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HEALTH TIPS, MYTHS, AND TRICKS: A Physician's Advice
Dr. Tavel is a physician specializing in internal medicine and cardiology. Now retired, he managed patients for many years and held a faculty position (clinical professor) at Indiana University School of Medicine, regularly instructing medical trainees at all levels.
While the general public clamors for good, sound medical advice, they often find that advice from companies that sell products on television, or from individuals who promote treatments stemming from self-serving agendas. Information obtained this way is often faulty, unbalanced, and, sadly, blatantly fraudulent. Surrounded by all this noise, mainstream physicians are seldom heard from; moreover, few are willing to devote the time necessary to expose those ubiquitous misconceptions and to provide countering advice stemming from sound scientific research.
Making matters even more treacherous are the various branches of "alternative medicine" that feature untested or worthless treatments, placing patients at risk of being exploited, losing their money, and damaging their health. Although such alternative methods are largely employed by non-conventional and unlicensed practitioners, occasional wayward "real" doctors step across these boundaries and promote dubious methods to large audiences on television and other media.
Dr. Tavel now steps across those boundaries in his latest hard-hitting work of medically sound advice and insights:
1.Tips about health and wellness that can be incorporated into one's daily life that, hopefully, will create a healthier and longer physical outlook, less waste of money, and maybe even lower body weight (if you are one of those many with excess fat storage).
2. The second section concerns the subject of Myths, that is, common misconceptions about almost anything regarding our physical makeup and how we relate to the world around us.
3. The final section, Tricks, is devoted to various stratagems that are designed to take your money in exchange for useless--or dangerous--Snake Oil products or information.
Despite the division into three sections, there is in fact much overlap, because if one believes many of the myths, this may cause one to forego measures (tips) that may have afforded better health. On the other hand, mythical beliefs may cause us to fall easy prey to those dreaded scams, and the Snake Oil that we all desire to avoid.
Dr. Tavel has drawn from an eclectic collection of material that includes his personal biomedical background, scientific publications, media reports deemed accurate, and many other trustworthy sources from the most reliable, and scientifically documented information.
While the general public clamors for good, sound medical advice, they often find that advice from companies that sell products on television, or from individuals who promote treatments stemming from self-serving agendas. Information obtained this way is often faulty, unbalanced, and, sadly, blatantly fraudulent. Surrounded by all this noise, mainstream physicians are seldom heard from; moreover, few are willing to devote the time necessary to expose those ubiquitous misconceptions and to provide countering advice stemming from sound scientific research.
Making matters even more treacherous are the various branches of "alternative medicine" that feature untested or worthless treatments, placing patients at risk of being exploited, losing their money, and damaging their health. Although such alternative methods are largely employed by non-conventional and unlicensed practitioners, occasional wayward "real" doctors step across these boundaries and promote dubious methods to large audiences on television and other media.
Dr. Tavel now steps across those boundaries in his latest hard-hitting work of medically sound advice and insights:
1.Tips about health and wellness that can be incorporated into one's daily life that, hopefully, will create a healthier and longer physical outlook, less waste of money, and maybe even lower body weight (if you are one of those many with excess fat storage).
2. The second section concerns the subject of Myths, that is, common misconceptions about almost anything regarding our physical makeup and how we relate to the world around us.
3. The final section, Tricks, is devoted to various stratagems that are designed to take your money in exchange for useless--or dangerous--Snake Oil products or information.
Despite the division into three sections, there is in fact much overlap, because if one believes many of the myths, this may cause one to forego measures (tips) that may have afforded better health. On the other hand, mythical beliefs may cause us to fall easy prey to those dreaded scams, and the Snake Oil that we all desire to avoid.
Dr. Tavel has drawn from an eclectic collection of material that includes his personal biomedical background, scientific publications, media reports deemed accurate, and many other trustworthy sources from the most reliable, and scientifically documented information.
- GenresNonfiction
306 pages, Paperback
Published October 13, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
June 12, 2019
Well written health book with things that should be common knowledge.
Filled with research facts and sense of humor which makes it intelligent but also easy understandable read.
Filled with research facts and sense of humor which makes it intelligent but also easy understandable read.
November 29, 2025
HEALTH TIPS, MYTHS, AND TRICKS: A Physician's Advice by Morton E. Tavel is full of interesting health facts that may surprise even those readers who consider themselves well educated. Just as the title suggests, this book has three sections: health tips, commonplace myths, and outright tricks perpetrated on the unsuspecting consumer.
The author is a physician, who has held a faculty position at Indiana University School of Medicine for many years and has written textbooks as well. He became frustrated by the fact that most Americans receive the majority of their medical advice from television shows and advertisements. This information is often faulty and based on a lack of scientific study. It is usually provided by someone with a financial stake in the presentation and is often fraudulent. In 2012, Dr. Tavel wrote Snake Oil is Alive & Well: The Clash between Myths and Reality- Reflections of a Physician. In this sequel, he has broadened the scope of the book to include the two other areas of tips and myths, as well as additional “Snake Oil” information.
In the first section, Dr. Tavel addresses many health tips that can help fight common disease and also aid in weight loss. In the first chapter, he writes about the best way to diet and the dangers of the various shortcuts. As one would expect, he also covers the well-known dangers of trans fats, and excessive consumption of sodium, red meat, and junk foods. He explores their relationships to obesity, coronary heart disease, and hypertension. He also discusses various painkillers and tobacco cessation alternatives.
