Customer Reviews

The New 8-Week Cholesterol Cure: The Ultimate Program for Preventing Heart Disease

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My dad had a triple-heart bypass at age 44. He bought the original "8 Week Cholesterol Cure" back in the 80s and has been surprisingly healthy ever since. This year (2004) I was diagnosed with hyper-cholesterolemia. However, my cardiologist has said my arteries are clear of any plaque or deposits. Why? Because I read Dad's book about 15 years back and followed a lot of Robert Kowalski's advice regarding diet, excercise, supplements and medical testing. I'll probably never have a bypass or heart attack thanks to this book.

I bought the "New 8-Week Cholesterol Cure" and it's even better. All the latest research is right there, in an easily readable form. Kowalski has a good sense of humor, which is essential when you're talking about such a grim subject. His advice is clear and quite easy to follow. He even tells you what doesn't work, which surprised me. (For example, there's really no good evidence that garlic does much for cholesterol or heart health.)

I also bought 4 other books on heart health and cholesterol, but this is by far the best. I've marked up pages, bought copies for relatives and signed up for Kowalski's newsletter. This is heart health advice you and your family can live with for a looong time. (Thanks Dad!)

-Yours, The Niacin Queen

My dad had a triple-heart bypass at age 44. He bought the original "8 Week Cholesterol Cure" back in the early 80s and has been surprisingly healthy ever since. This year (2004) I was diagnosed with hyper-cholesterolemia. However, my cardiologist has said my arteries are clear of any plaque or deposits. Why? Because I read Dad's book about 20 years back and followed a lot of Robert Kowalski's advice regarding diet, excercise, supplements and medical testing. I'll probably never have a bypass or heart attack thanks to this book.

I bought the "New 8-Week Cholesterol Cure" and it's even better. All the latest research is right there, in an easily readable form. Kowalski has a good sense of humor, which is essential when you're talking about such a grim subject. His advice is clear and quite easy to follow. He even tells you what doesn't work, which surprised me. (For example, there's really no good evidence that garlic does much for cholesterol or heart health.)

I also bought 4 other books on heart health and cholesterol, but this is by far the best. I've marked up pages, bought copies for relatives and signed up for Kowalski's newsletter. This is heart health advice you and your family can live with for a looong time. (Thanks Dad!)

-Yours, The Niacin Queen

I lowered my cholesteral 38 points with this book! It's full of good information (and the miracle muffins are yummy). It's more of an adjustment to the way you eat than a "diet" book so don't be intimidated. You can even enjoy holiday meals with some minor tweaking. A great gift for anyone you know who's struggling with this problem.

Being the same age as the author when he had his first heart attack provided true motivation to follow his advice after getting my test results. After having prescribed Lipitor, my doctor was amazed to learn that I had successfully improved my profiles by 30% and lost 25lbs - by diet alone (without the need for the drugs)! I continue my efforts to add a regular excercise regimen to my program, but even changing my eating habits according to his recommendations has made quite an impact.

After a family member received a bad diagnosis from his doctor we were in the uneviable position of getting his blood pressure and cholesterol down....and fast. We sifted through dozens of books at the library and found this one. It clearly and concisely explains what has to be done (and not done) to reduce cholesterol and get a healthly heart. And it works.

After a family member received a bad diagnosis from his doctor we were in the uneviable position of getting his blood pressure and cholesterol down....and fast. We sifted through dozens of books at the library and found this one. It clearly and concisely explains what has to be done (and not done) to reduce cholesterol and get a healthly heart. And it works.

After a routine physical, my doctor reported that my triglycerides were at 508 and total cholesterol was at 220. I was given 2 months to get the numbers down or go on prescription medication.

This was the first book my wife checked out at the local library. I read it and followed the guidelines on "eating habit modification" (I don't like the word "diet"). I cut out all deep-fried foods, started walking with hand weights at least 3 times a week and started taking 500mg of Niacin daily.

After 8 weeks my lipid profile reflected the results: total cholesterol went to 151 from 220; triglycerides went to 146 from 508. My doctor set the target triglyceride target at 150 to stay off medication.

