There’s so much to learn about what health and wellness truly mean today. I also find it incredibly interesting to learn about where health care is going for both conventional western and holistic medicine. At the core of both of these schools of thought though is that what you eat is a direct link to your health.
I’m living proof that food is one of the most essential tools to taking control of your health and I’ve spent a significant amount of time reading about it. Here are my top 5 picks to read this summer if you’re interested in the connection between your health and what you eat.
1. Wellth: How I Learned to Build a Life Not a Résumé by Jason Wachob
Photo by Kristine Mahan
Wachob defines the term wellth as a “new and more valuable life currency: a life exemplified by abundance, happiness, purpose, health, and joy.” This is an incredibly valuable read for people of all ages and backgrounds. While food is one of the greatest pillars Wachob recognizes to achieve wellth, the point is made that wellness is truly alchemy. Written with humor, Wachob is relatable and offers truly realistic advice, I wasn’t able to put this book down.
2. Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ by Giulia Enders
Photo courtesy of amazon.com
Within the first 25 pages I understood Ender’s claim that the gut is definitely the most underrated organ. The German microbiologist takes a taboo topic and turns it into knowledge that will change the way you look at health. The microbiome has an enormous impact on your health, the accepted connection between it and your health is stronger than ever. Did you know there’s more serotonin in your gut than anywhere else in your body? Complete with adorable illustrations to simplify concepts, this was the most fascinating book I read in 2015.
3. Eat Pretty: Nutrition for Beauty, Inside and Outside by Jolene Hart
Photo courtesy of jolenehart.com
Hart’s book is an eloquently written guide to eating for optimal health and beauty. She outlines everything from how to eat produce seasonally to nutrients and how they are either helpful or harmful to the body. Simplified language and concepts make this a great read for any level of nutritional knowledge.
4. Make Your Own Rules Diet by Tara Stiles
Photo by Kristine Mahan
Stiles is the queen of encouraging you to follow how you feel when it comes to wellness. This “diet” isn’t a diet at all actually, but rather a lifestyle where you live in a mode of feeling, nourishing, and moving. This book includes recipes, stråla yoga tips, and testimonials. I am a fan of her non-preahcy approach and simply style of cooking and eating to nourish the body.
5. Healing With Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition by Paul Pitchford
Photo courtesy of amazon.com
While this is an extremely hefty read, it’s a valuable investment. It’s the kind of book to keep around for reference rather than trying to get through it cover-to-cover. Pitchford’s work is used modernly as a reference book for students of Chinese medicine but is written in way that even those who are generally interested in the field can understand and utilize for preventative health purposes. I use this book for everything from understanding heat in the body to energy meridians.