12 Keys to Enjoying a Healthy Life Now
January 30, 2006
Beloved Bible teacher and prolific author Meyer blends self-help with Scripture in this peppy guide to getting fit. You wouldn't want to attend a church with chipped paint or threadbare carpeting, says Meyer, so by the same token, your body, the temple of the Holy Spirit, should be well cared for. After rehearsing her autobiography (a classic conversion narrative in which Meyer had a "poor relationship" with her body but then saw the light), Meyer offers 12 unoriginal steps to healthy living. She promises that if you follow her instructions, you will learn to love your body; boost your metabolism by drinking water and getting lots of sleep; eat more mindfully; envision feeling "fit, comfortable, and happy"; exercise; avoid fad diets; and even have a better relationship with God. The most important part of the book may be the epilogue, which addresses the rising rate of childhood obesity. Occasionally, Meyer seems out of touch with reality. For example, she says that one of the main reasons people fail to care for their bodies is that they are "pathologically selfless," so caught up in altruistic deeds that they forget to care for themselves. All in all, there's nothing here that hasn't been said many times before.
June 5, 2006
Meyer's earthy voice only appears for the half-hour introduction, where the Bible teacher openly shares details of her own health history (spastic colon, hormonal problems, migraines, menstrual cycle irregularities, breast cancer). But its candor—and message of how she stoically soldiered on in full workaholic mode before finally applying the keys here—sets the tone and resonates throughout. When Lentz's more polished tones take over, listeners familiar with Meyer's voice must adjust, but Lentz ably conveys Meyer's 12 keys to changing bad eating and exercise habits. Even though Meyer suggests the audiobook be used as a program, the blend of anecdotes, humor, practicality and details of the body's workings make for enjoyable listening on its own. Music is spare: brief keyboard interludes appear only at the beginning and end of each disc. And as much as listeners may wish Meyer had narrated the entire book, after that introduction she'll not only be forgiven but her delegating of the narration can serve as a real-life example proving the point of the book. Simultaneous release with the Warner Faith hardcover (Reviews, Jan. 30).