However, he goes beyond just the basics. He discusses the scientifically proven facts about what will or will not help treat a cold, acid reflux and other ailments. He also provides a multitude of helpful tips by discussing many lesser-known benefits and dangers of some specific foods. In layman’s language, he explains the scientific conclusions about coffee, green tea, chocolate, red wine and numerous other foods. He also discusses the double-edged sword of fish and shellfish consumption, the problem of hidden arsenic, and the dangers inherent in dietary supplements and artificial sweeteners as well as other foods to avoid,
The second section addresses myths. Many people rely on what is referred to as “common knowledge”. When this information passes the muster of well-constructed scientific study, it becomes considered as facts. The problem for the public is that much of this common knowledge has been scientifically disproven and yet continues to be accepted as truth. In this section, the author takes on such subjects as vitamin therapy, organic and genetically modified foods to name a few.
Lastly, Dr. Tavis attacks the modern day snake oil salesman. He addresses the various alternative medicines that are often considered as accepted parts of holistic health care. He touts that none of these practices have any scientific proof behind them, only anecdotal claims. However, his prime target is definitely the popular doctor television talk shows that seem more concerned with Nielsen ratings and profit than dispensing sound medical advice. The physicians in these shows not only present “groundbreaking” discoveries as fact, they often lend their names to advertisements that are presented as news items.
Overall, I was expecting to read an encyclopedia of facts that I already know. However, I also read a lot of surprising useful information. This man has a mission to educate the public. Unfortunately, the book is not very well organized. There is a lot of overlap in some of these units and some needless repetition. In fact, the author is so outraged by these television doctors that he comes off rather heavy handed as someone who has an ax to grind. Although the text was obviously proofread, it did not have a strong editor to lend writing advice. This poor editing detracts from an otherwise great read full of sound medical advice.
Disclaimer: I originally read and reviewed this book eight years ago in 2017. Although the human body does not change sometimes accepted medical practice does. Most of what is mentioned in this book falls under the category of healthy lifestyle. However always check with your medical practitioner before following outside medical advice.
The author is a physician, who has held a faculty position at Indiana University School of Medicine for many years and has written textbooks as well. He became frustrated by the fact that most Americans receive the majority of their medical advice from television shows and advertisements. This information is often faulty and based on a lack of scientific study. It is usually provided by someone with a financial stake in the presentation and is often fraudulent. In 2012, Dr. Tavel wrote Snake Oil is Alive & Well: The Clash between Myths and Reality- Reflections of a Physician. In this sequel, he has broadened the scope of the book to include the two other areas of tips and myths, as well as additional “Snake Oil” information.
In the first section, Dr. Tavel addresses many health tips that can help fight common disease and also aid in weight loss. In the first chapter, he writes about the best way to diet and the dangers of the various shortcuts. As one would expect, he also covers the well-known dangers of trans fats, and excessive consumption of sodium, red meat, and junk foods. He explores their relationships to obesity, coronary heart disease, and hypertension. He also discusses various painkillers and tobacco cessation alternatives.
However, he goes beyond just the basics. He discusses the scientifically proven facts about what will or will not help treat a cold, acid reflux and other ailments. He also provides a multitude of helpful tips by discussing many lesser-known benefits and dangers of some specific foods. In layman’s language, he explains the scientific conclusions about coffee, green tea, chocolate, red wine and numerous other foods. He also discusses the double-edged sword of fish and shellfish consumption, the problem of hidden arsenic, and the dangers inherent in dietary supplements and artificial sweeteners as well as other foods to avoid,
The second section addresses myths. Many people rely on what is referred to as “common knowledge”. When this information passes the muster of well-constructed scientific study, it becomes considered as facts. The problem for the public is that much of this common knowledge has been scientifically disproven and yet continues to be accepted as truth. In this section, the author takes on such subjects as vitamin therapy, organic and genetically modified foods to name a few.
Lastly, Dr. Tavis attacks the modern day snake oil salesman. He addresses the various alternative medicines that are often considered as accepted parts of holistic health care. He touts that none of these practices have any scientific proof behind them, only anecdotal claims. However, his prime target is definitely the popular doctor television talk shows that seem more concerned with Nielsen ratings and profit than dispensing sound medical advice. The physicians in these shows not only present “groundbreaking” discoveries as fact, they often lend their names to advertisements that are presented as news items.
Overall, I was expecting to read an encyclopedia of facts that I already know. However, I also read a lot of surprising useful information. This man has a mission to educate the public. Unfortunately, the book is not very well organized. There is a lot of overlap in some of these units and some needless repetition. In fact, the author is so outraged by these television doctors that he comes off rather heavy handed as someone who has an ax to grind. Although the text was obviously proofread, it did not have a strong editor to lend writing advice. This poor editing detracts from an otherwise great read full of sound medical advice.
Disclaimer: I originally read and reviewed this book eight years ago in 2017. Although the human body does not change sometimes accepted medical practice does. Most of what is mentioned in this book falls under the category of healthy lifestyle. However always check with your medical practitioner before following outside medical advice.
February 6, 2018
Everyone seems to be hung up on the pros and cons of the foods they consume. Some of us focus on those food items that help us lose weight, the sports lovers among us focus on foods that build their stamina, parents focus on foods that could help bring up healthier children, and some others just eat anything they fancy as and when they feel like it. So, yes, I have to admit that as someone who loves food and also cares a great deal about my health, I wanted to know what a reputed physician had to say about what I eat on a daily basis. Who wouldn’t want to have a doctor talk to them about things that mattered the most?
As a now-retired physician with extensive experience in his field of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, M D Morton E Tavel comes to the aid of millions like me who have been waiting for some practical medical advice; the sort of advice that could help us take better care of our health while steering clear from overspending on so-called miracle medical cures that are completely bogus.
