Molecules Of Emotion: The Science Behind Mind-Body Medicine
by Candace B. Pert
Why do we feel the way we feel? How do our thoughts and emotions affect our health? Are our bodies and minds distinct from each other or do they function together as parts of an interconnected system? Candace Pert provides startling and decisive answers to these and other challenging questions that scientists and philosophers have pondered for centuries. Her pioneering research on how the chemicals inside our bodies form a dynamic information network, linking mind and body, is not only provocative, it is revolutionary. By establishing the biomolecular basis for our emotions and explaining these new scientific developments in a clear and accessible way, Pert empowers us to understand ourselves, our feelings, and the connection between our minds and our bodies — body-minds — in ways we could never possibly have imagined before. Molecules of Emotion is a landmark work, full of insight and wisdom and possessing that rare power to change the way we see the world and ourselves.
Click here to buy
Love, Medicine and Miracles: Lessons Learned about Self-Healing
from a Surgeon’s Experience with Exceptional Patients
by Bernie S. Siegel
Siegel, a New Haven surgeon, believes that the power of healing stems from the human mind and will, that his scalpel only buys time against cancer, and that self-love and determination are more important than choice of therapy. His philosophy has caused radical changes in his practice. Siegel recounts many arresting anecdotes: joyous stories of patients who survived against all odds, sad chronicles of those who seemingly gave up and assented to their own deaths. The author’s credentials make this one of the more plausible books on the mind-body connection.
Click here to buy
The IVF Companion: A Personal Organizer for Your IVF Cycle
by Stephanie Fry
Created by a long time IVF patient, The IVF Companion is a guided personal organizer with over 50 pages of calendars, charts, logs and worksheets specially designed to help you prepare for, track and organize all the details of your IVF Cycle so you can have a more positive cycle experience. It tracks responses, results, and progress and helps you prepare emotionally, physically, financially and logistically. It also offers journaling space, covers support resources and complementary therapies all while organizing and storing cycle details in one convenient place. The exterior binder is a discreet, durable and stylish and covered in a rich Chestnut Linen Book Cloth. Its full color, tab divided sections are interchangeable and designed to be customized. The D-Ring Binder opens easily, lays flat and offers plenty of additional space so you can add extra pages and information from your IVF clinic and other providers. The interior pocket provides a place to store business cards, photos and notes. Click here to buy
Healing Mind, Healthy Woman
by Alice D. Domar, Ph.D.
Using the Mind-Body Connection to Manage Stress and Take Control of Your Life. Dr. Alice Domar, who has been described as the “Queen of Fertility,” is the author of this resource that should be on every woman’s bookshelf. Not only does it cover the basics of the mind-body connection and methods we can employ immediately to improve our outlook and health, but it also is full of wonderful stories – examples of real woman overcoming odds and changing their lives. A large portion of the book is dedicated to infertility and the “hidden relationship between fertility and stress,” which is her professional focus through her work with Boston IVF. We did a more throughout book review as well. She is also the author of Conquering Infertility, another excellent resource dedicating exclusively to those trying to conceive.
Change Your Brain, Change Your Body: Use Your Brain to Get and Keep the Body You Have Always Wanted
by Daniel G. Amen
THE KEY TO A BETTER BODY—in shape, energized, and youthful—is a healthy brain. Based on the latest medical research, as well as on Dr. Amen’s two decades of clinical practice at the renowned Amen Clinics, where Dr. Amen and his associates pioneered the use of the most advanced brain imaging technology, Change Your Brain, Change Your Body shows you how to take the very best care of your brain. With fifteen practical, easy-to-implement solutions involving nutritious foods, natural supplements and vitamins, positive-thinking habits, and, when necessary, highly targeted medications, Dr. Amen shows you how to: Reach and maintain your ideal weight/Soothe and smooth your skin at any age/Reduce the stress that can impair your immune system/Sharpen your memory/Increase willpower and eliminate the cravings that keep you from achieving your exercise and diet goals/Enhance sexual desire and performance/Lower your blood pressure without medication/Avoid depression and elevate the enjoyment you take in life’s pleasures. Whether you’re just coming to realize that it’s time to get your body into shape, or are already fit and want to take it to the next level, Change Your Brain, Change Your Body is all you need to start putting the power of the brain-body connection to work for you today. Click here to buy
Mindfulness
by Ellen J. Langer
The mindless following of routine and other automatic behaviors lead to much error, pain and a predetermined course of life, contends Langer, Harvard professor of psychology, in this thought-provoking study in which she “translates” for lay readers the findings of her research, much of it among the elderly. With anecdotes and metaphors, she explains how the mindless–as opposed to the mindful–develop mindsets of categories, associations, habits of thought born of repetition in childhood and throughout schooling. To be mindful, she notes, stressing process over outcome, allows free rein to intuition and creativity, and opens us to new information and perspectives. Langer discusses the negative impact of mindsets on business and social relations, showing special concern for the elderly, who often suffer from learned helplessness and lack of options. Encouraging the application of mindfulness to health, the author affirms that placebos and alternative, mind-based therapies can help patients and addicts move from unhealthy to healthy contexts.
