I first saw this book on the bed at my sister’s house and was interested. Jamie never gives any clues away, so I was totally shocked that The Gospel of Wellness by Rina Raphael was not what I was expecting. I learned a lot, yet I am not sure I was the target market for this book.
“I didn’t want to admit what became increasingly obvious: we’ve been conditioned to accept certain wellness beliefs, cemented as conventional wisdom because they are ubiquitous. We’re bombarded by wellness propaganda in our magazines, social media feeds, and Sephora stores. Marketing has a far stronger power than scientific proof. Few of us follow scientists but we sure as hell follow celebrities, influencers, and brands that are in no way health experts but sure act like them.” Introduction
Regardless of marketing overwhelming us there are some truths that can be helpful to find harmony and peace in your life.
A Few Wellness Truths
- Exercise is the best tranquilizer
- Yoga emphasizes emotional health in mind-body union
- 20 minute walks can clear the mind
- Running lets you symbolically run away from the chains of civilization
- Cardio and cycling are good forms of getting the heart going
Other Types of Self-Care
- Spending time outside
- Massage
- Facial masks, manicures, pedicures
- Meditation
- Cannabis use
- Snuggling pets
- Watching funny shows
- Stretching
- Not checking email after work hours
“Employers are always bugging more ways to get well, yet never offering less work or more substantial help…The wellness industry stepping in to fill a void created by the unreasonable expectations that torment us. Self-care promised salvation, deliverance from the evils of stress. But it’s a toxic workplace, a meditation program isn’t going to fix it. A fitness app wont solve the uneven distribution of housework within your marriage; CBD gummies will not enforce paid paternity leave or better childcare policies; bath salts wont stop late-night work emails. Buy whatever makes you feel good, but realize these are short-term mental band-aids that do not measure long-term redemption.” Chapter 1
Factors That May Lead to Future Sickness
- Genetics
- Poverty
- Physical Activity
- Limited Access to Health Care
- Stress
- Nutrition
- Discriminating Doctors
- Pollution
- Social Support
- Weight
“Extreme weight — at both the high and low end — is associated with medical issues. But the focus should be on encouraging healthier habits rather than striving toward a specific body size.” Chapter 2
The science behind the clean beauty movement is not being communicated to the consumer
Since forever there have been people that have been selling remedies to people who were desperate to feel better. These remedies may actually have worked or have been far-fetched. This happens because people, especially women, often don’t feel heard or empathized with when they are in pain and what they are told to do is not changing anything about their symptoms. This has caused patients to look away from Western medicine unless it is a broken bone or something requiring surgery.
Many people are priced out of Gwyneth Paltrow’s brand and the like. but for those who can afford it, the sky is the limit for wellness products. These companies put out wellness ideas with no scientific proof behind them and let consumers make up their own minds.
Women historically were left out of being a medical caregivers and also out of many medical studies and trials. Many diseases that only women get or affect women more, haven’t been studied as well as they should have been because men lead the way and they haven’t always seen women as a priority. It takes women 3-5 years longer than men to reach CEO status in the medical field, where they could better advocate for more fair treatment towards all people.
Eating At Home
People are so confused about food and some either don’t know or don’t care about what is healthy in the first place. There are lots of reasons, including manipulation and marketing from Big Food Companies, but in reality here are some good rules:
- Read Labels — If you can’t read the ingredients, consider another product
- Cook with Fresh Ingredients More Often
- Try to Avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup
- Find a Food Rule and Try to Keep it — Like Eat 80% Healthy and 20% Healthy-ish or only eat sweets on the weekends
- Listen To Your Body. If An Ingredient Makes You Sick Stop Eating It:
- Store bought eggs do bad things to me but farm fresh or organic and cage free do not
- Red food coloring makes blue stuff come out of my nose
- Nightshade foods and too much gluten cause reflux symptoms for me
- Certain oils, processed foods and iceberg lettuce cause stomach issues and joint pain for me
- Some of these things bother Karen too but she is covered by removing them for me
I didn’t get a lot of this stuff from this book. Mainly, I have always read a lot. I don’t watch reality shows and I don’t think celebrities are doctors or educated enough to sell me any wellness products. I believe in Western medicine, but I also have used doTERRA for many years. I believe in common sense and listening to my body. I believe in vaccines. I have fired doctors that were prejudice against me for being fat or a woman. I had one doctor gaslight me from the moment we met and I don’t know why so I fired him and got a better one. I know what it is like to be heard and what it is like to feel like my team is working well. I don’t think this book was written for me. I think it was written to help open the eyes of people that didn’t know that there were people taking advantage of them. But being chronic, you learn quick what works and what doesn’t.