I have already recommended this book to a couple of family members who I thought could benefit from it. I personally think that this book is for all of us, as we are all targets of medical shams and witness new health fads every single day. To make the deal a little sweeter, the book is an interesting read and — I can assure you — it will not lull you to sleep due to boredom. If only we had text books like these during school!
As a now-retired physician with extensive experience in his field of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, M D Morton E Tavel comes to the aid of millions like me who have been waiting for some practical medical advice; the sort of advice that could help us take better care of our health while steering clear from overspending on so-called miracle medical cures that are completely bogus.
I have already recommended this book to a couple of family members who I thought could benefit from it. I personally think that this book is for all of us, as we are all targets of medical shams and witness new health fads every single day. To make the deal a little sweeter, the book is an interesting read and — I can assure you — it will not lull you to sleep due to boredom. If only we had text books like these during school!
March 15, 2018
Good information and clearly involved a lot of research. Dr. Tavel needs to invest in an editor because the amount of typos and formatting errors looks unprofessional.
June 23, 2019
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks by Morton E. Tavel, M.D., covers various health-related topics from diets, food nutrition, myths about vaccines, and tricks to save money on cheaper brands instead of buying those name brand products. Tavel points out the unknown dangers of e-cigarettes and how they may affect someone’s health. Diets play a role in many people’s health today. There’s also some new diet fad going around. Tavel mentions how dieting isn’t really the option, but lowering calorie intake is the best way to lose weight. He also mentions how many people should be lowering calorie intake by eating more fruits and vegetables and highlights the importance of monitoring portion sizes. I would rate this book 4 out of 5 because I did have a few things I didn’t like.
The first thing I feel that’s important to mention that this book is easy to read for almost everyone. You don’t need to necessarily know medical terms to understand this book. That tends to be a problem with health books and having to know some big fancy medical terms to understand the author, but Tavel makes sure that the reader understands what he’s talking about and puts it in easy read layman’s terms.
I appreciated the chapters on foods and drinks to eat, especially the chapter on green tea. I personally love unsweetened green tea and drink it throughout the day. Additionally, I loved the recommendations for cheaper product options like Equate (Walmart) brand sunscreen. I love this because when you live in an area like I do where the only store option for grocery and household items, without having to drive for almost an hour to get there, is Walmart. The generic brands are cheaper and for people looking to save money, they’re a great option. Protecting your skin from the sun can be expensive, but knowing that Equate is just as good as a name brand is wonderful. Furthermore, I liked the chapter on nasal allergies as a sufferer from seasonal nasal allergies. The tips on how to deal with them I already knew from having suffered from nasal allergies for 20 years now. But for someone who nasal allergies are new to them, Tavel offers great tips for alleviating the symptoms. Finally, what stands out to me what I liked about this book is the organic v. non-organic debate. There are certain foods I will only buy organic because some foods do tend to have more pesticide use than others. But on the whole, I find organic food overpriced compared to non-organic food, and there isn’t much of a difference between the two.
However, there were some things I didn’t like about the book. I didn’t like the chapter on polygraphs. I didn’t feel like it was that relevant to health. I also didn’t find the chapter on flying on commercial airplanes that relevant to one’s health. Personally, I feel like those chapters could have been cut. The only other thing I didn’t like about this book is that I feel the order of chapters could have been slightly different. For example, I feel the chapter on nasal allergies should have been followed by the allergies myths chapter, but this is a personal preference for me.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It’s an easy, quick read. It’s right up my alley for interesting books to read since I am majoring in health sciences with minors in biology and psychology. I don’t think this book is up everyone’s alley. But for anyone interested in health or looking for ways to improve their health, this book is a good start.
Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks by Morton E. Tavel, M.D., covers various health-related topics from diets, food nutrition, myths about vaccines, and tricks to save money on cheaper brands instead of buying those name brand products. Tavel points out the unknown dangers of e-cigarettes and how they may affect someone’s health. Diets play a role in many people’s health today. There’s also some new diet fad going around. Tavel mentions how dieting isn’t really the option, but lowering calorie intake is the best way to lose weight. He also mentions how many people should be lowering calorie intake by eating more fruits and vegetables and highlights the importance of monitoring portion sizes. I would rate this book 4 out of 5 because I did have a few things I didn’t like.
The first thing I feel that’s important to mention that this book is easy to read for almost everyone. You don’t need to necessarily know medical terms to understand this book. That tends to be a problem with health books and having to know some big fancy medical terms to understand the author, but Tavel makes sure that the reader understands what he’s talking about and puts it in easy read layman’s terms.
I appreciated the chapters on foods and drinks to eat, especially the chapter on green tea. I personally love unsweetened green tea and drink it throughout the day. Additionally, I loved the recommendations for cheaper product options like Equate (Walmart) brand sunscreen. I love this because when you live in an area like I do where the only store option for grocery and household items, without having to drive for almost an hour to get there, is Walmart. The generic brands are cheaper and for people looking to save money, they’re a great option. Protecting your skin from the sun can be expensive, but knowing that Equate is just as good as a name brand is wonderful. Furthermore, I liked the chapter on nasal allergies as a sufferer from seasonal nasal allergies. The tips on how to deal with them I already knew from having suffered from nasal allergies for 20 years now. But for someone who nasal allergies are new to them, Tavel offers great tips for alleviating the symptoms. Finally, what stands out to me what I liked about this book is the organic v. non-organic debate. There are certain foods I will only buy organic because some foods do tend to have more pesticide use than others. But on the whole, I find organic food overpriced compared to non-organic food, and there isn’t much of a difference between the two.
