February Book Recommendations #2
February Reading
Not A Diet Book by James Smith
Imagine if you knew you could only have one car for the rest of your life; would you take better care of it? A bit of a big sentence that, isn’t it? It’s the most referenced line from the book that readers comment on. Why? Because it makes you think about how we only get one body. As a teenager, it’s easy to think you’re invincible, and that you have your whole life ahead of you because you do. So why recommend this book? Because with it, not only will you still be feeling exactly as you do now (or a lot better) in twenty years, but it will also help you with your studies and your future career as well.
You may have heard of James Smith, you may even follow him on his social media. But whether you’re a fan of him or not, his book is one of the best things you can read this year. Smith is armed with every tool you’ll ever need to achieve incredible results – from dieting, training, and staying in shape to identifying the fads, cons, and nonsense that get in the way of genuine lasting progress.
This book will put you in control. It is not a fad diet or a short-term training plan. It will empower you to adopt better habits that will allow you to take charge of your life. Not a Diet Book is a bestseller for a reason. It has helped thousands of adults change their lives for the better, and there’s no reason why its wisdom can’t be taken on by younger minds. Yes, the man may be a bit direct and crude at times, but in this book, there is nothing but sound advice backed up by scientific study. He busts fitness and diet myths and discusses how what you’re seeing online is largely misinformation, filters and smoke screens designed to make you feel inferior and intimidate you into buying whatever product is in front of you.
But why is a self-help book for adults relevant to you? It’s simple, if you instill even a couple of the qualities Smith outlines, you’ll set yourself up for a healthier lifestyle and be much more likely to achieve whatever goals you set yourself. Smith will help shape your attitude towards your diet and training, with practical tips and advice on:
• A realistic approach to fitness
• Common fitness fallacies (Like will eating at night make you fatter?)
• Empowerment and B=body positivity
• Forming sustainable and healthy habits
Smith comes across as a friend offering advice to take on your own terms. He isn’t dishing out commandments and strict rules to live by, just a brief education and a healthy philosophy that’s easier to adopt than you think. He’s not one for fancy words either, it’s simple and to-the-point language that’s easier to pick up than the book itself.
Smith’s agenda is for the bettering of public health. Beneath the banterous exterior is a genuinely good person trying to bring about positive change. He might plug his academy (and why wouldn’t you in your own book?) but Not A Diet Book isn’t pushing fads, it’s simply an easy-read education. By no means will it solve all your problems and nor it doesn’t claim to. But it will give you a fresh perspective on them and a starting point to make a significant change.
This recommendation is not a bible either, so don’t take it all as gospel. Some of Smith’s philosophy is very much a product of his personality, so if something feels a bit too outside your comfort zone, don’t feel like you need to do it. Sticking to the diet and exercise advice will steer you in the right direction for a healthy 20s, 30s and beyond. And your knees will thank you for it.
I have offered a couple of other suggestions for this month, too, which you can see by following this link.
If you are interested in studying the subject of Human Biology, Oxford Open Learning offers you the chance to do so at IGCSE level, as standard, or by Fast Track, listed below. Click on the relevant subject to find out more. You can also find our Contact page here.
Dan Grabowski is an Amazon best-selling author and has taught in the classroom at primary level previously.
