By Ahron Friedberg, MD

“Adolescence is a narrow window: enough independence to make real choices, and enough plasticity to learn from them. That’s the window this book is written for."

The Young Person’s Guide to Health and Wellness is a practical, evidence-based book designed to help teenagers develop healthy habits, protect their mental and physical well-being, and make thoughtful choices during critical years of growth. Written by a practicing psychiatrist, Ahron Friedberg, M.D, it offers clear guidance on nutrition, habits, relationships, mental health, and decision-making in a form young people can understand and apply. At a time when young people face unprecedented pressures and misinformation, this is a much-needed, grounded guide for teens and the adults who support them.

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The Young Person’s Guide to Health and Wellness

“The Young Person’s Guide to Health and Wellness is for smart, ambitious teenagers who want to live up to their physical, intellectual, and psychological potential—now and into the future. Its mind–body approach is astute and perfectly integrated. The advice is practical, candid, and unflinching, addressing real-life topics that many books ignore. Teenagers, as well as their teachers, parents, and health-care providers, should read this book.”

— Heather Berlin, PhD, Mount Sinai Health System

Who This Book Is For

Parents of teenagers seeking credible, practical guidance

Educators and school leaders supporting student well-being

Health and mental-health professionals working with adolescents

Thoughtful teenagers who want to take responsibility for their health

What the Book Covers

This book addresses the everyday choices that shape adolescent health and well-being, including physical development, nutrition, habit formation, mental health, relationships, empathy, values, and community. It focuses on practical decision-making and long-term resilience rather than quick fixes.

For parents, it offers a clear, credible framework to support conversations with teenagers without lecturing or alarmism.

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The Ten Principles

The Young Person’s Guide to Health and Wellness helps teenagers develop the habits, judgment, and self-awareness they need to protect their physical health, support their mental well-being, and make responsible choices during the years that matter most.

Helps teens understand how daily choices affect their physical and mental health.
Explains how the body develops—and how to care for it responsibly.
Shows how nutrition supports energy, focus, and long-term well-being.
Teaches how to build healthy habits that reduce risk and stress over time.
Guides teens in using self-reflection to make better decisions.
Strengthens identity by clarifying values, responsibility, and self-respect.
Helps teens recognize healthy relationships and avoid harmful ones.
Builds empathy and communication skills essential for social and emotional health.
Shows why community and connection are essential to personal growth.
Demonstrates how thoughtful choices now shape a stable, fulfilling future.

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young-persons-guide-health-wellness-book-cover Ahron Friedberg MD

The Young Person's Guide to Health and Wellness

A practical guide to setting young people on a path toward lifelong wellbeing.

The Young Person’s Guide to Health and Wellness is rooted in Dr. Friedberg’s work, developing a comprehensive health, wellness, and athletic program for young people. The program helps students strive toward the best version of themselves—physically, emotionally, and socially—by building strong habits that support maturity and resilience.

Anchored in ten core principles, the Guide emphasizes, for example, caring for the body, practicing good nutrition, cultivating healthy routines, developing moral values, forming meaningful relationships, and contributing to one’s community. Each chapter explores one of these principles through clear explanations and reflective questions that invite personal insight and discussion.

Encouraging young people to take responsibility for their mental and physical wellbeing, the Guide provides a foundation for thoughtful choices, lasting habits, and a more grounded path into adulthood.

Testimonials

“Dr. Friedberg’s Young Person’s Guide offers so much sane, sound advice that it should be a primary reference for any teenager navigating their life’s journey. I will enthusiastically recommend it to my younger patients. Its emphasis on developing good habits that last a lifetime is especially valuable.”

— Albert Levy, MD, Director, Manhattan Family Practice

“This Guide is full of practical wisdom, helping young people assess their current health and design a strategy to improve each domain over time. Its approach is nonjudgmental and realistic, encouraging readers to focus on what matters most right now. It reflects much of what I practice and recommend in my own integrative medicine work.”

— Zachary Mulvihill, MD, Integrative Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine

“As an educator and a parent, I am confident this Guide will engage readers and become a lasting resource. The ten principles at its core provide a clear roadmap for setting goals, improving well-being, and navigating lasting change. It is a book young people will return to again and again.”