Book Review: Dr. Frank Lipman’s ‘The New Health Rules’
Holistic health can be a complicated matter–when you’re taking your entire vessel into account, there’s a lot to remember. Even for someone that spends much of their time researching and writing about health, it’s a lot to handle. But this book review, “The New Health Rules” by Frank Lipman M.D. and Danielle Claro, lays out the path to optimal holistic health in an uncomplicated manner, plus the pictures are gorgeous.
It all comes down to filling your kitchen with real food, which most of us already hopefully do. But then there are the tips that you might not know. The book talks about the importance of glutamine, if you can’t seem to stave off your sweet tooth. As well, it discusses the importance of eating smaller fish rather than the big ones because you get all of the omega-3 action without the mercury.
And if you’re unsure of how to get all the nutrients that you need in your diet, the book lays out what you need to buy at the grocery store each week to get the most bang for your buck, including dark leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, walnuts, eggs, avocados, and blueberries.
When it comes to movement, the book outlines the best way to stay active. Not surprisingly, yoga is on the list for many of the reasons that I love it. Yoga opens your heart, links the breath to movement, and helps you discover balance. Activity is important throughout the day, meaning you should move for five minutes of every hour.
Then there are those little reminders that you likely know intellectually are helpful, but you may fall short. For example, be unproductive–sometimes it’s important to have nothing to do at all. I struggle with this one because even on days when I’m not writing, I’m cleaning the house, cooking, or running errands. Even when I’m just sitting, I’m either meditating, reading, or watching television. In our society, we place so much value on being productive, but sometimes you can get the most mindfulness out of doing nothing at all. And of course, what you put on your body, is just as important as what you put in it. So the ingredients in personal care products, makeup, and fabric is also important.
Here’s the big takeaway from the book: these are not things you do all at once. Take it one step at a time. First, take a look at your diet, then exercise, then mindfulness, then personal care products, and so on. You can really stress yourself out if you try and do it all at once. But when you’re ready to take real steps toward optimal holistic health, this book is a great resource. I learned a lot just by doing this book review, so it’s definitely worth a read. Just remember, one step at a time.
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Image: Dr. Frank Lipman
