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If you're aging prematurely, getting fatter, feeling sluggish, and watching your blood pressure and cholesterol sneak upwards, you may have "Syndrome X," claim the authors, who say that up to 60 million North Americans have it. "Syndrome X is primarily a nutritional disease caused by eating the wrong foods," they write. The mysterious-sounding "Syndrome X" refers to a group of health problems including insulin resistance ("the inability to properly deal with dietary carbohydrates such as sugars"), plus at least one additional problem, such as abnormal blood fats (elevated cholesterol or triglycerides), overweight, and/or high blood pressure. Insulin resistance is "a diet-caused hormonal logjam that interferes with your body's ability to efficiently burn the food you eat." According to the authors, you probably have this problem, and if you do, eating processed carbohydrates are the root of it. Pastries, pastas, breakfast cereals, soft drinks--these refined carbos are the enemy. The book warns you that you probably suffer from insulin resistance (please get a blood test instead of relying on the admittedly unscientific questionnaire in the book, which makes everyone suspect who eats cereal or drinks fruit juice). Then the authors jump on the high-protein, low carb bandwagon. You can eat three eggs for breakfast, roast duck for lunch, and salmon for dinner, and snack on chicken slices. It seems odd that if the problem is refined carbs that the solution is high protein and low carbs. The authors admit that most unrefined, or complex, carbohydrates do not have the excessive glucose- and insulin-stimulating effect of refined carbs, so why not recommend high-quality, unrefined carbohydrates (which are preferred over high-protein diets by the American Dietetic Association)? Consumers can't tell the difference, the authors say. So rather than educate them to the difference, let them eat meat. Go figure.
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 Not for those with genetic factors for metabolic syndrome |
| Review Date: January 9, 2010 |
| Reviewer: M. Kimball, Baton Rouge, La United States |
Read this book if you eat a lot of refined food and drink sugary drinks and need to be convinced to change these habits.
If you can't tell from the big "X" on the front, this is an alarmist book, the subcontext of which is "blame the patient". Despite the fact the authors give a couple of nods to potential genetic factors in some cases of "Syndrome X", this book is not meant for people who have a genetic predisposition to metabolic syndrome and who already have an awareness of what proper eating is. The book makes no mention of the connection of insulin resistance to polycystic ovarian syndrome, probably because at the time the book was published, this discovery was just being made. Setting aside that other parts may be outdate as well, the book may contain some useful information, but it's difficult to sort it out of the shear verbosity of the preachy language.
One sentence in particular offended me as an anthropologist. When discussing the "Paleolithic Diet", the authors state "people had little choice but to develop agriculture because of a shortage of large game animals". For better or worse, the authors are *medical* doctors, not professors of anthropology. They either made this statement up or pulled it from a convenient, but most likely untested, hypothesis that they don't bother to cite. If you want a cohesive, and thoroughly researched, account of how agriculture began, read "Guns, Germs, and Steel" by Jared Diamond. For an understanding of the population pressure that would cause people to rely fully on agriculture, try "The Time Before History: Five million years of human impact" by Colin Tudge.
Two other things to note: 1) This book is meat-centric (if you can't tell from the quote in the previous paragraph), i.e. it is *not* a vegetarian-freely in any way. (Has anyone proved that eating meat at every meal helps you to live longer? Other evidence I've read suggest the opposite.) 2) The authors berate the use of medicines, and while pharmaceuticals do indeed deserve some of it, they go on to recommend a certain pet supplement because it is "natural". Remember that just because something is natural, does *not* mean that it can't cause side effects. |
Great Book
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| Review Date: October 11, 2009 |
| Reviewer: E. Chambers, Atlanta, Ga. |
| I wish at least one of my many doctors had told me about this book. My last internist knew very little about Syndrome X and didn't seem to consider it of interest. This book will change your life. |
The best book I have ever read on nutrition! Ever!
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| Review Date: October 29, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Andrea Samadi, Chandler, Arizona |
| I had been struggling with understanding what sugar does to someone who is intolerant to sugar, and this book instantly got rid of all the mystery. I know what foods make me feel good, and which ones just dont sit right afterwards, and the common factor was always sugar or foods with a high glycemic index. As a healthy athlete, I wanted to learn the best fuel to put in my body, and I stick to this diet, with predictable results. What I really enjoyed about this book was the proactive approach to help me increase my energy, and to understand the supplements to take. I am now very mindful of high glycemic foods, and plainly just avoid them, to keep my mind, body and spirit operating at the optimum rate. Thanks for educating me! Andrea Samadi, author of The Secret for Teens Revealed: How Parents, Teachers, and Teenagers Can Inspire Leadership and Transform Lives |
Powerful Ideas for Getting Healthy!
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| Review Date: June 27, 2008 |
| Reviewer: C. Clayton, Tucson AZ |
Syndrome X is High Cholesterol, Obesity, High Triglycerides, High Blood Pressure and the centerpiece: Insulin Resistance. The book provides the reasons for many people's poor heath and practical solutions to improve it greatly. It is also applicable to those who are already healthy and want to stay that way.
The authors clearly explain that Glucose is our biological gasoline and insulin is escorts the glucose from the blood into cells where it is burned as energy. As with the carburetor of a car, when this isn't working right, we are not going to be at our best!
Knowing what to eat is crucial in good health today. With our fast paced, fast food society this is no easy task. Syndrome X addresses the wide array of good foods, vitamins and nutrients to return to good health. It explains in layman's terms but never talks down to the reader about the benefits of eating right and the terrible effects of eating poorly.
Powerful topics include: The importance of diet, Glucose, the body's fuel and the secrets of living to age 100. Other subjects include, individualizing your Anti-X program, what to buy at supermarkets and more.
Vitamins C, D, E and more are explained in excellent detail. Minerals such as chromium, Zinc, Magnesium, are also addressed as well as nutrients such as antioxidants, good and bad fats and more.
The easy to understand explanations of how the body processes food and supplements is some of the best I have read. Overall Jack Challem, Dr Burton Berkson, and Melissa Diane Smith have done an exceptional job at providing a common sense guide to healthy living through good diet, vitamins and supplements!
The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide to: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking
Stop Prediabetes Now: The Ultimate Plan to Lose Weight and Prevent Diabetes
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Get Jack Challem's new book on prediabetes
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| Review Date: November 15, 2007 |
| Reviewer: H. M. Selwitschka, Tucson, Arizona |
| Syndrome X was a breakthrough book when it first came out in 2000. Of course Syndrome X is a form of prediabetes, which increases the risk of full-blown diabetes and heart disease. Jack Challem (the lead author of Syndrome X) has outdone himself with his latest book along these lines: Stop Prediabetes Now, which came out in October. The description of the problem, his dietary recommendations, and his supplement recommendations are all much clearer and easier to follow. The recipes are superb -- I love the curry chicken salad, in particular. Jack addresses the bigger picture of prediabetes, of which Syndrome X is only one part. |
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