Marlene Veltre was doing all the right things to get and stay healthy. She was following recommended dietary guidelines and went to the gym several times a week. And then one day she found a lump and was diagnosed with breast cancer. How could this happen? she thought. Ive done everything right and my family has no history of cancer.

Turns out that what she thought were the right things werent enough, and some were not the right things after all. Her fast-paced lifestyle had left her chronically stressed, and she had ignored her emotional and mental well-being for too long.

Thus began an 11-year journey through traditional and non-traditional cancer treatments, and research on health and wellness. As she learned more and more, she found conflicting information and research. The deeper she dug into the evidence, the more clear it became, however: health didnt have to be so difficult to attain and maintain. In fact, its quite simple, really.

This is the principle behind Veltres book, The Simple Seven: Body Basics for Vibrant Health, a well-researched and engaging handbook for health and well-being that will transform your thinking on what it takes to be healthy. Instead of struggling against your body, Veltre provides the information and tools to help you work with it. The body is an amazing, adaptive system, and if we can provide it with the right environment and support, it can do its thing naturally heal and repair, adjust and thrive.

SEVEN PRINCIPLES FOR BETTER HEALTH, WELL-BEING AND APPEARANCE

So what does it take to get there? Veltre lays out a plan based on seven principles:

Eat the freshest, most nutrient-dense foods possible.

Drink and stay hydrated by choosing foods that provide hydration.

Move in ways you enjoy, instead of forcing yourself to the gym.

Sleep long enough and deeply enough to feel restored in the morning.

Breathe consciously, stopping to take deep breaths throughout your day.

Clear your bowel every day and support your other waste-clearing organs so they do the job they are intended to do.

Feel better by doing what makes you feel good and releasing what doesnt.

If all of this sounds familiar, it should. What differentiates this book from others, however, is its usefulness for achieving these things in real life not in Instagram life, not in an ideal life where we have unlimited time and resources, not in some fantasy life where our willpower is ironclad.

Veltre provides truly simple changes to work into your daily routine that add up to big benefits in your lifestyle, health and well-being. Her approach is flexible to your preferences and limitations. And she backs up her advice with compelling research in language thats jargon-free and easy to understand. If you are looking for more information, she provides numbered end notes so you can check out the sources for yourself.

There is a final chapter that explains how following the seven principles will not only affect how you feel, but also how you look. Veltre gives us insight into anti-aging, weight loss, skin care, posture, oral health and more demonstrating how what we do for our insides can affect our outsides, for better or for worse.

WELL-WRITTEN, ORGANIZED AND ACTIONABLE

In her introduction, Veltre tells us that The Simple Seven took four years to write and it shows. The writing is transparent as glass, the arguments laid out in logical and compelling ways, and the tone is encouraging and friendly. Main points are introduced, reinforced and built upon for effortless learning. The book design is visually appealing and easy to read, and its organization helps you readily find what you are looking for.

Readers will appreciate that Veltres suggestions and tips are presented separately from scientific explanations, so if youre short on time (or need a quick refresher) you can skip right to them. There are also appendices that go deeper into the subjects of fresh food versus processed food, and a set of amazing emotional-healing tools (called The Method) in the chapter for Feel that is alone worth the price of admission.

Veltre has not only researched and written an informative and engaging book, but shes also created a toolkit thats been thoroughly designed for usability. As we head into the New Years Resolution zone, she gives you a fighting chance to set realistic goals you can actually achieve. In a world of health information overload and perpetuated myths, The Simple Seven is just that a refreshingly simple and doable plan to be your best self, inside and out.

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Achieving a healthy lifestyle isn't as difficult as you think - yoursun.com