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The Program: The Brain-Smart Approach to the Healthiest You: The Life-Changing 12-Week Method

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WHY IS THE PROGRAM DIFFERENT FROM EVERY OTHER HEALTH, DIET, AND FITNESS METHOD? BECAUSE IT WORKS.

Dr. Kelly Traver understands that the human brain resists change. Only when we learn the secrets of how to get our brain to work for us, not against us, can we make healthy, permanent lifestyle changes. She teaches us what those secrets are and shows us how to use them in this mind-expanding and waistline-shrinking system for getting into shape and staying that way.
By combining cutting-edge discoveries in neuroscience with the latest information in medicine, nutrition, and fitness, Dr. Traver developed The Program and initially tested it on her patients, who ranged in age from 20 to 81. Her results were astounding.
• Among those who were overweight, the average weight loss was 19 pounds.
• Among those who were diabetic, 80 percent achieved a reduction in their blood sugars.
• Among those with high blood pressure, 87 percent returned their blood pressure to normal.
• Some 80 percent of the smokers success-fully kicked the habit.

In the course of twelve short weeks, readers can achieve similar success by following Dr. Traver's simple, straightforward instructions for working with the stubbornly change-resistant brain so that it not only accepts new, healthy lifestyle habits but actually embraces them. Google, Target, and Stanford University have already adopted Dr. Traver's system to achieve better health for their employees. You are in the driver's seat of your health. By personalizing The Program's powerful tools you can learn to change your body and your life, simply by understanding and working with your brain.

400 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

19 people are currently reading
79 people want to read

About the author

Kelly Traver

2 books1 follower

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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
Profile Image for Lisa .
180 reviews
March 24, 2010
The first section on "brain science" was really interesting. The rest of the book is the same eat better, exercise more advice you find in most health books.
53 reviews
February 14, 2022
Great work. If you want to learn how to do anything and stick to it this will help - even though it was written for dieting.
Profile Image for Blog on Books.
268 reviews103 followers
July 26, 2010
In recent years, a host of new publications have hit the consumer health sciences market, examining, not the methods by which to maintain a healthier lifestyle, but rather the sources and motivations that lie beneath those methods. Two such recent releases are ‘The Program’ by Kelly Traver, M.D. and ‘Change Your Brain, Change Your Body’ by famed neuroscientist, Dr. Daniel Amen.

Based on years of study of her patients in her Menlo Park, California clinic (and her MDHealth Evolution organization), Traver’s book, ‘The Program: The Brain-Smart Approach to the Healthiest You’ is a 12 week plan for insuring or reclaiming one’s optimal health through what can essentially be described as a behavioral re-wiring of the personal health game-plan emanating from the human brain. Beginning by describing twelve characteristics of the brain (the emotional brain, the rational brain, the adaptable brain, etc…) Traver assembles a self-reliant plan covering topics like mastering stress, maximizing energy, outsmarting heart disease, diminishing diabetes, curing sleep loss, preventing cancer as well as looking at how to age successfully. Throughout her program, Traver’s directives and style are both warm and understandable while allowing the reader to track their progress through easy to monitor progressions. Traver spends ample time discussing both preventative and remedial measures that are based on her own studies as well as widespread medical data. It is a program that has had demonstrably successful results but more importantly, it is presented in a way that could not be easier to follow. Traver’s work is a breakthrough in presentation and therefore highly recommended.
294 reviews
October 19, 2011
Dr. Kelly Traver understands that the human brain resists change. Only when we learn the secrets of how to get our brain to work for us, not against us, can we make healthy, permanent lifestyle changes. She teaches us what those secrets are and shows us how to use them in this mind-expanding and waistline-shrinking system for getting into shape and staying that way.By combining cutting-edge discoveries in neuroscience with the latest information in medicine, nutrition, and fitness, Dr. Traver developed The Program and initially tested it on her patients, who ranged in age from 20 to 81. Her results were astounding.

