Cleveland Clinic Healthy Heart Lifestyle Guide and Cookbook

November 13, 2006
Though they haven't unearthed any groundbreaking information, the authors—along with experts from the heart hospital the U.S. News & World Report
ranks as number one in the U.S.—provide a comprehensive and straightforward heart health manual and recipe collection. The first section is all about lifestyle, covering such topics as risk factors for heart disease, dietary habits and managing stress. Polin and Giedt, specialists at the Cleveland Clinic, provide the recipes, which account for the majority of this volume; they aren't particularly cutting edge, but they're easy and healthy, feature clear nutrition information and generally contain interesting and sometimes intense flavors. Entries such as Grilled Black Sea Bass over Summer Vegetables with Japanese Dressing; Red Snapper Taco with Mango Salsa; Grilled Chicken Breasts with Warm Balsamic Strawberries; Spicy Black Bean Cakes with Cilantro Yogurt could pass muster at most dinner parties. There are even desserts, including a Luscious New York–Style Cheesecake, which is made with low-fat cottage cheese and a sugar substitute, so while it may not taste quite like the real thing, it does give an option for a creamy sweet treat. Tips for stocking a pantry and suggested shortcuts make the idea of heart healthy cooking doable.

December 1, 2006
The Cleveland Clinic has been in the healthy heart business since 1921. This makes two of its specialists, Polin and Giedt (coauthors, "The Joslin Diabetes Gourmet Cookbook"), qualified to write a guide to staying heart-healthy. Here, they encourage healthy eating and lifestyle choices that not only prevent cardiovascular disease but also promote overall health. Though the book is broken into halves, it may be read in any order. The first half, "Lifestyle Guide," covers various aspects of heart health (e.g., risk factors for cardiovascular disease, body weight, exercise) as well as nutritional advice (e.g., a prescription of fiber, fats, protein). Once the reader understands the science and theory of being heart-healthy, the book's second half, "The Cookbook," provides more than 150 recipes incorporating all these new facts and suggestions. Recipes are broken down by meal, and some have icons identifying them as quick to make, great for children, or suitable for serving at occasions. Recommended for all public libraries with either cookbook or consumer health collections as well as for medical libraries with consumer health collections.Rachel M. Minkin, Graduate Theological Union Lib., Berkeley, CA

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.