The Body Code: A Personal Wellness And Weight Loss Plan At The World Famous Green Valley Spa

One-size-fits-all diets and exercise programs don't work because each of us has unique genetic programming, or a Body Code, that determines our body build and dictates the best food and exercise plans for us, explains Jay Cooper, wellness director of the Green Valley Spa in St. George, Utah. Cooper is a marathon runner, triathlete, and cancer survivor who was given only months to live in 1990--and has been cancer-free for nine years as of the book's publication date. According to Cooper, your Body Code includes your anatomical type (mesomorphic, ectomorphic, endomorphic), which determines how much and what type of movement is best for you; your glandular-metabolic type (thyroidal, adrenal, pituitary, gonadal), which determines what kind of diet is best for you; and energy type (vata, pitta, kapha), which is the "meeting between mind and body." He puts all this together into genetic types he calls Warrior, Nurturer, Communicator, and Visionary. Each type has its own best diet and exercise plan, and he describes each in detail, complete with a progressive movement program and suggested menus for each type. If you've tried diets and exercise regimes that felt wrong or didn't get you to your goals, this book may give you a new perspective and a solution. --Joan Price