You can’t take supplements and eat unhealthy food and expect to feel better. You must eat a balanced diet, exercise, get proper rest and take appropriate to you supplements. A multi-vitamin may not be what you need and did you know many supplements might have added ingredients like sugar?
When to see a Professional
Sometimes listening to these “gurus” will lead you to even worse health issues, especially when you really have a diagnosable disease that may or may not be curable but could be treatable or helped into remission. All the positive thinking in the world will not heal psoriatic arthritis — I know because I have it.
The suffering of Nikita Chopra with her PsA caused her to found Chronicon, a digital community for women with chronic illnesses to share their pain without judgement or false promises.
Fitness
Promoting fitness should be a healthy thing but the overwhelming aesthetic fitness imagery is not motivating the average United States citizen to move. These standards make people quit before they start because they feel like they have to lose weight and tone up before they should even join a gym by supporting successful people and making everyone else feel ashamed.
Supplements and Snacks
People are demanding more health solutions and pharmaceutical and medical industry hasn’t been able to address — this why crazy sounding supplements and contraptions having gained popularity.
“Clean snacks dangle a disease-free future. Woven throughout lies the message that you can manipulate what is unruly, misbehaving, or standing in the way of progress…All noteworthy goals. We should try to take control of our health. We should take responsibility as much as possible, for what we eat, how we sleep, and how much movement we engage in. But there’s a significant distinction between what we can manage and what is out of our hands.” Chapter 10
Food Science Babe on TikTok is an actual food scientist named Erin that makes videos debunking pseudoscience influencers. “In some ways, COVID made [access to information] better, as far as science communicators saying, ‘I need to get out there and debunk stuff.’ But at the same time, I feel like a lot of it got worse too,” Erin told Raphael. Pseudoscience pushers have gotten more confident, more vocal. It’s difficult for science communicators such as Erin because their work is time-consuming: “It’s easier to create content when you’re just making stuff up and you’re not actually having to double-check it or do research.” Chapter 12
Summing The Gospel of Wellness Up
- Remember wellness is individual. What works for one person’s body might now work for yours.
- Check your biases. Are you buying an item because you think it is better or because you want to align with something.
- Be aware of emotional manipulative language. Is the seller promising the item will transport you to a purer time or your desire to run away?
- Demand evidence.
- Consider your sources. Does the seller have established credentials? What is their actual expertise?
- Analyze intentions. Are they selling a brand or do they really care about you?
- Is it necessary? Does this produce actually save me now?
- Evaluate the root stressors? Maybe you don’t need more stuff, but get rid of something.
- Understand that science is evolving. It is ever-evolving and can change.
- Loosen the grip. You can’t control everything. Learn to let go a bit.
Out of the whole book, I was most comforted by this last part. I know that wellness is individual whether you are young or old, chronic or healthy fat or slender. All our bodies work within their own boundaries and time clocks. Some people need supplements and medications and some don’t. Some people needs a personal trainer and some people are self-motivated. I would like to encourage you to read this book if you feel like you are overwhelmed with what you are being fed by the media or if you are just curious. Although I don’t feel this book wasn’t written for me, I did learn a few things that I find valuable; learning is always valuable. You are valuable.
I got this book from my sister, Jamie Holloway, you can get your copy of The Gospel of Wellness by Rina Raphael on Amazon.com.
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Read My Review on GoodReads:
The Gospel of Wellness: Gyms, Gurus, Goop, and the False Promise of Self-Care by Rina Raphael
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I can’t say I enjoyed this book but it may be that this book is geared toward a younger reader than myself. I did, however learn a few things and I appreciate that. I felt that Raphael had trouble with transitions and she was a little wordy but maybe that too, is me being beyond her target reader.
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Feel free to leave your comments below!
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven.
For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Christian, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information.
If you are interested in becoming a Christian…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this:
Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world.
I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me.
I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
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