Clearly, Suzy Hoseus is committed to her whole health lifestyle, and the benefits to her and her family have been remarkable. Moreover, she was willing to share the depths to which bipolar and depression took her. Her candidness about a subject so avoided in this society is clearly needed for those who suffer and are often misunderstood.

That being said, many of her lifestyle changes would be very challenging to a person in the throes of depression or bipolar, so a strong support system would need to be dedicated to this undertaking. In addition to commitment required, sizeable resources would need to be apportioned to this endeavor, and sadly, the American healthcare system doesn't recognize the long-term benefits of healthier methods, so insurance doesn't help.

Moreover, some of the conclusions in the book seem to be very atypical and thus would need to be studied stringently. Some of the books from which Mrs. Hoseus gleaned information are not considered scientifically based and are antidotal in their approach, but that just means you need to discover if these suggestions work for you.

Some of the conclusions of this writing seem very fear-based, as if there is something bad around every corner, be it what I'm thinking, eating, drinking, wearing, applying, doing or not doing. Even in a non-depressed state of mind, I would find these suggestions to be very challenging, which Mrs. Hoseus does acknowledge in the book. I would cautiously recommend this to a person in the midst of an emotional issue since the changes seem very all or nothing and require more perseverance than people in a depressed state of mind usually muster.

Furthermore, some forms of illness and disease that affect humans are not related to our behaviors and are allowed to remain by God's choosing, so not all can be reversed by our behaviors or the removal of behaviors.

"To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

It is true that many people can change their health by lifestyle changes, but we would be remiss to forget about Job or Paul, who exemplified God's strength in suffering bodies.

Review by Stephanie D. Scarborough, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, March 2010