Healthy Joints for Life: An Orthopedic Surgeon's Proven Plan to Reduce Pain and Inflammation, Avoid Surgery and Get Moving Again

I am putting my copy of Dr. Richard Diana's "Healthy Joints for Life" on my bookshelf next to Dr. Arthur Agatston's "The South Beach Diet" and Michael Pollan's "In Defense of Food." What I liked and did not expect from Dr. Diana's book is his validation of Agatston's focus on the glycemic index. Yes, I should be paying attention to the glycemic load of foods not only for weight reduction but also for improved joint health. He also echoes Pollan in extolling the virtues of "old style" foods, not food products -- grass fed beef, yogurt, nuts -- all in reasonable quantities.Until I read Dr. Diana's book, I was content with my exercise routine. I was off to the gym or out on walks or hikes or paddles four or five times per week. Based on the arguments Dr. Diana outlined, I recognize that it's time to incorporate more resistance training and more flexibility into my workouts (time to sanitize my old yoga mat).I am less likely to go "all in" for the supplements that Dr. Diana calls out in the book, not because I don't believe in them. Dr. Diana makes a good case for their use. I take an anti-coagulant because of a mechanical heart valve and my physicians have advised me to be quite careful in ingesting things where I am not absolutely certain of their composition. I'll stay with the Omega-3 pill and the multi-vitamin that has served me well for years.I also found that I liked the author of this book. It's clear that he wants to help people feel better and live fuller lives. His use of patient vignettes and personal stories within the chapters was quite effective.

With arthritis in the family, having been a runner through my mid-40s, (OK, a jogger), and having not too long ago passed the halfway mark (i.e., my 50th birthday) this book offered me a wealth of information about staying in good shape for a long time. Author Richard Diana was a professional football player who experienced significant trauma to his knees and body. As an orthopedic surgeon, he regularly treats people with severe arthritis. He wrote this book to share what he's learned about the best way to treat arthritis to maintain healthy joints.Written in terms that a layman can understand, Dr. Diana describes the root causes of arthritis, particularly the role of inflammation. He outlines the basics of inflammation, how joints work and what can go wrong with them, the foods that help or hinder inflammation, the role of supplements, and how exercise helps. He follows this with an eight-week plan to reduce inflammation and reduce pain, providing different approaches for people with mild, moderate, or severe arthritis. The appendix provides more in-depth information about the cell science behind inflammation and pain.I found Dr. Diana's recommendations to be helpful, but not all that surprising. Suggestions about diet and exercise are consistent with many other resources on health. What I found particularly useful were the discussions about the types of food that either cause or reduce inflammation (hint: carbohydrates are not so great). I was surprised by the lengthy list of supplements that Dr. Diana recommends, many but not all of which have strong evidence to support them.This book would be useful to not only people who already have arthritis, but also to anyone who wants to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Even folks who already eat healthily and exercise could glean more tips from this book about what foods to add to their diet and which ones to cut back on. I'm not a big fan of supplements, so I'll withhold judgment on that chapter.

The writers diet works and you can feel it within one to two weeks. It is not an easy diet to follow but the results come quickly and shows you how bad processed food is for you. Especially with an autoimmune/inflammation disease . I like that the writer create shopping lists that are easy to photo shoot and use as a reference on your phone when you go shopping.

As a physician, I found this book to be very practical and very informative. What I liked best about the book is that Dr. Diana is not a zealot. Most of us physicians realize that most patients "cheat" on our recommendations. If you can get a patient to incorporate at least 90% of your suggestions you can have REAL success in altering a person's life. I do not have joint pain. The diet and lifestyle changes that Dr. Diana recommends AND explains, are easy to incorporate into your life.For example, as opposed to saying no beef and no pasta, Dr. Diana recommends grass fed beef and low carb pasta. I had never realized the importance of the glycemic index in your choice of foods. Even as a physician it is sometimes hard to follow ALL the scientific data that is included in the book. However, I would much rather have a book that. Is based on scientific data in peer reviewed journals, than recommendations based on questionable science.I am not convinced as to the utility of supplements but I appreciate having one source to explain in detail a lot of the supplements that you hear and read about. The description of certain exercises is useful for those beginning an exercise program. I like his emphasis on exercising intelligently and that it is better to exercise efficiently than extensively.All in all, a great reference book. I see myself taking the book to the grocery store until the life-style choices become part of my daily routine.

Excellant book

A pleasant surprise.