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Spent: End Exhaustion and Feel Great Again
From the doctor whose "extraordinary practice is at the vanguard of a revolutionary way to deliver medical care" (O, The Oprah Magazine), an easy program to restore energy and health.? DO YOU FEEL UNUSUALLY EXHAUSTED?? DO YOU HAVE TROUBLE SLEEPING?? DOES YOUR DIGESTION BOTHER YOU?? DO YOU HAVE ACHING MUSCLES AND JOINTS?? DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE AGING TOO QUICKLY?? DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE RUNNING ON EMPTY?
352 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 2008
15 people are currently reading
315 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
November 11, 2012
This book is a guide for people suffering from the symptoms of adrenal fatigue. If that sentence doesn't bore the bejesus out of you, this book may be for you.
The Spent Program is a 6 week program consisting of "Daily Beats" and "Sleep Beats." Each day, Dr. Lipman suggests a specific healthful improvement, generally adding or removing some nutritional or movement element to your routine. Some of the changes persist throughout the 6 week program (giving up sugar, starting on Day 1), while others are suggested once--like certain yoga postures--although you're encouraged to come back to those you enjoy as much as you like.
Dr. Lipman designed the program to make it reasonably easy to implement, but he stresses that it's more important to make small gradual improvements than to follow it 100% perfectly only to quit in exasperation. With that in mind, I've personally been sort of lazy about some of the yoga/breathing exercises, despite the fact that most of these only take 10 min, and I've also skipped past certain unappealing dietary changes (no coffee) in favor of sexier ones (herbal tonics! smoothies!). And that's okay. I still feel a remarkable improvement to my health.
I think the hardest change for me has been the breathing exercise, which is really just a 3 minute meditation. The problem I think I'm having is that it cannot be rushed. My approach to most of this is pretty aggressive, but there's no way to aggressively meditate for 3 min.
Nonetheless, in just 3 weeks of half-assing this thing, I feel light and vibrant, and less inflamed. It's hard to describe that feeling well, but essentially I'd felt somewhat puffy and flabby, and I now feel that my body is denser and more compact, with the result that I haven't lost any weight, but my body has tightened noticeably and my clothes fit better. That said, most people report that they lose weight from Spent--I just didn't really have a serious metabolic problem or excess weight from the outset, but a lot of people with this condition will see an improvement here.
Anyway... My review is that this is an excellent book. The writing is transparent, and the content is clear and strong. My nutrition is probably more complete than most of the people I know, with the possible exclusion of nursing babies, and my condition is improving at a rate that far exceeds what my expectations were for it. Yay!
The Spent Program is a 6 week program consisting of "Daily Beats" and "Sleep Beats." Each day, Dr. Lipman suggests a specific healthful improvement, generally adding or removing some nutritional or movement element to your routine. Some of the changes persist throughout the 6 week program (giving up sugar, starting on Day 1), while others are suggested once--like certain yoga postures--although you're encouraged to come back to those you enjoy as much as you like.
Dr. Lipman designed the program to make it reasonably easy to implement, but he stresses that it's more important to make small gradual improvements than to follow it 100% perfectly only to quit in exasperation. With that in mind, I've personally been sort of lazy about some of the yoga/breathing exercises, despite the fact that most of these only take 10 min, and I've also skipped past certain unappealing dietary changes (no coffee) in favor of sexier ones (herbal tonics! smoothies!). And that's okay. I still feel a remarkable improvement to my health.
I think the hardest change for me has been the breathing exercise, which is really just a 3 minute meditation. The problem I think I'm having is that it cannot be rushed. My approach to most of this is pretty aggressive, but there's no way to aggressively meditate for 3 min.
Nonetheless, in just 3 weeks of half-assing this thing, I feel light and vibrant, and less inflamed. It's hard to describe that feeling well, but essentially I'd felt somewhat puffy and flabby, and I now feel that my body is denser and more compact, with the result that I haven't lost any weight, but my body has tightened noticeably and my clothes fit better. That said, most people report that they lose weight from Spent--I just didn't really have a serious metabolic problem or excess weight from the outset, but a lot of people with this condition will see an improvement here.
