52 Small Changes: One Year to a Happier, Healthier You [Kindle Edition]

Brett Blumenthal (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A Q&A with Brett Blumenthal

Question: Why did you decide to write 52 Small Changes: One Year to a Healthier, Happier You?

Brett Blumenthal: I wanted to write a book that covers more than just diet and exercise and give readers a more manageable to creating a healthy lifestyle.

Q: What makes 52 Small Changes different from other wellness books?

BB: 52 Small Changes provides a holistic approach to wellness, and shows that by making small changes over a period of time you can achieve big results. By incorporating small changes every week you give yourself a better chance of sticking to these changes, and 52 Small Changes gives you the tools and tips to make that happen.

Q: Do you have a favorite chapter or section of 52 Small Changes?

BB: My favorite sections focus on components of life that we take for granted e.g. Laugh Out Loud (chapter 16), and Live with Purpose (chapter 20). I also like the unexpected chapters that evolved as I was writing the book such as Find Your Own Spirituality (chapter 52).

Q: Are the chapters of the book written in a specific order, or can you make each change in any order?

BB: The chapters are organized so that you don’t have to tackle one area of wellbeing, such as nutrition, all at once. Also, those changes that seem easier to most are at the beginning of the book, like drinking more water. My advice is to take the approach that works best for you and challenge yourself using the extra credit sections in selected chapters.

Q: 52 small changes seem like a lot! Do you have suggestions in the book for people who might lose motivation to help them get back on course?

BB: A great way to stay focused is by journaling--both food and exercise journaling. The book also provides a number of additional resources, such as an assessment tool that can be taken monthly or every few months, and checklists that you can use throughout your journey. By taking the time to make the 52 small changes, you have the ability to gain years of your life back. We all fall off the wagon at times, but if you think about why and be forgiving, you’ll have a better chance of succeeding the next time you try to make a change.

Q: Who is this book written for?

BB: This book is relevant to both men and woman of all ages. It’s also great for kids as you can make many of these changes at any age and still see results. This book would make a great family tool, or even a tool for friends--you can use the book and the changes to keep each other accountable.

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From Library Journal

"Positing that it’s more effective to make small changes than to try to overhaul a lifetime of bad habits at once, Blumenthal (Get Real & Stop Dieting) offers readers small yet productive changes they can implement over 52 weeks to live healthier, happier lives. Chapter on topics such as “Taking Time To Stretch” and “Spending Time in Nature” include an introduction, a road map for change, and a weekly checklist. Blumenthal’s book jumps ahead in the wellness genre as it breaks up necessary tasks into doable packages. Highly motivating. -Library Journal, starred review

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Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 5112 KB
• Publisher: AmazonEncore; 1 edition (December 28, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0056J4ER0
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #849 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #1 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Advice & How-to > Health, Mind & Body > Personal Health > Healthy Living
  • #3 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Advice & How-to > Health, Mind & Body > Self-Help > Happiness
  • #4 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Personal Health > Healthy Living

More About the Author

Brett Blumenthal founded Sheer Balance (2007) to educate and empower individuals to find balance and health, and The Healthy Road Warrior (2010) to help travelers stay healthy on the road. She has more than 15 years of experience in wellness promotion and almost 10 years experience in management consulting; including branding, and training strategy and development for Fortune 100 companies. Ms. Blumenthal combined her passion for wellness and her seasoned experience in consulting to ultimately start Be Healthy, Inc. Ms. Blumenthal is a regular guest speaker at conferences, expos, spas and wellness centers around the world. She also consults with individuals, corporations, spas and wellness organizations on business strategy, and frequently delivers workshops to consumers on topics of health and wellness.

Ms. Blumenthal writes for several online media companies, and is regularly featured on popular sites including: Yahoo!, Shine from Yahoo!, Divine Caroline, Intent and Gather. Ms. Blumenthal is author of Get Real and STOP Dieting! - a #1 Bestseller on Amazon and BarnesandNoble.com, and 52 Small Changes: One Year to a Happier, Healthier You, due to be released January 3, 2012. Ms. Blumenthal has appeared on NBC, FOX and CBS, and is a regular contributor on Better Connecticut on WFSB - CBS, Hartford, Connecticut and MyFox - 25 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Ms. Blumenthal has received numerous awards including: Shine from Yahoo!'s "Woman of the Year" for her influential writing; Divine Caroline's Love this Site! award in the Body and Soul Category for Sheer Balance; Intent's Best Healthy Living Site Award; and Healthy Heart from Nature Made.

