Darin Olien

Fatal Conveniences is one of the few books I considered necessary to buy in hard copy.
I highlighted so much important and helpful information in the e-book that I basically ended up highlighting the whole book. At which point, GR put their foot down and refused to post any of my highlights. Can't blame them.
The meta-research Olien presents is compelling. The DIY steps and advice he provides to reduce the
bioaccumulation of toxic chemicals in your body, your family, your house, your neighborhood, our air, our food, our water, and our earth are helpful, inspiring and do-able.
So, yeah, hard copy purchased. It is an invaluable reference which I will refer to regularly. It is a life changer. For the better.
And Mr. Olien, I hope you will write sequels. I'm sure you have more eye-opening facts and helpful insights and advice to share.
People always ask when faced with seeming insurmountable problems, what can one person do.
He tells you. And it's not that hard - because the author did all the hard work to make it easy for the rest of us. If a lot of individuals act to save their health and this planet, it could actually get done.
Thank you Darin Olien. You're a true hero.… (meer)

I had mixed feelings on this one. On the positive side, this book is clearly a significant step up from your typical diet / fitness book that preaches about "healthy eating" (i.e. low-fat, which has become clear has been a national disaster) and getting in your cardio. The author is quite knowledgeable in many areas related to diet. He does bring up studies referencing some of his claims. All in all, if you followed the advice given in this book, I think you'd end up being quite healthy.
However, the author is also on a vegetarian crusade, it seems. He mentions numerous times how eating meat is bad for you, but precious little evidence is given to support these claims. In fact, he even mentions how he used to consume quite a bit of meat himself and notes that his health during that time was excellent. For those of us who are active and need a fair bit of calories, trying to follow the diet he suggests would be a pain in the rear -- getting enough calories would probably be a chore.
I did particularly appreciate the chapter on acid/alkaline balance. This seemed to be reasonable well grounded in up-to-date science, and essentially provides another reason to ensure you're eating your fruits and vegetables.
All in all, good, but unnecessarily restrictive to us omnivores. If you're a vegetarian (or even vegan?) and looking to optimize your lifestyle, this might be a great book for you.… (meer)