Anyway... My review is that this is an excellent book. The writing is transparent, and the content is clear and strong. My nutrition is probably more complete than most of the people I know, with the possible exclusion of nursing babies, and my condition is improving at a rate that far exceeds what my expectations were for it. Yay!
December 27, 2020
I started reading Spent by Dr. Frank Lipman earlier in 2020 to help me deal with a health problem. It is a 6-week health plan that includes eating whole foods, getting more regular sleep, doing restorative yoga poses and eliminating toxins from your home. I like that according to the plan, you only have to do one health challenge a day but over 6 weeks you end up improving your diet and overall lifestyle. I really think this helped me get well. I give it 4 stars instead of 5 because it's a bit out of date and the website the book constantly refers you to is now defunct. Still, Dr. Lipman's health plan in Spent is sound and he is one of my new health heroes!
March 1, 2010
Well, this book was not at all what I expected. It's basically a 6-week plan for cutting foods out of your diet, ridding your environment of toxic chemicals and doing various yoga exercises all in an effort to gain more energy and feel less exhausted, or "spent." If I had the time (and the money), I would be interested in trying this thing for the full six weeks. As it is, I don't have the time or the money to go completely organic and petrolatum is the only stuff the cures my dry skin, thank you very much. (Course you could say that my dry skin is caused by my being "spent"...) I also didn't like how the author kept referencing his website, www.spentmd.com, but the website no longer exists. In its place is a less informative (and poorly edited) website that was just plain disappointing to me after reading all about the great recipes and exercises and brand recommendations I'd find at spentmd.com. There are 5 recipes (to date) on the new website. Can someone please update this book and/or the new website?
What I did like were all the restorative yoga poses. I'll definitely try some of those out.
What I did like were all the restorative yoga poses. I'll definitely try some of those out.
March 29, 2011
3.5 Stars
It took me 8 months of on-and-off reading of this to get through this book!
It's a good guide on how to revive your life, but his restorative eating program cuts out "sugar, artificial sweeteners, processed foods, gluten, dairy products, factory-farmed meats, soy, GMO corn, mercury-laden fish, alcohol, and caffeinated beverages" and I don't see anything that's left that I'd *want* to eat! It's not a realistic plan for me.
I liked the yoga poses mixed in, and the tips about shutting off electronics at 10PM and cooling your bedroom for sleep, etc. was useful
The book brought up the concept of Functional Medicine which sounds interesting to me.
His whole book says to go to "spentmd.com" but after this book was published he changed the book's title to Revive so the website is no longer there!
It took me 8 months of on-and-off reading of this to get through this book!
It's a good guide on how to revive your life, but his restorative eating program cuts out "sugar, artificial sweeteners, processed foods, gluten, dairy products, factory-farmed meats, soy, GMO corn, mercury-laden fish, alcohol, and caffeinated beverages" and I don't see anything that's left that I'd *want* to eat! It's not a realistic plan for me.
I liked the yoga poses mixed in, and the tips about shutting off electronics at 10PM and cooling your bedroom for sleep, etc. was useful
The book brought up the concept of Functional Medicine which sounds interesting to me.
His whole book says to go to "spentmd.com" but after this book was published he changed the book's title to Revive so the website is no longer there!
Want to read
March 22, 2013I think this book is fantastic, but it scares me. I am a woos. I am putting it back on my to read list, because I can't honestly say I am reading it right now. I know I need to though...
May 19, 2020
Sometimes a little bit Whacky and a few things I just can’t buy into. But the foundational principles I agree with and are really valuable reminders:
Eat whole foods. Cut sugar, dairy, gluten, processed foods. Limit alcohol and caffeine.
Supplement where required.
Sleep. Sleep well and regularly.
Breathe and stretch. Often and before bed.
Move, get outside.
Laugh, hug, do things you love.
Get rid of toxins in your home, on your body, around you.
Be gentle with yourself.
