Over the last six months or so, I've read quite a few books on health. The catalyst: I was/am dealing with flare ups from my auto-immune. It seemed like nothing seemed to work and my doctor didn't seem super interested. So, I hit the books (again). While I did start with books directly related to my auto-immune, I soon branched out. These are the three I'm recommending; none of them are auto-immune specific (if you'd like to know those, let me know!).
I'm sharing them in the order that I read them, which is actually the order I recommend reading them in. I'll explain why I recommend that order, but obviously: you do you =)
First, "Unlock Your Macro" by Christine Hronec. I listened to this via Audible and there was an AMAZING pdf provided. I don't tend to listen to a lot of non-fiction, especially ones where I'll need to highlight things, but this totally worked. The author lays out a long quiz so you can determine the major macro your body needs to function properly (fat, carbs, protein). She also gives you workouts and timing for workouts based on your macro type. While I probably should have known this, the book made it crystal clear that I was not getting enough protein AT ALL. Regardless of my macro lol This book is for both men and women. I thought it was easy to digest and implement.
Second, "Fast Like a Girl" by Dr. Mindy Pelz. Sorry guys, this one is mostly for the ladies. I guess you could read it, but you probably wouldn't need half the info. This one is about intermittent fasting(IF). IF can mean anything from a 72 hour fast to eating within an 8 hour window so you fast for 16 hours each day. This book is specifically for women because she goes into the impact of our cycle. Again, perhaps I should have already known this, but I didn't realize how much our hormones naturally change throughout each month. I'm sure someone told me years ago. I'm sure I blocked it out in my ultra-feminist, "we're all the same" mentality. No surprise, certain times of the month are easier for long fasts because of those hormones. Surprisingly, this is actually good! Altering your IF hours also keeps your body guessing, keeps it from adapting and managing to your IF cycle. Dr. Pelz lays out a bunch of 30 day IF cycles, including how to start. She has one for auto-immune, one for fertility, etc. She talks about the science behind IF, why people get great results. Again, easy to digest and implement. I have friends who have been doing this now for a few months and have seen GREAT results. I will caveat that quite a few of these are in or post-menopause. The reason I recommend "Unlock Your Macro" first, is I thought it gave me a good base level of foods my body needs, as Dr. Pelz explains what she recommends during each phase of a 30 day IF schedule. I felt that I was better able to tweak her recommendations for what my body needs.
Third, "Metabolical" by Robert H. Lustig. This isn't so much about health as it is about food. His mantra is "feed the gut, protect the liver." A part of me believes everyone should be to read this book, while a part of me had a hard time getting through it. It has some great, digestible science in and it has impacted the way I look at food. In short, his takeaway is about how bad processed food is for us. He talks about what it does to the body and why the body can't handle it all. He also goes into organic vs. not. I've listened to and read other books on a similar topic, but this one, for whatever reason (right place, right teacher), really spoke to me. I had a hard time finishing it, because I felt a little hopeless during the second half. It seemed like there wasn't anything I could eat that would be GOOD for me, or guaranteed good for me. I felt having read the previous two books helped calm this feeling a bit. Mostly because those books stressed the importance of doing the best you can when you can. At the end, he does get to talking about solutions which I found interesting. Unfortunately, there isn't a ton you can do, the food industry does need a major shift. Although..."you get three chances a day to vote or send a message". Even as he mentions this, he highlights that you'll have to spend more on food and thus...spend less on other things. Of course, this will serve you ten fold as your health improves and related bills decline. I got the Kindle version from the library, but this is one I probably could have listened to without much issue or regret.
Why am I recommending these books? I've seen an improvement. Of course, is it correlation or causation? I don't know. I do know that my energy is up and I'm back to feeling more like myself. Would you be jealous of my meals, especially my breakfast? Probably not, but it's worth it to me. I'm not perfect at any of it. I don't always get the exact macros and I can't always follow the exact IF schedule. And that's okay. In both books, both authors stress the importance of listening to your body. A little stress is good, a lot could be bad. I especially like intermittent fasting because of how flexible it is. Of course, I'm trying to eat healthier, but it's more of a focus on WHEN I eat rather than WHAT I eat. Honestly, this alone helps cut out a bunch of crap MOST of the time. I know, I know, we've all been told not to eat after dinner, but how much junk would you not eat if you didn't eat after a late lunch? I have one friend who has some really busy days a couple of times each month. Those are the days she leverages or leans into a 24 hour fast because she barely has time to eat! While we may have all had those days, I assert, it's her intentionality behind it that makes the difference. The day before, she makes sure to eat healthy and well and enough to help get her through the 24 hours. And then, she often has something good planned for the next day.
Of course, if you'd like to chat more about these books or books you've read, you know I'm always game =) Reach out and let's geek out!
AND. On the subject of books, I'm starting a virtual non-fiction book club. Click here to read the description and stay in the know!
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