After 11 years of listening to women voice their concerns about health, Des Moines-area doctor and ISU graduate Robin Hartley decided it was time to share her knowledge with as many of those women as possible.

In her recently published book, “Women, It’s Your Turn,” Hartley speaks about basic health concerns for women of every age and encourages women to work toward balancing their mind, body and spirit.

Hartley said the book is directed at the wife, mother, daughter, sister, neighbor or employee that has been taking care of everyone around her.

“Women, it’s your turn now to start evaluating your life and taking care of yourself,” she said.

Rather than giving health information to one patient at a time, Hartley said she wanted to empower large groups of women with knowledge about health and well-being.

“What I found in [medical] practice was that women in their young 20s had books about childbearing, and women entering menopause had books about menopause, but there was nothing for women in between,” Hartley said.

She said her book would be beneficial to women of all ages because she thinks it’s never too soon or too late for a woman to start balancing her life.

Hartley said beginning at age 20, every woman should start her own health file and should be aware that medical problems of family members may lie in their genes.

“There are tremendous opportunities to prevent things like high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, heart attack, diabetes and obesity from ever happening to you if you recognize that your lifestyle and genes may indicate that those are in your future,” Hartley said.

She designed her book to help women recognize what health risks they may be facing and to help them take preventative actions.

The book includes a number of interactive charts and graphs where women are able to enter their own information and discover what their personal health risks might be. There are also links to Web sites with additional information about health issues.

The book covers topics such as PMS, breast exams, Pap smears, romance, simplifying life, hormone replacement therapy, anxiety and depression, libido and family history.

It also includes a 21-day plan for success, which is aimed at helping women achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

Hartley said there isn’t one specific key to a woman’s well-being, but harmony in mind, body and spirit are a must. She encouraged women to act now and not waste any time when it comes to leading a healthy lifestyle.

“This is your opportunity to be the very best you can be, now and in the future. Your body is very forgiving of your past. If you take 30 minutes of each day to invest in yourself … you could add years to your life and quality to your years,” Hartley said. “Right this moment you’re the youngest you’ll ever be, and it’s not too late to be a better you.”

Hartley said her book was one that women could use as their complete health manual.

“Other various books don’t have it all in one place,” she said. “This information is so vital and so important that I would like to see every woman have the chance to understand this information and empower herself.”

Her book is available at Amazon.com and various bookstores in Des Moines, as well as in Ames at Shoppes on Grand, Waldenbooks at North Grand Mall, University Book Store and Big Table Books.

University Book Store was sold out of the book, and copies were also selling well at Big Table Books. “Women have said that it was easy to understand,” Big Table Books clerk Dale Edwards said.

The 144-page black and white book was published by McMillen Publishing and sells for $28.95.