Kirkus Reviews QR Code
THE HEALTHY HABIT HANDBOOK by Loz Antonenko

THE HEALTHY HABIT HANDBOOK

by Loz Antonenko

Pub Date: Feb. 28th, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5043-2079-5
Publisher: BalboaPressAU

Better habits are the way to a happier, healthier lifestyle according to Antonenko’s debut self-help book.

Many people feel stuck when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight, remaining fit, and achieving other life goals. They want to change but lack the motivation to do so. The author, a professional health coach, reassures readers that transformation is possible, no matter how bleak things may seem at the present moment. She knows this from experience, having faced many challenges on her journey to happiness, including the suicide of her first husband and chronic health problems of her own, such as ulcerative colitis. The author draws on this personal experience as well as her career as she outlines a multistep process for eliminating “patterns of destructive thinking” and developing healthy habits that she promises will lead to lasting, consistent improvements in one’s life. It begins, she says, with focusing on one’s momentum and “harnessing energy” so that one can get unstuck from old habits. Subsequent steps address one’s diet, mindset, and physical movement. The final step is “mastery,” in which repetition leads to “uncovering new patterns [that] can release us from lousy past behaviours and stop us from being tainted by our past mistakes, failures, and setbacks.” Throughout, Antonenko offers a supportive voice that enthusiastically urges the reader to “design the life of your dreams.” The advice is largely a mix of generic tips for healthy living (such as getting enough sleep, embracing mindfulness, eating a balanced diet, including minimizing consumption of sugars and processed food) and common self-help bromides about visualizing success and ignoring what other people think. However, Antonenko wisely focuses on permanently changing behaviors rather than promoting expedient solutions that may be harder to stick with in the long term. The book includes links to supplemental material on the author’s website, such as printable affirmation cards, a meal planner, and a separate exercise guide. This work stands well enough on its own, but it’s also intended as an introduction to Antonenko’s life-coaching offerings, which include follow-up courses, fitness accessories, and nutritional supplements.

An earnest and straightforward, if familiar, guide to transforming one’s routines.