Reading, Writing & Pondering

  An empowering, soul-baring personal account and guide from a two-time cancer survivor and healthcare disrupter that shows anyone how to deal with a frightening medical diagnosis in America today, providing the knowledge necessary to take ownership of personal well-being and maximize the chances for survival. More than twenty-five years ago, Kathryn Giusti was diagnosed with multiple myeloma at age thirty-seven and given three years to live. With a young child, a happy marriage, and a successful career, Giusti had too much to live for. An “impatient patient,” she overcame her fear and got to work, learning to advocate for her own care. This book is the result of all she’s learned about how to get the best outcome from America’s opaque and sometimes impossible-to-navigate healthcare system. Fatal to Fearless  tells the story of how Giusti took on the system and turned it to her advantage not once but twice when she was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ag...

Many people live in some sort of pain every day. Unfortunately, people often don't know what to do to help themselves live a better life either free of pain or with reduced pain. In Living Beyond Pain by Linda S. Mintle and James W. Kribs, the authors guide the reader ways they may reduce or eliminate pain holistically. Living Beyond Pain is co-authored by a psychologist and practicing physician. It is divided in to 3 parts: Understanding Pain, Tools for Pain Management, and Hope and Resilience. Because Opioids are a real problem in the United States, the authors address that subject in the first section. They also share the five most common types of pain. In the second section, the authors address various factors that may be contributing to your pain and discuss various ways to help reduce pain with/or alongside medication. In the last section, the authors offer hope and encourage readers to look for good things around them and maintain a positive mindset amidst the challen...

Electronics are great for many things, but I like to keep track of things on paper. I was excited to receive this Eat Better, Feel Better, Live Better 52-week food journal by Nasima Quresahi so that I can visually see my progress and quickly jot down the information that I want to remember. The Eat Better, Feel Better, Live Better food journal starts out with an introduction that includes healthy tips and helpful advice on using the journal to make it a regular healthy habit. It is also breaks down daily, weekly and monthly goals in to segments to make up the year with a place to write measurements every four weeks and to keep track of what your hopes and goals are. Then each week includes the daily places to write meals and easily keep track of water drank, exercise, feelings, sleep and other brief notes. This journal has some positive quotes and encouragement sprinkled through the pages. I have started using The Eat Better, Feel Better, Live Better Food Journal . I believe it...

Essential oils are everywhere these days. Do you know how to use them safely? The Family Guide to Aromatherapy by Erika Galentin gives a lot of good basic information on how to use essential oils and how to use them safely for your whole family. The Family Guide to Aromatherapy starts with a basic introduction to aromatherapy. Galentin then gives benefits and recipes for those who are pregnant or are in labor with safety precautions especially at this time. She goes through recipes, guidelines and safety precautions for babies, kids, adults, seniors and universal recipes for the whole household. In the second part of the book, Galentin has basic information pages on each of the top thirty essential oils such as clary sage, lavender, tea tree oil and many more. The back of the book includes some basic reference charts for a labor essential oils kit, a quick reference guide for common ailments, a guide with possible prescription drug interactions, and a handy index and recipe guide...

Many times when we are young, we feel invincible. Then as we grow older, we start to feel some health issues beginning. Laura Harris Smith shares her remedies and spiritual prayers for healing whatever may ail you in Get Well Soon . Get Well Soon is divided in to three parts: Part One: Employing Your Spirit and Mind for Bodily Healings. In this section, Smith goes in to great detail to merge the body, mind and spirit for healing. She breaks down verses in the Bible from the original Greek and she shares experiences from her own healing. She also shares her history and what her degree means. Part Two: Blessing and Healing Prayers for Your Whole Body. In this section, Smith gives prayers to pray over every system in the body and prayers for specific issues in the body. Part Three: Get Well, Stay Well. In this smaller, final section of the book, Smith offers advice for how to handle stubborn illnesses that are difficult to treat. She also leaves a benediction at the end of the book ...

