Alive - 40 days to lifetime health

by Scott Stoll

Today both our waistlines and bookshelves are bulging, and yet every year we continue to search for the next easy answer to painless weight loss. Have you ever wondered what we ate before all of the hype? Today in America approximately 70% of Americans are overweight or obese, a number that has risen at epidemic levels in the last 40 years. Is the church in better shape than the American culture? Sadly, the church today is in worse condition with an average of 76% of church members and pastors in the overweight to obese category. And in a review of obesity in world religions, evangelicals are dramatically heavier than any other world religion. In fact ,one of the lead researchers said, " America is becoming known as a nation of gluttony and obesity and churches are a feeding ground for this problem". A tragic accusation for a group that is called to represent Jesus Christ to the world. God provided the proper fuel for our bodies when he created every green plan, seed bearing plant, and fruit on Day 3 of creation. These foods sufficiently feed and fuel the body, optimizing function, the immune system, renewing strength, and providing disease resistance. The growing body of scientific evidence confirms that making a simple shift toward foods that God created, not only prevents disease but also has the power to reverse diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. God's plan is always perfect. Based upon extensive research from thousands of research articles, hundreds of books, his medical practice and the timeless wisdom of God's word, Dr. Stoll shares God's perfect plan for food and health that was designed to draw us back to a daily or bite-by-bite relationship with Him. The forty chapters in this book represent a transformational journey toward a biblically balanced understanding of health and a revelational understanding of the power of food that will strengthen both the body and the spirit.

297 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2011

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Scott Stoll, MD

Reviews

[Jen Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a game-changer. Very much in line with the nutritarian principles of Dr. Fuhrman, author of Eat to Live, Dr. Stoll provides solid evidence for eating in a way that gives you the biggest bang for your caloric buck. He makes a very compelling case for glorifying God by being good stewards of the bodies He gave us. While the emphasis is on God's first provision of food, a plant-based diet, and avoiding processed foods, he is not vegan. God does not forbid the eating of meat, so we cannot say it is "evil." Further, Dr. Stoll is not arguing for a theology of nutrition, but rather encouraging the pursuit of excellence in all things, including what we put into our bodies. This is not about legalism; it is about wisdom and good stewardship of our bodies. He does use the temple passage as a support for making healthy changes, although the context of that passage is specific to sexual sin.

As a willing partaker of the Standard American Diet (SAD), this is not an easy book to read, but the arguments and the evidence ... and his encouragement throughout ... is very compelling. Eating this way is about freedom, not slavery - freedom from addictions and emotional eating, a freedom that enables us to eat the foods God created and ENJOY them! Perhaps we could get much of the same information from someone like Dr. Fuhrman, but getting this from someone who is passionate about Jesus and hearing it with that worldview in mind certainly helps to bring it home for me. Our family is definitely taking steps to incorporate what we are learning about "nutritarian" eating.

[Megan Wolfenden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite good but a little preachey.

[Jodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Changing my life....