Built to Survive: A Comprehensive Guide to the Medical Use of Anabolic Therapies, Nutrition and Exercise for HIV+ Men and Women - Softcover

Michael Mooney; Nelson Vergel

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0983773998 ISBN 13: 9780983773993

Publisher: Milestones Publishing, 2026

Synopsis

In 1993, Nelson Vergel was losing weight to AIDS wasting. He had already watched friends die from it. Using the research he could find, he built a program of nutrition, resistance exercise and anabolic therapy that helped him gain 45 pounds of muscle. He then founded the Program for Wellness Restoration (PoWeR) to teach others how to do the same.

In Los Angeles, researcher and journalist Michael Mooney had reached many of the same conclusions on his own while helping HIV-positive friends. The two joined forces. Built to Survive collects what they learned.

The book focuses on HIV-associated wasting, the loss of lean body mass that threatens survival. It also covers lipodystrophy, the abnormal shift of body fat seen in many people taking HIV medications, along with facial wasting and mitochondrial damage.

What you will learn:

• How testosterone and anabolic steroids work, and what the first placebo-controlled steroid study found
• How to prevent and manage side effects, with a chapter that separates rumor from reality
• The PoWeR anabolic hormone guidelines, plus a comparison table of anabolic steroids used in AIDS therapy
• Why bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) matters for tracking body cell mass
• Appetite stimulation options, including Megace, medicinal marijuana and Marinol
• Orthomolecular nutrition, food safety and practical ways to stop diarrhea
• Complementary approaches to lipodystrophy and reconstructive options for facial wasting
• Strategies for managing wasting in children with HIV
• What to do before starting the program, and how to work with your physician
• A simple, effective weight-training method for maximum muscle gains

Who this book is for:

People living with HIV who want to protect or rebuild muscle, and the physicians, dietitians and trainers who work with them.

What readers and experts said:

"Michael Mooney and Nelson Vergel have put together information that has, no doubt, already saved thousands of lives, and has the potential to save many more. Don't lose your body to HIV."
Lark Lands, PhD, Science Editor, POZ Magazine

"Michael Mooney and Nelson Vergel provide HIV(+) individuals with powerful advice on nutrition and hormone strengthening that standard medicine all too often leaves out or doesn't understand."
Jon D. Kaiser, MD, HIV specialist

"After finding myself in the hospital at 125 pounds, and then putting on 60 pounds to regain my health, I can say that the information contained in this book is something all HIV(+) people should know about."
Jeff Taylor, long-term survivor, San Diego

About the authors:

Nelson Vergel, BSChE, MBA, is a former chemical engineer and long-term HIV survivor. He founded PoWeR, served three years as a community representative to the AIDS Clinical Trials Group and opened the Body Positive Wellness Center in Houston. He has also served on NIH and FDA advisory panels.

Michael Mooney was PoWeR's Director of Research and Communications and a contributing editor to Muscle Media. He has written for POZ Magazine, Positively Aware and Ironman.

Together, Mooney and Vergel have given more than 400 presentations across the United States.

Please note: This fourth edition was published in 2012. HIV care has advanced since then, so use this book alongside current guidance from your HIV specialist. It is for educational purposes and does not replace medical advice.

About this title

About the Author

Michael Mooney is a long-time nutritional researcher that is HIV- yet he donated almost six years as Director of Research for HIV+ Nelson Vergel's non-profit HIV/AIDS research and educational organization, Program for Wellness Restoration (PoWeR). Nelson Vergel founded PoWeR, the Body Positive Wellness Clinic in Houston and later authored"Testosterone: A Man's Guide." Both Michael and Nelson are expert speakers about exercise, nutrition,testosterone replacement, metabolism, sexual function, body changes, lean body mass gain and fat loss. Nelson was aided by his chemical engineering degree and an obsession for scientific data. Built To Survive includes the story of Nelson's own personal experience as they demystify numerous testosterone myths, while providing enlightenment about the benefits of using optimum nutrition and other healthy tools for HIV survival and well-being. Nelson has been involved in several clinical studies of supplements, hormones and exercise through his association with the National Institute of Health and private investigators. For the last few dozen years, Michael and Nelson have gone on their own paths, while the both continue to share a passion to help others improve overall health and quality of life. Read more information about Michael at AgeReveralNow dot com and Nelson at nelsonvergel dot com.

From the Back Cover

My wish for anyone using this book as a guide is that he or she realizes how important each component is with respect to HIV care. The components -- diet, nutritional supplements, exercise and anabolic steroids, are like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Each piece, in conjunction with antiretroviral therapy, fits together to maximize the treatment of HIV.

Nelson's and Michael's courage and commitment required to follow through with the dream of publishing this book are exemplary. Hopefully, for those who read and learn and grow from this book, their example will influence these people not to give up and to fight for life.

Shannon Schrader, M.D.
Houston, Texas

From the Inside Flap

The comprehensive scope and treatment of this subject, the obvious expertise of the authors, the interesting anecdotes related by a patient, not only present valuable information in an interesting way, but this book serves as a true foundation for patients willing to fight the fight and for physicians facing the demands of HIV disease that require immense flexibility, tolerance, and an ability to have a true physician/patient relationship.

Patricia D. Salvato, M.D.
Houston, Texas

Edition details

• Publisher: Milestones Publishing
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0983773998
• ISBN 13: 9780983773993
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 179