Book Review: The Spectrum by Dean Ornish, M.D.

I am not one to walk through a book store, head towards the self-improvement section and randomly pick up a book, read the back cover, and deem a book worth reading.  Most of the books I read are based on recommendation from friends, family, or colleagues.  That being said, I am very glad that I ventured down to the cafeteria that one day while working at Mars to hear Dr. Dean Ornish talk about his book, “The Spectrum” and the positive impact one can make on their life by putting his preaching’s into practice.  I am also glad that I stuck around afterwards to talk with Dr. Dean Ornish and get a free signed copy of his book, which I promised him I would read and review, and as many of you have probably realized by now, I am good to my word.

The overall theme of this book is “what you chose to eat, and how you choose to live each day, may make a powerful difference in your health and well-being, and you have a spectrum of choices.” The three spectrums of choices that Dr. Dean Ornish focuses on are the Nutrition Spectrum, the Exercise Spectrum, and the Stress-Management Spectrum, all which are vital components in one’s overall wellness.

I particularly enjoyed this book because each spectrum is well researched and though I don’t understand all the medical terms and throwing fancy names out there means squat to me (for I have no clue who the big wigs are of the medical field), I appreciate in depth explanations that go beyond the fluff of layman’s terms.  I think the most interesting aspect of this book is that it is based around the joy of living and how to make improvements to aid in this joy as opposed to the fear of dying.  In my personal opinion, too many people forget that aspect of life.  People destroy their bodies and have the mindset that “I’m going to die anyways, might as well keep doing what I am doing and enjoy the life I’m living”, however, they don’t realize that the “thing” they are doing is not only killing them, but it is making their daily lives more difficult.  There are many testimonies in this book that epitomizes how a few small changes (or maybe drastic depending on your personal situation) can really change your quality of life.

Not only does this book talk about the importance of making these changes, but it also gives you an approach on how to do it.  The book highlights two different approaches, one focusing around making small gradual changes until you are at the level of health and wellness that you desire; the second approach focuses on making a comprehensive lifestyle change all at once.  The second approach seems a little drastic, but that’s why it is important to figure out what type of person you are; are you the type of person that can make gradual changes overtime and slowly see the effects of those changes; or are you the type of person that gets discouraged if you don’t see effects right away?  If you are the later type, then a complete comprehensive lifestyle change would be a more adequate choice.  There is one example in this book (p. 33) that really hits the point home that giving something up that initially seems painful is quickly forgotten when the benefits far exceed the sacrifice.  The example is from Dr. Dean Ornish’s lectures when he often takes a poll of the audience to see how many people have a child and how hard the lifestyle change was with having a child.  The typical response was that it was hard, there were many sleepless nights and personal sacrifice (putting money away for college as opposed to going on a lavish vacation).  Dr. Ornish than continues to ask how many people have more than one child and asks the question, “Did you forget? Or were you just careless? Or because it was worth it?”.  I find it interesting that people often forget the positives because they focus too much on the negatives, until they are gently reminded of why they made their choice in the first place.  When I read this example I related it to my decision to run a half marathon.  Throughout the training it was a drag.  I was giving up foods and adult beverages that I loved.  I was getting up early to get runs in before work and my Saturdays often focused on running for a majority of the morning.  I was literally running my summer away while the rest of the 20 something population was enjoying beer and BBQs and going on beach vacations.  The reoccurring thought that kept running through my head was “Is this really worth it?”  In one simple answer, YES! It was definitely worth it.  Though I had a lot of support and many people were proud of me, probably the most pride is what I had in myself.  Not only did I exceed my own expectations, but I far exceeded them.  As I crossed that finish line I felt like I was on top of the world and absolutely nothing could bring me down.  It’s when these benefits far exceed the sacrifices that it will keep someone going…just have to remember to keep it up until you can reap the benefits.

The beauty of this book is that it gives you many outlets and starting ideas on how to move towards the healthier side of each of the previously listed spectrums.  This book also highlights many common health problems that the American population is suffering from (high cholesterol, obesity, high blood pressure, Type 2 Diabetes, Cardiovascular disease) and some specific examples on how to improve and even reverse these problems with making a few simple changes.  The second part of this book has recipes and cooking guide lines compiled by Art Smith, which helps with the hardest of the three, the nutrition spectrum.

Overall, I think that everyone who wants to improve the quality of their life should read this book.  I also think that everyone who thinks that they have a pretty darn good quality of life should also read this book because there are helpful tips that everyone can benefit from.  I am the type of person who constantly likes to challenge myself and generally thinks I have a pretty good quality of life.  I feel that of the books I have read thus far, this one has made the most impact and has gotten even me thinking of ways I can improve my “joy of living”.