Controlling Cholesterol for Dummies

Controlling Cholesterol for Dummies was written by Carol Ann Rinzler and the practicing physician Martin W. Graf, MD. Carol Ann Rinzler use up-to-date health information with a twist of humor to inform her audience about cholesterol and how to control it.

The "...for Dummies" books have been designed to be informative and practical. Controlling Cholesterol for Dummies follows this practical, yet informative format. The book has been divided up into five parts and each part (or section) consists of 3-4 chapters.

Getting Up Close and Personal with Cholesterol is the title of part one. This section deals with the basics. It covers the basic biology of the heart, the good and the bad of cholesterol, and provides a quick self-rating assessment in terms of your cholesterol risk.

Eating Your Way to Lower Cholesterol is the title of part two. The three chapters in this section explains how all of America falls into one of three risk groups for heart attacks, how to build a cholesterol-lowering diet, and how the cholesterol-lowering diet has impacted brand-name diets.
Part three takes the reader through a journey of how to live a cholesterol-lowering lifestyle. These four chapters enlighten the reader a on a short but informative journey on how your cholesterol levels (mostly the bad cholesterol) has a correlation with your weight, exercise, smoking, and drinking.

Cutting Cholesterol with Nutrients and Medicine is the title of part four. The three chapters in this section deal with natural remedies (i.e. vitamins, minerals and other natural items) and prescribed cholesterol medication to reduce one's cholesterol levels. The last chapter in this section also covers the negative effects dangerous drugs can have on your body and cholesterol levels.

Lastly, part five consists of six chapters that expose the reader to important cholesterol web sites, nutritional web sites, deals with the top 10 myths about cholesterol, cholesterol landmarks throughout history, the top ten foods to AVOID, and lastly the top ten current foods to help lower one's cholesterol.

TWO CENTS WORTH:
I want to thank Brenda for being so patient with me. She spent a great deal of her precious time trying to help me understand lipoproteins, what is good cholesterol, what is bad cholesterol, how you should have a high "good" cholesterol count and a "low" bad cholesterol count. I'm sure I drove her to drink that night. Her patience and genuine concern drove me to purchase the one book I knew would explain this cholesterol stuff in a manner I could understand. Although Brenda is not the Nathaniel Bowditch of the cholesterol world, she certainly knows how to steer the boat and put wind in your sails. Without your patience, humor, and willingness to teach the common layman, I would still be adrift out in the sea of high cholesterol and those yummy McDonald's french fries.


This is an excellent book for those individuals who know little about cholesterol and what you can do about it. The book was an easy read. It is a nonfiction book that would meet the intellectual needs of the beginner as well as the "just above" novist(sp). Carol Ann Rinzler provides the readers with multiple resources to build upon the foundation she has set with her book.

How has this book influenced my everyday actions? I now know how to look at the printout the doctor gives me after my annual physical. I actually have a basic understanding of my cholesterol levels (both the good, bad, and total). Now I try to avoid eating at fast food restaurants and those six "small" donuts Saturday and Sunday morning. Also, I have become more aware of the foods I put into my mouth. The bottom line is quite simple, I want to live a long healthy life so I can experience growing old with my precious wife, enjoy my children, and some day grandchildren. On a selfish level, I am pretty confident that having a heart attack would be painful and possibly fatal.

This is a book I will keep on my book shelf and refer to for years to come.

NO AR: :(