Eat whole foods. Cut sugar, dairy, gluten, processed foods. Limit alcohol and caffeine.
Supplement where required.
Sleep. Sleep well and regularly.
Breathe and stretch. Often and before bed.
Move, get outside.
Laugh, hug, do things you love.
Get rid of toxins in your home, on your body, around you.
Be gentle with yourself.
April 21, 2009
This is a pretty interesting book about our chronic fatigue/stress and changing it based on diet, sleep and yoga. I'm really enjoying the suggestions he makes, even if I haven't done any of them yet.
So as an update to this, I finished reading the book and started at least one of the suggestions which was to eliminate sugar. I haven't been perfectly successful but he did have some helpful solutions for that and a lot of "don't worry if you don't at first succeed" kind of pep talks. He goes on to have you eliminate caffeine (but not green tea, woohoo!), processed foods, dairy, and gluten. You only have to do it for the time it takes until you start to feel better (about 6 weeks according to him). And there's a lot of stuff I'm not that in to (supplements and whatnot) but in general I found his suggestions to be very helpful, especially if you are that over-worked, high-stress kind of person.
So as an update to this, I finished reading the book and started at least one of the suggestions which was to eliminate sugar. I haven't been perfectly successful but he did have some helpful solutions for that and a lot of "don't worry if you don't at first succeed" kind of pep talks. He goes on to have you eliminate caffeine (but not green tea, woohoo!), processed foods, dairy, and gluten. You only have to do it for the time it takes until you start to feel better (about 6 weeks according to him). And there's a lot of stuff I'm not that in to (supplements and whatnot) but in general I found his suggestions to be very helpful, especially if you are that over-worked, high-stress kind of person.
February 19, 2009
I can't say that I followed this book's six week program. I did take suggestions here and there. Such as turning off the television, computer and cell phone by 10PM. To be honest it has helped me sleep better and feel less "spent". The other big thing that the book recommends is to cut out sugar. This one wasn't easy but it also has helped me feel less tired. Over Valentine's day I ate lots of dark chocolate and was amazed at how crappy I felt. I know that cutting out sugar is not an easy one for most people. However if you always feel tired, try cutting out caffeine(except for green or black tea once a day) and sugar, you will be amazed at the results. One note, it will take a few weeks to really notice a difference.
Overall this book had helpful tips but I wouldn't follow the program or spend big bucks on all the supplements it suggests.
Overall this book had helpful tips but I wouldn't follow the program or spend big bucks on all the supplements it suggests.
August 24, 2009
the program this book provides is 6-weeks to a healthier lifestyle where you will have more energy and feel better overall. the program was extremely hard to follow. i lack the self-discipline to truly make the changes suggested. however, the principles in this book are great and i like the idea of getting back to a more natural way of life, where i am not on good reads at 2 am posting a review of a book. even if you don't want to try out the program, i recommend it to read every now and then for dr. lipman's tips. it covers a vast array of topics including healthy eating, sleeping habits, exercise habits, supplements, social interactions, and relaxation.
May 28, 2015
This is seriously THE BEST health and lifestyle book I have ever read! It offers an easy day by day plan to follow. This book includes comprehensive lists of all foods that you can eat and how often you can eat them and not only that - it goes through lists of foods to avoid and the reasons why.
I loved the yoga stretches to do before bed every night, and the different recipes.
After completing this 6 week program, I had lost 6 kilos (still eating as much as I like from the food lists), I was sleeping better and had so much energy for life.
This book really changed me for the better and I would and have recommended this book to all my friends and family.
I loved the yoga stretches to do before bed every night, and the different recipes.
After completing this 6 week program, I had lost 6 kilos (still eating as much as I like from the food lists), I was sleeping better and had so much energy for life.
This book really changed me for the better and I would and have recommended this book to all my friends and family.
June 28, 2009
This book would fall into the category of "decent". It has a lot of great concepts, some of which are based in Western medicine, some of which are naturopathic or Chinese / Eastern medicine concepts. However, some of the ideas he forwards are either highly speculative or just plain wrong (homogenization of milk does not create "new fats that aren't in normal milk). If you haven't been exposed to naturopathy, it's probably a good idea to get some better info somewhere else - otherwise, it has some interesting concepts worth thinking about.
