Digital ARC provided by author for blog tour in return for an honest review.
All opinions expressed here are solely my own.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Improve your health
today! The Word of Wisdom will teach you principles to help you eat
better, feel better, and change your life. Dr. Scott A. Johnson draws
from the Doctrine and Covenants to help you make correct dietary choices
in a world where convenience food reigns supreme and where chronic
illnesses and degenerative diseases are rampant.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Author Scott A. Johnson spent
most of his childhood in Utah, where he gained a love for creative
writing. Recognizing his potential at a young age, his teachers and
family encouraged him to explore his developing writing talents.
Scott
continued to craft imaginative and original stories through his teenage
years, including original short stories that are beloved by his family.
Scott graduated from college with a doctorate in naturoapthy.
He published his first book, "Nutrition: A Word of Wisdom," in 2009, and
has published more than 225 health and fitness articles in various
online publications.
Scott, his wife and four children reside in
beautiful Utah County where they enjoy the mountains and outdoors. Scott
is regularly asked by his children to share an original story, and he
gladly obliges.
REVIEW
The thing I like the most about this book is the emphasis on the natural world and using what God has provided to keep ourselves as healthy as possible. I also appreciated that the author didn't discount the value that modern medicine does provide, but I agreed with his assessment of the U.S. health care system as being too focused on reactive care and not enough on preventive care. The book does focus on a revelation given to Joseph Smith about taking care of our bodies. So the focus is on LDS (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) or Mormon beliefs about taking care of our bodies, so there are a lot of references to God and the Bible/Book of Mormon. But a lot of the information is about wisdom that God imparts about being healthy.
The author discusses the following topics: dangers of alcohol and tobacco, as well as coffee and regular tea (these are fascinating discussions, I learned an awful lot I didn't know previously), the value of fruits and vegetables, the value of appropriate use of certain herbs, eating animal products sparingly, etc. I liked the fact that his emphasis is on balance, taking in what are bodies need but not going to extremes. I also appreciated his pointing out the possible dangers posed by diets that do encourage such extremes, and that many such diets are intended to sell certain products which may or may not be healthy. Keep in mind that he does talk a lot about the chemical and biological characteristics that make various foods/drinks healthy/unhealthy, these discussions can be a bit confusing for those with no background in chemistry or biology, but I think that he makes it as clear as it can be.
I can highly recommend this book for those interested in a more natural, God-inspired way to take care of one's body. That does NOT by any means encourage readers to forgo medical care when needed. But I love the statement by Ezra Taft Bensen (a past LDS President) that says, "It is better to prepare and prevent than it is to repair and repent." He was referring to the sexual purity, but I think it also applies equally well here.
Thanks for your kind review Heidi! I really appreciate it!
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