10 Simple Steps

Written By: Marlene Osteen | Issue: April 2025 | Photograph By: Susan Renfro

For nearly two decades, Dr. Sue Aery has been a familiar face to anyone in Highlands seeking relief from pain and a path to better health.

As a chiropractor and wellness expert, she’s known for blending hands-on care with a big-picture approach – one that sees health as more than just the absence of pain. Now, Dr. Sue is sharing that philosophy far beyond her treatment room with the release of her new book, 10 Simple Steps to Better Health: A Guide to Health and Wellness for Everyone.

“I’ve always wanted to write books,” Dr. Sue says, “but life gets busy when you’re running a practice. It wasn’t until I was recovering from hip surgery—and suddenly had time to reflect—that I jumped into a 7-day book challenge and finally put my thoughts on paper.”

The result is a warm, accessible guide that feels more like advice from a trusted friend than a textbook. “This isn’t about complicated science,” she says. “It’s a foundation—a starting point. These are the stepping stones to better health.”

Dr. Sue’s 10 steps touch on the basics—hydration, sleep, movement, and stress relief—but they also dig into something deeper: the importance of emotional, social, and spiritual health. “Love, companionship, happiness—those are just as important as what you eat,” she says. “It’s all connected.”

That whole-person, root-cause approach has shaped Dr. Sue’s entire career, and it’s also the driving force behind her latest venture: Reflux Rescue (www.refluxrescue.health), an online resource dedicated to helping people manage acid reflux and GERD naturally – without medications.

“So many people are struggling with digestive issues, but they don’t realize how closely gut health connects to everything else — immunity, energy, even brain health,” she explains.

“If I could give this book to one person, it would be a medical doctor,” she says. “Not to criticize, but to bridge the gap. My focus is on nutrition, lifestyle, and getting to the root cause. Imagine how much better we could serve patients if we worked together.”

She’s quick to emphasize that better health isn’t a destination you arrive at – it’s a daily practice.

“Good health is a journey. It’s fluid and dynamic. It’s about making better choices, learning what your body needs, and being curious enough to keep asking questions.”

With 10 Simple Steps, Dr. Sue hopes to spark that curiosity – and empower readers to take charge of their own well-being.