Dr. Harry OfgangBesprekingen

A simple, but thoughtful read. If you belive that most everything is good in moderation, you'll like this book. We receive so much messaging these days about diet, lifestyle and self care and this is a great way to parse it all out.

I received this book some time ago as a review copy and didn't finish it. I guess that's OK because it's the kind of book that can be read in separate chapters, depending on what subject you would like to explore. None of the subjects is covered in depth, but this is a good introduction to "what's actually good for you."

This book offers an interesting view on what society considers "right" and "wrong" and how it is ok to have things that are often promoted as being bad for you

With a light hand and quick wit, the authors take the reader through several of the traditional “vices” and illustrated why they might actually be good for you!

This was a fun and education read. Nothing ground-breaking, mind you, just light science combined with a few remarks on social and cultural traditions that could use a bit of revamping in our minds. Reading this confirmed what I knew – beer, sex, wine, chocolate, and sleeping in are all healthy (in moderation) for us as humans. The authors are quick to point out moderation as an important part of these ideas, but also point out that depravation of anything is not good for us.

The prose lacks the heavy technical jargon and would be easy to read for the general population, but it has enough science to satisfy any academic. Worth reading, for anyone 12+, and would be suitable as a non-fiction selection for a book club, particular one that serves wine and chocolate!

Note: I received this book free through LibraryThing's Early Review Program in exchange for my fair and honest opinion½

This is a book designed to address commonly held beliefs about what is healthy and what isn't. These days, medical advice comes at us from all sides and many of the things we have been taught by teachers, parents, and even doctors have since been disproven or at least brought into question. Is it possible that some of the foods or activities we've been avoiding from a sort of puritan moral high ground might actually be... not that bad? The author's of this book seem to think so.

I cannot communicate just how disappointed I was to learn that the doctorate of the author is in naturopathy. I was hoping for someone with a little more hard science chops. I like reading about food studies because they are so complicated and so difficult to accurately measure. The authors are not presenting a new study or findings, rather they are reporting generally about a lot of related studies and drawing extremely tentative conclusions about what they mean for our dietary choices.

My disappointment continued as I read through the chapters.

Hurrah, beer is good for you! Sure it is, as long as you don't drink very much! Um, sorry, that isn't really all that unexpected actually. Yeah, one drink a day probably won't hurt you, but who wants to have exactly one beer and then quit? All women should, apparently.

Rejoice, ladies, science says chocolate is health food! Just don't eat very much. And don't eat ANY that's less than 70% cacoa. Okay, that's not shocking! In fact, I'm pretty sure that's what everyone has always thought is healthy. And at the risk of revealing my immature palate, I'd rather eat nothing than extremely high cacao dark chocolate.

Hallelujah! Bread is basically a heaven-sent elixir of eternal nutrition! Just make sure you grind your own (locally sourced) fresh whole grain and make the bread yourself. The more nuts and seeds you add the better! Again, sorry for my philistine taste buds and wish to spend my free time doing something other than laboring like a medieval miller.

Seriously, by the end of the book the author has advised the reader to not only bake their own bread, but make their own pasta, brew their own beer, pickled their own veggies (while maintaining a massive garden for the purpose), as well as harvest and make their own maple syrup. Oh, and of course all mothers should breast feed for a full year, if possible. And whatever you do, make sure you're happy! Laughter is the best medicine! Are these people serious? Sure, I'd love to live on a farm and age my own cheese, but unfortunately, I live in a city and have a job. When I come home, I'm not looking for a laundry list of artisinal food-crafts to fill my remaining hours.

The only chapters that I actually found revelatory were the ones on coffee and napping. These are two things that I engage in with equal passion. I'd never really thought of either of them as unhealthy per se, but I did sometimes feel guilty for napping - something that makes the indulgence all the sweeter. Anyhow, they are both apparently pretty innocuous.

This book offends me in a way that is hard to express. It presents itself as an important work about freedom and happiness. Finally, we shall all be freed of these restrictive diets and complex layers of shame that have prevented us from truly enjoying life! But that's not really what it's about. It's true premise is that everything is healthy, as long as you eat the healthiest possible iteration of that thing. It's true that adults have been telling me all my life that chocolate is bad for me. But that admonition of course never extended to the unsweetened recesses of the organic, fair trade, 90% ultra dark bars that are the candy equivalent of cuckoo's egg. No kid is going to thank you for snatching their Snicker's bar and replacing it with 3 ounces of that bitter trash. Each chapter seems to be delivered with an smug, "you're welcome." No! I refuse to accept this premise. No one in their right mind would consider eating a slice of Scandinavian Rugbrod an endangerment of your health. It's not normal bread! It's basically a seed loaf! Don't have a chapter on how bread is healthy and tell me that by bread you mean strictly the most healthy possible permutations of bread.

I just. This book is a lie. That is all.

Interesting but sounds too simplistic. It sounds like everything is good if it makes you happy. I'd give this book A for effort but I wouldn't recommend it. It would entertain. As per their advice, I will no long re be overly swayed by the latest headline.

A fun and educational book about lifestyle factors on health. It focuses on health impacts of "vices", such as alcohol, sleep, sex, diet, etc. It is written on the basis of examining the results of multiple studies on the subjects and coming up with a recommendation, which is essentially everything in moderation and do things that bring you happiness. As a doctor, I found the book to be helpful to a good amount of people to get a balanced look on health factors without putting in shock factor or other extreme examples. It is a quick and enjoyable read. The authors can be funny sometimes but also sometimes there not, but it keeps the information lighthearted.

