When I go to the library, I tend to pick fiction books over nonfiction. My favorite genre is historical fiction. I like a good story. It takes more effort for me to choose nonfiction. Recently I heard about a book written by Casey Means, M.D. and requested it.
In the book, Good Energy, Dr. Means explains why she quit her residency as a surgeon and moved to functional medicine. I understand functional medicine because my daughter has a functional medicine practice.
Dr. Means realized that as a surgeon, following protocols, she was not getting to the root of her patients’ health problems. Patients were increasingly dependent on the medical system. She made an abrupt change. She focused on the metabolism in the body and how to best support it.
In part one of the book, Means explains energy at the cellular level. She encourages the reader to understand the importance of knowing what the body needs to function healthily. She discusses the immune system.
In part two, Means focuses on diet. She explains lab tests and what the values mean. Improvement can be made with diet and lifestyle choices. The typical American diet has problems. To follow all of her principles of a good diet can be overwhelming. I feel like I do a pretty good job, but found some things that I could improve. There were a few items on her list to avoid that I might challenge. I did enjoy the list of micronutrients and their sources. I noticed herbs and berries (included in my diet) that are good anti-oxidant sources.
Other areas of health that are covered in the book: respecting your biological clock, tackling fear and anxiety, developing good habits. Part three provides a plan for making changes. The final section of the book has recipes.
Making changes to diet, sleep habits and lifestyle takes resolve. The effort is worth it in better health, more energy.
Kate’s prompt for the Five Minute Friday writing community is: EFFORT
I’m listening to the audible now. Very informative.