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Lies My Doctor Told Me: Medical Myths That Can Harm Your Health
Has your doctor lied to you?
Chances are he has, and most likely unknowingly. If you've been misled by bad medical advice your health will suffer. It is time you discover the truth. Medical research is expanding so quickly that only the most dedicated doctors can keep up with it all. Is your doctor that dedicated?
Lies My Doctor Told Me reveals the truth behind the lies told by well-meaning doctors. Whether it's recommending a low-fat diet, or warning you to avoid the sun, these medical lies can cause really harm to your health.
Does your doctor still recommend that you avoid cholesterol and eat lots of whole-grains? What about a paleo diet or ketogenic diet, have they been mentioned in an office visit? So much of the nutrition and lifestyle advice doctors give is just plain wrong, and that can be dangerous. This book will help you sort through the medical myths and the outright lies, and begin to develop a health partnership with your doctor.
This book will teach
--the truth about whole wheat's effect on the human body
--whether milk is good for you
--the facts about fat intake on your heart health
--how the Food Pyramid came into existence
--the dangers and benefits of hormone therapy
--the truth about salt
--how doctors think about prevention and nutrition
--much more
Order LIES MY DOCTOR TOLD ME today, as your first step towards a better diet, better health, and a better relationship with your doctor.
Chances are he has, and most likely unknowingly. If you've been misled by bad medical advice your health will suffer. It is time you discover the truth. Medical research is expanding so quickly that only the most dedicated doctors can keep up with it all. Is your doctor that dedicated?
Lies My Doctor Told Me reveals the truth behind the lies told by well-meaning doctors. Whether it's recommending a low-fat diet, or warning you to avoid the sun, these medical lies can cause really harm to your health.
Does your doctor still recommend that you avoid cholesterol and eat lots of whole-grains? What about a paleo diet or ketogenic diet, have they been mentioned in an office visit? So much of the nutrition and lifestyle advice doctors give is just plain wrong, and that can be dangerous. This book will help you sort through the medical myths and the outright lies, and begin to develop a health partnership with your doctor.
This book will teach
--the truth about whole wheat's effect on the human body
--whether milk is good for you
--the facts about fat intake on your heart health
--how the Food Pyramid came into existence
--the dangers and benefits of hormone therapy
--the truth about salt
--how doctors think about prevention and nutrition
--much more
Order LIES MY DOCTOR TOLD ME today, as your first step towards a better diet, better health, and a better relationship with your doctor.
158 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 14, 2017
1831 people are currently reading
3027 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 457 reviews
November 20, 2019
I was excited to read this book. As a healthcare provider I am all too aware of our medical system's shortcomings, and I believe in being critical, even if it means pointing the finger at myself. That's part of learning. Part of growing. And unlike the doctors that Berry describes as intellectually lazy, I am a lifelong student who loves to read and devours books the way some people devour brownies.
Needless to say, the intro was strong, though I should have seen where things were leading. After all I've read enough of these books to know they have the same M.O. Tell people how they've been lied to, deceived and misled by the establishment. Take down the USDA guidelines one recommendation at a time, claiming lack of research and scientific support. Throw in some villains like the inept Big Government, greedy Big Pharma, evil Big Food, and irresponsible Big You Fill in the Blank. Then set the record straight without giving a shred of evidence to support your claims, which actually happens to be exactly what you've just criticized and chastised the establishment for doing. Offer up your own personal success story as irrefutable proof, and hope you throw enough reasonable sounding if not scientifically sound "truisms" at them so that they don't realize you're no better than the villains you're supposed to be fighting.
Here are some examples of the author's flawed logic:
Author claims that milk is not good for us because we are the only animals who consume another animal's milk.
Clearly, this is a flawed argument. I mean, surely he realizes that we are the only animals that can harvest another animal's milk. And it's probable, even likely, that a lion who kills a lactating gazelle consumes (and enjoys) her milk as part of the meal.
He also suggests that most people around the world can not properly digest milk. Unfortunately, he provides absolutely no evidence to support this claim.
Author claims the USDA dietary guidelines to eat whole grains is not only flawed but flat out wrong.
In providing support for his claim the author repeatedly uses "whole wheat" interchangeably with "whole grains," which is confusing and somewhat conflates the argument. Wheat is just one type of grain that we consume today that has recently received a lot of attention thanks to gluten, a protein contained in wheat that some people should probably avoid.
Interestingly, my daughter has Celiac disease and must avoid gluten, but that does not mean that she should avoid all whole grains.
Another point the author makes is just because whole grains may not be as bad for us as processed grains, that doesn't mean that they are good for us. And he is right, just because something isn't bad for us, doesn't mean it is good for us and certainly doesn't mean there isn't something better for us. But when discussing diet, we need to look at the overall content of the diet, the nutrient density of the foods, and the variety, balance, palatability, and sustainability of a diet. Just because we've only been eating grains for the past 10,000 years, doesn't mean we can't or shouldn't eat them. And just because some people don't tolerate gluten, doesn't mean that everyone needs to avoid it.
Again, he seems to be making a claim that just isn't supported by any meaningful research. This is not to say that what he is saying is wrong, only that the claim lacks the scientific basis that he insists we should have before making dietary recommendations.
He repeatedly criticizes the cherry pickers as he goes about picking his own brand of cherries.
He attacks the food pyramid, claiming that if anyone/anything is responsible for the obesity epidemic it is the USDA and their dietary guidelines.
Honestly, in one sense he's right. The USDA dietary guidelines are the culmination of input from scientists around the world that ultimately gets watered down by special interest groups like the Dairy Council and the Pharmaceutical Industry, etc. because not only does the government have a responsibility to protect the interests of individual citizens, it also has the responsibility to protect and promote American industry. So is it any surprise that the guidelines don't necessarily represent the best science we have?
That said, my experience is despite all their failings, the original guidelines really weren't all that bad. It has also been my experience that very few people followed them.
For example, I happened to be a Nutritional Sciences major in the 80s. The recommendation was not to avoid fat as the author insinuates...the recommendation was to limit fat to 30% of your total calories, with less than 10% of your total calories coming from saturated fat. We were also taught that for most of the population, cholesterol in the diet was not an issue as the body makes cholesterol, but that people with elevated levels might need to avoid it in their diets. The guidelines also suggested that about 60% of calories should come from carbs (and at least half should be from complex sources) including fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, lentils, legumes. The remaining 20% should come from lean meats and include 2 servings a week of fish. 2 servings of dairy was recommended and it was suggested that we should limit salt to under 2300 mg...although we were taught that for those who didn't already have high blood pressure, salt in the diet probably wasn't a huge issue.
I mean seriously???? This isn't all that crazy.
But you can't have a book like this without a villain, so there you go. Ironically, he warns about mistaking an association with causation. Just because weight has been steadily increasing since the introduction of the guidelines, doesn't mean that the guidelines are to blame...especially if no one was following them. And no one did. Like so much of the science, the guidelines were bent and molded (sometimes aggressively so into something unrecognizable) to suit the needs of all the someones trying to sell us their somethings.
He claims that hormone replacement therapy is not only safe but ideal.
I don't know enough about this topic to agree or disagree. It's something I'd like to learn more about. I have read that some of the studies that associated negative health outcomes with estrogen replacement were done on estrogens that weren't biologically identical, as he points out.
He briefly discusses the microbiome and blames the overprescribing of antibiotics for damaging it.
In some respects, he's probably right. But I also don't think it was part of some conspiracy. I just don't think we realized that there was a negative side to taking antibiotics, and now that we do, most doctors are responding appropriately.
He says we should use as much salt as we want.
I tend to agree with him. Unfortunately, I think the initial concerns regarding salt intake was more directed toward those who already had high blood pressure. At some point, the recommendation got taken out of context and ultimately bastardized.
He claims that the medical community is responsible for the lie that all calories are equal.
Once again, he feels the need to identify a villain. I'm not sure the medical community ever agreed that all calories are equal, though I think that many people (doctors also being people) ultimately developed that impression. Part of the problem is that when it comes to nutrition, the public isn't getting educated by the experts, people who actually study nutrition, but by doctors who don't really know that much about nutrition and by special interests that have ulterior motives. (I dated a physician for several years while in PT school and he laughed when he told me that the nutrition advice he gave his patients came from his mother.) Sounds about right.
He claims that hypothyroidism is underdiagnosed because doctors rely only on TSH levels for a diagnosis.
Actually, my experience is that most doctors do a TSH along with T4, but I think he's right in that many doctors simply look at ranges and no longer correlate blood tests with physical findings and patient complaints. I have some personal experience here. In my twenties, I suffered from cold intolerance, severe constipation, and fatigue. I was young, fit, and not exactly what you think of when you picture hypothyroidism. And so I suffered until my gynecologist, who was examining my neck, asked if I had been tired and constipated lately, and I about fell off the table. Apparently, my thyroid was enlarged, a key physical finding. So I went to my primary care who did the blood tests. Both my TSH and T4 were in the range but at opposite ends. He told me my thyroid was fine despite the fact that I had extreme cold intolerance, severe constipation, fatigue and had started to lose the outer third of my eyebrows (another classic physical finding) and an enlarged thyroid. Clearly he was not a good doctor.
I ended up going to a specialist, an endocrinologist, who actually correlated my symptoms with my blood work and prescribed treatment. I have been fine for the past 2.5 decades, no thanks to my doctor.
