Besides mysteries and fiction, books on holistic health topics are one of my top genres to read. I heard somewhere that when an expert writes a book on their area of expertise, it’s basically getting years (decades, even!) of their hard earned knowledge for the amazing price of $11.99 (or however much the book they wrote costs.)
So while I may not be able to get in with functional medicine doctor Mark Hyman, I can absolutely read his books, get his tips, and implement his advice, so (minus the lab work and tests) it’s *practically* like getting a one-to-one appointment, right?;-)
Here’s a roundup of 19 of my most revered books on all things holistic health, read to date, and organized by topic.
Ayurveda
Healing Your Life: Lessons on the Path of Ayurveda (new to Ayurveda? start here!)
Cooking
The Self-Care Cookbook: Easy Healing Plant-Based Recipes (as pretty as it is useful, this makes a fantastic housewarming or hostess gift)
PlantYou: 140+ Ridiculously Easy, Amazingly Delicious Plant-Based Oil-Free Recipes
Joy
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear (an absolute must read for igniting the joy creativity brings)
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (the perfect book to give as a gift for graduations, milestone birthdays, to someone going through a tough time, or just because)
Longevity
Young Forever: The Secrets to Living Your Longest and Healthiest Life
Outlive: The Science & Art of Longevity
The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest (I truly believe integrating these lessons—especially those of purpose and community—can have a big effect on lifespan equalling health-span!)
Mental Grit
The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living
Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives (written by my happiness guru Gretchen Rubin, I take her advice on a daily basis)
A Little Life (this one is fiction but my very favorite book of all time—I even named my daughter after the main character—and includes lots of lessons on mental grit, purpose, and the importance of friendships)
Parenting
The Awakened Family: How to Raise Empowered, Resilient, and Conscious Children (hint: once we do OUR inner work as parents the work of raising wonderful kids eases dramatically)
The Danish Way of Parenting: What the Happiest People in the World Know About Raising Confident, Capable Kids (you probably have guessed I love all things Scandi—hence Hygge Yoga—including their parenting tactics, which have greatly influenced the ways I curate childhood for my kiddos)
What books would you add to this list? Would love for you to share in the comments!
Sending light and love,
Jess (Your Ayurvedic Health Counselor, Making Holistic Health Cozy, Not Clinical)
p.s. in case you missed it, here’s some of the top lessons you can learn about holistic health from the Blue Zones.