October 30, 2000
Prout, a nutritionist at the Claremont Resort and Spa in Berkeley, Ca., believes that people could lose weight and improve their general health by modifying their Western diet to include the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). TCM is based on the principles of balance (yin-yang) and Qi, which the Chinese believe is our vital life force. Key to the success of TCM, she explains, is understanding one's "pattern of imbalance" (e.g., "dry," "damp," "warm," "cool") and personalizing one's diet to maintain healthy equilibrium or "strong spleen Qi." Nevertheless, Prout acknowledges that "it is likely that you will have combinations of more than one pattern," and even if a person is balanced, he or she can experience periods of imbalance (e.g., PMS, insomnia, depression, bloating). Though her explanations are sensible and she offers considerable anecdotal evidence, readers not well-versed in Eastern thought may be overwhelmed by the inordinate details of TCM (e.g., the five elements--wood, fire, metal, water and earth--of nutrition, climate, food colors, etc.) and how to use them. To ease confusion, Prout recommends the best foods for particular patterns of imbalance and offers considerable anecdotal evidence. Unfortunately, impatient readers who are used to opening a typical Western diet book that spells out exact menus for every meal every day may dismiss Prout's recommendations.
December 20, 2000
A nutritionist and a consultant to the Discovery Health Channel, Prout entered the nutrition profession hoping to help people, including herself, with weight problems. She discovered that nutrition practice in America is controversial and conflicting because it focuses on such one-size-fits-all remedies as high-carbohydrate diets and high-protein diets. Prout became interested in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TMC) because its approach to health tended to be more preventive and individualized. In TMC, the force of yin and yang forms and intertwines everything in the universe, and everything--especially our health--hinges upon the balance of yin and yang. Here, Prout describes the various characteristics of people with yin or yang tendencies and the kind of foods that will promote physical and emotional balance. Her chapters are well organized by body pattern and include the recommended food sources; the difficult concepts of Chinese medicine and philosophy are explained in a logical and convincing way. Recommended for all public libraries or any specialized nutrition collection.--Lily Liu, Arkansas Children's Hosp. Medical Lib., Little Rock, AR
Copyright 2000 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.