I have a client right now who fits the hypothyroidism profile. She is overweight and can not lose weight despite following a healthy diet. Her blood tests are normal but on the outer ranges with a high TSH and a low T4. She also has mildly elevated fasting blood sugar at 100. She also complains of feeling tired all the time...and she's in her 40s. I suspect that her thyroid is petering out...or that she has Hashimotos. Of course, because her labs are technically normal her doctor says she is fine. Which would not be so bad, if her doctor were doing additional testing to determine the cause of her symptoms.
So, yeah. He makes a point. Doctors need to be able to put the pieces together and not simply depend on lab tests and normal ranges to make a diagnosis. Unfortunately, in a managed care setting, doctors have become more dependent on labs.
He makes a big stink about vitamin D and needing more, much, much more.
Anyone who has been in the nutrition field for any significant period of time understands it is always good to be skeptical when some new "super vitamin" comes out. In the '80s it was the antioxidants Vitamin A, C and E. In the '90s it was fish oil. Come 2000 it was vitamin D.
Talk about jumping on a band wagon. Not only does the author suggest that we all need vitamin D supplements, he also suggests without evidence that our blood range should be much higher than the established safe minimum range, but offers no basis for how he arrived at that number.
Interestingly, if you follow this sort of thing, you'll know that the vitamin D craze has lost steam, and there are many studies now questioning the role of vitamin D supplementation as well as its long term safety.
He claims that we need to stop slathering on the sun screen and start soaking up the sun.
Ironically, given sufficient exposure to the sun, our skin can make vitamin D. So maybe if we got more sun, this whole vitamin D think would never have started. Truthfully, I've long been skeptical of the call to avoid the sun at all costs, though I understand the concerns regarding skin cancer based on what we've been told. The author, however, claims that sun exposure isn't the problem. It's our diet. According to him, the quality of our skin is impacted by our poor diets and it is our diet that is making skin cancer more prevalent, not a hole in the ozone.
I'll admit, I find this idea intriguing, partly because I've always had a hard time believing a little sun was detrimental. I kind of want to believe what he says is true, although I'd have to read more on the topic to have an informed opinion.
He claims fiber is bad.
Ah, I can't even respond here as I think he wants so badly validate his new found love affair with keto, that he'll go anywhere his new love takes him. I think there is a lot of science that would refute this whole section. Period.
He claims that not only is red meat not bad for us, but neither are processed meats like bacon and sausage.
So, I might be willing to hear him out on red meat as I don't think that red is innately bad, though it's also not innately good. It's a food that provides certain nutrients that might be good and might be bad depending on the context of the diet and the person's health. But bacon? Seriously, you want me to believe that processed meats like lunch meat, bologna, sausage, spam for God's sake are not only not bad for me but good for me. NOPE. NADA. Me thinks somebody needs to do a PubMed search and soon. This is a classic example of cognitive dissonance and one of the things that irks me most about the Keto enthusiasts. It's almost like a religion where people will go to any length to explain away any inconsistency because delegitimizing one aspect of the religion tends to bring the entire religion itself into question.
In conclusion
I agree with the author, clinicians are often decades behind the science. I also agree that we are giving our profession away to alternative medicine. Somewhere along the way, we forgot that medicine is an art as much as a science...partly because the science is everchanging. I also wish that more doctors and clinicians were more open-minded. It's possible to remain skeptical but still willing to hear alternative ideas.
I also agree that the best clinicians are the ones that continue to read and learn. The ones that challenge themselves and are willing to be wrong so that they can be right.
Unfortunately, I think this particular doctor has parked his car in the keto garage and in doing so has stymied his own intellectual growth when it comes to matters of nutrition as it relates to health. His logic and his arguments are often as flawed if not more flawed than the ones he's supposedly debunking.
Ultimately, I think that this doctor in trying to jump outside the box has simply landed in another box, a different box (maybe a slightly better box, maybe not), but a box all the same. Bacon...??? Seriously?
Needless to say, the intro was strong, though I should have seen where things were leading. After all I've read enough of these books to know they have the same M.O. Tell people how they've been lied to, deceived and misled by the establishment. Take down the USDA guidelines one recommendation at a time, claiming lack of research and scientific support. Throw in some villains like the inept Big Government, greedy Big Pharma, evil Big Food, and irresponsible Big You Fill in the Blank. Then set the record straight without giving a shred of evidence to support your claims, which actually happens to be exactly what you've just criticized and chastised the establishment for doing. Offer up your own personal success story as irrefutable proof, and hope you throw enough reasonable sounding if not scientifically sound "truisms" at them so that they don't realize you're no better than the villains you're supposed to be fighting.
Here are some examples of the author's flawed logic:
Author claims that milk is not good for us because we are the only animals who consume another animal's milk.
Clearly, this is a flawed argument. I mean, surely he realizes that we are the only animals that can harvest another animal's milk. And it's probable, even likely, that a lion who kills a lactating gazelle consumes (and enjoys) her milk as part of the meal.
He also suggests that most people around the world can not properly digest milk. Unfortunately, he provides absolutely no evidence to support this claim.
Author claims the USDA dietary guidelines to eat whole grains is not only flawed but flat out wrong.
In providing support for his claim the author repeatedly uses "whole wheat" interchangeably with "whole grains," which is confusing and somewhat conflates the argument. Wheat is just one type of grain that we consume today that has recently received a lot of attention thanks to gluten, a protein contained in wheat that some people should probably avoid.
Interestingly, my daughter has Celiac disease and must avoid gluten, but that does not mean that she should avoid all whole grains.
Another point the author makes is just because whole grains may not be as bad for us as processed grains, that doesn't mean that they are good for us. And he is right, just because something isn't bad for us, doesn't mean it is good for us and certainly doesn't mean there isn't something better for us. But when discussing diet, we need to look at the overall content of the diet, the nutrient density of the foods, and the variety, balance, palatability, and sustainability of a diet. Just because we've only been eating grains for the past 10,000 years, doesn't mean we can't or shouldn't eat them. And just because some people don't tolerate gluten, doesn't mean that everyone needs to avoid it.
Again, he seems to be making a claim that just isn't supported by any meaningful research. This is not to say that what he is saying is wrong, only that the claim lacks the scientific basis that he insists we should have before making dietary recommendations.
He repeatedly criticizes the cherry pickers as he goes about picking his own brand of cherries.
He attacks the food pyramid, claiming that if anyone/anything is responsible for the obesity epidemic it is the USDA and their dietary guidelines.
Honestly, in one sense he's right. The USDA dietary guidelines are the culmination of input from scientists around the world that ultimately gets watered down by special interest groups like the Dairy Council and the Pharmaceutical Industry, etc. because not only does the government have a responsibility to protect the interests of individual citizens, it also has the responsibility to protect and promote American industry. So is it any surprise that the guidelines don't necessarily represent the best science we have?
That said, my experience is despite all their failings, the original guidelines really weren't all that bad. It has also been my experience that very few people followed them.
For example, I happened to be a Nutritional Sciences major in the 80s. The recommendation was not to avoid fat as the author insinuates...the recommendation was to limit fat to 30% of your total calories, with less than 10% of your total calories coming from saturated fat. We were also taught that for most of the population, cholesterol in the diet was not an issue as the body makes cholesterol, but that people with elevated levels might need to avoid it in their diets. The guidelines also suggested that about 60% of calories should come from carbs (and at least half should be from complex sources) including fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, lentils, legumes. The remaining 20% should come from lean meats and include 2 servings a week of fish. 2 servings of dairy was recommended and it was suggested that we should limit salt to under 2300 mg...although we were taught that for those who didn't already have high blood pressure, salt in the diet probably wasn't a huge issue.
I mean seriously???? This isn't all that crazy.
But you can't have a book like this without a villain, so there you go. Ironically, he warns about mistaking an association with causation. Just because weight has been steadily increasing since the introduction of the guidelines, doesn't mean that the guidelines are to blame...especially if no one was following them. And no one did. Like so much of the science, the guidelines were bent and molded (sometimes aggressively so into something unrecognizable) to suit the needs of all the someones trying to sell us their somethings.
He claims that hormone replacement therapy is not only safe but ideal.
I don't know enough about this topic to agree or disagree. It's something I'd like to learn more about. I have read that some of the studies that associated negative health outcomes with estrogen replacement were done on estrogens that weren't biologically identical, as he points out.
He briefly discusses the microbiome and blames the overprescribing of antibiotics for damaging it.
In some respects, he's probably right. But I also don't think it was part of some conspiracy. I just don't think we realized that there was a negative side to taking antibiotics, and now that we do, most doctors are responding appropriately.
He says we should use as much salt as we want.
I tend to agree with him. Unfortunately, I think the initial concerns regarding salt intake was more directed toward those who already had high blood pressure. At some point, the recommendation got taken out of context and ultimately bastardized.
He claims that the medical community is responsible for the lie that all calories are equal.
Once again, he feels the need to identify a villain. I'm not sure the medical community ever agreed that all calories are equal, though I think that many people (doctors also being people) ultimately developed that impression. Part of the problem is that when it comes to nutrition, the public isn't getting educated by the experts, people who actually study nutrition, but by doctors who don't really know that much about nutrition and by special interests that have ulterior motives. (I dated a physician for several years while in PT school and he laughed when he told me that the nutrition advice he gave his patients came from his mother.) Sounds about right.
He claims that hypothyroidism is underdiagnosed because doctors rely only on TSH levels for a diagnosis.
