By: Alex Ong
Publisher: OCL Publishing, Inc.
Publication Date: June 6, 2008 
ISBN: 978-0980155662
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: March 2010

After a while being overweight or seriously obese can become old hat, to say nothing of embarrassing. Medical issues can begin to plague the individual and the appeal of junk food can lessen. Diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure are a few of the many issues that begin to crop up in middle age and will remain unless serious effort to lose that extra baggage is undertaken. Alex Ong often nourished his "Inner Junky Voice" and, as he claims, "20 years of staying obese was more than enough for me---the experience was extremely painful." and, if I might add, extremely unhealthy. (p. 102) Alex began to search for an answer and found it in an eclectic blend of Chinese and American dietary practices and medicine. Perhaps it was a "whatever works" approach, but eventually he ended up with sound dietary advice that many can benefit from if they are determined to shed some pounds and their defeatist attitudes. Mind Your Own Wellness is "about changing habits," and changing lives ... but the choice is up to you.

Discipline is the main ingredient and key to success, but combining it with nutritional knowledge, altering the way one eats and how what one eats can prevent cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity. Obesity is obviously the "something" that can be the cause of all the others. The sudden loss of his father, Ong Choon Lee, was Alex's wake up call. What will be yours? Alex hopes that this book might just be yours, saving your family the heartache that his needlessly felt. Many things discussed in this book we already know or intuitively understand, but sometimes it takes a book like this in hand to make the individual decide to take "the plunge." Running any dietary changes by your own physician first is highly encouraged.

In this book you will learn, among many things:

* Shocking statistics that show just how unhealthy the American public has become 
* How our young people are at risk 
* How we can focus on a plant based diet and avoid cancer
* The side effects of milk and dairy products and how to obtain calcium from other plant-based foods 
* Which foods are high in saturated fats and cholesterol and their negative effects on our bodies 
* Which foods contain trans fats: how to identify and avoid them 
* What is MSH, its harmful effects, how to recognize and avoid it or reduce your intake of it
* The effects of sugar on our bodies, its side effects and how to minimize our use of it 
* The advantages of eating fresh fruits and vegetables 
* How to balance our salt intake and recommended intake levels
* The common side effects of caffeine and how to avoid becoming a slave to it
* What nitrates, BHT, BHA, artificial color, Aspartame, sulfates and pesticides are, what foods they are hidden in and suggestions on how to eliminate or minimize your intake of them 
* The benefits of going "organic" despite the higher cost 
* Thirty-three helpful tips on how to help you effect and maintain positive dietary changes 
* What your BMI is (Body Mass Index) and how to prepare yourself to change 
* What the benefits of physical exercise and sleep are 
* How to use the power of thought (Inner Healthy Voice vs. the Inner Junky Voice) 
* How to actually embark on a five week journey to success with simple suggested menus (White Belt to the Black Belt) 

This is a lifestyle change book whose success is solely dependent on the commitment of the reader to utilize its advice and principles. Alex Ong appears to have drawn his material from many sources, primarily that of "The China Study" by Colin Campbell, a large nutritional study undertaken in China. Much of the information in this book I saw many years ago when my own nutritionist tailored something similar to my own personal medical needs, something I strongly recommend to anyone whether they purchase this book or another one. I very much liked the food choice lists and things like the side effects of certain food additives. As Alex mentioned earlier on in the book, "No one can change your eating habits unless you choose to do so," (p. 39). This guide is a help, but only if you will use it. I feel the author is very sincere in his effort to help others, something I seldom sense in books of this nature.

Quill says: This is a lifestyle change book and the choice is yours and yours alone ...