However, there were some things I didn’t like about the book. I didn’t like the chapter on polygraphs. I didn’t feel like it was that relevant to health. I also didn’t find the chapter on flying on commercial airplanes that relevant to one’s health. Personally, I feel like those chapters could have been cut. The only other thing I didn’t like about this book is that I feel the order of chapters could have been slightly different. For example, I feel the chapter on nasal allergies should have been followed by the allergies myths chapter, but this is a personal preference for me.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It’s an easy, quick read. It’s right up my alley for interesting books to read since I am majoring in health sciences with minors in biology and psychology. I don’t think this book is up everyone’s alley. But for anyone interested in health or looking for ways to improve their health, this book is a good start.
April 26, 2019
Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks by Morton E Tavel, MD is a book as mentioned by the title about health tips, health myths, and health tricks. The book is separated into three parts and each part is separately dedicated by chapter wise on health tips, myths, and tricks. This book can be read by any individual who are interested in getting to know health tips and to avoid unnecessary drugs and snake oil treatments that would cost not only by penny, but also from their health due to side effects caused by them.
The book is an eye-opener to many individuals who tries to take short cuts and also is concern of their health. It highlights many points that we should be concerned about if a healthy life should be lived.
The book highlights the importance of sleep and the importance of a morning breakfast which everyone forgets to have properly due to the rat race. The importance of exercises are also highlighted and not for middle age, but also for any individual including children as there is no age limit when it comes to exercises.
The importance of taking proper food and a healthy meal and diet is highlighted with great extent. The vitamins that could be taken from different natural and nutritional foods and the ranges of food that we could intake with a scale are listed in this book. This is what I love the most as it does not only list the importance of different vitamin intake and in an appropriate level, but also gives a variety of food that could be consumed in case an individual could be allergic to one of the listed food items. It also prevents on consuming vitamin supplements and other drugs by paying a price for unnecessary drugs that may not be even real if they are advertised in any means of media.
The book points on alternatives that could be taken which we can find in day to day basis such as coffee in order to replace any drugs or supplements we pay and purchase including energy drinks. The side effects of such drinks or supplements would be seen in long term. Especially, if the recommended supplements are heavily advertised in media such as through TV advertisements with claims of how great it is by people that say that has consumed the product.
The book also points on some important myths that many people believe in without any scientific basis. Some of these myths may even cause spending more unnecessarily such as buying bottled water when their water supply is perfectly fine and not contaminated. Also, the myths on how Wi-Fi can affect individuals are explained with details.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars because there should be more editing to be done. The book is well written in detail, but editing is sloppy. What I liked the least is that the footnotes were inserted at the back of the book instead of the bottom of each respective page as it distracts the reader if he or she is interested.
The book is an eye-opener to many individuals who tries to take short cuts and also is concern of their health. It highlights many points that we should be concerned about if a healthy life should be lived.
The book highlights the importance of sleep and the importance of a morning breakfast which everyone forgets to have properly due to the rat race. The importance of exercises are also highlighted and not for middle age, but also for any individual including children as there is no age limit when it comes to exercises.
The importance of taking proper food and a healthy meal and diet is highlighted with great extent. The vitamins that could be taken from different natural and nutritional foods and the ranges of food that we could intake with a scale are listed in this book. This is what I love the most as it does not only list the importance of different vitamin intake and in an appropriate level, but also gives a variety of food that could be consumed in case an individual could be allergic to one of the listed food items. It also prevents on consuming vitamin supplements and other drugs by paying a price for unnecessary drugs that may not be even real if they are advertised in any means of media.
The book points on alternatives that could be taken which we can find in day to day basis such as coffee in order to replace any drugs or supplements we pay and purchase including energy drinks. The side effects of such drinks or supplements would be seen in long term. Especially, if the recommended supplements are heavily advertised in media such as through TV advertisements with claims of how great it is by people that say that has consumed the product.
The book also points on some important myths that many people believe in without any scientific basis. Some of these myths may even cause spending more unnecessarily such as buying bottled water when their water supply is perfectly fine and not contaminated. Also, the myths on how Wi-Fi can affect individuals are explained with details.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars because there should be more editing to be done. The book is well written in detail, but editing is sloppy. What I liked the least is that the footnotes were inserted at the back of the book instead of the bottom of each respective page as it distracts the reader if he or she is interested.
October 31, 2021
3.5 stars for me. Tough book to review because I enjoyed reading it but with this book, I think there are two sides to look at it. While I’ll always remember it being a fun and entertaining read, there were some small issues I had with it. It’s a book that’ll definitely maintain your attention throughout (easy to read), but in terms of someone looking for an in-depth breakdown of health related topics, you’re not going to find it here. This book was written for the average person in my opinion and is very helpful about bringing awareness to a variety of topics.
When reading, you have to keep in mind, this is one person’s opinion and interpretation of research. These books about health topics are difficult because so many topics require long explanations (which may be boring to the average reader). Finding a balance is always difficult. The book was great in the sense that everything was short and to the point, but with some topics I was left wanting to learn more. Structurally, things seemed a bit inconsistent sometimes. For example, the author of the book spent more time on some topics opposed to others. Such as the part about buying organic food. It was pretty short, yet, author spent several pages talking about the effectiveness of polygraph tests. It just seemed like the length of each section was inconsistent, despite some topics being more interesting than others.
