Reviewed by: Nicole Sorkin, Pacific Book Review
Taking care of yourself is much easier said than done! In Julia Buss' new book entitled, Your Care Plan: A Nurse’s Guide to Healthy Living, she primarily helps nurses care for and understand themselves with the same expertise they give their patients. Nurses have an extremely stressful job with a lot of responsibility. Needing to work long hours, being continuously on call, having to bear witness to patients dying and feeling the loss, takes both a physical and mental toll. Nurses are exposed to a host of different diseases, which is why it’s important to make sure they keep their immune system strong.
Your Care Plan is beautifully illustrated and detailed without being overly technical. Explanations are generally discerning and clear. Julia Buss goes into extraordinary detail on the basics of eating, digestion, and exercise. The first chapter contains a “lifestyle profile questionnaire” enabling one to make an initial assessment of one’s overall health. It helps check the various elements of your state of being, such as metabolic type, flexibility, conditioning level and then prescribes a care plan to fit your profile. A large colorful galley layout makes her book seem less intimidating than medical textbooks.
Julia Buss has incorporated the Aeronautical Decision Making (DECIDE), commonly used by professional pilots to help with decision making when they encounter a problem. She has cleverly adopted this formula into her book helping the reader achieve a state of well-being. She also takes a serious look at overcoming the tendency for having too many fast-absorbed carbohydrates that increase your blood sugar and depress your metabolism. Unlike diets claiming to "avoid fat at any cost," Your Care Plan says to avoid bad fats, especially trans fat and saturated fats. Julia Buss gives you many helpful tips regarding food. For example, it is a good idea to use olive oil instead of butter on your bread, or it’s best to have the salad dressing on the side, preferably olive oil and vinaigrette.
The main points of the author are as follows:
1. Exercise and maintain a stable, healthy weight.
2. Eat healthy fats.
3. Eat whole grains.
4. Do not smoke and avoid second hand smoke.
5. Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits.
6. If you drink, drink in moderation.
7. No added sugar, such as sodas and juice.
I do feel much of the information is definitely contained elsewhere, and much of it I already knew. The author presents the information in a logically consistent holistic view of one's health; and thereby clarifies the paradigm by which we view our bodies. At the end of the book is a chapter on putting into practice all of the presented information, and an extensive list of healthy recipes categorized into: appetizers and beverages; breads and grains; entrees; vegetarian entrees; soups, salads and side dishes; and desserts. Also included is a helpful resource guide, a recommended reading list, and suggested documentaries to watch.
If you want to make changes to your life but aren't sure where to start, this is definitely the book for you. Julia Buss, a Registered Nurse with over 20 years experience, has taken all of her expertise and has created a wonderful book to help others improve their way of life. Your Care Plan is easy to read and is also an excellent starting point for anyone interested in improving his or her quality of life. Don't expect a magic band-aid, after all, most people have taken years to get the way they are, and this book is about lifestyle changes that take time.