Actually, my experience is that most doctors do a TSH along with T4, but I think he's right in that many doctors simply look at ranges and no longer correlate blood tests with physical findings and patient complaints. I have some personal experience here. In my twenties, I suffered from cold intolerance, severe constipation, and fatigue. I was young, fit, and not exactly what you think of when you picture hypothyroidism. And so I suffered until my gynecologist, who was examining my neck, asked if I had been tired and constipated lately, and I about fell off the table. Apparently, my thyroid was enlarged, a key physical finding. So I went to my primary care who did the blood tests. Both my TSH and T4 were in the range but at opposite ends. He told me my thyroid was fine despite the fact that I had extreme cold intolerance, severe constipation, fatigue and had started to lose the outer third of my eyebrows (another classic physical finding) and an enlarged thyroid. Clearly he was not a good doctor.
I ended up going to a specialist, an endocrinologist, who actually correlated my symptoms with my blood work and prescribed treatment. I have been fine for the past 2.5 decades, no thanks to my doctor.
I have a client right now who fits the hypothyroidism profile. She is overweight and can not lose weight despite following a healthy diet. Her blood tests are normal but on the outer ranges with a high TSH and a low T4. She also has mildly elevated fasting blood sugar at 100. She also complains of feeling tired all the time...and she's in her 40s. I suspect that her thyroid is petering out...or that she has Hashimotos. Of course, because her labs are technically normal her doctor says she is fine. Which would not be so bad, if her doctor were doing additional testing to determine the cause of her symptoms.
So, yeah. He makes a point. Doctors need to be able to put the pieces together and not simply depend on lab tests and normal ranges to make a diagnosis. Unfortunately, in a managed care setting, doctors have become more dependent on labs.
He makes a big stink about vitamin D and needing more, much, much more.
Anyone who has been in the nutrition field for any significant period of time understands it is always good to be skeptical when some new "super vitamin" comes out. In the '80s it was the antioxidants Vitamin A, C and E. In the '90s it was fish oil. Come 2000 it was vitamin D.
Talk about jumping on a band wagon. Not only does the author suggest that we all need vitamin D supplements, he also suggests without evidence that our blood range should be much higher than the established safe minimum range, but offers no basis for how he arrived at that number.
Interestingly, if you follow this sort of thing, you'll know that the vitamin D craze has lost steam, and there are many studies now questioning the role of vitamin D supplementation as well as its long term safety.
He claims that we need to stop slathering on the sun screen and start soaking up the sun.
Ironically, given sufficient exposure to the sun, our skin can make vitamin D. So maybe if we got more sun, this whole vitamin D think would never have started. Truthfully, I've long been skeptical of the call to avoid the sun at all costs, though I understand the concerns regarding skin cancer based on what we've been told. The author, however, claims that sun exposure isn't the problem. It's our diet. According to him, the quality of our skin is impacted by our poor diets and it is our diet that is making skin cancer more prevalent, not a hole in the ozone.
I'll admit, I find this idea intriguing, partly because I've always had a hard time believing a little sun was detrimental. I kind of want to believe what he says is true, although I'd have to read more on the topic to have an informed opinion.
He claims fiber is bad.
Ah, I can't even respond here as I think he wants so badly validate his new found love affair with keto, that he'll go anywhere his new love takes him. I think there is a lot of science that would refute this whole section. Period.
He claims that not only is red meat not bad for us, but neither are processed meats like bacon and sausage.
So, I might be willing to hear him out on red meat as I don't think that red is innately bad, though it's also not innately good. It's a food that provides certain nutrients that might be good and might be bad depending on the context of the diet and the person's health. But bacon? Seriously, you want me to believe that processed meats like lunch meat, bologna, sausage, spam for God's sake are not only not bad for me but good for me. NOPE. NADA. Me thinks somebody needs to do a PubMed search and soon. This is a classic example of cognitive dissonance and one of the things that irks me most about the Keto enthusiasts. It's almost like a religion where people will go to any length to explain away any inconsistency because delegitimizing one aspect of the religion tends to bring the entire religion itself into question.
In conclusion
I agree with the author, clinicians are often decades behind the science. I also agree that we are giving our profession away to alternative medicine. Somewhere along the way, we forgot that medicine is an art as much as a science...partly because the science is everchanging. I also wish that more doctors and clinicians were more open-minded. It's possible to remain skeptical but still willing to hear alternative ideas.
I also agree that the best clinicians are the ones that continue to read and learn. The ones that challenge themselves and are willing to be wrong so that they can be right.
Unfortunately, I think this particular doctor has parked his car in the keto garage and in doing so has stymied his own intellectual growth when it comes to matters of nutrition as it relates to health. His logic and his arguments are often as flawed if not more flawed than the ones he's supposedly debunking.
Ultimately, I think that this doctor in trying to jump outside the box has simply landed in another box, a different box (maybe a slightly better box, maybe not), but a box all the same. Bacon...??? Seriously?
January 1, 2019
The fact that it has such a high rating is terrifying.
The introduction having a section titled "Where are the Works Cited?" and stating "To take charge of your health, you need to learn how to research health topics on your own" screams to me that everything this guy is spouting is complete bull****.
Chapter 19 is titled "God Made the Sun and God Made You" and includes this sentence: "Any time medical science tells you to avoid nature or something natural, your BS-sensor should sound an alarm." Wow.
This is not even to mention him singing the praises of the Paleo diet in basically every chapter.
I haven't read a book this terrible since Fifty Shades of Grey.
The introduction having a section titled "Where are the Works Cited?" and stating "To take charge of your health, you need to learn how to research health topics on your own" screams to me that everything this guy is spouting is complete bull****.
Chapter 19 is titled "God Made the Sun and God Made You" and includes this sentence: "Any time medical science tells you to avoid nature or something natural, your BS-sensor should sound an alarm." Wow.
This is not even to mention him singing the praises of the Paleo diet in basically every chapter.
I haven't read a book this terrible since Fifty Shades of Grey.
December 14, 2018
The only reason I marked this book down a star is just that it's not very "well-written" in the sense of how it would be put together by a professional writer. It's self published, and the author is a practicing physician, not a writer. I've been an RN for 35 years, and trust me--not all physicians are eloquent with the ability to drop two paragraphs of well-crafted words at the drop of a hat, much less a whole books' worth! That doesn't mean that the information they are conveying isn't important. Add to this the fact that I'm known as the spelling and grammar mistress by almost everyone who knows me...yeah, I'm THAT person...it was inevitable that I'd find some things that bugged me. Sorry. LOL
Dr. Berry's information is MOST DEFINITELY important! I am relatively new to the Ketogenic lifestyle. My progression through diet awareness followed a similar path to Dr. Berry's--first Paleo/Primal which I discovered about 6 years ago, then to low-carb Paleo/Primal (following Dr. William Davis's 'Wheat Belly' plan) which had me drop 35 lbs and got me off my diabetes and heart meds. Then I was inspired by another practicing physician, Dr. Annette Bosworth, to stop flirting with Keto and have a committed relationship with it. This was about 2 months ago and I've never felt better!
Dr. Berry's book has a different focus than Dr. Bosworth's. Her story is largely a personal one, focusing on her mother's cancer journey and how following a Keto diet helped her to get through that. Dr. Berry focuses on things that, as an RN, have bothered me for YEARS about the medical profession and the lies they tell their patients. I used to follow the party line and endorse the ADA diet for diabetics. As a diabetic myself since the age of 37 (I'm almost 60 now!) I once counted points and carbs and tried to control things that way. I've long known that a low carb diet is the best tool a diabetic can have, but I just didn't have the full picture and could never manage to sustain it long-term myself. It used to anger me to no end to serve hospitalized diabetics their meal trays following the ADA diet, with potatoes, gravy, starchy vegetables, whole grain buns, fake margarine, a tiny portion of some dried out low fat meat, and sugar-free jello. I was part of the machine dispensing poison in the form of horrible food to these people. I worked on a cardiac unit and had to teach patients to take their statins as ordered, eat low fat foods and lots of grains and fruit even though it sounded wrong to me.
Yet for many years, I was always giving physicians the benefit of the doubt. "This is what they were taught," I would think. "It just takes time for the correct information to trickle down." My own doctor started recommending statins for me from the first time I saw her 12 years ago (despite the fact that my numbers were normal--it's the 'gold standard of care' for diabetics, apparently.) I declined from the first. And yet I still felt she had my best interests at heart. She would cite all the studies that I later found out are bogus and sponsored by some drug company to boost sales. I'm glad I stuck to my guns. I have my annual physical coming up in a month or so and I'm still trying to figure out how I'm going to approach it this year. Do I blast my doc with both barrels of information or smile, nod and continue to do what I'm doing? Don't know yet.
Dr. Berry isn't so gentle with his colleagues who are still spouting this old, erroneous information about diet, drugs and conventional "wisdom" for treating a whole host of chronic diseases. He calls this misinformation they spout outright LIES. He says, and rightly so, that when you go to a doctor, you should be expecting expert advice from someone who is up to date with the latest independent research instead of just spouting the same things they learned in medical school that often have either NO research to back up or old, error-ridden research touted by drug reps.
I loved his image of the overweight doctor who is himself on five different meds for blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol control giving advice to his patients how to get "healthy" like himself. Dr. Berry doesn't pull any punches! Like me, he recognizes that our American "health" care system (more like the "sickness" care system) is broken and fraught with corruption and deceit from the top down. It's a business, designed to make money, and physicians do not have a financial interest in having patients actually care for themselves and get well on their own.
