BY MIRIAM E. NELSON, PH.D., KRISTIN R. BAKER, PH.D., AND RONENN ROUBENOFF, M.D., WITH LAWRENCE LINDNER; PERIGEE;

Book review by Judy Bass on CBS site

This highly persuasive book contends that you can significantly ease the emotional and physical pain of arthritis simply by changing your diet and exercising. According to the authors, researchers at Tufts University in Boston and Boston University Medical Center and a health editor, numerous research studies have shown that various foods and nutrients can reduce arthritis pain, but this book is the first time that these findings have been translated into an overall eating plan. The authors’ enthusiastic recommendation of strength training is equally convincing, based as it is on the results of a four-month study involving 46 arthritis sufferers. Half of the participants followed a strength-training regimen; the others were given only emotional support and nutritional guidelines. Bottom line: Those who exercised had a 43 percent decrease in pain along with a 44 percent increase in physical function, while the other group showed no change at all. Along with detailed instructions on how to do basic strength-training exercises at home, the book provides a daily meal plan rich in fruits, vegetables, fish, beans, and soy foods.