The other "side" benefit was that I was able to shelve my Ranitidine prescription (heartburn medicine) which I took daily... sometimes twice daily.

Hence, my recommendation to get it, read it and DO IT!

Kowalski deserves 10 stars!

He covers it all -- cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease -- & what to do about it all! And, reading this book feels like an intense talk with an intelligent friend who knows it all from his heart attacks in his 40s -- & who doesn't want me to have to go through the same thing!

After a heart procedure 6 1/2 weeks ago (an angiogram to assess progression of a heart-valve problem), I unexpectedly found myself undergoing an angioplasty, with stent placement -- & resultant heart attack & hospitalization! What a shock!

Two days later, I ordered online recent books from famous research institutes/hospitals on these subjects & read them all thoroughly. However, I don't even glance at those others any more. Kowalski's concise, packed, incredibly-well-researched & documented book of studies/trials/clinical evidence, etc. -- added to his personal research on himself as he went through the process of healing himself -- inspires confidence in his conclusions & recommendations! My copy is highlighted in several colors, with pages turned down to the point where my book is twice as thick!

I'm following his recommendations to the letter -- niacin, pantethine, taking phytosterols when occasionally I eat some cholesterol foods, walking, stress reduction, etc.

This book provides the focus for my new, body-enhancing life! I live by it -- doing everything Kowalski recommends, including ordering the recommended nutrients [which he doesn't profit from!]. It's all working, & I have no doubt that putting all of this information into practice is helping to save my life!

And, today I'm ordering copies for relatives I care about . . .

Been telling everyone about the book.
Lots of information and easy to understand.
Never thought a cholesterol book would be
an enjoyable read. He even makes you want to
get healthy despite the sacrifices.

I've been reading a lot lately about heart disease, and "The New 8-Week Cholesterol Cure" gives a complete run down of how to care for your heart (against cholesterol) and tells you why you're doing it. It also tells you what not to do, either because it's bad for you or because some other advice you may have received is a wive's tale.

In plain, friendly language, Kowalski tells us what causes problems with the heart and how to find out if you're in trouble by asking for certain tests. He explains what these tests mean and what is considered normal/risky/dangerous.

And, of course, he tells us what to do. There is much more to it than eating low fat, Kowalski explains. He tells you what fats you should be eating and what fats not to. He gives other very specific recommendations on what to eat, supplements, and exercise. All of these recommendations are backed up with medical research studies or explanations of why it works. Kowalski gives encouraging statistics and benchmarks on how much people in the past have improved by following certain recommendations.

In my recent flurry of reading up on heart disease, much of what Kowalski has to say is in line with the latest research. There are even a few tips that I hadn't read about before, like a cholesterol-blocking plant sterol and, for those who want beef, special breeds of cattle that produce very low fat beef that is still tender.

Kowalski even makes short recommendations on mental factors that can be heart harmful.

The one pitfall in this book (and the reason why I didn't give it five stars) is the diet recommendations for weight loss. In a rare departure from the rest of the book, I don't think Kowalski supports this chapter is very well by citing medical research or scientific fact. Kowalski recommends a low-carb diet (40 grams or less) and very low calories (850). Forty grams of carbs is about 1-1/2 pieces of bread, and most nutritionists say that eating under 1,200 calories a day puts your body in starvation mode, in which your body slows down metabolism because it thinks you got stranded in the middle of the desert. Carbs are necessary to give energy to your brain. Putting your body in starvation mode means that the body will try and get energy from your muscles, meaning that if you gain weight later you'll have a larger proportion of fat to muscle. While I don't think all low-carb diets are dangerous (carbs, in my opinion, do need to be judiciously controlled), 40 grams a day and 850 calories is a bit extreme. I wouldn't follow the recommendations in this chapter.

However, I wouldn't let this prevent you from buying the book. The rest of "The New 8-Week Cholesterol Cure" is full of wonderful advice to keep the cholesterol monster away.