Discover Your Optimal Health: The Guide to Taking Control of Your Weight, Your Vitality, Your Life

by Wayne Scott Andersen

What is optimal health?

As one of the nation's foremost physicians in nutritional intervention, Dr. Wayne Scott Andersen has devoted his career to creating optimal health through a comprehensive approach that addresses and breaks through logistical and psychological barriers.

Widely and affectionately known for his work in the field of health coaching as "Dr. A," in Discover Your Optimal Health, he provides an inegrative approach that begins with developing (and maintaining) healthy habits each day. This crucial approach makes health the centerpiece of your life instead of something you do when you discover you have an illness or imbalance. Dr. A reveals how a little attention and discipline now can avoid health crises down the road.

No matter what your current health status, you can be as healthy as possible. The habits you develop now make the difference between surviving and thriving, life or death. The steps toward reaching and maintaining your optimal health include:

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Personal Development, Self Help, Diets, Ebooks

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Sue Piazza-patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a life changer for me. Too many years of dieting and exercising to just find myself back where I dont want to be led me to this book. The book focuses on what I have been missing all these years... what is going on in my head! Now I feel I have the tools to make the mindful changes to live a healthier life.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this. The information isn't anything I haven't heard before, but what makes this different from other books of this type, is that the author breaks this down into specific steps that seem doable. I listened to the audio and he talks to the audience like they are 7 years old. But it wasn't annoying because you get the sense he means well and truly has a desire to help, when it could come across as condescending.

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am now looking forward to starting the program in a week. I am doing it on my own, not utilizing a coach, as the book takes care of much of that for me. I like the structure and the formation of habits during an extended amount of time. I feel like I have a good overview of what to expect and a bit prepared as I get ready to start the program. Getting excited for the changes ahead. I will be reading this again for sure.

[Nova Forrest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good for thought

Interesting book on how we should look at the cause and not the symptom of health issues. Being too heavy or eating wrong foodscontinuously doesn't make a body healthy! I learned a few things.

[Maddie Delgado · Rating 3 out of 5]

I skimmed through the book pretty quickly. It had a ton of helpful info about making healthy choices and creating a lifestyle of health that have been pretty easy to implement! It was a bit repetitive and some of the authors opinions were a little much for me though.

[Ellen T. Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this beautifully written book

As I read this wonderfully informative book I chose to pay attention listen and change my life with it. Beautiful read

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is more of a workbook. It is not meant as a quick read. I like the whole body/mind approach to health in this book. I will be incorporating many of his concepts into my life.

[Cara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good advice on focusing on your emotions without judgment rather than beating yourself up or giving into despair.

[Charity Chardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book and helps anyone wanting to change their health.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is full of good information about a healthy lifestyle!

[Dave Helm · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is like one of those long commercials that never actually tells you the solution.

[Dana Rohloff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Has a lot of good information to not just lose weight but to be healthy for life. Looking forward to putting the steps in this book in motion.

[Jon Den Houter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book to learn how to maintain my weight, now that I've lost so much weight on Optavia (a program founded by Dr. Andersen).

The first two thirds of this book were poor. I felt like in the first two-thirds of the book, Dr. Andersen kept saying the same thing: are you ready to take ownership of your health? Yes, I kept saying, please tell me how to do it, but he didn't until the last third of the book.

The real meat of the book is in these three chapters in the last third of the book:

Ch. 13: Discover the Habits of Healthy Eating
Ch. 14: Discover the Habits of Healthy Motion
Ch. 15: Discover the Habits of Healthy Sleep

Just read those chapters and skip the rest.

[V · Rating 2 out of 5]

Po přečtení této knihy si uvědomíte, že máte konečně dost síly na to, abyste převzali kontrolu nad svým zdravím a žili ten druh zábavného a naplňujícího života, jaký jste si vždycky představovali, když jste byli mladší. Dr. Andersen vám nekáže, neobviňuje vás ani vám neříká, co máte dělat. Místo toho napsal knihu tak, jako by promlouval přímo k vám, bez odsuzování, jako pomocník, partner a odborný poradce, takže vám poskytne dost sebedůvěry k tomu, abyste si uvědomili, že nejste sami ve své snaze o dosažení správných zdravých návyků.

Jak tedy podle této knihy dosáhnete ideálního zdraví?

