FITNESS GURU’S BOOK IS RIGHT FROM THE GUT

They say the classic definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Fortunately for Frances Michaelson’s clients, that is not the way a naturopath solves problems.

Rather, she changes the methodology: she guides her clients toward “discovering the world of wellness.”

Well known in Hudson and the West Island as a fitness and personal training guru, Michaelson has just published a 190-page book on naturopathy.

Called Let’s Practise Health: Learn why your gut is the CEO of your health, it offers a fresh look at our search for good health, and how it should be part of one’s life.

Chock full of advice and guidance, Let’s Practise Health takes the reader on a rollicking ride, always aiming for what Michaelson calls “homeostasis,” or balance. On its earliest pages, she declares her goal: “This book was written to teach people how to live a healthier life. It isn’t a diet book or nutritional book; nor is it an exercise manual. Its purpose is to give you a clear understanding that the body is the healer."

Michaelson is concerned about the lives we live today, harddriven as they are, and deeply debilitating to our energy levels.

She believes it’s time to step back and take another look at our lives. As her book’s title suggests, it all begins with the gut: digestion, absorption, utilization and elimination: her four pillars.

Michaelson’s approach to the field of naturopathy makes for an interesting read, for both committed and skeptic alike. Presented in an informal, inviting style, the book, chock full of recipes, manageable physical exercises and tips on what foods are best to eat in keeping with her core 80/20-plant based plan, has a bit of something for everyone.

To me, the book’s most impactful elements were Michaelson’s “gutsy” chapter on the gut, frank and decidedly to the point, and the heartfelt personal success stories spotted throughout.

One of these, written by a young lady from Toronto who was in dire straits and whom I happen to know, rings loud with the joy and satisfaction she has experienced since she began working with Michaelson. In fact, the young lady’s mother credits Michaelson with helping her daughter.

“It’s simple,” says Michaelson: “just remember, life is a gift; health is a practice.”

This book will challenge you, inspire you and, if you stick with it, perhaps even guide you toward better living.

Let’s Practise Health will be launched in Hudson at Que de Bonne Chose health food store, 484 Main Rd., on Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. The West Island launch will occur at Chapters in Pointe-Claire, Sept. 23, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For information, contact Frances Michaelson at frances@livethewow.ca or check www.livethewow.ca.