The book is divided into three sections: tips, myths and tricks. I personally found the myth section to be the most fun to read because there are so many things we often hear or casually get thrown around without much evidence to back it up: “buying organic is better than non-organic”, “going to the doctor every year is necessary”, etc. So for me, that section was fun because society gets ideas in our heads without us taking the time to look into it more. The other sections didn’t do as much for me because they are things I’d rather research more in-depth and try to find counter arguments for (example: whether or not eating chocolate has more positives compared to negatives). I need more than a few pages of evidence to form an opinion.
Overall, this book is closer to 4 stars if you’re looking for a fun and easy education on a variety of common health related topics. Depending on how in-depth of a health book you want, that’s what will likely determine your opinion of this book. Nonetheless, a book that’ll likely spark some interest and encourage people to care about things that impact our health everyday.
When reading, you have to keep in mind, this is one person’s opinion and interpretation of research. These books about health topics are difficult because so many topics require long explanations (which may be boring to the average reader). Finding a balance is always difficult. The book was great in the sense that everything was short and to the point, but with some topics I was left wanting to learn more. Structurally, things seemed a bit inconsistent sometimes. For example, the author of the book spent more time on some topics opposed to others. Such as the part about buying organic food. It was pretty short, yet, author spent several pages talking about the effectiveness of polygraph tests. It just seemed like the length of each section was inconsistent, despite some topics being more interesting than others.
The book is divided into three sections: tips, myths and tricks. I personally found the myth section to be the most fun to read because there are so many things we often hear or casually get thrown around without much evidence to back it up: “buying organic is better than non-organic”, “going to the doctor every year is necessary”, etc. So for me, that section was fun because society gets ideas in our heads without us taking the time to look into it more. The other sections didn’t do as much for me because they are things I’d rather research more in-depth and try to find counter arguments for (example: whether or not eating chocolate has more positives compared to negatives). I need more than a few pages of evidence to form an opinion.
Overall, this book is closer to 4 stars if you’re looking for a fun and easy education on a variety of common health related topics. Depending on how in-depth of a health book you want, that’s what will likely determine your opinion of this book. Nonetheless, a book that’ll likely spark some interest and encourage people to care about things that impact our health everyday.
October 6, 2018
This is a basic health reference book with a twist. The author, Dr. Morton E. Tavel, MD has solid credentials, and an authoritative background as a practicing cardiologist as well as a medical school professor.
The book is arranged topically in short chapters within sections of tips, myths and tricks that discuss common questions that patients might want to ask of their physician. It is written in a readable conversational style as if he were speaking personally to the reader. Many of the topics addressed provide references to some scientific evidence, so that readers may follow up with further study if they desire to explore the issue further. The amount of scientific jargon however is minimal, and the answers are informative yet understandable.
There are 62 short chapters, and topics included are chosen from standard, common health concerns as well as controversies and hot-button issues. Some highlights are safe weight loss, trans fats and health, coffee, green tea, chocolate, foods to avoid, dangers of sodium, hypertension, red meat, fish, olive oil, red wine, the common cold, vaccines, second hand smoke, pain killers and sleep. Dr. Tavel addresses what he considers to be a number of myths, conspiracy theories, scams, irrational fears.
This could be a good general health reference book for the home library. It is useful for browsing, as opposed to using search engines to ask health questions because there is a large variety of information compiled here in one book.
I read the e-book version, and I do note some formatting issues. The e-book appears to have originally been formatted for the print edition and then converted to the e-book. without completely reformatting, which created some problems with navigation and visual appearance.
Another issue is large areas of blank white space within the chapters, which seem to be where the section/page breaks appeared in the original print version. This sloppy formatting detracts from the overall quality of the book in the e-book version. I have not seen the actual print version, so I don't know how it looks.
Beside these problems, there were some other editing and proofing errors, including run on sentences, poor syntax and errors such as advising the consumption of a quart of olive oil per week, which seems to be quite a large amount. I wondered why a chapter on polygraph tests was included.
All in all, I found this to be useful, informative book. While the content is good, due to the errors and formatting issues noted, I gave it a lower rating.
August 7, 2017
First of all, this is a very short book. Coming in at under 250 pages you would think it would be a breeze to get through, but it took me a full month. Partially because I wanted to fully digest the information contained within, think it over, find other articles, and then continue, instead of just breezing through without remembering any information. Still, there is a lot of information here and even with slowing my reading progress down a great deal, I still cannot remember all the tips and tricks!
The few that did stick with me are those that I have been curious about for a long time. Things such as coffee not being bad for you but what is bad for your body is the amount of sugar and milk that we add. He specifically mentions a Venti White Chocolate Mocha like he’s taking a dagger and stabbing me in the heart! I only get this drink about once every two months or so, and as a very wonderfully sweet treat, but he wants his readers to know just how much sugar we are ingesting on a daily basis. It’s not good!
There were other very interesting studies such as organic foods versus genetically modified foods. I am on the fence about this because once again I have not done enough studying to come up with a valid answer (for myself), however I did not think with everything he said enough about genetically modified foods to change anyone’s mind if they are already firmly set.
Overall: 3/5
Full review at Creating-Serenity.com
The few that did stick with me are those that I have been curious about for a long time. Things such as coffee not being bad for you but what is bad for your body is the amount of sugar and milk that we add. He specifically mentions a Venti White Chocolate Mocha like he’s taking a dagger and stabbing me in the heart! I only get this drink about once every two months or so, and as a very wonderfully sweet treat, but he wants his readers to know just how much sugar we are ingesting on a daily basis. It’s not good!
There were other very interesting studies such as organic foods versus genetically modified foods. I am on the fence about this because once again I have not done enough studying to come up with a valid answer (for myself), however I did not think with everything he said enough about genetically modified foods to change anyone’s mind if they are already firmly set.
