill Phillips plan takes a lot of dedication and hard work, and that's true.But there is no "easy" diet out there.I've tried some of the "fad" diets, including low carb diets and diet pills.While they sometimes work, I found them impossible to stick to and maintain weightloss on.With Body-for-Life, and especially now with this AMAZING cookbook, I can eat healthy, delicious meals AND lose weight.Plus, with Body-for-Life, you have a free day every single week (usually Sunday) where you can eat whatever you want in whatever quantities you want.

I highly recommend checking this book out, even if you aren't interested in the Body-for-Life program.The recipes are better than I've seen in most diet books.

Product Description
Did you truly enjoy the food you ate today? Do you reallylike the way you look and feel? Are you consistently enjoying greathealth and high energy?

Bill Phillips, author of the #1 New York Times bestsellerBody-for-LIFE, believes your answer to all of the above questionsshould be, "Yes!" He feels that food should be a source of purepleasure. A source of positive, abundant energy! A "sure thing" in aworld of much uncertainty.

Phillips, who's widely regarded as today's most successful fitnessauthor, has firm beliefs which go against the grain of today's popularweight-loss methods. "Diets, all of them, are potentially dangerous,most always dumb and ultimately a dead-end street!" heinsists. "Eventually, anyone and everyone who's at all concerned withtheir health must learn how to feed their body, not how to starve it."

Instead, Phillips encourages a safe and sound solution which includeseating balanced, nutrient-rich meals, frequently throughout theday. "This is what works in the long run," he explains.

Rich with common sense and science, Eating for Life has rhyme andreason. It is specific. There are very clear dos and don'ts which helppeople enjoy food and improve their overall fitness.

Bill's approach, which he calls the "Eating for Lifestyle," hasalready helped thousands of people break free from the dieting dilemmaand discover that, contrary to pop-culture belief, food is friend, notfoe. Used intelligently, it nourishes the body and mind, satisfies theappetite, calms cravings, renews health and lifts energy.

Like Bill Phillips' Body-for-LIFE, this is a tell-it-like-it-isbook. There's no promise of a quick fix. No metabolic tricks orso-called miracles. Just straightforward, clear, concise, practicaland appropriate principles for eating right... for life.

About the Author
Bill Phillips, 38, has helped hundreds of thousands of people, from all walks of life, build leaner, stronger bodies and enjoy healthier, happier lives. His Program for renewing physical and mental strength is shared in the #1 New York Times bestselling book Body-for-LIFE. With more than four million copies sold and over four years on the bestseller list, Body-for-LIFE has become the most popular and successful book of its kind.

Phillips has received many honors for his work including the Make-A-Wish Foundation's highest award. He was also honored by Paul Newman and the late John F. Kennedy, Jr., as one of America's most generous business leaders. The United States Junior Chamber of Commerce honored Phillips in January 2000 as one of Ten Outstanding Young Americans. Bill was also chosen to help carry the Olympic torch on its relay across America for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

And now, Bill Phillips has created Eating for Life to help inspire and guide even more people to improve their health and lift their quality of life to new heights.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Eating For Life (Hardcover)

Review of You: Staying Young: The Owner's Manual for Extending Your Warranty (Hardcover)

What I liked in this book is the first part dedicated to "Major Agers" such as genes, oxidation, toxins, sugar, overeating, hormones, UV radiation, etc. This part, consisting of about 300 pages scientifically discusses all the aging factors, and the ways of dealing with them. UV radiation is named as the "major ager", so please keep that in mind the next time you head for the beach. On the other hand the authors also point out the many benefits of sun radiation. As usual, moderation is the answer...

Not to be missed is Chapter 16, titled "The Fourteen Day You Extend Warranty Plan". It starts with the following "Daily YOU-Do List":

1. Walk thirty minutes
2. "Floss and brush the teeth that you wish to keep"
3. Take your pills (Omega-3s, vitamins, calcium supplements, aspirin, etc)
4. Sleep 7-8 hours
5. Meditate for 5 minutes

Is that all? I would never suspect it is THAT simple...

Another chapter that I liked is Chapter 12 titled "Live the Sexy Life". Wow, say that to me again! Yes, sex (love) is important for your wellbeing and keeping young. Grab the book for the explicit details...

I gave this book 4 stars. To get a 5 star longevity title check the books written by Tombak



Click Here to see more reviews about: You: Staying Young: The Owner's Manual for Extending Your Warranty (Hardcover)