Click here to buy
The Infertility Cure: The Ancient Chinese Wellness Program for Getting Pregnant and Having Healthy Babies
by Randine Lewis
Lewis, a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist, believes infertile couples should turn to Chinese medicine as an alternative to what she considers painful, invasive and time-consuming Western treatments. “Traditional Chinese medicine holds that a woman’s body must be gently nourished and encouraged to bear fruit…. I have found that most hormonal imbalances (which contribute to 40 percent of documented cases of infertility, yet are considered untreatable by conventional Western medicine) respond to Eastern methods of treatment.” In Lewis’s experience, women who have undergone three to six months of the dietary changes, herbs and acupuncture treatments become pregnant with no further effort. Lewis intersperses her somewhat technical examination of the program with anecdotes about her patients, weaving in discussions on diet, herbal supplements, acupuncture, older women and problems related to infertility. Lewis writes well & simplifies many complex concepts, such as the theory that there are four vital substances in the body (Yin, Yang, Qi and Blood), and that they’re likely to be suffering from imbalance caused by energy excess, deficiency or stagnation. She trusts that her view is the solution for all infertile couples. Click here to buy
The Fertile Kitchen Cookbook: Simple Recipes for Optimizing Your Fertility
by Cindy Bailey & Pierre Giauque
Are you one of the millions of couples desperately trying to conceive a baby? Are you aware that diet plays a critical role in fertility? Would you like to unlock the secrets to changing your diet and potentially increasing your chances of success? Co-authors Cindy Bailey and Pierre Giauque–when confronted with Cindy’s medical prognosis of a two percent chance of conceiving a baby on her own–unlocked those secrets to develop a fertility diet that four months later produced a viable pregnancy, and soon after a healthy baby. The Fertile KitchenTM Cookbook includes a variety of simple-to-make tasty dishes that make the diet easy to follow. In this cookbook, the authors share these flavorful recipes, along with the dietary guidelines that helped them succeed. Additional tips and even a section on cooking basics, are included. You will learn: The importance of diet in conception and pregnancy, what foods you can and cannot eat to enhance fertility, how to identify and shop for healthy ingredients and food items, how to prepare the nutritious and fertility-enhancing recipes included. The Fertile KitchenTM doesn’t guarantee success for every couple, but the cookbook does put you on a wholesome, healthful diet that is at the very least good for you. We hope you enjoy it and we wish you success in your fertility endeavors. Click here to buy
Navigating the Land of If: Understanding Infertility and Exploring Your Options
by Melissa Ford
Author of the extremely successful blog Stirrup Queens and Sperm Palace Jesters, Melissa Ford presents readers with a guide for navigating the complex world of infertility. The Land of If got its name not only because “IF” is the abbreviation for “infertility” in the online world, but also because there are so many “ifs” inherent in being here. No stranger to the Land of If herself, Ford shares her hard-earned knowledge and insights, helping couples struggling with infertility understand the lingo, learn the details doctors tend to leave out, and keep their emotional sanity despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Navigating the Land of If gives the nitty-gritty on injections, rejections, biting your tongue during happy parent-to-be conversations, and trying not to cry over baby shower invitations. With chapters that include how-to’s for same-sex couples, and present adoption or remaining child-free as plausible alternatives, Ford tells you exactly what you need to know, from one infertile to another. Click here to buy