Autor využívá nejnovější poznatky na poli zdravé výživy, takže vás upozorní na nebezpečí, které číhá v cukru, doporučí desítky nízkokalorických, ale sytých mikrosvačinek, naučí vás \"bezbolestně\" snižovat své denní dávky potravin. Přináší také tipy na rozvíjení a udržování každodenních zdravých návyků, s čímž souvisí i postupy, jak se zbavit škodlivých zlozvyků. Zjistíte, jak přidat do života spoustu přirozeného pohybu. Naleznete konkrétní cvičení, které buduje svaly, čímž zpevníte tělo a usnadníte si hubnutí, zrychlíte metabolismus a zvýšíte si své spalování. Uvědomíte si nutnost pozitivního myšlení, udržování dobrých vztahů s lidmi, nezbytnost dobrého zaměstnání, která vás naplňuje. Zlepšíte kvalitu svého spánku, vytvoříte si uklidňující a bezpečný domov...

A dále v knize naleznete mnoho dalších, ne vždy samozřejmých rad.

Já osobně jsem se již delší dobu sháněla po podobné knize a teď se mi konečně dostala do rukou - a svým obsahem mě nezklamala. Prozrazovat vám doktorovy metody nebudu, protože jednak by pro vás nebylo motivací otevřít si tu knížku s pěknou obálkou a voňavým papírem, a navíc ani neumím přesně, s odbornou popularitou popsat to, co v knize doktor Andersen popisuje. Nechám to tedy na vás, zda se rozhodnete se do knihy pustit a dovolit Wayne Scottu Andersenovi, aby vám ukázal, kudy se máte dát za zdravím až do pozdního stařeckého věku.

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are interested in health, this is the one book you should read. It has such SANE advice about assessing where you are at and where you want to be. I already have plans to reread with markers in hand to write up more notes, why keep a book clean and pristine instead of using it?! While this book has similar advice to Habits of Health by the same author, it is a nice condensed introductory form rather than a comprehensive look at every factor.

"Stop. Challenge. Choose." this is a good technique to use in any instance you feel stressed, not just your health choices!
4 critical habits of health: healthy eating, healthy motion, healthy sleep, and healthy mind. It's amazing to me how all four of those things come together to determine your health, not just the first one or two of them!

As a person with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, the idea of finding health again seemed the impossible. Nothing I had tried worked. And the theories shared in this book and in Take Shape For Life, the coaching arm of Medifast, my health has skyrocketed. I want to inspire health in those around me. Reading this book is a good place to start :)

[Jessica (Books: A true story) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reads like an intro to his more detailed book Dr A's Habits of Health. Half of the book is a motivational speech convincing you that you need to change your health. Since I had already decided to change my health, I was bored through the first part. I liked the idea that our body was not designed to live in our toxic world and it needs help. We can't just be "not sick" we need to be actively doing things that are good for our body. I also liked what he called tension charts where we visualize where we are and where we want to be at the same time so we can see the steps we need to take to get there. Tests that he says to get that I'm going to at my next checkup: lipid profile, hs-CRP, and thyroid. I wish there had been more practical advice but I'm hoping the Habits of Health is a little more practical than this was. Great for people who need a kick in the butt to see why they should change their health. It might make a wonderful passive-aggressive Father's Day gift.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plenty of good information once you get past the first 50 pages reiterating how we must make correct choices in our lives and why Americans health is going down the tubes. Lots of common sense tips on the importance of prioritizing sleep, stress reduction and healthy eating. Nice to see a wholistic view on health.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quick read, but I feel like I need to go back and read it again (and this time actually stop and create the dream boards/diagrams he suggests) to keep myself motivated. This book is more about finding your WHY to motivate you to improve your overall health rather than the specific how-tos of health.

[Karla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty good book about health and diet. Definitely better then your average self-help-health book. It has some good information and I basically read it to give me a little boost for my new year's resolution. Everything in the book is a good reminder. He also quotes some interesting findings with a very conversational writing style.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Anderson has a good, solid, scientifically based philosophy of health and wellness. I believe he has written other books that contain more of his specific suggestions about how to achieve optimal health. This particular one was more about why we should all have that desire and the long term benefits of doing so.

[Philip Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helped me focus on my Mind and that is what challenges me the most in my health goals. It felt like Dr. Andersen was right there with me speaking to me. I also got the Audible version of the book so I could listen to it again and again.

[Diane M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Currently Reading

[Rob Cantrall · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe good if you need to lose weight (not that I think reading a book is the way to accomplish that), but pretty useless if you are already in reasonable shape, eating decently, etc.

[Tom Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was impressed and look forward to the adventure.

[Kylene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really great condensed version of his other books. Life changing read.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Common no nonsense health and fitness guidebook with a fresh approach to changing habits and tweaking your mind sets. Get it and read it. Let's all change!

[Damon Barnhurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear, simple, true plan for obtaining optimal health.

[Corinne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. It gives a great overall view of what true health really is - it is so much more than getting skinny! Optimal Health is the best!

[Donna Weaver]

Interesting.

[Anne Marie McNamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved