I’m very excited to introduce a brand new book, Lean Body Smart Life: 12-Fix Plan to a Leaner, Healthier, Happier Life, by Judith Scharman Draughon, MS, RDN, LD. Judith (also known as Judes) has compiled 12 of the most important “fixes” to help people understand how to take off fat from the body and feel better without being on a diet. This is not a fad but a true lifestyle book. Let’s talk about the Lean Body Smart Life Book Review.

First off, the book discusses body fat versus weight (which I’m always a fan of emphasizing a healthy body fat percentage versus weight). Then, it goes right into the 12 life-changing fixes and how you can incorporate them into your lifestyle. Next, the book explains the basics of healthy food and discusses ways to incorporate important foods into your routine. There are many delicious, classic recipes throughout the book that are simple to make. I love practical recipes because they use foods that are easy to find and are well-accepted by most people. The book also has an important section on snacking and meal timing, which helps with controlling hunger levels and making better food choices. My favorite chapter is Chapter 6: Burn Your Food, where Judes explains how to lose fat, keep muscle, and burn more calories from eating. Eat to lose, right? That’s my motto, too.

Overall, this book is great for general health and wellness with practical tools on how to live a healthy lifestyle and incorporate real food and whole foods into your practice. There are simple tips on how to plan and prepare food, how to grocery shop, what to look for when food shopping, and how to cook the food. There’s even an affiliate app which complements the book so you have more tools and resources to use when out and about.

My take: Buy Lean Body Smart Life and you’ll have a practical guide to healthy living.

Here’s 1 exquisite recipe from the book for a quick taste of what to expect:

Avocado Black Bean Corn Salad
 
Prep time
Total time
 
This salad is one of Judes' most requested recipes. It is easy to make and very healthy. The sweetness of the fruit salsa offsets the tartness of the freshly squeezed lime juice, without adding sugar.
Author:
Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: Latin
Serves: 15
Ingredients
  • 2 cans black beans, rinsed well and drained
  • 1 16-ounce bag frozen roasted corn (3 ½ cups)
  • 2 cups mango, peach, or pineapple salsa
  • ½ cup fresh lime juice (4 limes)
  • 4 avocados, diced
  • ¼ cup chopped red onion, finely chopped
  • Salt to taste
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped
Instructions
  1. Mix black beans, frozen corn, and fruit salsa together in a medium bowl.
  2. Squeeze the limes and set aside.
  3. Add the avocado to the salad, and before mixing, immediately add the lime juice, red onion, and salt to the salad.
  4. Gently mix all ingredients together. Feel free to give this salad a little kick with some hot pepper flakes or hot sauce. A freshly diced jalapeno pepper tastes great, too.
  5. Add the cilantro prior to serving.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: ½ cup Calories: 127 Fat: 4.9 Saturated fat: 0.5 Carbohydrates: 14.4 Sugar: 4.4 Sodium: 135.6 Fiber: 4.6 Protein: 3.4

Book Review By Sarah Koszyk, MA, RDN

I was provided 1 free copy of the book. All thoughts and beliefs are my own. I was not compensated in any other way for this post.