November 6, 2009
I read about 50 pages in and then skimmed the rest. It's a plan, a very specific one that outlines a diet, exercise, sleep, and life regime. It seems really unrealistic for someone to just take on.
I didn't like how they kept referencing their own web site as a place to go get products. It reeked of gimmick like a South Beach or Atkins manual. All these programs "work", sure, but are they really something most people can commit to for life?
I just didn't feel like the average person who needs a solution like this could follow this regime.
I didn't like how they kept referencing their own web site as a place to go get products. It reeked of gimmick like a South Beach or Atkins manual. All these programs "work", sure, but are they really something most people can commit to for life?
I just didn't feel like the average person who needs a solution like this could follow this regime.
July 4, 2012
Frank Lipman is a fascinating physician with interesting theories that I'm a big believer in. He argues that while Western medicine does a great job of treating the acute, it fails miserably at preventing them. Good read, in line with my own personal beliefs about the connection between diet and overall health. Great principles, some such as permanetly eliminating gluten and sugar from my diet are easier said than done. Very fast read.
August 5, 2013
This book offers some great ideas to have more energy: no processed foods, alcohol or caffeine and lots of water. Add to that relaxation techniques and exercise and you are good to go. I think it would be too hard to religiously follow the book, but I do incorporate some of his ideas into my lifestyle including limiting sugar and processed foods. If money and time were unlimited, this book would offer an ideal plan to follow...
October 8, 2013
I held onto this book for over a month after checking it out from the library, even though I read it within a few days. I thought I'd eventually take some of the action steps recommended, but it was overwhelming. I *know* what I need to do in order to feel less spent -- cut out sugar, white flour, dairy, caffeine, etc.; do yoga; get more sleep; meditate -- but it's a complete lifestyle overhaul for me. The information provided is good, so I can't fault the book for that.
March 15, 2010
Urgh. Read this over the past three days. I kept putting it down because it was exhausting me.
There was lots in here I already knew, but also a few things I didn't. It was worth the read--I don't think I'll follow his plan completely, but am hoping small changes from his suggestions at least might help me feel a bit better.
There was lots in here I already knew, but also a few things I didn't. It was worth the read--I don't think I'll follow his plan completely, but am hoping small changes from his suggestions at least might help me feel a bit better.
December 22, 2014
I thought this book was great for a healthy reboot. I like that he emphasizes renewal. So many people encourage folks to workout hard, but he really sings the praises of restorative yoga as a pathway to stress reduction. Stress and inflammation are truly at the core of exhaustion and diseases...working to reduce both is key to energy and longevity.
February 24, 2010
This book has been absolutely amazing. It walks you through with manageable steps, one change per day, and has led to my looking and feeling my best...ever? If you're feeling spent, this book is a must-read. And a must-follow!
May 12, 2013
Well, I didn't get this all read before having to return to the library (after renewing a couple of times), so it wasn't exactly a page turner. Same basic info - avoid stuff like processed food, sugar, etc. I did like that it threw in some restorative yoga poses, though.
May 5, 2009
Helped me cut out sugar. Some good tips but too stringent to follow long term.
March 17, 2009
Some good tips but overall not realistic for me or most of the people I know.
Read
March 28, 2009almost done reading this one-- good suggestions for stress relief!
June 3, 2009
This is a great book to learn how to regain your energy and live a healthier life. Take it for what it's worth and you'll be sure to glean some great things from it.
October 28, 2011
Unrealistic...
November 18, 2011
Good info in this book even if you don't follow the program.
January 17, 2013
I think I might be...
August 17, 2013
lots of great info
June 20, 2013
Well I guess we all are tired. Not just me, but the entire universe. some good information, some not. Some just plain dang boring.
July 24, 2013
Great book, lots of great general health information.
July 19, 2016
Smart and informative. Read in two days.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews