What I love about this book: It's so honest. Dr. V tells it like it is—the good, the bad, and the ugly. He's open about his own personal health struggles, as a doctor trying to help patients while dealing with his own chronic conditions. And he's honest about the shortcomings of the medical establishment, telling us: "Modern medical care is 'symptom-centric.' We're so focused on managing symptoms with medications that we don't even think about eliminating the root cause of illness." But symptoms like elevated blood pressure, insomnia, and pain "are most assuredlynottelling us that more medications are needed. Instead, they're direct messages from our bodies begging us to take back our power and to step into the fullness of who we really are as amazing human beings."
In this book, Dr. V tells us how to recognize those direct messages, and how to respond to get into the "thrive state" of optimal mental and physical wellbeing. And his own journey illustrates and inspires. "By changing my attitude and my behaviors," Dr. V says, "I had reversed not one by two chronic diseases—diabetes and hypertension. Talk about physician, heal thyself!"
Dr. V's blueprint to health centers on two fields: functional/integrative medicine and self-optimization. He focuses on seven overarching areas: Sleep, Nutrition, Movement, Stress, Mindset, Relationships, Community, and Purpose. For our readers in the natural products community out there who are interested in what Dr. V has to say about nutrition, he presents his "Golden Rule of Healthy Eating," calling for filling up on foods that are organic, whole, minimally processed, GMO-free, and free of additives and preservatives. And in answer to the question "Do I really need a supplement?" Dr. V says, "The simple answer is YES" and he goes on to offer his recommendations, and tips for ensuring quality and results.
Throughout the book, Dr. V outlines the strategies that are actionable and science-backed (complete with references right on the page for all of us science geeks), adding in a happy dose of inspiration to boost motivation along the way.
Personally, I want to hear more from Dr. V, and I'm thrilled to say he will be a keynote speaker at a two-day virtual conference I'll be co-hosting this June. Registration is open now for the #NaturallyInformed eventActive Nutrition: Mastering the Market.I hope you'll join Dr. V and me on June 30 for his keynote, followed by a live Q&A.