Ms. Blumenthal received her MBA from Johnson at Cornell University, where she graduated as a Park Fellow; she also earned her bachelors degree from Cornell University. She is certified by WELCOA (Wellness Council of America) and AFAA (Aerobics and Fitness Association of America).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Create a Balanced Life with 52 Weekly Small Changes, October 27, 2011

By 

J. Whitford (Falls Church, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: 52 Small Changes: One Year to a Happier, Healthier You (Paperback)

(What's this?)

For over a decade, every New Year's Eve I make a pact with myself to change my eating and exercise habits in exchange for a trip to Paris in the fall. I usually break my pact by January 4th.

Three days is usually my limit and I am back to treating myself poorly - short sleeping hours, fast food instead of cooking healthy meals for myself, and no exercise except walking from my mail box to my front door.

With Brett Blumenthal's new book, I have got a good shot at Paris in 2012.

Brett's 52 week plan follows three basic rules:

1. One Big Change Takes Many Small Changes

2. Extreme's Don't Work

3. Small Changes Feed Our Need to Succeed

Each week is setup with tips and tricks to help you make one small change that balances your life.

Let's take a look at January:

Week 1 - Hydrate (provides tips and tricks for getting adequate H20 in your life)

Week 2 - Get 7-8 hours sleep (shows you how to create your own sleepy time nightly routine and setup a sleep inducing environment)

Week 3 - Keep off the couch (gently encourages you to create a routine of activities that get you moving)

Week 4- Keep a food journal (teaches you how to keep a food journal and identifies false hunger triggers, etc.)

If you are ready to make a commitment to living a balanced life this book can certainly help you take baby steps to get there.

I also recommend Brett's previous bestseller Get Real and Stop Dieting!

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great ideas to effect change, December 30, 2011

By 

Luanne Ollivier - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 52 Small Changes: One Year to a Happier, Healthier You (Paperback)

Yes, it's almost the end of the year, Christmas is over, the New Year is fast approaching and for many people, resolutions are being planned. We can make changes anytime in our lives, but for some reason, we see the new year as a clean page to start.

"Many of us yearn for instant gratification, and when something takes too long, we give up or move on. Unfortunately, the instant gratification we crave is the exact thing that hinders us from achieving success in our quest for change. The secret to making change that lasts is to acknowledge and accept that change takes time and that patience during the process is essential."

I agree with Blumenthal that 'small changes feed our need to succeed." To that end Brett Blumenthal's book 52 Small Changes actually spans the entire year. She has come up with one change per week that we can incorporate on our way to becoming a "happier, healthier you." The book has four target areas: Diet and Nutrition, Fitness and Prevention, Mental Well - Being and Green Living.

Week One's topic is water - drinking more of it. A basic tenet that we're all aware of and recognize the importance of, but really don't carry out. By just having the one goal for an entire week and following through, one could achieve a feeling of success and the desire to continue on with other small but beneficial changes.

Blumenthal targets a lot of other 'known' issues such as adequate sleep, food choices, additives, vitamins etc. Some of the suggestions such as breathing right, taking at least a half hour a day for yourself, cleaning products and identifying additives provided lots of food for thought. Each topic is explored and the benefits explained. If you're already following that week's suggestions there are ideas for taking it up a notch.

I think the idea of one small change a week is great. However I think some of the ideas would require greater introspection and thought, such as Participate in Your Life (mindful thinking), Find Your Own Spirituality and Living with Purpose. However, that being said, 52 Small Changes does introduce the ideas for consideration.

The book is cleanly laid out, easy to read and includes pictures, graphs and blurb boxes. I think a reader could pick and choose ideas from the book that are pertinent to the changes they would like to see in their lives. I don't think every idea would work for everyone. Do I think I could make 52 changes this year? No, but I will be making some and 52 Small Changes has given me some ideas.

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This helped more than you can imagine, January 26, 2012

By 

N. Washington - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 52 Small Changes: One Year to a Happier, Healthier You (Kindle Edition)

This book helped me out more than you can imagine. I have been in a rut for the last year and I am sure it makes it tough for people to be around me. The small changes in this book are very effective and my friends and family have already noticed the difference in me. If you liked this book you will really like The Ultimate Guide To Achieving Maximum Personal Growth. This book really changed my life. I was on a self destructive path and this book helped me change. It is very well written.