Overall: 3/5
Full review at Creating-Serenity.com
June 28, 2019
Took me a while to finsih, but which nonfiction book doesn't?
What I liked most about the book is how transparent the author is. He's sighted references to most--if not all--mentioned studies and articles. And he also organizes the arguments in a very logical order, not only making them easier to follow, but also giving one the direction to do their own research.
Recommend for all those confused about medical issues and practice in general and are looking for a convenient little read to 'figure out wHaT tHe HelL iS gOiNg oN'.
What I liked most about the book is how transparent the author is. He's sighted references to most--if not all--mentioned studies and articles. And he also organizes the arguments in a very logical order, not only making them easier to follow, but also giving one the direction to do their own research.
Recommend for all those confused about medical issues and practice in general and are looking for a convenient little read to 'figure out wHaT tHe HelL iS gOiNg oN'.
July 20, 2017
An interesting non-fiction book on the various health tips and myths prevailing these days in our world, especially on the internet. Dr. Morton E. Travel tries to dispel the often harmful myths and gives his own insights in what he considers to be helpful for our health and well-being.
Full review at: https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/vie...
Full review at: https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/vie...
March 20, 2018
It felt like an info dump. Even if everything I read was interesting and helpful, I kept feeling overwhelmed. The writing style kept changing too quickly, as well. It could have been much better.
March 23, 2022
3 stars.
This was actually better than I expected, it'll be better if medical terms are properly explained, defined, or described.
This was actually better than I expected, it'll be better if medical terms are properly explained, defined, or described.
July 17, 2019
hi,
here's my review on this amazing book:
https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/vie...
here's my review on this amazing book:
https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/vie...
February 4, 2018
Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks is a physician’s advice book that was published in 2015 by Brighton Publishing. It was written by Doctor Morton E. Tavel, a retired physician and internist/cardiologist. Doctor Tavel held a faculty position at Indiana University School of Medicine, where he taught trainees of all different levels. His medical research includes over 120 publications.
Health and fitness are topics that humans have been interested in for centuries. If we go back far enough, we can find advertisements for how to lose weight. In fact, there were even advertisements that promoted weight loss with cigarettes. “To keep a slender figure that no one can deny, reach for a Lucky instead of a sweet!” Even in 2017, health and fitness are still important topics. This brings us to Doctor Tavel’s book, Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks. In the words of Doctor Tavel, “Health information to liberate us from 'snake oil.'
This book covers various topics on health from how to control your weight to The French Paradox. There are 62 chapters and an introduction in the beginning of the book, including reviews. This introduction makes for a promising read by Doctor Tavel, so does it live up to its title? Is there anything to learn from Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks?
The best part of this book is the amount of research that went into it. Tavel provides amounts and details for every aspect concerning health that you can think of. The information that Tavel teaches us is amazing, interesting, and even a little frightening. In this ever-changing world of GMO dangers, reluctance towards vaccines, and quests for the perfect body, you will find something that applies to you or something that you can relate to.
While there’s a lot of information to take in from this book, there are some topics that seem short and rushed. It left me wondering what the point of these discussions was, especially if there isn’t any medical research to provide solid information on the topic. For example, if we don’t know the effects of something, then it’s not something readers would be interested in reading about. Most readers want facts upfront; they don’t want to be told, “In conclusion, I don’t know and neither does anyone else.” We have the Age of Technology to blame for this impatience, but this is the world we now live in.
The writing style and overall editing of this book are great. I didn’t come across any grammatical errors, and I thought the style was appropriate for the topics discussed. Since this is more like a guide, I wouldn’t consider style to be the most important thing to review. The content is what’s important, and Doctor Tavel relayed it well to his readers.
I give Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks by Doctor Tavel 3 out of 5 stars. I have given this book a 3 instead of 5 because of the some of the rushed and seemingly redundant topics. I do, however, recommend this book to everyone, even if you’re more of a natural healer. We’re all humans, and we all want to know what we can do to better our lives and our bodies. For centuries, humans have been on the hunt for ways to lose weight, look younger, eat better, and cut back on overused medications. This book has all of that and more. Doctor Tavel truly did a service when he wrote this book. In a world where we are constantly fed false information, it’s refreshing to read something written by a doctor with genuinely good intentions.
Health and fitness are topics that humans have been interested in for centuries. If we go back far enough, we can find advertisements for how to lose weight. In fact, there were even advertisements that promoted weight loss with cigarettes. “To keep a slender figure that no one can deny, reach for a Lucky instead of a sweet!” Even in 2017, health and fitness are still important topics. This brings us to Doctor Tavel’s book, Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks. In the words of Doctor Tavel, “Health information to liberate us from 'snake oil.'
This book covers various topics on health from how to control your weight to The French Paradox. There are 62 chapters and an introduction in the beginning of the book, including reviews. This introduction makes for a promising read by Doctor Tavel, so does it live up to its title? Is there anything to learn from Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks?
The best part of this book is the amount of research that went into it. Tavel provides amounts and details for every aspect concerning health that you can think of. The information that Tavel teaches us is amazing, interesting, and even a little frightening. In this ever-changing world of GMO dangers, reluctance towards vaccines, and quests for the perfect body, you will find something that applies to you or something that you can relate to.
While there’s a lot of information to take in from this book, there are some topics that seem short and rushed. It left me wondering what the point of these discussions was, especially if there isn’t any medical research to provide solid information on the topic. For example, if we don’t know the effects of something, then it’s not something readers would be interested in reading about. Most readers want facts upfront; they don’t want to be told, “In conclusion, I don’t know and neither does anyone else.” We have the Age of Technology to blame for this impatience, but this is the world we now live in.