Read this book! The information is important! Try not to cringe at those occasional typos and awkward, clumsy sentences or paragraphs. He's a doctor, not a writer, Jim! LOL But the INFORMATION is vital! Read it.
Dr. Berry's information is MOST DEFINITELY important! I am relatively new to the Ketogenic lifestyle. My progression through diet awareness followed a similar path to Dr. Berry's--first Paleo/Primal which I discovered about 6 years ago, then to low-carb Paleo/Primal (following Dr. William Davis's 'Wheat Belly' plan) which had me drop 35 lbs and got me off my diabetes and heart meds. Then I was inspired by another practicing physician, Dr. Annette Bosworth, to stop flirting with Keto and have a committed relationship with it. This was about 2 months ago and I've never felt better!
Dr. Berry's book has a different focus than Dr. Bosworth's. Her story is largely a personal one, focusing on her mother's cancer journey and how following a Keto diet helped her to get through that. Dr. Berry focuses on things that, as an RN, have bothered me for YEARS about the medical profession and the lies they tell their patients. I used to follow the party line and endorse the ADA diet for diabetics. As a diabetic myself since the age of 37 (I'm almost 60 now!) I once counted points and carbs and tried to control things that way. I've long known that a low carb diet is the best tool a diabetic can have, but I just didn't have the full picture and could never manage to sustain it long-term myself. It used to anger me to no end to serve hospitalized diabetics their meal trays following the ADA diet, with potatoes, gravy, starchy vegetables, whole grain buns, fake margarine, a tiny portion of some dried out low fat meat, and sugar-free jello. I was part of the machine dispensing poison in the form of horrible food to these people. I worked on a cardiac unit and had to teach patients to take their statins as ordered, eat low fat foods and lots of grains and fruit even though it sounded wrong to me.
Yet for many years, I was always giving physicians the benefit of the doubt. "This is what they were taught," I would think. "It just takes time for the correct information to trickle down." My own doctor started recommending statins for me from the first time I saw her 12 years ago (despite the fact that my numbers were normal--it's the 'gold standard of care' for diabetics, apparently.) I declined from the first. And yet I still felt she had my best interests at heart. She would cite all the studies that I later found out are bogus and sponsored by some drug company to boost sales. I'm glad I stuck to my guns. I have my annual physical coming up in a month or so and I'm still trying to figure out how I'm going to approach it this year. Do I blast my doc with both barrels of information or smile, nod and continue to do what I'm doing? Don't know yet.
Dr. Berry isn't so gentle with his colleagues who are still spouting this old, erroneous information about diet, drugs and conventional "wisdom" for treating a whole host of chronic diseases. He calls this misinformation they spout outright LIES. He says, and rightly so, that when you go to a doctor, you should be expecting expert advice from someone who is up to date with the latest independent research instead of just spouting the same things they learned in medical school that often have either NO research to back up or old, error-ridden research touted by drug reps.
I loved his image of the overweight doctor who is himself on five different meds for blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol control giving advice to his patients how to get "healthy" like himself. Dr. Berry doesn't pull any punches! Like me, he recognizes that our American "health" care system (more like the "sickness" care system) is broken and fraught with corruption and deceit from the top down. It's a business, designed to make money, and physicians do not have a financial interest in having patients actually care for themselves and get well on their own.
Read this book! The information is important! Try not to cringe at those occasional typos and awkward, clumsy sentences or paragraphs. He's a doctor, not a writer, Jim! LOL But the INFORMATION is vital! Read it.
December 22, 2018
This is a fantastic book that teaches how the medical paradigm refuses to change their position on health information that is completely backwards, and unhealthy, despite the newest studies and data proving what they are teaching is wrong. People wanting to get their health back need to read this book!
August 10, 2018
This is pretty poorly written, and as much as he pleads for readers to make their doctor show evidence, he doesn't include citations? Why? This reads like a love-letter to the Paleo diet (which is kind of pseudo-scientific itself... I mean, domestication makes it nearly impossible to be truly "Paleo"). His arguments about informing yourself about your health are good ones imo. As someone with a chronic illness, I figured that out the hard way. But, like he says, do your research, even on his book.
March 14, 2019
This book contained a lot of woo, and a few gems. I learned some of the things were true as I looked them up, but not many of those. There's a great deal of appeal to conspiracy theory - and references to BIG-(whatever). In subsequent chapters, he encourages avoiding (vitamin D) supplements, then in the next chapter says they are absolutely necessary. He uses loaded terms like "junk food" - which is effectively meaningless. He appears to ignore the "organic" junk food sold in health food stores - and says that "a company would make very little money telling people to not eat junk food" - but some of these companies are making a fortune on just that!
I bought this book to cover the sorts of lies that physicians regularly tell patients - I've found several in my own experience. Instead, I got some conspiracy theories, and a lot of woo, and to think about "alternatives" - leaving alone the alternative which will be just as effective and save your pocketbook along with your health - which might be to do nothing. I didn't learn more about what I wanted.
In spite of it, there were some segments in the book which are pure gold, which is why I gave it two stars instead of one.
I bought this book to cover the sorts of lies that physicians regularly tell patients - I've found several in my own experience. Instead, I got some conspiracy theories, and a lot of woo, and to think about "alternatives" - leaving alone the alternative which will be just as effective and save your pocketbook along with your health - which might be to do nothing. I didn't learn more about what I wanted.
In spite of it, there were some segments in the book which are pure gold, which is why I gave it two stars instead of one.
May 4, 2019
Opened My Eyes
I have long believed that Big Pharma has been controlling us, lying to us and using us to increase their profits with no regard for our health or safety all to line their pockets. How great to hear a doctor tell it like it really is. Thank you Ken Berry especially for the chapter on cholesterol and the pushing of unnecessary statin drugs that do nothing more than drain our bank accounts.
I have long believed that Big Pharma has been controlling us, lying to us and using us to increase their profits with no regard for our health or safety all to line their pockets. How great to hear a doctor tell it like it really is. Thank you Ken Berry especially for the chapter on cholesterol and the pushing of unnecessary statin drugs that do nothing more than drain our bank accounts.
August 23, 2022
Very good info. I've changed my salt to pink sea salt already, added something to be screened at an upcoming blood test, and *sniff* cutting back on milk--or rather, using cream or half and half instead though I want milk (I like milk ...and I've now learned it was less because it's good for me and more because it's sugary!). Little steps at a time, and I'm much more "armed" when I go to my doctor. I remember one that I KNEW was bad for me, but it's hard to argue against a doctor, right? So that one I simply abandoned and found another, and this book certainly vindicated that decision and now I know what to do in any future doctor head butting sessions. You care about you better than anyone else, don't let anyone convince you otherwise. The book is definitely worth getting from the library and reading through.
December 22, 2018
1 Pointless-Star ★
Lots of talking. This author loves pre-warning me of what this book entails and that I should befriend my doctor, but not really telling me any useful information. It was irritating. The title made me jump to get the book, but I am sadly disappointed.
“The Doctor-Patient relationship should be a partnership.”
Then the book took a drastic turn and became all about boo-hooing the doctor. Poor doctor, you can’t expect him/her to know everything in the medical practice and keep up with all the new medical advances.
-UMM... Why not?
I had to DNF this book after a couple of chapters. It became stupid.
Lots of talking. This author loves pre-warning me of what this book entails and that I should befriend my doctor, but not really telling me any useful information. It was irritating. The title made me jump to get the book, but I am sadly disappointed.
“The Doctor-Patient relationship should be a partnership.”
Then the book took a drastic turn and became all about boo-hooing the doctor. Poor doctor, you can’t expect him/her to know everything in the medical practice and keep up with all the new medical advances.
-UMM... Why not?
I had to DNF this book after a couple of chapters. It became stupid.
October 7, 2019
An irresponsibly written book for someone who has taken the hippocratic oath.
I'm a naturally inquisitive person who loves the study of nutritional science (am currently studying to achieve a level 1 Nutrition certification for no other reason than curiosity). With that in mind, I was extremely curious to see what Dr. Berry had to say. However, very quickly into my read, I noticed a few red flags:
1. FIRST RED FLAG - I began to notice some grammatical errors and even a spelling error or two- I checked to see who the publisher was, and I found that the book was self-published. Meaning it was likely never edited by a professional nor fact checked. I'm all for getting your word out there, though- so I didn't let this deter me.
2. SECOND - BIGGEST RED FLAG - Dr. Berry says, and I quote “to keep the size of this book under control, I have omitted footnotes and lists of works cited….You can use Bing.com..or google.com to search any health topic” I have NEVER read a book which includes medical recommendations that did not include notations for research! That was just crazy and you can bet i followed up and did my research to verify any medical claims...
