WILD & WELL

Debut author and nurse practitioner Williamson, with co-author Brown, encourages practices to promote better health in every facet of life in this self-help work.

As a sufferer of chronic medical conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome, since she was young, Williamson never felt like she received satisfactory answers about easing her problems until Dr. Dan Kalb finally asked her about her diet. Her ensuing wellness journey inspired this “commonsense guide to total restoration.” In the book’s first part, Williamson walks readers through potential causes of physical and mental problems; she’s particularly vocal about items that cause inflammation and encourages readers to consider the ongoing effects of difficult childhood experiences. The second part presents the author’s recommendations, strategies, warnings, and encouragement for readers to learn how to “eat well,” “sleep well,” “move well,” “poop well,” “de-stress well,” and “commune well.” She examines seven food elements that can cause problems in some people, including gluten, dairy, and corn, and offers tips on eating healthy on a tight budget and getting exercise. She also encourages readers to get rid of stressful life elements, or “soul suckers,” by setting boundaries. In addition, she references theories from other researchers, such as Carol Dweck’s Fixed versus Growth Mindset, which Williamson says is essential to successfully living “wild and well.” This guide to healthy living is certainly thorough, by any measure, and there are ample references and resources for further reading for the curious. She frequently references her Christian faith and her reliance on God, but she effectively stresses that it’s necessary for every person to put in the work that’s required to improve one’s life. As noted, Williamson has a background as a nurse, but what shines through in the book are the solutions she’s found for her own challenges, which take steps beyond common and conventional medical approaches.

A wide-ranging and challenging guide to wellness.