Once in a while a good title comes along and "Turn Off Fat Genes" is one of those titles that just have to be written about. If you are not familiar with Dr. Neal Barnard's work, he has been writing about how to lose weight on a high carbohydrate diet for at least a decade now.

I'm amazed, as you might be, that his work is not better known. There are a number of advantages to using a high carb diet and as many disadvantages to low carb/ high protein diets.

There is some great research in his books that document ability to lose weight on a high carbohydrate diet, which may also be healthier in long run than ever-popular low carbohydrate diets.

You might think it surprising, as I do, that more people are not using high carb diets to lose weight. You might also conclude that this is solely due to a lack of awareness on part of public.

Turn of Fat Genes, written by Dr. Neal Barnard features over 150 pages of menus and recipes. The recipe and menu section is very comprehensive and you can definitely find recipes that will delight you out of such a large compilation.

Dr. Bernard discusses concept that some of genes that shape and influence us as human beings are themselves subject to influence. The genes that affect taste, appetite and metabolism are subject to influence of foods that we eat.

Not only are they subject to influence, proper use of foods can mean that you don't have to sacrifice and starve yourself of decent nutrition. You can modify your diet, eat perhaps even more frequently and still enjoy weight loss. Does that sound incredible? It is real. You might feel incredulous because masses of people out there have been told that low carb is way to go.

I have been following some of suggestions in one of Dr. Barnard's books and I can tell you that a high carb diet can help you lose weight. Using his suggestions, I can eat a lot of food frequently and I still seem to stay thin.

What are they? Homeopathic remedies are medicines made by homeopathic pharmacies in accordance with processes described in Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of United States and are regulated by FDA. These are not considered supplements. The remedies could be made from plants, minerals, animals or even from chemical drugs, such as penicillin or streptomycin. These substances are then carefully diluted, called potentization, until very little of original substance remains. Because these are very dilute, small doses of medications, and they are available over counter, many people feel they are safe. However, for serious health problems, a person should seek advice of a knowledgeable healthcare professional. If they choose, it could be from one familiar with homeopathic medicine.

Are they effective? The fact that very little of original substance remains, question comes up how can they even be effective. According to homeopaths, this is based on similarities. When a similarity exists, a person is thought to have a hypersensitivity to that substance. Thus, while remedy contains very little, in practical sense, of original material, it still contains essence of substance, or its energy. It’s thought to work by creating a resonance within body that catalyzes it to begin a healing process.

How this works and if it’s effective is very controversial among traditional medical practitioners. To determine if a particular homeopathic drug is effective, experiments, called drug provings, are conducted. In these experiments, researchers administer continual doses of substance to a healthy individual until a reaction to substance is achieved. Once it is known what symptoms a substance causes, then it’s known what symptoms and illnesses it will cure. There have been several systematic reviews of placebo-controlled trails on homeopathy that have reported that its effects seem to be more than just placebo. One observational study found that patients were very satisfied with homeopathic treatments and that both they and their physicians noticed significant improvement. There is also evidence from randomized, controlled trials that homeopathy may be effective for treatment of otitis media in children, muscle soreness after running, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Again, though, I would like to emphasize that it would be wise to consult with a specialist before self-medicating, especially when it comes to children.