Image by Achieving health, well-being and stronger faith one day at a time
Achieving health, well-being and stronger faith one day at a time
“I promised myself and God that if I found the answers to my struggles with my weight and health, I’d be bold and brave and share what I’ve learned with others. The tribulations that have caused me the most pain in my life – my mess – becomes my message.” — Shemane Nugent
Oftentimes, the promises on book covers are more the crafting of marketing departments than the authors: be the best parent in one hour; 21-days to real health; financial independence and a rich, free life. Anyone looking at them realistically would admit that, while the techniques may be effective, achieving the authors’ intentions would be slower and more gradual.
The cover of Shemane Nugent’s 2025 release, Abundantly Well (Good Books), also makes such a cover claim. Situated within a ribbon vector image, it promises, “40 days to a slimmer, healthier you.” From a sales perspective, it’s a sexier enticement for the writer’s audience, most likely women ages 40 and up. If that’s the grabber, it does a disservice to the book and Mrs. Nugent’s comforting, faith-infused style because the whole intention of this book is more than losing weight. The subtitle, “Bible-based wisdom for weight loss, increased energy, and vibrant health” says more about what’s inside. Rather than a crash course for temporary results, Abundantly Well offers ways for women to sincerely regard themselves as “temples of the Lord,” and not just in body but in mind and spirit. While written in a topic a day, 40-day format, Abundantly Well is unique from other health and fitness books because it is prayer and God-centered with the author’s recurrent reminder of taking “small steps” that work for the reader’s life.
Each day’s topic begins with a Bible verse that fits the chapter contents. After the main content, supported not just with her own opinions and experiences, but other Bible verses and scientific articles, is the “Move Forward” portion, where the author asks, out of the information just presented, what one or two parts could be added to your life today? The day’s readings and motivations are capped with prayer.
Cover of Abundantly Well by Shemane Nugent
She ventures between the days addressing fitness and weight loss, with writings on healing trauma, detoxifying your home, aging, prayer, service to others, and spiritual warfare. While she doesn’t go in-depth on the topics — they are meant to be easy to digest daily, she provides insightful information and resources to learn more later. On Day 12, she begins to demystify cravings and on Day 17 managing “Hormonal Havoc.” Day 14, “Detoxify Your House,” she addresses many small ways we add poisons to our lives through the gasses and chemicals in things as plastic bottles and scented trash bags.
When Mrs. Nugent writes about nutrition and fitness, she differentiates it from typical approaches by grounding them in a Biblical framework and a mindset of moving forward. Day 7, “God Food Verses Man Food” is a realistic reflection of the mass-produced food industry compared to the often-vilified individual hunting practices.
“Some people say they could never kill an animal, but even if you’re a vegan, you are responsible for killing millions of birds, geese, rabbits, possums, and deer. The roads you drive on, the shopping mall you frequent, your house — these were all once wildlife habitat. Your vegetable garden too! By making way for those areas to be habitat-free, you have to kill every squirrel, rabbit, chipmunk, pheasant, dove, turkey, and deer. We are all complicit (pg. 25).”
Within these pages, she speaks of what she knows and lives.
“I promised myself and God that if I found the answers to my struggles with my weight and health, I’d be bold and brave and share what I’ve learned with others. The tribulations that have caused me the most pain in my life – my mess – becomes my message,” she writes (p. X).
Mrs. Nugent is co-author with her husband of more than 30 years, Ted Nugent (yes, that actual rock star, Ted Nugent) of the 2016 release, Kill It and Grill It, about preparing and cooking wild game. She also authored, Killer House, her story of surviving illness from toxic mold found in her home. She has been in the fitness industry for 40 years as an instructor and program developer, and is host of the Sunday morning show, “Faith and Freedom” on Real America’s Voice network. It could be easy to look at Shemane Nugent, who maintains her figure and beauty past the age of 60 and dismiss her as a celebrity author and wife of a mega star who can buy whatever she needs to achieve happiness. But don’t be so quick to judge. She has endured major surgery, forgiven marital infidelity and beaten a life-threatening illness. She regrets spending too much of her life being a “doormat,” stuffing down deep grief, and lacking confidence, without a note of self-pity. She also admits to eyelash extensions, trying botox, and indulging in chocolate chip cookies and cupcakes. She shares with her Christian sisters that she learned to take the difficulties in life and use them to grow stronger and develop her prayer life and reliance on God and she wants the same for them.
How we think, how we feel, how often we move, what we breathe into our bodies and ingest, our perspective of God, prayer, gratitude, and service to others, all play a part in our health. You may not live a rock star life, but Shemane Nugent maintains that you do not need to; you just need to take baby steps every day, accompanied with prayer and gratitude, toward achieving your goals.
© Copyright 2025 by Mary McWilliams
Feature Image by Pexels from pixabay.com
Inset by Mary Mcwilliams
She opens with brief paragraphs that generally describe each of the four. Then she jumps right into the saints and why she thinks a specific saint owns that particular temperament. This method of organization speaks to the point of the title, but at times, particularly in the chapters on St. Francis de Sales and St. Peter, while enjoyable, can be confusing and repetitive. In both, she moves on to address other saints of the same temperament, perhaps to give additional examples of the trait, but sometimes it sounds as though she is trying to force the saint to fit the trait. St. Francis de Sales is described as “Melancholic-Choleric” in the chapter title and she spends the first few pages talking about the Choleric disposition. She notes, however, that, upon studying his life and words, Choleric is the least of his traits. To her point, she impresses upon the reader that, ideally, we want to become a balance of the best of all four traits, which St. Francis de Sales achieved through a great deal of prayer, intention, and work.
I cannot recall the topic we were discussing when my director began to share a story about a three-handled coffee mug. She told me when she presented this thought exercise to others in the past, they became overwhelmed and anxious at the thought of how to hold it or use it. As I began to imagine it in my mind, I was intrigued and excited all at the same time. When my spiritual director asked how the three handled mug made me feel, I couldn’t help but share that I saw the persons of the Trinity—a handle for Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The cup is hand-made pottery, with a bumpy texture. The sentimental type I am, I can imagine the hands of the person who created it. I slide my fingertip across the initials scratched into the bottom, too blurred to make out. A reminder of my imperfections and the faithfulness of God. The space where the handles joined the cup reveals finger swipes, merging the clay. A prayerful moment brings me peace in connecting with another person who loved that cup while combining myself with the persons of the Trinity.