As the calendar changes into a new year, many of us make resolutions about having better bodies and better physical health. The New You by Nelson Searcy and Jennifer Dykes Henson is a new book to encourage readers to consider their health from all angles. The New You is divided into 5 parts: Small steps to the New You, Small Steps to Better Physical Health, Small Steps to Better Spiritual Health, Small Steps to better Emotional Health, and Small Steps to Better Mental Health. The authors of this book look at the health of the whole body working together to help a person feel better all the way around. Each section contains a few chapters with tips, advice and personal stories to encourage the reader to improve that area with small steps at a time--instead of biting off too big of chunks to make lasting changes. At the end of many chapters, there is a list of small steps and questions to ask yourself to make changes in your own life. At the end of the book there is a four-month pl...

Are you struggling with negative thoughts, anxiety, or stress? Are you looking for a holistic method to improve your thought life and your health? Dr. Daniel Amen has a plan to help in Feel Better Fast and Make It Last . Feel Better Fast and Make It Last from the "brain doctor"  uses what Dr. Amen calls the BRAIN-XL approach. This is an acronym for the program that Dr. Amen recommends for lasting change. B is for Brain. In this section, Dr. Amen shares both short and long-term techniques for healing your thought life and making lasting changes. R stands for Rational Mind. In this section, Dr. Amen helps readers learn to conquer worry and negativity so they feel happier. Part 3 is the letter A for Attachments where Dr. Amen gives advice for improving relationships and eliminating relationship hurts. I stands for Inspiration and in section 4, Dr. Amen helps readers learn to live with passion and purpose and to avoid depression. N stands for Nourishment. In this section, D...

Every day we get up and we often take life for granted, just living life the best we can without thought to how God wants us to live to be healthy. Living Fit: Make Your Life Count by Pursuing a Healthy You by Ronnie Floyd is written for the Christian who wants to live healthy in all areas of their life. Living Fit focuses on five elements of a healthy life and the book is divided into five sections of four chapters each. They include Living Fit Spiritually, Physically, Relationally, Financially and Emotionally. In each section, Floyd expounds on how to live your best Christian life in each area through the use of Scripture and life examples. I think Living Fit would be a great book for a new Christian. In this book, Floyd gives a lot of advice on living life from the Christian perspective. Floyd is senior pastor of Cross Church in Northwest Arkansas. As a result of his view as a pastor, I think this book is quite heavy on living the Christian life spiritually and less heavy...

With so many older people getting some form of dementia, many of us are concerned about brain health as we age. The Aging Brain by Timothy R. Jennings, MD offers a lot of good information on taking care of our bodies and, ultimately, our brains as we age to give ourselves the best chance at a life without a memory loss disease. Dr. Jennings starts out The Aging Brain by sharing how dementia is personal to his family as he has watched his mother-in-law deal with Alzheimer's disease over the past few years and has seen his wife's concern that she may also face that challenge. Dr. Jennings then shows readers ways that the disease can begin, then progress and many ways to fight off the disease. The Aging Brain is divided into four sections: History and Aging, Oxidative Stress and Aging, Lifestyle and Aging and Pathological Aging. Each section contains several chapters of  solid scientific advice and information that Dr Jennings has collected. I especially like that each ...

I watched my paternal grandfather go through dementia and I know how heartbreaking it is for loved ones. As a result, Defeating Dementia by Richard Furman looked interesting and helpful as someone who doesn't want to follow in my grandfather's footsteps. Dr. Furman has been a vascular surgeon for more than thirty years. He draws on his expertise to write Defeating Dementia. At the same time, he watched his mother-in-law go through dementia so he also writes as one who has witnessed the challenges of the disease in a loved one. Defeating Dementia is divided into four parts: Understanding Dementia, The Aging Process and the Health of Your Arteries, The Risk Factors for Developing Alzheimer's, and Lifestyle Choices for Defeating Dementia. This book is straightforward and written so a layperson can easily understand the process and how to prevent the disease. Throughout the book, he also shares a sidebar of his mother-in-law Mrs. Dell's experience with dementia. I fo...

To really live well and feel good in today's world, we need to look at living better through our body, mind and spirit. Spiritual wellness expert and certified nutritional counselor Laura Harris Smith shares her advice for true health today in The Healthy Living Handbook . The Healthy Living Handbook is divided into three sections with the top ten healthy living habits for your spirit, your mind, and your body. Her advice is primarily practical and designed to help you feel good inside and out. At the end of each chapter, she has a question or two to ask yourself and a prayer to pray before going on to the next chapter. There is a lot of good practical advice on living healthy in The Healthy Living Handbook . I especially like that her advice is holistic and she encourages readers to improve their health through body, mind and spirit. However, I think the spiritual aspect of the book is best for a charismatic Christian reader as she talks about speaking in tongues and bein...