The writing style and overall editing of this book are great. I didn’t come across any grammatical errors, and I thought the style was appropriate for the topics discussed. Since this is more like a guide, I wouldn’t consider style to be the most important thing to review. The content is what’s important, and Doctor Tavel relayed it well to his readers.
I give Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks by Doctor Tavel 3 out of 5 stars. I have given this book a 3 instead of 5 because of the some of the rushed and seemingly redundant topics. I do, however, recommend this book to everyone, even if you’re more of a natural healer. We’re all humans, and we all want to know what we can do to better our lives and our bodies. For centuries, humans have been on the hunt for ways to lose weight, look younger, eat better, and cut back on overused medications. This book has all of that and more. Doctor Tavel truly did a service when he wrote this book. In a world where we are constantly fed false information, it’s refreshing to read something written by a doctor with genuinely good intentions.
July 15, 2018
Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks book was written by Doctor Morton E. Tavel. He is a retired physical specialist in internal medicine and cardiovascular diseases. He also held a teaching position at Indiana University School of Medicine. His medical research includes over 120 publications, editorials and book reviews.
This book focuses on the human health and is divided into three parts: Tips, Myths and Tricks. The Tips section discusses on the daily tips on how to stay healthy. The second part is the Myth, which corrects our concepts on what is a healthy lifestyle or diet schemes that are influenced by social media, ads, etc. The third section compares and enlightens us on the alternative medicine and science-based medicine. All his conclusions are based on facts and accepted scientific research result.
The book is easy to ready even when I only have little medical background. Medical terms are explained in layman’s terms and the topics discussed in this book can be related to and applied to everyone. His conclusions are based on facts and scientific research results and not based solemnly on his opinion. Although he provides his conclusions and advises his readers what to do, he strongly suggests in his book not to be gullible and we all should do our own research. The topic I liked most in this book was the Myth. In this section, I realized that I should research first before I conclude that certain items or daily habits are really good for me. It questioned my daily small habits like eating organic food and drinking coffee everyday.
The book was very informative but there are some topics that I wished it was discussed in more details. Some topics appeared several times on different sections of the book which I find it redundant. In the last section, I felt that alternative medicines are harshly attacked just because of their lack of scientific research and evidences. I also do strongly recommend that alternative medicine or their products should go through research and studies to prove their worth before they are commercialized to the consumers however concluding that alternative medicine is a quack is something that I did not agree on this book.
I give this book a 3 out of 5 stars because of the redundant topic and harshly attacking on the alternative medicine. The research also focuses on the life style in America and I hope that there will be globalized version of this book that can also enlighten Asian and European readers on how they can improve their life style to stay healthy and fit.
This book focuses on the human health and is divided into three parts: Tips, Myths and Tricks. The Tips section discusses on the daily tips on how to stay healthy. The second part is the Myth, which corrects our concepts on what is a healthy lifestyle or diet schemes that are influenced by social media, ads, etc. The third section compares and enlightens us on the alternative medicine and science-based medicine. All his conclusions are based on facts and accepted scientific research result.
The book is easy to ready even when I only have little medical background. Medical terms are explained in layman’s terms and the topics discussed in this book can be related to and applied to everyone. His conclusions are based on facts and scientific research results and not based solemnly on his opinion. Although he provides his conclusions and advises his readers what to do, he strongly suggests in his book not to be gullible and we all should do our own research. The topic I liked most in this book was the Myth. In this section, I realized that I should research first before I conclude that certain items or daily habits are really good for me. It questioned my daily small habits like eating organic food and drinking coffee everyday.
The book was very informative but there are some topics that I wished it was discussed in more details. Some topics appeared several times on different sections of the book which I find it redundant. In the last section, I felt that alternative medicines are harshly attacked just because of their lack of scientific research and evidences. I also do strongly recommend that alternative medicine or their products should go through research and studies to prove their worth before they are commercialized to the consumers however concluding that alternative medicine is a quack is something that I did not agree on this book.
I give this book a 3 out of 5 stars because of the redundant topic and harshly attacking on the alternative medicine. The research also focuses on the life style in America and I hope that there will be globalized version of this book that can also enlighten Asian and European readers on how they can improve their life style to stay healthy and fit.
March 20, 2018
Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks is a nonfiction book written by Morton E. Tavel, MD first delves into reasons why America’s population is mostly overweight and obese. The book tackles subjects such as the disparity of cost per calorie, which makes it more cost efficient to buy food that is worse for you, as well as ways to cut calories to slim waistlines.
Tavel presents three different drugs used for weight loss. Before he names drugs, he considers if popular drugs are deemed safe by FDA standards. He methodically names the FDA approved drugs, stating their rate of effectiveness over similar time frames, then states the side effects and how often they are experienced. He finishes with his opinion on what is the safest method, stating it in a clear conclusion.
Each chapter, and therefore each topic, is very short allowing for the reader to easily skip around the book, only reading what interests them. There are a plethora of chapter’s dedicated to the discussion of food in several contexts, such as worst foods for weight loss or what happens if one skips breakfast.
I rate this book four out of four stars due to the thoroughness the author employs when discussing the topics within the book, often reading like a scientific paper geared toward mass consumption. For example in the case of weight loss, the author pays equal attention to why American’s are mostly overweight as well as the solutions to cut calorie consumption. There is never a tone of judgment in the text; rather, the book is full of matter of fact language that could also be considered cut and dry.