Dr. Berry makes a case for a few things:
1. Eating Saturated Fat and or animal fat (cholesterol) is not unhealthy (and having high cholesterol is not detrimental to your health)
2. Statins are not helpful and probably hurtful
3. Grains are more fattening and unhealthy than saturated fats
4. Dairy is bad for you and causes inflammation
I decided to take Dr. Berry’s advice and do a little research on these important topics to see if I could find accredited studies (from universities and other unbiased sources) that would corroborate these claims. Instead I found the following:
Higher Cholesterol through Egg consumption linked directly to heart disease:
The findings - Among US adults, higher consumption of dietary cholesterol or eggs was significantly associated with higher risk of incident CVD and all-cause mortality in a dose-response manner- aka the more cholesterol you eat, the more likely you will have Cardiovascular disease and die. my link text
Statins Reduce Death from Coronary Artery Disease by 28% in Men According to Longest Study Ever Conducted:
The findings: After studying mortality over a 20-year period, researchers led by Professor Kausik Ray at Imperial College London showed that 40mg daily of pravastatin, a relatively weak type of statin, reduced deaths from heart disease in participants by more than a quarter. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...
While I don’t have a study to repudiate the claim that Grains are more fattening- I will use simple logic on Dr. Berry’s argument which is “If meat was more fattening than grains, farmers would use it to fatten up their cows instead of corn.” This one is just silly...
a) Meat costs about 10x the cost of grains per calorie- which means that meat eating cows would be some FANCY ASS COWS. http://i.imgur.com/wV3DiTX.png
b) In the 1980s, Farmers DID feed cows animal flesh (the leftover flesh of butchered cows), and while it did help to fatten them up, it caused the Mad Cow Disease epidemic, so they kind of decided to move away from that approach. (Wise).
Impact of Dairy Products on Biomarkers of Inflammation Show Negative Correlation: The findings- consumption of dairy products is inversely associated with low-grade systemic inflammation – read: Not only does milk not cause inflammation, but dairy products have been shown to reduce inflammation! (This one even surprised me!). https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article...
I’ve gotta admit, I almost never drink milk and I don’t think that conventional milk products (or whey protein) are especially good for you. I believe that the antibiotics and hormones used to stimulate cows to produce more milk will work its way through in the milk and create issues over the long term. However, I do eat a good deal of yogurt because of the research I’ve read supporting the value of fermented products, the probiotics and reduced sugar from the fermentation process, and the protein and fat combination found in organic yogurts. I wouldn’t start drinking gallons of milk based on what I’ve learned from the study linked above, but it has made me feel more confident about my choice to eat yogurt regularly.
One more study from Harvard which shows that a study which followed over 120k men and women for 20 years found that yogurt consumption appeared to protect from weight gain due to the colonic bacterial from the yogurt. (It may also protect against heart disease and type 2 diabetes. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritio...
I found these medical studies after researching only the first 60-70% of this book- at this point, I had written off Dr. Berry as a bit of a medical hack who wants to make money off of the fact that people are confused about nutrition and will likely trust him enough not to do their own research.
From my studies, I can say this- there are a few claims within Dr. Berry's work that make sense (though not necessarily because of any big pharma conspiracy theories or stubborn medical professionals). There are others that don't align with medical evidence and it's important for people to know this. Ultimately, nutrition shouldn't be that complicated. Follow these principles and you'll be way ahead of most Americans:
- Eat whole foods. (produce, whole grains- in their whole form- so think boiled quinoa, not whole-wheat bread)
- Avoid processed foods. (yes, sorry this includes bacon and cured meats)
- Drink alcohol in moderation or not at all.
- Drink lots of water
- Indulge occasionally and responsibly.
If you're looking for a RESEARCH BACKED book that does an amazing job of outlining a healthy way to eat and live- check out The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest
Don't waste your time with this book (and be careful about recommending it if you've read it already).
I'm a naturally inquisitive person who loves the study of nutritional science (am currently studying to achieve a level 1 Nutrition certification for no other reason than curiosity). With that in mind, I was extremely curious to see what Dr. Berry had to say. However, very quickly into my read, I noticed a few red flags:
1. FIRST RED FLAG - I began to notice some grammatical errors and even a spelling error or two- I checked to see who the publisher was, and I found that the book was self-published. Meaning it was likely never edited by a professional nor fact checked. I'm all for getting your word out there, though- so I didn't let this deter me.
2. SECOND - BIGGEST RED FLAG - Dr. Berry says, and I quote “to keep the size of this book under control, I have omitted footnotes and lists of works cited….You can use Bing.com..or google.com to search any health topic” I have NEVER read a book which includes medical recommendations that did not include notations for research! That was just crazy and you can bet i followed up and did my research to verify any medical claims...
Dr. Berry makes a case for a few things:
1. Eating Saturated Fat and or animal fat (cholesterol) is not unhealthy (and having high cholesterol is not detrimental to your health)
2. Statins are not helpful and probably hurtful
3. Grains are more fattening and unhealthy than saturated fats
4. Dairy is bad for you and causes inflammation
I decided to take Dr. Berry’s advice and do a little research on these important topics to see if I could find accredited studies (from universities and other unbiased sources) that would corroborate these claims. Instead I found the following:
Higher Cholesterol through Egg consumption linked directly to heart disease:
The findings - Among US adults, higher consumption of dietary cholesterol or eggs was significantly associated with higher risk of incident CVD and all-cause mortality in a dose-response manner- aka the more cholesterol you eat, the more likely you will have Cardiovascular disease and die. my link text
Statins Reduce Death from Coronary Artery Disease by 28% in Men According to Longest Study Ever Conducted:
The findings: After studying mortality over a 20-year period, researchers led by Professor Kausik Ray at Imperial College London showed that 40mg daily of pravastatin, a relatively weak type of statin, reduced deaths from heart disease in participants by more than a quarter. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...
While I don’t have a study to repudiate the claim that Grains are more fattening- I will use simple logic on Dr. Berry’s argument which is “If meat was more fattening than grains, farmers would use it to fatten up their cows instead of corn.” This one is just silly...
a) Meat costs about 10x the cost of grains per calorie- which means that meat eating cows would be some FANCY ASS COWS. http://i.imgur.com/wV3DiTX.png
b) In the 1980s, Farmers DID feed cows animal flesh (the leftover flesh of butchered cows), and while it did help to fatten them up, it caused the Mad Cow Disease epidemic, so they kind of decided to move away from that approach. (Wise).
Impact of Dairy Products on Biomarkers of Inflammation Show Negative Correlation: The findings- consumption of dairy products is inversely associated with low-grade systemic inflammation – read: Not only does milk not cause inflammation, but dairy products have been shown to reduce inflammation! (This one even surprised me!). https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article...
I’ve gotta admit, I almost never drink milk and I don’t think that conventional milk products (or whey protein) are especially good for you. I believe that the antibiotics and hormones used to stimulate cows to produce more milk will work its way through in the milk and create issues over the long term. However, I do eat a good deal of yogurt because of the research I’ve read supporting the value of fermented products, the probiotics and reduced sugar from the fermentation process, and the protein and fat combination found in organic yogurts. I wouldn’t start drinking gallons of milk based on what I’ve learned from the study linked above, but it has made me feel more confident about my choice to eat yogurt regularly.
One more study from Harvard which shows that a study which followed over 120k men and women for 20 years found that yogurt consumption appeared to protect from weight gain due to the colonic bacterial from the yogurt. (It may also protect against heart disease and type 2 diabetes. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritio...
I found these medical studies after researching only the first 60-70% of this book- at this point, I had written off Dr. Berry as a bit of a medical hack who wants to make money off of the fact that people are confused about nutrition and will likely trust him enough not to do their own research.
From my studies, I can say this- there are a few claims within Dr. Berry's work that make sense (though not necessarily because of any big pharma conspiracy theories or stubborn medical professionals). There are others that don't align with medical evidence and it's important for people to know this. Ultimately, nutrition shouldn't be that complicated. Follow these principles and you'll be way ahead of most Americans:
- Eat whole foods. (produce, whole grains- in their whole form- so think boiled quinoa, not whole-wheat bread)
- Avoid processed foods. (yes, sorry this includes bacon and cured meats)
- Drink alcohol in moderation or not at all.
- Drink lots of water
- Indulge occasionally and responsibly.
If you're looking for a RESEARCH BACKED book that does an amazing job of outlining a healthy way to eat and live- check out The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest
Don't waste your time with this book (and be careful about recommending it if you've read it already).
January 29, 2019
Ever read a book that makes you immediately want to go out and buy copies for all of your friends? This is one of those books. A quick and informative read, Dr. Berry explores all the "current thinking" behind some of the worst and most egregious "errors" made by doctors and nutritionists in the past fifty years. My takeaways: fat, butter, salt and cholesterol are good, sugar and grains are bad, no other species on the planet drinks the milk of another species, and doctors can be just as bad as other people at repeating "common knowledge" that turns out to be dead wrong. Is it all true? Who knows. Dr. Berry's point is that, before you take something as gospel, do the research and see what information lies behind the "studies" and "findings" that people parrot back to you.
March 17, 2022
There are so many doctors, nurses, nutritionists etc in these reviews panning this book's content in ways that clearly contradict the actual, real world, lived experiences of people who eat contrary to popular advice with immense success. Thanks, I prefer to believe the person who came off their medication, reversed a diagnosis for a chronic disease or two, and who dropped half their body weight without ever feeling hungry, over the person whose income depends on health ideals being hard to understand, achieve or maintain without their professional intervention. (Yes, I mean my own experiences, but by all means... you keep following the status quo even though that didn't work the first 15 times.)
Yes, the writing is lack lustre and the language colloquial. Yes, it's simplified down to a startling extent to be understandable to the masses and leaves out all the scary science and sources and footnotes the rest of us prefer to see. Yes, listening to what he says will absolutely reverse your health. Pick 2 of his YouTube videos set a few years apart and realise he's reverse-aging and that he might therefore know a thing or two. As a book it's 1-star quality, but the 5 star content saves lives because it’s meant to prompt the layman into asking questions, into being an advocate for their own health probably for the first time ever.
