Living Well

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY DEC 3, 2007

When television host Williams was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1999, he started researching the links between food and exercise and health, to discover how he could feel less pain and have more positive energy. He firmly believes that everyone, whether they're suffering a chronic disease or not, should quit eating junk food and start eating more fruits and vegetables and exercising daily. So he's organized a week-by-week program for readers, featuring food and activity diaries to record everything that's eaten, the exercise done each day and a list of specific plans for how to live well. While his basic advice is not surprising, his chef's recipes are curious. Many include an alarming amount of salt, while others painstakingly avoid meat or dairy, like the pasta-free, cheese-free Green Squash Lasagna, even though Williams himself says he's a "flexitarian" who occasionally enjoys a "good juicy cheeseburger." In addition to an illustrated guide to exercising, Williams has packed the book with statements from experts reiterating the health benefits of improved diet and exercise. Williams is a charismatic cheerleader and his book will likely inspire fans but even that may not be enough to sell "Green Drinks" or "salmon right out of the can" for breakfast.