“Don’t let anyone tell you your symptoms are untreatable! We defied the odds and so can you!” With this tagline and a snappy, makes-you-stop-and-think title, who could resist taking a second look at this book? It Takes Guts to Be Happy: A 21-Day Cleansing Plan to Heal Your Belly & Recharge Your Life was written by Julia Loggins, a certified therapist specializing in hydrotherapy, health education, detoxification, and facilitating the reversal of illness. Published by Vibrant Health Publishing, this 260-page book is a wealth of information, not only related to Julia’s specific cleanse but also to better health in general.

This book is divided into five parts, but the first two sections – “Introduction” and “The 21-Day Cleanse” – comprise the majority of the book. I have not personally completed the cleanse, though it does look quite straightforward and doable.   Likely the outline for the cleanse will prove valuable at a later time, but to me, the information about specific intestinal health issues, and various ways to address them, was the most beneficial.   A nice addition to the book was the numerous “eyewitness accounts” of people who have visited Julia’s practice and worked with her to overcome various illnesses, some of them shockingly severe, and ultimately achieve vibrant health in return.

On the downside, I was expecting (or perhaps hoping) for this book to be Christian-based with a foundation of Biblical truth. I was, however, disappointed.   Julia holds to the idea that happiness is achieved solely by improved health, and joy can be achieved by changing your lifestyle and achieving/maintaining vibrant health. Large portions of the book revolve around this belief, in fact. While of course God wants us to take care of our bodies and live a healthy lifestyle, as Christians we know that true joy and happiness can only come from relationship with Him and His Son. It Takes Guts to Be Happy leaves no room for this side of the equation.

Overall, if you are willing to sift through the large amount of information in this book, you are almost guaranteed to discover bits of health-related wisdom that will prove beneficial in your life, or that of a family member.   Julia’s ideas are an excellent tool to compliment a lifestyle of health choices, even if her book isn’t the complete cure for all diseases that it sometimes seems to claim.

I received a free copy of this book for review purposes, courtesy of the author and Word Slinger Publicity. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.