Yes, the writing is lack lustre and the language colloquial. Yes, it's simplified down to a startling extent to be understandable to the masses and leaves out all the scary science and sources and footnotes the rest of us prefer to see. Yes, listening to what he says will absolutely reverse your health. Pick 2 of his YouTube videos set a few years apart and realise he's reverse-aging and that he might therefore know a thing or two. As a book it's 1-star quality, but the 5 star content saves lives because it’s meant to prompt the layman into asking questions, into being an advocate for their own health probably for the first time ever.
March 9, 2020
Even though I was a little disappointed that Dr. Berry wasn't the narrator, it was still enjoyable.
Dr. Berry is a family medical practitioner that has changed the way he practices family medicine. After years of following textbook medicine the way he was taught, he looked back at his own personal health and saw that he was not practicing what he preached. Given that medical school teaches so little about proper nutrition he embarked on his own journey for optimizing health.
What I liked most about his book is that each chapter goes through a myth and then he refers you to read other books that go into depth about the myths that we have been taught.
Does salt give you high blood pressure? Does cholesterol increase your risk of cardiovascular disease?
Eat a piece of bread or oatmeal and test your blood glucose 2 hours later. Your glucose spike will make you second guess what you have thought was optimal nutrition.
I recommend this book to everyone that is curious about nutrition and optimizing their health.
Dr. Berry is a family medical practitioner that has changed the way he practices family medicine. After years of following textbook medicine the way he was taught, he looked back at his own personal health and saw that he was not practicing what he preached. Given that medical school teaches so little about proper nutrition he embarked on his own journey for optimizing health.
What I liked most about his book is that each chapter goes through a myth and then he refers you to read other books that go into depth about the myths that we have been taught.
Does salt give you high blood pressure? Does cholesterol increase your risk of cardiovascular disease?
Eat a piece of bread or oatmeal and test your blood glucose 2 hours later. Your glucose spike will make you second guess what you have thought was optimal nutrition.
I recommend this book to everyone that is curious about nutrition and optimizing their health.
August 28, 2018
A small, easy-to-read book with nuggets of myth-busting medical information that will help in your decisions for a better health! Get this book instead of searching the internet because the internet still provides incorrect medical advice.
The author is a doctor who woke up one day to take action to provide better remedy to his patients instead of blindly following the bidding of capitalist, profit-making interests of the big pharmaceutical industries and government food and drug regulatory bodies. He decided to educate himself by reading books and scrutinise medical research papers, discovering how poorly-designed research methods became unquestionable truths for decades at the expense of the public's health.
This book is not just for people who want to lose weight and live a healthy life but also for doctors and any health-care providers to regain the reputation of western modern medicine.
The last chapter offers some good advice on how to improve a doctors' medical practice.
The author is a doctor who woke up one day to take action to provide better remedy to his patients instead of blindly following the bidding of capitalist, profit-making interests of the big pharmaceutical industries and government food and drug regulatory bodies. He decided to educate himself by reading books and scrutinise medical research papers, discovering how poorly-designed research methods became unquestionable truths for decades at the expense of the public's health.
This book is not just for people who want to lose weight and live a healthy life but also for doctors and any health-care providers to regain the reputation of western modern medicine.
The last chapter offers some good advice on how to improve a doctors' medical practice.
April 18, 2021
DNF
I borrowed this from my local library and am glad that I didn’t waste money on it. I was disappointed that Dr Berry was making claims with little evidence to support his arguments. Nowhere does he say that he is a practicing Keto practitioner, which I felt made him as bad as the medical practitioners that he was criticizing. At least there should have been some disclosure somewhere that this was his personal belief especially as much of what he advocates in his book follows these dietary guidelines. I don’t have an issue with people being on these diets (Keto and Paleo), but it is not my choice and I resent the lack of disclosure.
In his book Dr Berry discusses a range of mainly diet related issues but has little evidence to back up his claims. There is no bibliography, and while admittedly he does include articles or books that he has found useful, that is not enough to be able to support his claims. I understand that this is not a medical book as such, but without including all of his research it does weaken his arguments.
Again and again, he makes claims such as that 80% of the population can’t tolerate dairy products, but does not back this up with data. When he does include any data, it is sketchy and no details are given on: how the data was gathered; who gathered it; when was the data collected; and most importantly was it peer reviewed. In act he does exactly what he accuses the medical profession of doing, that is just presenting arguments that support his point of view. He makes arguments that are closely linked with Keto, but which examined do not stand up. An example is when he states that ancestors ate the highest fat food first, but there is little to support this. If you consider that most early societies were hunter/gatherer, then this makes sense as the hunt would have used up significant energy resources and the high fat content would have quickly recharges that. He also neglects to mention that it was the daily gathering of food (fruit, roots, grasses etc.) by mostly women and young children that kept the tribes alive. Hunting was a daily activity. However, we have such a different way of life that we can not compare ourselves to these ancestors.
All in all, it was a big disappointment. I was expecting more on the actual mis information that doctors either knowing or unknowingly give us, not a series of biased opinions with very little data to support the arguments.
I borrowed this from my local library and am glad that I didn’t waste money on it. I was disappointed that Dr Berry was making claims with little evidence to support his arguments. Nowhere does he say that he is a practicing Keto practitioner, which I felt made him as bad as the medical practitioners that he was criticizing. At least there should have been some disclosure somewhere that this was his personal belief especially as much of what he advocates in his book follows these dietary guidelines. I don’t have an issue with people being on these diets (Keto and Paleo), but it is not my choice and I resent the lack of disclosure.
In his book Dr Berry discusses a range of mainly diet related issues but has little evidence to back up his claims. There is no bibliography, and while admittedly he does include articles or books that he has found useful, that is not enough to be able to support his claims. I understand that this is not a medical book as such, but without including all of his research it does weaken his arguments.
Again and again, he makes claims such as that 80% of the population can’t tolerate dairy products, but does not back this up with data. When he does include any data, it is sketchy and no details are given on: how the data was gathered; who gathered it; when was the data collected; and most importantly was it peer reviewed. In act he does exactly what he accuses the medical profession of doing, that is just presenting arguments that support his point of view. He makes arguments that are closely linked with Keto, but which examined do not stand up. An example is when he states that ancestors ate the highest fat food first, but there is little to support this. If you consider that most early societies were hunter/gatherer, then this makes sense as the hunt would have used up significant energy resources and the high fat content would have quickly recharges that. He also neglects to mention that it was the daily gathering of food (fruit, roots, grasses etc.) by mostly women and young children that kept the tribes alive. Hunting was a daily activity. However, we have such a different way of life that we can not compare ourselves to these ancestors.
All in all, it was a big disappointment. I was expecting more on the actual mis information that doctors either knowing or unknowingly give us, not a series of biased opinions with very little data to support the arguments.
April 8, 2018
This was a short, easy, worthwhile read, particularly for anyone who has had problems reconciling their doctor's advice with real world results in their own health and well-being. He tries hard not to vilify doctors, but explains how it's difficult for any person to keep up with all of the latest medical research while also seeing patients, running a practice, and just generally trying to live life. He also points out how difficult it can be, as a doctor, to go against any of the conventional medical "wisdom" or practices that permeate the field.
Each subject is addressed in a simple, straight-forward way. I'd be comfortable recommending it to my 90 year old grandmother (for whom science/medicine/technology is synonymous with "wizardry"). He provides secondary resources for further information on each of the "myths" and encourages people to continue reading and researching for themselves, rather than just taking his word for it.
He also encourages people to work respectfully, and develop a partnership, with their health care providers, but admits that some doctors simply won't welcome change. At that point, it becomes the responsibility of the individual to find a doctor that they can work with. There's even a section directed straight at medical students and doctors, encouraging them to try harder to keep informed and to not be afraid to question standard conventions that don't help their patients.
Each subject is addressed in a simple, straight-forward way. I'd be comfortable recommending it to my 90 year old grandmother (for whom science/medicine/technology is synonymous with "wizardry"). He provides secondary resources for further information on each of the "myths" and encourages people to continue reading and researching for themselves, rather than just taking his word for it.
He also encourages people to work respectfully, and develop a partnership, with their health care providers, but admits that some doctors simply won't welcome change. At that point, it becomes the responsibility of the individual to find a doctor that they can work with. There's even a section directed straight at medical students and doctors, encouraging them to try harder to keep informed and to not be afraid to question standard conventions that don't help their patients.
January 17, 2020
This is a book about lies. No... Not lies my doctor tells me!
This is a book about the lies THIS doctor (Ken D. Berry) tries to sell us as true!
The first red light came on when the author declared that he would not refer to the scientific literature ... to save space. Space? Why are other authors not saving us this space, but meticulously refer to scientific articles that confirm their claims?
The second red light - advises to read books that should give us more information on the topics. The first of these book is by recognized charlatan and antivaxer. Does the doctor seriously recommend such a book to me?
After the third red light came on, I decided that my time is too precious to read further and only looked at some topics. The author blames as responsible for lies Big-pharma, Big-governement, Big-dairy, but somehow forgets about Big-meet, Big-fat and... what about Big-authors-writing-pseudo-health-books - he is one of them. Because this is big industry too and has a serious influence and guilt for the current boom of pseudoscience and total ignorance.
