Recent decades have seen unprecedented advancements in science, medicine, and technology. Many of these innovations have had a great impact on humanity, yet good health remains elusive for many. In Healthy Lifestyle: A Path to Wellness, audiences are led on an informed journey that presents a more mindful path. Bucking the reductionist trend, Gary Bailey’s healthful guide encompasses a holistic approach to total well-being. Whether defining the scope of what health is or offering a simple idea like taking the stairs rather than an elevator, Healthy Lifestyle is sensible from the start, making it easy to see how everything we do can impact our well-being, either in a positive or a negative way.
The eight chapters delve into everything from incorporating a sustainable exercise routine to implementing stress management strategies, empowering readers to improve their own physical, mental, emotional, and social health. “Prioritising self-care is fundamental to cultivating a well-rounded and nourishing way of life.” Sentiments like this help reinforce the idea that health starts from within and contributes to our general satisfaction and happiness. With a wide array of practical tips and attainable goals, Healthy Lifestyle provides many methods that work toward health, but none are passive for readers; all require effort but offer huge personal dividends. Thoughtfully, Gary Bailey includes various suggestions to help us overcome inevitable challenges and barriers. It’s all too easy to get discouraged and give up on a new diet or burn out from an exercise routine, but these tips address common roadblocks before they have a chance to derail our progress.
Rather than an intensive study on any particular aspect of living a healthy lifestyle, this ambitious guide provides a broad overview of many different ideas on health and wellness. For example, the chapter on nutrition touches on the benefits of eating lean meat, but also comments on the advantages of following a plant-based diet. Presenting different approaches offers readers the latitude to make their own decisions on such highly personal matters. However, lengthy previews and conclusions, chronic self-reference, and repetition of many ideas disrupt the flow and hinder the intuitiveness of this guidebook for health. Nevertheless, the recommendations align with current research and stand as appropriate first steps in self-care. Because health is too important to leave up to chance, Healthy Lifestyle: A Path to Wellness is a book that has value for everyone.
