Taking care of yourself is much easier said than done! In Julia Buss’s new book titled “Your Her Plan of Care: A Nursing Guide to Healthy Living,” she primarily helps nurses care for and understand themselves with the same experience they provide for their patients. Nurses have an extremely stressful job with a lot of responsibility. The need to work long hours, to be constantly on call, to have to witness the death of patients and feel the loss, takes a toll both physically and mentally. Nurses are exposed to a host of different illnesses, so it’s important to make sure they keep their immune systems strong.

“Your Plan of Care” is beautifully illustrated and detailed without being too technical. Explanations are generally insightful and clear. Julia Buss goes into extraordinary detail on the basics of diet, digestion, and exercise. The first chapter contains a “lifestyle profile questionnaire” that allows an initial assessment of general health. She helps check the various elements of her mood, such as metabolic type, flexibility, conditioning level, and then prescribes a plan of care that is tailored to her profile. A large, colorful galley design makes her book seem less intimidating than medical textbooks.

Julia Buss has incorporated Aeronautical Decision Making (DECIDE), commonly used by professional pilots to help make decisions when they encounter a problem. She has cleverly adopted this formula in her book to help the reader achieve a state of well-being. She also takes a serious look at how to overcome the tendency to have too many fast-absorbing carbohydrates that spike blood sugar and depress metabolism. Unlike diets that claim to “avoid fat at all costs,” Your Care Plan recommends avoiding bad fats, especially trans fats and saturated fats. Julia Buss gives you lots of helpful tips on food. For example, it is a good idea to use olive oil instead of butter on the bread, or it is better to have the salad dressing on the side, preferably olive oil and vinaigrette.

The main points of the author are as follows:
1. Exercise and maintain a stable, healthy weight.
2. Eat healthy fats.
3. Eat whole grains.
4. Don’t smoke and avoid secondhand smoke.
5. Eat lots of vegetables and fruits.
6. If you drink, drink in moderation.
7. No added sugar, such as soft drinks and juices.

I feel like a lot of the information is definitely contained elsewhere, and a lot of it was already known to me. The author presents the information in a logically consistent holistic view of one’s health; and thus he clarifies the paradigm by which we view our bodies. At the end of the book there is a chapter on putting all the information presented into practice, and an extensive list of healthy recipes categorized into: appetizers and drinks; breads and cereals; starters; vegetarian entrees; soups, salads and side dishes; and desserts Also included is a guide to helpful resources, a recommended reading list, and suggested documentaries to watch.

If you want to make changes in your life but aren’t sure where to start, this is definitely the book for you. Julia Buss, a registered nurse with over 20 years of experience, has taken all of her experience and created a wonderful book to help others improve her way of life. “Your Her Care Plan” is easy to read and is also a great starting point for anyone interested in improving their quality of life. Don’t expect a magic band-aid, after all, it has taken most people years to become the way they are, and this book is about lifestyle changes that take time.