Book Review: The Daniel Plan by Rick WarrenD. Min., Daniel Amen M.D. and Mark Hyman M.D.

I was so excited to get my copy of The Daniel Plan in the mail to review. . .and I was not disappointed when I read it. The Daniel Plan combines the expertise of Rick Warren, Daniel Amen and Mark Hyman to offer a Christian book with a plan that is not only holistic but is one that most people could realistically follow.

I've read several books on the Daniel Fast. . and I've done the Daniel Fast with a friend 3 years running. I know my life has benefited from it. . .but to sustain it long term hasn't been easy. This book makes a basic holistic health plan easy to follow for the long term. While it is not just like the diet Daniel ate in the Bible, this book offers more than a short term diet or partial fast--and it does focus on whole foods like Daniel ate, but not with the same restrictions. I think this book offers something better in its long term plan to live a healthy life for God. I wholeheartedly agree with Rick Warren that we need to honor God with our body and that many of us aren't doing so in our modern society. This book focuses on five areas of life that we need to change to give ourselves total health: faith, food, fitness, focus (brain health) and friends. Advice in The Daniel Plan is backed up with research or the Bible as well as personal testimonials as to life change from following this plan.

The Daniel Plan is written so it is easy for people to understand.  . .and as a bonus, I found the cover to be visually appealing as well as the lay-out of the book, which offers side-bars and headlines in lime green-colored type. As someone who reads health books regularly,The Daniel Plan taught me some new things, refreshed some things I already knew, and I felt challenged to live a better life when I was done. The recipes also look easy to follow. I haven't made one yet but I plan to make the black bean soup first. Baked Broccoli Frittata, No Bake Power Bites, and Savory Oven-Fried Chicken also looked especially good to me. To improve fitness, xxercises are given for 3 levels: those who are just beginning, those who have done some exercise and those who want to train harder.

There are also more helps available to use with The Daniel Plan: a journal, an app, a complete cookbook and a study book with DVD to use with small groups. It would be great if we could all use this book at the start of the year and make lasting changes for a life time. For the Christian reader needing/wanting a holistic health plan, this book offers advice that could be life changing, if the reader applies it.

I received this book from the publisher at no cost. I was not required to write a positive review.