I really enjoyed this book by Dr. Harry Ofgang and his ideas of health issues we face today. He believes everything in moderation. Most doctors today want to fix everything with prescription drugs and forget about the good organic things we should eat. Definitely my kind of doctor. I agree with everything he says in his book and look forward to enjoying the simpler things in life and slowing down this fast pace we live in.

A very well balanced look at issues that are currently under heavy discussion regarding health. We are told to avoid certain foods, drinks and activities that actually have very beneficial effects when done in moderation. Some of this was not new, such as the benefit of a little red wine, but some was really surprising! Thoughtful and backed by good research, it is an enjoyable read just because it doesn't recommend completely eliminating things I personally find enjoyable.

Written by a naturopathic doctor and his health journalist son, "The Good Vices" is a book about what "bad" foods and/or habits are actually really good for you, and what "good" foods and/or habits can be potentially harmful for you.

Whether your into the subject of health or not, you've probably heard the old adage "Everything in moderation" , and that is a very frequently used term in this book. Alcohol (beer, wine, spirits), chocolate, fat, sugar, and bread are all healthy for you, in moderation, and especially if they are organic and made in a natural way (not processed). I was especially pleased with Chapter 16 "Get Down and Dirty", which goes over how most people in the Western culture are actually too clean. I've been hearing more about this in the last year or so. The authors encourage us to "play in the dirt" more often and not worry so much about scrubbing our hands raw afterwards. Of course there are exceptions: you really should wash your hands after being somewhere that's industrial-related, or just somewhere where you know there's a host of harmful chemicals present. Or places where there might be an abundance of excrement, like a bathroom or farmyard.

Overall an okay read, very short and easy to digest.

“The Good Vices” by Dr. Harry Ofgang and his son Eric argues that we can feel good about life again. With so many don’t eat this and don’t do that rules exhausting us from countless sources, the Ofgangs show, through numerous references and studies, that in moderation many of these taboos are actually healthy for us. While the references and subjects are clinical in nature, the book was written in an easily readable style and the authors often enliven the prose with bits of humor and interesting quotes. Enjoy life, have fun, use moderation, and read this book for the latest information about “good vices”.

I give the book three stars.

4/18/19

This book discusses having a more positive outlook on life. Rather than over worrying about health and living a rigid lifestyle, controlled by too much health advice. Just spend more time enjoying life, including some of those 'vices', but in moderation.. Easy to read.. I enjoyed this book.

This copy of "The Good Vices: From Beer to Sex, the Surprising Truth About What's Good for You" is an advance uncorrected proof, therefore the quotes and page numbers referenced may not correlate with the final published book. This copy was received as part of a Library Thing giveaway.

The 196 page book is jam-packed with studies, but the reading is never dry. There are quotes by well-known historical characters and Dr. Ofgang and his son also intersperse a sense of humor that keeps the nonfiction contents lively.

I have selected the following facts as reminders to myself. This should act as a spoiler alert to those of you who choose to read the book with a fresh set of eyes. Each reader will undoubtedly be drawn to different aspects of the authors' naturopathic approaches to health.

(p. 44) A fascinating 2014 study found that students who started their school day at 8:30 or later showed better grades, improved attendance, and decreased substance abuse and depression.
(p. 83) Fat is a nutrient that helps with absorption of fat soluble vitamins. (A, D, E, K) Low levels of vitamin D may contribute to IBD, colitis, and Chrohn's.
(p. 84) Full-fat dairy is a healthier diet option than low-fat dairy. Full-fat yogurt's probiotics contribute to gut health.
(p. 92) Celiac disease (gluten intolerance) only affects one percent of the population.
(p 97) FODMAPs=fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, polyols
Apples, milk, ice cream, and onions are included in this group.
(p. 125) Office windows that allow for natural sunlight may contribute to an additional average of forty-six minutes of sleep per night.
(p. 126) Sunlight may contribute to a reduction in symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
(p. 133) The supermarket varieties of fermented foods may not contain the healthy bacteria generated by the traditional varieties of these foods.
(p. 150) Allergies and asthma are reduced in homes where dishes are washed by hand rather that by dishwashers.
(page 151-152) Triclosan and triclocarbon found in soaps, toothpastes, laundry detergents, fabrics, toys, and pacifiers may be harmful.
(p. 157) Improve memory loss with the elderlly by providing incentives for remembering. Nursing home patients may benefit by being given the responsibility for care of plants.
(p. 158) "Extreme grief can precipitate death from a 'broken heart,' . . . ."
(p. 159) Hugs have health benefits. Because they signify emotional support, they have the ability to prevent colds or keep them milder.

Dr. Ofgang and Erik Ofgang have provided a glympse into the most recent developments in personal health care. They dispell many myths. "The Good Vices" is an informative and very worthwhile read.

This book is a fast read that offers a superficial look at an interesting argument: that many so-called vices, be they alcohol, sleep, or fat, are beneficial to physical and mental health when consumed in moderation. There is plenty of evidence to back this up, but unfortunately the Olfgangs never delve into it very deeply, with the result that each of the book's chapters reads like an introduction to an discussion of the facts that never comes. The authors often make claims that they fail to back up with citations, cherry pick evidence (the chapter on sex is particularly execrable), and contradict themselves (e.g. by cautioning readers not to treat the relative statistics in medical studies as absolute statistics...when they themselves treat relative statistics as absolute when citing studies that back up their assertions). It's unfortunate because the authors' message is a good one about which they're clearly enthusiastic, and much evidence to support it exists, but readers will have to go somewhere else to find much of it.