If you have ever been faced with a serious health issue, you may have struggled with our Western health care system and wondered what else would be the most helpful to heal from whatever it is that you are facing. How Healing Works by Wayne Jonas, MD, is an interesting read for those who want to find healing for themselves or for those who are interested in health care in general. Jonas divides this book into three sections: Rethinking Healing, The Dimensions of Healing, and Your Healing Journey. He also includes appendices for additional resources to help on your personal healing journey. Jonas shares a lot of people's case studies throughout the book, including that of his wife. He also shares how he used research to learn how healing works--and how healing can't always be measured but that doesn't mean it won't work. He tells stories of those who were clearly healed in spite of methods that couldn't be quantified. Dr. Jonas initially comes at the research a...

According to Katie Farrell, Nourish is not just another diet or health book. Instead, Nourish shares how readers can pursue better health from three different aspects: spirit, soul and body. Nourish is written by someone who has been there. Farrell shares her own personal story about how she overcame her food struggles with God's help. Her writing shows how how she looks to God for guidance as she writes on page 174, "Instead of thinking about ways to give in to my sinful cravings and desires, I now long to honor God with my body and worship Him with everything I do, think, and say. By no means does this mean that I am perfect or have everything together; in fact, the very reason I am writing this book is that I understand the struggle!" Each chapter offers a part of Farrell's story along with helpful information to improve your own health. At the end of each chapter, she shares a Scripture, reflection questions, prayer and a recipe. Some of the recipes includ...

Sleep eludes many of us at one time or another. What can we do to sleep better? Then we also wonder about the dreams we have when we do sleep, what do they mean? Tzivia Gover writes an interesting interactive book, The Mindful Way to a Good Night's Sleep , that can help readers sleep better and discover what their dreams are trying to say. The Mindful Way to a Good Night's Sleep is divided into three sections: A Good Night's Sleep, Sweet Dreams, and Good Morning. This book has some great quotes on dreamy looking pages, advice on your sleep environment and sleeping, journaling space with some good questions to make you think, great meditation exercises that are truly relaxing, and advice on starting your day off in such a way to have your best day possible. It is a real positive, fun and uplifting book. I would encourage anyone interested in sleeping better and studying their dreams to read The Mindful Way to a Good Night's Sleep . It is fun, interesting reading a...

It seems like many of us end up with one form of arthritis or another by the time we are elderly. Instead of being one of those statistics, this book could help change those odds. Healing Arthritis: A 3-Step Process to Conquering Arthritis Naturally by Dr. Susan Blum, a leading expert in functional medicine, offers a better approach to healing arthritis permanently. Even more inspiring to me, she shares her own personal healing story in this book along with her expertise. I have osteoarthritis in an ankle that I broke when I was in my early 20s. I didn't really feel the arthritis until the last couple of years due to a combination of stress and a tendon tear in the same ankle. I don't want to take a lot of medication so I decided to read Dr. Blum's book to see if I could make a difference naturally. Dr. Blum gives a lot of information in an easy to read format. She first explains the various types of arthritis that one can contract. She also shares stories of real pe...

The Wellness Revelation by Alisa Keeton is more than just a book. It is a book, Bible study, work out program, and healthy-eating plan all rolled into one eight-week journey program. The Wellness Revelation starts with an introduction by with Keeton explaining how she got involved in fitness, how she turned her life over to Christ, and how readers can best use this book. The book could be used with a group, alone or with a trained Revelation Wellness instructor. Each of the eight weeks takes you on a journey of holistic fitness as you renew your mind, body and spirit to better serve God. Each week's study includes the chapter of explanation on the focus of the week, a Bible study, questions to relate to and to help you to better do the program, a prayer and a real-life story of how this program has made a difference to someone. In addition to all of the help and encouragement the book has to offer, there are additional helps available on the corresponding website on line. I ...