Hi, my name is Stacey Chillemi. I am the founder of The Complete Herbal Guide and columnist for Thrive Global. Today I would like to share with you one of the best inspirational read books of 2021 I just finished reading. The book is called “Open Heart: The Transformational Journey of a Doctor Who, After Bypass Surgery at 61, Ran Marathons and Climbed Mountains.”
“Open Heart, Akil Taher, MD has written a must-read book for anyone who has experienced a chronic illness or difficult challenges in their life and needs the motivation and inspiration to get back up on their feet…Read this book – and learn from one of the best. An individual who hit rock bottom got back on his feet and turned his life around.”
– Stacey Chillemi, Founder of The Complete Herbal Guide, Writer, Huff Post and Thrive Global
Akil Taher, MD inspirational read, a memoir, about heart disease and the point of mental and physical health, should be read by anyone with a body.
Throughout “Open Heart,” Taher shares an amazing story about his life as he began his life journey as a know-it-all physician who believed medical science had advanced greatly and had the necessary solutions for chronic diseases, including heart disease.
“Open Heart” is the story of Akil Taher’s fight for competent and compassionate care after he was diagnosed with the beginning of heart disease at age fifty-six which lead to stents angioplasty and at sixty-one culminating in open-heart surgery.
His whole life had been turned upside down. His illness had taken the best of him. He could have become a couch potato, but he was not going to let his illness get the best of him.
Though this is Dr. Taher’s first book, he has already made a name for himself as a physician and athlete. Now, in his memoir, he writes explicitly for fellow chronically ill people, with chapters divided by topic, his story, a guide for practical use, and instructions throughout to advise readers.
If the book at times feels as if its primary function is dispensing information rather than storytelling, that’s because informed care for our bodies is the story Akil Taher is telling.
These accomplishments and his ability to apply mind over matter shine and shows the powerful impact it plays in his life. He writes with precision, conviction, respect, and thoughtfulness about his heart disease as well as the difficulties, and at times unjust, experiences that people face when diagnosed with a chronic illness.
But his storytelling is also shaped by his personal experience — he writes with the frankness and intimate knowledge of someone living with chronic illness. (I, for one, am charmed by Akil Taher’s ability to change his life and run marathons and climb mountains later in life.
His ability to change his mentality, fitness, and life is truly amazing. His book encourages you. If he can change his life, run marathons and climb mountains why can’t I?
Stylistically, the experience of reading “Open Heart” can feel a bit unrealistic. Many people would give up before they even tried, however, his story is amazing and his guide on how he did it is easy to implement in your life.
The next day after reading “Open Heart”, I was changing my diet and lifestyle according to his guide. “Open Heart” is an inspirational read for anyone. Dr. Taher’s book is undeniably smart and encouraging, but more than that, it is humane and offers reliable information to chronically ill people and their friends and family.
To Buy: https://amzn.to/3vfTvNr
About the Author
Akil Taher is a practicing physician in Gadsden, Alabama. He was raised in Mumbai, India, and trained in family medicine at the Flower Hospital in Sylvania, Ohio.
He is now a resurgent physician, a recovered bypass surgery patient, a septuagenarian athlete, a heart-healthy speaker, a holistic health and wellness consumer, and a proponent of a whole-food, plant-based diet.”
Over the last decade, he has overcome acute and chronic medical ailments to indulge in century cycling, triathlons, skydiving, hang gliding, scuba diving, and white water rafting.
This was possible because he changed his lifestyle to incorporate healthy eating habits, an exercise regimen, and regular practice of yoga and meditation.
