Jaded Health Book Review: It’s Like Having Your Own Health Coach

Jaded Health: Every Day Health Choices; 9 Simple Golden Rules for Living a Healthy Life, by David Medansky. ISBN: 979-8-9905976-0-0

In Jaded Health: Every Day Health Choices, author and coach David Medansky lays out nine simple and straightforward rules for living a healthy life, interspersed with inspirational and thought-provoking stories.

The book is a mixture of great advice, such as avoiding fake foods, and motivational anecdotes and quotes that keep the reader engaged.

Medansky does a great job of focusing the reader on keeping the focus on long-term improvements and on a change in habits and lifestyle rather than seeing it as another type of diet – because diets never work. It’s about making healthier food choices over time.

He states: “My mission in writing this book is to create a movement to expose the food, pharmaceutical, weight-loss, and diet industries, so you can stop wasting money on FAD (Fat and Desperate) diets that don’t work and avoid being deceived by the marketing tactics used by the food companies that prioritize their profits over your health.”

Medansky’s passion is similar to mine – and his works and focus definitely fit nicely into The Healing Revolution, which is all about helping people find health and healing so that they can live their optimal lives. We can all heal – we just need to open our eyes to the corruption that surrounds us in agriculture, chemical, food, pharmaceutical, and healthcare.

I appreciate Medansky’s passion in helping readers see through the cracks, stating things such as “the food, drug, and weight-loss industries are a racket to manipulate you to buy their products and services… Americans spend more than $71 BILLION each year in weight-loss products and services.”

Before even getting to his nine rules, Medansky spends a lot of time coaching up the reader with topics such as making the decision to act and finding your motivation and setting proper expectations. He also stresses the importance of focusing on nutrition over exercise, stating correctly, “you can never exercise enough to overcome poor eating.”

Other things that the author recommends that are in perfect alignment with the Healing Revolution, which is my focus:

• It is essential to read the ingredient lists on all processed foods

• There’s no need to be counting or logging calories

• In terms of healthy eating, everyone must find what works for their bodies and brains

• Mindset and having an intention to focus on healthy eating is essential to success

• Stop weighing yourself; it’s less about weight and more about reducing body fat

• Start small with one new habit; then build on new healthy habits

• With building new healthy habits, it becomes less about willpower and self-control

• With each new habit, you are creating a ripple effect in your body, mind, spirit

Medansky’s Nine Golden Rules for a Healthy Life

1. Drink water

2. Avoid fake foods

3. Eat whole foods

4. Eat slowly

5. Eat small portions

6. Sleep more

7. Rest to digest

8. Think positive

9. Walk every day

One of my favorite lines in the book: “If you want to lose weight and keep it off, don’t go on a diet, change your diet.”

Medansky also has a chapter on corporate wellness programs and I am completely with him here. We could make a massive dent in our health if three institutions were onboard: employers sponsoring wellness programs that focus on real health; schools that teach and model good nutrition; and hospitals and health organizations improving the nutritional offerings to patients and visitors.

Like many people who are passionate about health, myself included, Medansky went on a health journey that saved his life. He was overweight, the pounds slowly being packed on over the years, and his doctor told him he had a 95 percent chance of suffering a fatal heart attack unless he made drastic changes.

Final Thoughts on Jaded Health

What are you willing to do to live a healthy and happy life? Are you willing to finally make health and healing a priority?

If you feel you need a coach in your corner but aren’t ready to hire one, buy this book. It is a great mix of eye-opening facts, critical strategies for better health, and motivational stories and quotes.