Rather than pushing his opinion on the reader as do or die, Tavel provides several options on how to lose weight if the reader so chooses to comply, as well as give sources to back up his suggestions. If Tavel does promote a certain method over the others, he will include detailed analysis on each option, discussing the pros and cons of each, and then he will promote the one with the least side effects. While he clearly states his opinion, he also understands that his audience is human, so he doesn't preach that people should cut out whole aspects of their diet, Tavel cautions moderation.
The language used throughout the book is simple and easy to follow, making it great for anyone to read. The fact that the author is a doctor who practices internal medicine adds to the credibility of his tips, allowing the reader to trust the advice being given.
Tavel presents three different drugs used for weight loss. Before he names drugs, he considers if popular drugs are deemed safe by FDA standards. He methodically names the FDA approved drugs, stating their rate of effectiveness over similar time frames, then states the side effects and how often they are experienced. He finishes with his opinion on what is the safest method, stating it in a clear conclusion.
Each chapter, and therefore each topic, is very short allowing for the reader to easily skip around the book, only reading what interests them. There are a plethora of chapter’s dedicated to the discussion of food in several contexts, such as worst foods for weight loss or what happens if one skips breakfast.
I rate this book four out of four stars due to the thoroughness the author employs when discussing the topics within the book, often reading like a scientific paper geared toward mass consumption. For example in the case of weight loss, the author pays equal attention to why American’s are mostly overweight as well as the solutions to cut calorie consumption. There is never a tone of judgment in the text; rather, the book is full of matter of fact language that could also be considered cut and dry.
Rather than pushing his opinion on the reader as do or die, Tavel provides several options on how to lose weight if the reader so chooses to comply, as well as give sources to back up his suggestions. If Tavel does promote a certain method over the others, he will include detailed analysis on each option, discussing the pros and cons of each, and then he will promote the one with the least side effects. While he clearly states his opinion, he also understands that his audience is human, so he doesn't preach that people should cut out whole aspects of their diet, Tavel cautions moderation.
The language used throughout the book is simple and easy to follow, making it great for anyone to read. The fact that the author is a doctor who practices internal medicine adds to the credibility of his tips, allowing the reader to trust the advice being given.
September 6, 2019
I really liked this book because of how useful it is. This is a must have for anyone out there who wants to live a healthy life without being tricked into buying a magic cure or wasting their time on something that would never work.
This is one of those books that you could jump through from chapter one to ten without being troubled that you would not understand what’s going on. The chapters do not flow into each other and if the writer mentions something from a previous chapter he would still explain it to you which is perfect for when you just want to shed some light on a certain subject.
I would really recommend this book to others, because it is packed with important information that all of us should know. For most of us this book isn’t the type of thing we would usually read in our free time and you could see that the writer knew that, but felt that it was important for people to know these things and he therefore added some humor every now and then to make things interesting.
I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. I felt that it was professionally edited as I found no obvious grammar mistakes. If I had to recommend this to a certain group of people, I would definitely recommend it to mothers who could ensure that they pass this information on to their children and keep them healthy and safe from all those myths and tricks out there. I would not recommend this to those people who don’t like medical books or those who usually fell asleep in biology.
What I liked most about this book was that the writer tried to make it as interesting as possible by adding humor and making it a little more personal by adding something about what our parents used to tell us when we were little. I didn’t really dislike any part of this book and therefore you would only do yourself a favour by reading it.
You can read more of my reviews here: https://divertinglibrarian.home.blog/
This is one of those books that you could jump through from chapter one to ten without being troubled that you would not understand what’s going on. The chapters do not flow into each other and if the writer mentions something from a previous chapter he would still explain it to you which is perfect for when you just want to shed some light on a certain subject.
I would really recommend this book to others, because it is packed with important information that all of us should know. For most of us this book isn’t the type of thing we would usually read in our free time and you could see that the writer knew that, but felt that it was important for people to know these things and he therefore added some humor every now and then to make things interesting.
I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. I felt that it was professionally edited as I found no obvious grammar mistakes. If I had to recommend this to a certain group of people, I would definitely recommend it to mothers who could ensure that they pass this information on to their children and keep them healthy and safe from all those myths and tricks out there. I would not recommend this to those people who don’t like medical books or those who usually fell asleep in biology.
What I liked most about this book was that the writer tried to make it as interesting as possible by adding humor and making it a little more personal by adding something about what our parents used to tell us when we were little. I didn’t really dislike any part of this book and therefore you would only do yourself a favour by reading it.
You can read more of my reviews here: https://divertinglibrarian.home.blog/
May 29, 2018
As the title suggests, Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks is a book of advice on wellness. Written by a physician who specializes in internal medicine and cardiovascular diseases, it presents appropriate ways of applying science-based treatments. Dr. Morton Tavel is backed by a significant medical record. He has also done extensive research that supports his propositions in this book... [continue reading my review at https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/vie...]
April 7, 2017
Read this book as a part of the Online Book Club.
Loved this book.
Although there were formatting issues at times, I would highly recommend this book to any living, breathing human, as so many topics have been talked about for years or mentioned in the news.
Read! This! Book!
Loved this book.
Although there were formatting issues at times, I would highly recommend this book to any living, breathing human, as so many topics have been talked about for years or mentioned in the news.
Read! This! Book!
November 24, 2019
Very informative and not too heavy-handed. Loved the easy tone with which it was written despite the academics it contained.
June 19, 2019
Review by Kister Bless -- Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks - OnlineBookClub.org https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/vie...
July 7, 2019
Don’t waste your time. The research in this book is completely flawed. As a recent college graduate, I know what complete research looks like, and this book is not it.
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