5 Must-Read Books to Create a Healthy Lifestyle
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Grab a cup of coffee and get cozy because I have a list of books that you’ll want to read ASAP to take your health to the next level!
In this blog post, I’m sharing:
the top 5 books to read to take your health to the next level
how to implement healthy habits to get the results you want
Get Your FREE ebook: Top 10 Must-Try Mediterranean Diet Recipes + A Free Shopping List
Let’s get started!
Why I Chose These Books
In the fall of 2020, I found myself 20 pounds overweight, feeling tired and sluggish, depressed, and sleeping way too much. Something had to change, or I was on the fast track to chronic disease. I started reading books and doing research on how to improve my health, and after implementing what I had learned, I started seeing results almost immediately. I had a lot to learn, but by taking it one step at a time, I lost 20 pounds (in 3 months!) and regained my health. I actually more than regained my health… I reached a level of health that I honestly did not realize was possible.
My mission for this blog is to share all that I’ve learned since 2020 and to give you the tools you need to be successful quickly and reach your health goals.
If you want to finally gain control of your eating, lose weight, and drastically improve your energy, start implementing these steps today with my 30-Day Mediterranean Meal Plan.
Don’t forget to pin it!
Book #1 - Genius Foods: Become Smarter, Happier, and More Productive While Protecting Your Brain for Life
In one of my all-time favorite books, author Max Lugavere provides insight into the profound relationship between the foods you eat and how it can either make you healthier or set you on the fast track for the development of chronic diseases including dementia, heart failure, stroke, and diabetes. He highlights what foods you should avoid and what foods you should eat on a regular basis (foods he calls “genius foods.” Some of the foods he recommends eating regularly includes extra virgin olive oil, avocados, blueberries, grass-fed beef, eggs, dark leafy greens, and wild salmon…. all foods that are eaten regularly in our 30-Day Mediterranean Meal Plan!
Book #2 - Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth about Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar--Your Brain's Silent Killers
Being gluten intolerant, I may be partially biased about this book. I explain in the early sections of my 30-Day Mediterranean Meal Plan that I believe everyone should avoid eating gluten (and dairy) for at least one month to see if they notice a difference in how they feel. Food sensitivities can be masked by other health diagnoses and related symptoms. If you experience bloating, frequent headaches, indigestion or heartburn, achy joints, or mood swings, you may have a food sensitivity that you are not aware of.
Book #3 - The Blue Zones, Second Edition: 9 Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest
This book has it all! I am a big fan girl of all things Blue Zones and the Blue Zones Projects! Author Dan Buettner traveled to the areas of the world where people were living the longest to compile the qualities that contributed to living a long, healthy life. He discovered that all these communities shared similar qualities, which he coined the “Power 9.”
Qualities of the Power 9:
move naturally
find your purpose
take time to downshift
follow the 80% rule with eating
eat a more plant-based diet
wine at 5 (the Mediterranean diet recommends consuming a modest amount of wine, plus socialization usually goes along with having a glass)
find your tribe
put loved ones first
find your sense of belonging
Buettner goes on to explain how we can apply these qualities to our own lives to find more meaning, health, and happiness, no matter where we live!
Book #4 - Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body's Most Underrated Organ
Gut health is SO important, and research is showing that the gut does more than just digest our food. This book provides gives us a basic understanding of how the gut works, why some people are gluten and lactose intolerant, why we get acid reflux, and the connection between gut health and mental health. It is an interesting, fast read and is a book I highly recommend checking out!
Book #5 - Secrets of Self-Healing: Harness Nature's Power to Heal Common Ailments, Boost Your Vitality, and Achieve Optimum Wellness
This book has a bit of a different tone from the others I’ve shared, but it is a very interesting and informative read. A friend of mine recommended this book to me several years ago and it took me a while to get around to reading it. I wish I had read it sooner! The overall idea of this book is that we are all created with unique bodies with unique needs, and by understanding what it is our individual bodies need and crave, we can set ourselves up to thrive both physically, mentally, and spiritually.
The book is broken into two parts. In Part One, author Maoshing Ni explains how diet, exercise, caring for our mental health, and being more self-aware improves our health and how it can keep us healthy and thriving for many years to come. In Part Two, Maoshing Ni shares many natural remedies that he prescribes to his patients to naturally heal from common ailments including headaches, sore throats, indigestion, high blood pressure, and many more.
Start Eating Healthy with the Mediterranean Diet
If the Mediterranean diet is very different from how you have been eating, I HIGHLY recommend you follow a meal plan that has already been designed to help you be successful and quickly see results. The 30-Day Mediterranean Meal Plan I created includes everything you need to get started on the Mediterranean diet. It includes over 80 easy and delicious recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks that you can simply follow along to and enjoy all the delicious flavors that come with the Mediterranean diet.
Once I learned how to eat a balanced Mediterranean diet, I quickly saw great results! By having an understanding of what my own body needed each day, I was able to set myself up for success and have maintained this healthy lifestyle for almost 2 years.
I want this for you too! If you are ready to fully benefit from the Mediterranean diet, I urge you to get started with my 30-day meal plan now while it’s the lowest price it will ever be! Click here to get started.
Choosing the right foods makes all the difference in how you feel. Even if you’re not yet ready to go all in, I have something that will help you make a step towards eating healthy and reaping the benefits of a healthy, balanced diet. Download my Top 10 Must-Try Mediterranean Diet Recipes ebook by using the form below to get instant access to this valuable resource. I have also included a Mediterranean Diet Shopping List to help you get started.
Get Your FREE ebook: Top 10 Must-Try Mediterranean Diet Recipes + A Free Shopping List
I have also put together a resource library containing my top recommended books, kitchen must-haves, supplements to support your health, and more! Click here to check it out!
