by Crystal Andrus
2004

It's about time that the fitness industry recognized that a healthy lifestyle goes far beyond skin deep. This book by Crystal Andrus is one of several recent books that are more than an exercise and diet program. Andrus invites the reader to explore the idea that our emotional lives are as responsible for our bodies as what we eat and how active we are. This only makes sense — the worse we feel about ourselves, the less deserving we feel, and the less likely we are to take measures to improve. The more forgiving and accepting we are of ourselves, the more likely we are to be motivated to make positive changes.

Andrus may glow with health and beauty, but she knows her readership because she has been where they are. A fitness pro in her early 20s, she gave it all up to become a wife and mother. She gave up the body, too, believing that physical appearance was superficial. As a result she found herself in a downward emotional spiral — someone with a perfect life on the outside, but depressed and confused on the inside. She realized she was doing no one any favors — especially her children — by living in an unhealthy, overweight body and returned to a fit lifestyle, this time with more sensitivity and awareness. Her book, and her program, is a result of this journey.

The exercise and diet advice you'll find in Simply... Woman is sensible, solid and not rigid. Andrus favors a low-glycemic way of eating and she makes it easy by offering a "traffic light" system of acceptable food choices. The book actually comes with an exercise DVD so you can easily schedule in strength training sessions (you'll need dumbbells and a mat). What makes this book special, however, is not the physical aspect of the program, but the mental and emotional approach. As you might guess by the title, it's specifically geared towards women and what women need — examining and correcting behavior patterns, taking better care of self in order to take better care of others, setting boundaries and learning how to find joy and focus in life. People don't generally recognize these as essential to a fitness program but they are — your mind is the foundation upon which your daily activities rest. And if you're out of balance in spirit, the rest of your life will be out of balance.

Crystal Andrus has written a book and created a program that works from the inside out. Because it involves body, mind and soul, it's possible to make profound changes that go beyond your outward appearance. Simply... Woman is simply... great!

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