Recently I read an advance copy of the book “The Health Habit” by Elizabeth Rider, a health coach, online business entrepreneur, and one of my personal mentors. This book isn’t just information, it’s about inspiration. It’s not just about learning new things, it’s about becoming a better person. It’s not just about wellness, it’s about self-awareness, self-care and, most importantly, self-love. She emphasizes the fact that we can be our worst critic and that it’s important to really take time for self-care and speak positively to ourselves. I personally love this book and highly recommend it. Here’s why.
Goals vs. Outcomes
Elizabeth begins the book by discussing goals and how goals are different than outcomes. We often mistake outcomes for goals, but outcomes come as a result of setting actionable, attainable goals. For example, perhaps you want to lose ## pounds. That would be an outcome, not a goal. Your goal should be the behaviors that will help you obtain that outcome, like eating whole foods & planning your meals. It’s easy to focus on the outcome, but we need to focus on what we have full control over which are the behaviors that lead to that outcome.
Throughout the book, Elizabeth teaches the reader how to take action where their health is concerned. She says, “This book is action-oriented and aims to help you enjoy your life more, not less.” I really love that this book gives you specific, concrete ways to change your health habits without feeling like you have to eat food that tastes as bland as cardboard. In fact, she suggests that there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to healthy eating. She encourages the reader to find the lifestyle of eating that works best for them and one that centers around whole, unprocessed, natural foods. She does have a 28-day healthy kickstart if you need a jumpstart to get your health habits moving in the right direction. There are some really yummy recipes that she includes in the back of the book. Some of my favorites are the “Black Bean & Sweet Potato Superfood Salad” and the “Curry Quinoa Salad” (for which I omit the raisins to keep it THM-friendly, since I am a THM health coach & that is my eating lifestyle of choice).
The Bookend Method
Perhaps my favorite part of the book is what she calls the “Bookend Method.” I have started using this is in my life, and my productivity has changed by leaps and bounds. She suggests creating a solid morning routine to begin your day on the right foot and to make sure your mindset is where it needs to be, and then ending the day with a routine that will be conducive to getting the best sleep possible. She says, “Sleep is the best drug on the planet.”
Practicality suggests that not everyone will have the same amount of time to spend on these routines, depending on the season of your life. I am a stay-at-home mom of 5 kids, so I don’t have a ton of time in the morning before everyone gets up and we launch into the morning routine of getting everyone dressed, fed, and out the door for school. I keep my morning routine very simple, but it helps to ground me and start my day on a positive note. Then in the evenings, after the kids go to bed and I’ve done my work for the evening, I have a bit more time to focus on my evening routine. When I have time to take a warm epsom salt bath with lavender, I sleep so much better and life is good! This is one of my favorite quotes from the book: “Self-care isn’t selfish, it allows you to be selfless.” When we pour into ourselves, we have so much more to give. No one can pour from an empty vessel.
Mindset
Like any good health coach, Elizabeth spends a lot of time in this book focused on mindset. When it comes to health habits, it’s easy for a lot of us to have the all-or-nothing approach, but she says to “grant yourself forgiveness, grace and compassion.” It’s important to be honest with ourselves, but ultimately we need to be kind to ourselves in order to be happy. “Happiness from the inside out catalyzes actions that improve your physical health. Just like good health, happiness isn’t something you achieve once, it’s something you choose to work on every day of your life.” Our health should be an ongoing process, not a destination we’re trying to achieve.
She also discusses the importance of the intangibles that are not as concrete as what food you’re eating or what your health numbers are (she explains these in more detail in her book). The four intangible areas of life she addresses are as follows: contentment in relationships, happiness in career or purpose, positive self-talk (there’s the self-love theme again!), and openness in belief systems. She suggests making sure that these 4 intangibles work in harmony or our health suffers. This concept is directly inline with the teachings at IIN (the Institute of Integrative Nutrition). She studied there and so did I, and this concept really resonates with me because I feel it’s imperative to have balance in all these areas of our life for overall health.
Conclusion: 5 Stars
Personally, I really enjoyed this book and what it has to offer. It’s written in a very real, down-to-earth way that is refreshing and relatable to most people. It is light-hearted yet very informative and action-driven. If you’re looking to recharge your health and for a comprehensive approach to wellness in both mind and body, then this book may be just what you need. I encourage you to read it, take the aspects that resonate with you, and really apply them to your life. I give this book a 5-star rating because I would highly recommend it to my clients & any of my friends. Mindset around how you see yourself and food is such a huge part of health and wellness, and I love that it is covered so thoroughly in this book. I recommend several mindset-centered books to my clients, and I’m adding this to my list!
The book isn’t officially released until tomorrow, but, if you pre-order it, Elizabeth is offering a free 2-hour health workshop that normally costs $197. This is such a great value because she will actually help you make a health habit plan of your own. You can find the details here: Health Habit Workshop.
I highly encourage you to take action, pre-order this book, and don’t miss the opportunity to learn from Elizabeth. She’s the best & truly an expert in her field!
You can grab your copy here: The Health Habit.