Interestingly, I agree with most of the author's theories in principle - the fats really aren't that bad, the antibiotics should be restricted... I do not agree to blame doctors, pharmacists, businesses and anyone else, but everything the he writes to be trusted.
Overall - I do not recommend this book to anyone. Society needs knowledge, not pseudoscience and accusations.
This is a book about the lies THIS doctor (Ken D. Berry) tries to sell us as true!
The first red light came on when the author declared that he would not refer to the scientific literature ... to save space. Space? Why are other authors not saving us this space, but meticulously refer to scientific articles that confirm their claims?
The second red light - advises to read books that should give us more information on the topics. The first of these book is by recognized charlatan and antivaxer. Does the doctor seriously recommend such a book to me?
After the third red light came on, I decided that my time is too precious to read further and only looked at some topics. The author blames as responsible for lies Big-pharma, Big-governement, Big-dairy, but somehow forgets about Big-meet, Big-fat and... what about Big-authors-writing-pseudo-health-books - he is one of them. Because this is big industry too and has a serious influence and guilt for the current boom of pseudoscience and total ignorance.
Interestingly, I agree with most of the author's theories in principle - the fats really aren't that bad, the antibiotics should be restricted... I do not agree to blame doctors, pharmacists, businesses and anyone else, but everything the he writes to be trusted.
Overall - I do not recommend this book to anyone. Society needs knowledge, not pseudoscience and accusations.
February 14, 2021
This isn't a hate on your doctor kind of book. He discusses how doctors are human, often overworked, do what's easy like the rest of us and make mistakes. He says he knows this because, he used to be just like that. He wants us to be partners with our doctor when it comes to our health. Most of the lies he covers are nutrition related. He starts with the lie, why you should care, the common sense, support for the lie, do as he does and homework. He doesn't go into huge detail about the lack of research behind the lies he tells you where to do your own research in the homework. I listened to this book on audible. I thought the way it was laid out was great to be listened to.
July 28, 2024
I work in Healthcare and agree with 95% of this book. Education is the key for patients and doctors. Never stop learning.
April 23, 2022
I'm not quite sure how I feel about this one yet. I heard this author in an interview on a podcast. He was very personable, funny and he had a great story to tell about his own health journey. Being a doctor himself and looking at this own need for weight loss, he was able to "wake up" and see that the advice he had been dispensing regarding weight loss to patients was ineffective.
In this interview, I think he practiced the carnivore diet. It helped him and it has helped the sickest of his patients.
Now this book: I didn't like the tone. I felt like I was being talked to like I was in Kindergarten and the high school teacher showed up to teach algebra. It was off-putting.
He also made wide blanket statements with no references cited. His mantra seemed to be, "do your own research." He'd also make negative statements about doctors in general and then defend them in the next breath. I don't think any of that was necessary. That "aww shucks" routine was wearing very thin. So anyways, I didn't enjoy this one. I liked his interview so much better. He had a big personality and I only caught glimpses of that in this book. So 2 stars.
In this interview, I think he practiced the carnivore diet. It helped him and it has helped the sickest of his patients.
Now this book: I didn't like the tone. I felt like I was being talked to like I was in Kindergarten and the high school teacher showed up to teach algebra. It was off-putting.
He also made wide blanket statements with no references cited. His mantra seemed to be, "do your own research." He'd also make negative statements about doctors in general and then defend them in the next breath. I don't think any of that was necessary. That "aww shucks" routine was wearing very thin. So anyways, I didn't enjoy this one. I liked his interview so much better. He had a big personality and I only caught glimpses of that in this book. So 2 stars.
August 20, 2021
Thank you!
I'm always sceptical when a book claims to 'help' you. I've read numerous self help books to lose weight and lost my patience instead. If I had the privilege to meet Dr. Berry in person, I'd hug the stuffin' out of him. I'll explain why why. Since I was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia at age 20, my doctors, constantly picked on my weight. At the time, I was about 189 pounds. Taking chemotherapy (orally) and being sick because I couldn't afford anti-sickness medication, I literally lost weight from throwing up. I hated that. So. I stopped eating. For three months. The doctors never questioned how I lost the weight. They were just tickled pink that I did what was asked of me. 120 pounds later, I found myself in the hospital. I nearly died from overdosing on chemotherapy. Why? Because I owed money. Sad but true. Now. You are probably asking, 'what does this have to do with your review '?
I think that if I had been under the care of a doctor like this one, I would be in better health. I literally cried while reading about hormones, and weight loss.
A doctor I saw for many years, told me to hit the gym. 2 days after giving birth to my second child. He also told me to walk more, eat less and I'd loose weight. I tried ALL of that. Nothing worked.
I had all but given up hope, until now. Just a few years ago, I was diagnosed with fatty liver disease, pre-diabetes, and possibly PCOS. ALL on top of being obese and still fighting CML. I'm going to take Dr. Berry's advice and plead with my endocrinologist to check my hormone levels. Then. I'll try the keto diet. I just hope it's not too late. Thank you so much for your book. It might be a life saver. Mine.
I'm always sceptical when a book claims to 'help' you. I've read numerous self help books to lose weight and lost my patience instead. If I had the privilege to meet Dr. Berry in person, I'd hug the stuffin' out of him. I'll explain why why. Since I was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia at age 20, my doctors, constantly picked on my weight. At the time, I was about 189 pounds. Taking chemotherapy (orally) and being sick because I couldn't afford anti-sickness medication, I literally lost weight from throwing up. I hated that. So. I stopped eating. For three months. The doctors never questioned how I lost the weight. They were just tickled pink that I did what was asked of me. 120 pounds later, I found myself in the hospital. I nearly died from overdosing on chemotherapy. Why? Because I owed money. Sad but true. Now. You are probably asking, 'what does this have to do with your review '?
I think that if I had been under the care of a doctor like this one, I would be in better health. I literally cried while reading about hormones, and weight loss.
A doctor I saw for many years, told me to hit the gym. 2 days after giving birth to my second child. He also told me to walk more, eat less and I'd loose weight. I tried ALL of that. Nothing worked.
I had all but given up hope, until now. Just a few years ago, I was diagnosed with fatty liver disease, pre-diabetes, and possibly PCOS. ALL on top of being obese and still fighting CML. I'm going to take Dr. Berry's advice and plead with my endocrinologist to check my hormone levels. Then. I'll try the keto diet. I just hope it's not too late. Thank you so much for your book. It might be a life saver. Mine.
February 26, 2019
I have just finished this book after watching some of Dr Berry's youtube videos. I have found that I really enjoy his videos. I love that he is not a regular doctor that just wants to prescribe drugs and make crap loads of money off it. Instead, he tries to tell you you don't have to spend a ton of money on drugs, processed food (crap) and to not blindly listen.
Yes, I agree there were a couple spelling or grammer errors in his book, but it does not harm the message in the least. I don't know of a single book I have read where there wasn't at least a couple errors, so for the people that gave less stars for that, I gave FULL stars for the message. I don't think a couple the the's deserved a star loss because the information in this book is very eye opening.
I will continue to listen, and learn from Dr Berry as well as read and research on my own any of the subjects I find interesting.
I recommend this book, and his videos if you want to start learning that doctors are human and can make mistakes and that at least some of the responsibility should be on you. Your doctor has tons of patients, probably most with totally different ailments so to be able to keep 100% up to date on everything just doesn't seem reasonable. Yes, they should educate themselves as much as possible, but they are not gods.
Yes, I agree there were a couple spelling or grammer errors in his book, but it does not harm the message in the least. I don't know of a single book I have read where there wasn't at least a couple errors, so for the people that gave less stars for that, I gave FULL stars for the message. I don't think a couple the the's deserved a star loss because the information in this book is very eye opening.
I will continue to listen, and learn from Dr Berry as well as read and research on my own any of the subjects I find interesting.
I recommend this book, and his videos if you want to start learning that doctors are human and can make mistakes and that at least some of the responsibility should be on you. Your doctor has tons of patients, probably most with totally different ailments so to be able to keep 100% up to date on everything just doesn't seem reasonable. Yes, they should educate themselves as much as possible, but they are not gods.
October 17, 2020
This is a very straightforward little book, focused on exploding common and dangerous medical myths. And there are a lot of them.
This is self published and the editing is a bit weak...a few typos, a a tacky title and even tackier cover photo. A few of the chapters tell you repeatedly what doesn’t cause a condition, but not what does actually cause it.
The book’s basic premise is that if you do the right things for your body in terms of diet, exercise and sleep, you probably won’t even need a doctor. This sounds basic, but it’s Ken Berry’s statements of what really is actually healthy that is the opposite of what your doc has probably told you.
However...and this is huge...this book is a very brave one. Only a hell of a courageous professional can call out his profession on its shortcomings. And boy, there are a lot of them.
I have no idea how many medics have read this book, or maybe it just flies under the radar, but it provides a very interesting peek into the medical industry. The last chapter, written to medics of all levels of experience from those still in school on up to the pending retiree, is a very direct and eye-opening little glimpse into the profession.
This is self published and the editing is a bit weak...a few typos, a a tacky title and even tackier cover photo. A few of the chapters tell you repeatedly what doesn’t cause a condition, but not what does actually cause it.
The book’s basic premise is that if you do the right things for your body in terms of diet, exercise and sleep, you probably won’t even need a doctor. This sounds basic, but it’s Ken Berry’s statements of what really is actually healthy that is the opposite of what your doc has probably told you.
However...and this is huge...this book is a very brave one. Only a hell of a courageous professional can call out his profession on its shortcomings. And boy, there are a lot of them.
I have no idea how many medics have read this book, or maybe it just flies under the radar, but it provides a very interesting peek into the medical industry. The last chapter, written to medics of all levels of experience from those still in school on up to the pending retiree, is a very direct and eye-opening little glimpse into the profession.
July 1, 2018
I'm probably Dr. Berry's target audience: I'm deeply suspicious of government, medications and the doctors who prescribe them willy-nilly. I whole heartedly believe in the paleo/low carb way of eating and believe the SAD is a huge part of today's medical problems, so he didn't have to try hard to sell me on that.
And for the most part I enjoyed the book, but I did think it was a little shallow, I guess. I suppose for the sake of brevity he had to keep it simple, but some of his points did not feel well backed up or proven with evidence. It's not exactly that I didn't believe him, I just want to have it explained more thoroughly what his evidence was.
And he really lost me on the sun exposure not being damaging. As a fair skinned redhead, you're never going to convince me that I should get out in the sun and start roasting myself when ten minutes in my skin starts to burn. Nope!
And for the most part I enjoyed the book, but I did think it was a little shallow, I guess. I suppose for the sake of brevity he had to keep it simple, but some of his points did not feel well backed up or proven with evidence. It's not exactly that I didn't believe him, I just want to have it explained more thoroughly what his evidence was.
And he really lost me on the sun exposure not being damaging. As a fair skinned redhead, you're never going to convince me that I should get out in the sun and start roasting myself when ten minutes in my skin starts to burn. Nope!
February 28, 2018
Great reading. Major pity about the typos, grammatical, spelling and lexical errors, given that the author is telling us that we should ditch sloppy/lazy doctors. All it would have taken was a careful proof-read. I would also have liked references to the various cited studies. Other than that, good info that encourages us to take back control of our own health and become informed patients and citizens.
September 7, 2019
Great insight FROM a doctor on the severe flaws of the modern medical industry. The vast majority of ailments truly can be managed or cured with the right healthy diet and herbal supplements. We are way overprescribed!!!
The one thing that really bugged me was the terrible grammar and spelling. I would expect much better from a doctor.
The one thing that really bugged me was the terrible grammar and spelling. I would expect much better from a doctor.
May 8, 2018
Ripping off the title of a good book, this is a mix of superstition and shallow logic. Yes, some of the subjects in this book are far from being as clear cut as the doctors use to put it, still that also means it is unclear if that is a lie.
February 3, 2024
I enjoyed reading this book, Dr Berry’s writing style is easy to follow.
Dr Berry’s writing style and content is easy to follow. I recommend that you read this book and follow up with the recommended reading at the end of the chapters.
Dr Berry’s writing style and content is easy to follow. I recommend that you read this book and follow up with the recommended reading at the end of the chapters.
September 17, 2020
Well formatted easy great with enough depth knowledge and experience to make it fully engaging. Perfect primer to get your health back on track and to continue gathering health wisdom from great minds. Cheers Dr Ken!
May 10, 2023
I'm conflicted about this one.
At the high level, I agree with the overall message the author is looking to convey here, namely that just because someone is a credentialed MD, doesn't mean that they necessarily are the be all and end all authority of all things, and that at the end of the day, since you're the one that has to live in your body, ultimately the buck stops with you when it comes to being responsible for your health, and being willing to challenge thinking that may be out of date. I've even personally experienced this in my ongoing health and fitness journey where in a lot of cases I've actually made more progress by ignoring what my family doctor has suggested. I also come from a low-carb bias, and am a fan of this doctor's videos on YouTube, so I'm about as preaching to the choir as a book like this can get potentially.
That being said, I'm disappointed with some of the methodologies used to present information in the book. For example, the author starts by talking about how common sense is right more often than we might think it is, but then when an example in the book comes up where the common sense disagrees with his point of view, he's quick to discard that notion, only to bring it back again in the very next chapter now that it suits his purposes again.
Similarly, he has a chapter where he's critical of the research linking nitrates and nitrites to cancer (i.e. processed foods like hot dogs and bacon), but then in the next chapter goes on to connect the same processed foods to other problems in one throwaway sentence. So while the previous chapter about nitrates and nitrites might be technically valid, it left me wondering if there was any practical relevance to it, since the same foods apparently cause other problems as well (to be fair he doesn't specifically cite bacon and hot dogs in the subsequent chapter, but uses a blanket term "processed foods" which basically makes it impossible to determine which foods he's talking about). To me, that's a bit of a lie as well, since even though thing x might be true, it won't change your way of behaving if thing y is also true, but he never goes over that aspect of it in the book.
He's also critical of medical review boards existing, but doesn't do anything to address the counter-arguments to that position, namely that while these review boards might have a myopic research approach at times, they also do a lot to standardize patient treatment so that it's not the wild west out there with doctors doing whatever they want - are we really assuming every doctor would be like Dr. Berry and be a lifelong student in those circumstances? I personally think the tendency towards laziness would be exacerbated by a complete lack of medical standards.
I work in software, and we understand that best practices are not necessarily universal, but the solution when you find an exception to a best practice is to implement the exception and add it as a valid edge case to the overall knowledge base, and if you see enough of them, to maybe re-evaluate the correctness of the best practice, but not to throw out the entire methodology of establishing best practices. This was a super one-sided presentation of the argument that made it sound like these standards are completely useless, which is ironic in a book accusing others of lying.
My takeaway from this at a high level is not so much that doctors are going around purposefully lying to their patients, but that medical science is extremely difficult to conduct in an ethical and comprehensive manner, and is also subject to outside monetary influences. Given that, everyone (patients and doctors) has a responsibility to not turn their brains off and do some more critical thinking when it comes to health decisions. But I'd apply that to Dr. Berry as well with all respect, and while there's a lot in this book I agree with and have personally found is true for myself as well through trial-and-error, I definitely think he falls short of his own standard set in the book with this one.
Still, for anyone skeptical of advice they may have been given by a doctor, or for anyone that's been blamed by their doctor for their own problems (i.e. failing to lose weight) with no real explanation on why, this is a good one to check out! There's a lot of chapters that I thought were great and on point.
At the high level, I agree with the overall message the author is looking to convey here, namely that just because someone is a credentialed MD, doesn't mean that they necessarily are the be all and end all authority of all things, and that at the end of the day, since you're the one that has to live in your body, ultimately the buck stops with you when it comes to being responsible for your health, and being willing to challenge thinking that may be out of date. I've even personally experienced this in my ongoing health and fitness journey where in a lot of cases I've actually made more progress by ignoring what my family doctor has suggested. I also come from a low-carb bias, and am a fan of this doctor's videos on YouTube, so I'm about as preaching to the choir as a book like this can get potentially.
That being said, I'm disappointed with some of the methodologies used to present information in the book. For example, the author starts by talking about how common sense is right more often than we might think it is, but then when an example in the book comes up where the common sense disagrees with his point of view, he's quick to discard that notion, only to bring it back again in the very next chapter now that it suits his purposes again.
Similarly, he has a chapter where he's critical of the research linking nitrates and nitrites to cancer (i.e. processed foods like hot dogs and bacon), but then in the next chapter goes on to connect the same processed foods to other problems in one throwaway sentence. So while the previous chapter about nitrates and nitrites might be technically valid, it left me wondering if there was any practical relevance to it, since the same foods apparently cause other problems as well (to be fair he doesn't specifically cite bacon and hot dogs in the subsequent chapter, but uses a blanket term "processed foods" which basically makes it impossible to determine which foods he's talking about). To me, that's a bit of a lie as well, since even though thing x might be true, it won't change your way of behaving if thing y is also true, but he never goes over that aspect of it in the book.
He's also critical of medical review boards existing, but doesn't do anything to address the counter-arguments to that position, namely that while these review boards might have a myopic research approach at times, they also do a lot to standardize patient treatment so that it's not the wild west out there with doctors doing whatever they want - are we really assuming every doctor would be like Dr. Berry and be a lifelong student in those circumstances? I personally think the tendency towards laziness would be exacerbated by a complete lack of medical standards.
I work in software, and we understand that best practices are not necessarily universal, but the solution when you find an exception to a best practice is to implement the exception and add it as a valid edge case to the overall knowledge base, and if you see enough of them, to maybe re-evaluate the correctness of the best practice, but not to throw out the entire methodology of establishing best practices. This was a super one-sided presentation of the argument that made it sound like these standards are completely useless, which is ironic in a book accusing others of lying.
My takeaway from this at a high level is not so much that doctors are going around purposefully lying to their patients, but that medical science is extremely difficult to conduct in an ethical and comprehensive manner, and is also subject to outside monetary influences. Given that, everyone (patients and doctors) has a responsibility to not turn their brains off and do some more critical thinking when it comes to health decisions. But I'd apply that to Dr. Berry as well with all respect, and while there's a lot in this book I agree with and have personally found is true for myself as well through trial-and-error, I definitely think he falls short of his own standard set in the book with this one.
Still, for anyone skeptical of advice they may have been given by a doctor, or for anyone that's been blamed by their doctor for their own problems (i.e. failing to lose weight) with no real explanation on why, this is a good one to check out! There's a lot of chapters that I thought were great and on point.
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