49. Breakthrough: Eight Steps to Wellness - Suzanne Somers

This was my first Suzanne Somers book (who knew she's written 17?!) ... and since all I really knew of her was from Three's Company and Step by Step, I was relatively impressed.

Somers is a huge proponent of finding ways "to live a long, healthy, energetic life without drugs." This book is a collection of information that Somers has researched based on her experience with breast cancer, as well as interviews with doctors about the "eight steps to wellness": (1) bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT); (2) avoid chemicals and detoxify your body; (3) take nutrition seriously; (4) create a healthy GI tract; (5) avoid pharmaceuticals unless absolutely necessary; (6) supplement your diet; (7) exercise regularly; and (8) get proper sleep.

There are a lot of useful bits of information woven into this book - i.e. about melatonin (an over-the-counter hormone that helps you sleep, which is a much better option than prescription drugs; it also helps fight free radicals); natural ways to cure bladder infections; and why alcohol and caffeine can make it really hard for you to lose weight. But the bulk of it really would be more useful to me in about 10 years. At 25, I don't need to worry about anti-aging stuff like BHRT - and from what I hear, it's also very expensive! Lastly, I felt that the interview style of the book made it about 100 pages longer than it needed to be - there are interviews with different doctors under each heading, and sometimes the things that the doctors say overlap.

The main reason I'd hesitate to recommend this book is because I feel that there's another one out there that says many of the same things but in an easier-to-read style and in fewer pages.