The Source: Unleash Your Natural Energy, Power Up Your Health, and Feel 10 Years Younger

by Woodson Merrell

Book Overview

Now in paperback, launched on Good Morning America and landing on the New York Times Miscellaneous/How-To Extended List at #15 after only one week's sale, The Source has attracted widespread media... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1416568166
• ISBN13: 9781416568162
• Release Date: September 2008
• Publisher: Free Press
• Length: 383 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.2" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

The Source

Who isn't tired these days? How many people do you know who wake up each morning full of energy and continue to be happy and productive all day? Not very many, I'm sure. Stress, fatigue, obesity have become epidemic problems. As a society, we are sleeping less, eating more junk, and getting less exercise. It's no wonder really. Have you ever really thought about what we put into our bodies each day? Look at the labels of the food you consume. Can you even pronounce half of the ingredients? The scary thing is that these lists don't even include information on the pesticides that have been used in the production of these foods or any indication that they have been genetically altered. Not to mention pollution and toxics in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the products we cook our food in. The Source contains a 21 day program that teaches us to be more mindful of what we put into our body each day. The program includes not only nutrition but also methods for detoxification, exercise guidelines, and the importance of stress relief. Unlike most books of this kind, the author also addresses the issues of emotional release and spiritual connection.

Unleash your energy!

Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (11/08) If you feel like you are always tired and lacking energy then "The Source" is a book that you should most definitely read. I am the mother of two preschool age children who are able to run non-stop all day and fully expect me to keep up with them. I thought that this feeling of exhaustion that I often experience just came with the territory. Apparently loss of energy has made the list as being one of the top five complaints to physicians. The numbers would be even higher but it is estimated that "66 percent of people who visit their doctors while experiencing debilitating exhaustion never even mention the problem!" (p. 5) The purpose of "The Source" is to "offer a fresh, unique perspective on the possibility of energy creation that unifies Western medical science with Eastern mind-body and energy practices." The book is written by Woodson Merrell, M.D., "a doctor of internal medicine with a busy private practice, as well as an educator and researcher at both Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and Albert Einstein College of Medicine." (p.6) In the first part of the book, Dr. Merrell offers a convincing explanation as to the link between our thought patterns, stress and the amount of energy that we produce. We are provided with information on how the food we eat produces energy and which foods are the best choices for us to reach our optimum potential. Also addressed are detox, exercise, rest, and spiritual cultivation. There were many interesting ideas touched on in the first section of "The Source." One of my favorites that I have already implemented in my life is the "Power Up! Breath Break" which is a certain way of breathing that I found to be instantly calming. In fact, Dr. Merrell states "If you only do one thing to increase your energy, this breath break would be my choice." (p.39) Part Two of "The Source" outlines the "21-Day Plan for Increasing Your Energy and Feeling 10 Years Younger," a day by day agenda filled with useful tips and ideas such as drinking 8-12 oz of water every couple of hours and establishing a calming bedtime routine. I think that there is something for everyone in this section and even if you don't follow the plan in it's entirety you are sure to benefit from pulling tips for here and there throughout the plan. The last part of the book contains the menus and recipes that go along with the 21-Day plan. This is the area that I would have difficulty in following the plan. "This plan is designed to help everyone transition toward a plant-based diet" (p. 276) and the menus contain such dishes as "Scrambled Tofu with Vegetables" and a "Vegetable Goat Cheese Egg-White Omelet." "The Source" is a very well written and informative book. If you ever feel like you have no energy, I believe that by following the tips recommended in this book you will experience an increase in your energy levels. While I have not yet followed the

Great book!

This book is very well written and has some wonderful ideas. After just one week I feel great and really do have much more energy. I also managed to lose three pounds without trying. Would recommend it to anyone that is feeling tired and run down.

Excellent health resource

I learned a lot reading The Source. I was able to understand complex chemical processes,such as how does the body create energy or how does the liver detox the body, because it's written in an entertaining style. I also liked the fact that it provides suggestions on how to improve your health using both Western as well as alternative medicine principles (so one can chose). As we learn about them, these suggestions are based on extensive research as well as Dr. Merrell's experience with his patients.

What Is The Source of Your Energy?

From: www.BasilAndSpice.com Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom: Creating Physical and Emotional Health and HealingYOU: The Owner's Manual, Updated and Expanded Edition: An Insider's Guide to the Body that Will Make You Healthier and YoungerEmotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ Book Review: The Source--A FirstLook Feature Are you tired of feeling tired? About 75 million of us believe that we feel "extreme fatigue" while at work. An estimated 38% of the workforce really is tired, resulting in $100 billion of healthcare costs. A newly published book, The Source: Unleash Your Natural Energy, Power Up Your Health, and Feel 10 Years Younger (Free Press, Sept 2008), written by Woodson Merrell, M.D.* with Kathleen Merrell*, explains that our bodies aren't designed to be simply energy consumers, but also energy creators. A beneficial book for those on a healing journey and wellness guide for everyone else, The Source helps the reader positively alter his life, become an energy producer--without the caffeine fix, and live a healthier life. Dr. Merrell writes that over the counter solutions to energy loss consumed as coffee, energy drinks, sleeping pills, and alertness drugs, do not address the sources of energy drain and they don't really rejuvenate the inner source of natural energy. Energy loss, he continues, is one of the top five complaints doctors get, yet only 3% of those with fatigue are actually found to have a related health condition. Utilizing recent research, Dr. Merrell presents innovative integrated ideas which he has already put into practice. Often seeing patients who have been seen by a conventional doctor with a prescription pad but had shown no improvement, he has been able to prevent or reverse primary lifestyle problems which begin disease. Dr. Merrell blends into his practice various aspects of foreign cultures views on health, homeopathy, quantum physics, and spirituality. His research has led to the development of the new medical discipline known as Integrative Medicine. In this field, the patient is treated as a whole person, rather than just the disease. Dr. Merrell combines a unique connective approach between the mind, body, heart, and spirit. Part one of The Source generates "Six Ways to Reclaim Your Vitality." Dr. Merrell highlights the links between energy and the mind, food, detoxification, exercise, rest, and the power of connection. This beginning of the book is stocked with research that's written not for a doctor, but in layman's language for the general population to ingest and understand. Ever wake up more tired than when you went to bed? I have. I'll say, "I feel like a semi ran over me in the night." The Source includes within Part 1, a section on sleep. It explains why we sleep, what's happening within the body during the night, and which factors lead to energy draining sleep. Bad sleep causes generally are a result of aging and hormone shifts (for both men and women), stress, sleep ap