• Among those who were overweight, the average weight loss was 19 pounds.
• Among those who were diabetic, 80 percent achieved a reduction in their blood sugars.
• Among those with high blood pressure, 87 percent returned their blood pressure to normal.
• Some 80 percent of the smokers success-fully kicked the habit.

In the course of twelve short weeks, readers can achieve similar success by following Dr. Traver's simple, straightforward instructions for working with the stubbornly change-resistant brain so that it not only accepts new, healthy lifestyle habits but actually embraces them. Google, Target, and Stanford University have already adopted Dr. Traver's system to achieve better health for their employees. You are in the driver's seat of your health. By personalizing The Program's powerful tools you can learn to change your body and your life, simply by understanding and working with your brain.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
35 reviews9 followers
June 10, 2010
Based on years of study of her patients in her Menlo Park, California clinic (and her MDHealth Evolution organization), Traver’s book, ‘The Program: The Brain-Smart Approach to the Healthiest You’ is a 12 week plan for insuring or reclaiming one’s optimal health through what can essentially be described as a behavioral re-wiring of the personal health game-plan emanating from the human brain. Beginning by describing twelve characteristics of the brain (the emotional brain, the rational brain, the adaptable brain, etc…) Traver assembles a self-reliant plan covering topics like mastering stress, maximizing energy, outsmarting heart disease, diminishing diabetes, curing sleep loss, preventing cancer as well as looking at how to age successfully. Throughout her program, Traver’s directives and style are both warm and understandable while allowing the reader to track their progress through easy to monitor progressions. Traver spends ample time discussing both preventative and remedial measures that are based on her own studies as well as widespread medical data. It is a program that has had demonstrably successful results but more importantly, it is presented in a way that could not be easier to follow. Traver’s work is a breakthrough in presentation and therefore highly recommended.
Profile Image for elizabeth sawyer.
641 reviews13 followers
July 29, 2016
Have to say the first few chapters just on how the brain works were fascinating & a great reminder of how interconnected our bodies are. Love that this book acknowledges that sometimes willpower & motivation are far more than just effort - they are tied to hormones and brain activity as well! Lots of the chapters are stuff anyone who has read any diet book or health articles will have read before but the approach & style of this book is very cool. There are no recipes, but there are health forms, exercises, and shopping lists/charts for your use/reference throughout book. Would be a great book to keep you fresh & learning as you go on a 12-week program like they suggest, but also feasible to skim & read in one sitting and incorporate their suggestions into another program or effort. Big on goal setting, food log, and other things that connect your brain into the process.
274 reviews3 followers
June 12, 2012
I didn't get right to the end of this book before I took it back to the library, but what I read was pretty good. Nothing earth shattering (the laws of healthy eating don't change from year to year), but I like how she broke everything down into weekly baby steps.
245 reviews19 followers
February 9, 2017
Would be a fun, straight forward textbook for a college health course. I learned most of this stuff then.

I think the program would work. I didn't apply it; I just listened.

I want to integrate the strength training into my exercise.
106 reviews
January 25, 2016
I am reading this book slowly. I really enjoy reading books on health. This book includes health information as it relates to brain research - fascinating. I am always on the lookout for ideas to stay healthy and this book has some great ones.
Profile Image for Kathleen.
16 reviews
January 24, 2011
Very interesting, but there's really so much information and big brain-related words, I am going to have to read it a second time.
Profile Image for Jess Van Dyne-Evans .
306 reviews11 followers
February 4, 2016
The brain science was astounding, well written, and easy to follow. The rest was a thinly cloaked diet book. Ho hum.
Profile Image for Barbara.
545 reviews
May 9, 2012
Interesting collection of topics using the latest research. Not totally about using your brain.
Profile Image for Kylie Henn.
213 reviews5 followers
March 11, 2022
Good information, but a book to read and not listen to for best results.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews

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