Juicing, Fasting, and Detoxing for Life
by Cherie Calbom
Published by Wellness Central
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Reviewed by Muhammed Hassanali
Juicing, Fasting and Detoxing for Life encourages readers to not only eat well but to lead healthier lives. The book does focus primarily on eating well as a means to living a healthier life. Calbom does make a serious attempt to show the impact our dietary choices have on our bodies. The discussion does consider dioxins, refined sugars, processed flour and other foods that we encounter daily.
The chapters are well organized and logically structured. The sidebars are informative and do not detract from the main narrative. The introduction and first chapter discuss the value of healthy living and an overview of how to achieve it. The following chapters discuss juicing, fasting and detoxing (in that order). The next four chapters delve into cleansing and detoxing programs. The last two chapters are a nutrient guide and recipes.
While the overall message and conclusions resonate with holistic living and healthy eating, I feel that the scientific evidence presented is not completely representative of the relevant scientific literature. For example, the discussion on BPA (bisphenol A), an additive used in plastics, and the discussion of avoiding #7 plastic does not consider the current scientific debate on these issues (which include dosage levels, interspecie differences, natural ubiquity of these chemicals, etc) – all of which seem to conclude that more work (especially long-term research) is needed. While our usage of dioxin has been increasing, dioxin levels in human milk and blood have been dropping steadily since the 1970s. Health Canada issued a report on BPA that cautioned its intake in large doses for children under the age of seven (the report resulted in more media-hype than scientific consideration).
Some readers may only be interested in the recipes. The ones that I tried were delicious, and easy to modify for personal taste. With a good juicer, they are easy to prepare (although not all recipes need a juicer). It is strange that the recipe for spinach-avocado soup or spinach power do not contain spinach. There is no explanation given for the omission, hence concluded that it is an oversight. Overall, it’s a good book but needs a little more research and editing.
Armchair Interviews says: This book by a very prolific nutrition writer may interest people who focus on learning new techniques for good health.