The ten best health books to consider when getting started on a traditional lifestyle that will help change habits and results for the long term.
Books are a usual favorite on most people’s gift lists as they are suitable for any occasion and you can find something to please almost anyone.
For those family and friends who are interested in health, why not give them a book that will really rock their world?
I’m often asked about which health books are my personal favorites.
So, I thought I’d list my Top Ten and give you the reasons why each particular book was a game-changer for me.
These books really got me started between 1995-2005 on the wellness journey that I continue on today!
These selections are more pertinent than ever as they are from authors who wrote the text themselves with sincerity and true groundbreaking ideas.
By contrast, many “health” or “fitness” books today by famous personalities are actually ghostwritten by establishment sources. The themes hidden behind “alternative” sounding semantics are conventional and often harmful.
What’s more, the success of these fake health books is usually manufactured and not organic from a grassroots perspective! How to spot them? They are usually books that go viral all over social media and/or are featured on the health and wellness table when you walk into large corporate bookstores.
These modern-style health books are best avoided as they can easily lead down a path that does not improve health in the long run.
The books listed below were truly popular at a grassroots level. They contain traditional themes and authentically groundbreaking ideas that run counter to the popular (and often harmful) health narratives of today.
Top Books to Consider for a Healthier Lifestyle
Juicing for Life by Cherie Calbom
Ok, I know. Juicing is not the wellness silver bullet that it is cracked up to be in the health community.
Veggie juicing has the potential to be nothing but a huge blood sugar spike unless you stir in some cream to lower the glycemic index like the French traditionally practice with their raw carrot juice.
But, thirty years ago when I was a stressed-out corporate rat, living out of suitcases and constantly flying all over the place, juicing really saved my life and this particular book was my juicing go-to.
I’ve written before about my problem with panic attacks in my twenties that was triggered by my “burn the candle at both ends” lifestyle.
Vegetable juicing provided the much-needed minerals I required to get through this unhealthy period in my life until I was able to slow down, change careers, and start doing some actual cooking for myself.
Even now, I use vegetable juicing as a way to get a lot of easy to absorb minerals if I’m on the road and don’t have access to homemade bone broth.
The difference now is that I drink my fresh veggie juice with some fat to improve absorption and prevent the blood sugar spike!
The Untold Story of Milk by Dr. Ron Schmid
When I was new to raw dairy and still a little unsure about my decision many years ago, this book by Dr. Ron Schmid made all the difference.
This book provides a comprehensive history of milk and how pasteurization came into favor.
If you think raw milk is unsafe, this book will change your mind.
In short, the detail provided in this book is sure to overcome the deep-seated propaganda against raw milk that has been purposely sown in your brain by Big Dairy via government and conventional medical authorities to protect market share and profits.
You will never look at milk the same again after reading this amazing story.
Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year by Susun Weed
This book is absolutely essential for the woman who desires a medication-free prenatal and birth experience. I can’t tell you how much I referred to this book, almost on a daily basis, when I was planning a pregnancy, pregnant, or breastfeeding.
Knowing how to properly and successfully use herbs to assist your body through the very challenging physical experience of pregnancy, birth, and labor is information that you can’t put a price on.
My Mom always likes to tell me that having a baby is like running a marathon that never ends. How true! This book will show you how to navigate that experience and not damage your body in the process.
The Secret Life of the Unborn Child by Thomas Verny
This book describes life from the perspective of an unborn baby and it will rock your world! I attribute what I learned in this book to my very important decision to not have any ultrasounds or subject myself or my baby to any unnecessary testing during my pregnancies.
For example, over 50 causal Chinese studies performed as a result of its one-child policy demonstrate without a shadow of a doubt that ultrasounds are dangerous for the unborn fetus.
This usually unnecessary procedure is a contributor to the explosion of speech impediments and non-genetic left-handedness (an indicator of brain damage) as well as many more conditions that were rare a generation ago but are commonplace now.
This book is a great read for any parent to be and will change how you feel about your pregnancy.
Cooking For Life: Ayurvedic Recipes for Good Food and Good Health by Linda Banchek
This book was my very first cookbook if you can believe that!
I bought it at the suggestion of my Ayurvedic MD who was helping me implement some very important lifestyle changes at the time to help me deal with my stressed-out corporate life many years ago.
Ayurvedic cooking was my very first foray into the world of traditional diet, and it really got the snowball rolling for me.
After learning Ayurvedic cooking, it was a very natural step to learn traditional cooking from other cultures as well.
The Truth about Children’s Health by Robert Bernardini
This is a great book to debunk all the common myths about children’s health such as fevers are bad and ear infections should be treated with antibiotics.
If you are an out of the box thinker and not given to “monkey see, monkey do” type of behavior when it comes to caring and raising your children, this book is for you.
It will help you raise a healthy child in spite of your doctor.
Excitotoxins: The Taste that Kills by Russell Blaylock MD
I first saw Dr. Blaylock (neurologist) speak at the 2004 Wise Traditions Conference.
After his talk, he got into a heated argument with an oncologist who happened to be in the audience who was offended by his take on the profit-making cancer industry and how aspartame causing brain tumors was being covered up by the medical establishment.
That argument was incredible to witness.
No doubt, the physician that was offended by the Dr. Blaylock’s takedown of aspartame would likely agree with him today…twenty years later!
Two medical doctors arguing about the very basic premise that what is in our processed foods is quite literally frying our brains was a memorable experience I can tell you!
After that talk, I simply had to read his book and was not disappointed.
MSG and aspartame (Nutrasweet) are two of the most dangerous chemicals in our food supply and this book goes into great detail about the exact process of how these chemicals destroy our brain and kill individual neurons which most likely never recover.
If you are finding it difficult to leave processed foods behind, this book will give you the nitty-gritty that will motivate you to make the necessary changes.
Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Natasha Campbell-McBride MD
If you suffer from any type of auto-immune disease, this book is an absolute must-read.
Dr. Campbell-McBride goes into detail about how an imbalance in the gut is the root of all auto-immune illness and what you can do with your diet to reverse this downward slide in your health.
One auto-immune illness leads to another and then another, so if you suffer from allergies and think this is no big deal, think again.
Allergies are auto-immune in nature and it will likely lead over time to more serious diseases unless you do something about it.
Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician, cautioned that “All diseases begin in the gut”.
This book will explain how this is so and what proactive steps you can take to fix yours and leave auto-immune disease behind.
Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon Morell with Mary G. Enig PhD
Are you interested in Traditional Cooking and the health benefits this can confer to your family and yourself?
If so, then this cookbook is the basic primer you need to get started. Don’t even attempt to delve into traditional cooking without it.
My copy of Nourishing Traditions is dog-eared and batter-splattered from being used so much over the years!
When you get your copy in the mail, be sure to cover it with a clear book cover protector as you will be using it as a constant reference on the kitchen counter as you cook.
Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Dr. Weston A. Price
Natives from traditional cultures consuming their traditional diets were healthy, strong, robust and mostly free from chronic and infectious diseases.
If you doubt the historical validity of this in any way, then you must read this detailed account of Dr. Weston A. Price’s 10-year journey around the world during the early part of the last century.
This book documents the astounding health of traditional societies with detailed data as well as amazing pictures.
If you are tired of fad diets and silver bullet approaches to health, it’s time to come home to the wisdom of Traditional Diets.
This is how people used to eat to stay healthy and well without the modern crutches of over-the-counter drugs, antibiotics, braces, and fillings to name but a few.
So there you have it. My Top Ten list of health books that have had the biggest effect on my health journey over the years.
What health books are on your list?
Are some of the health books on my list life-changers for you as well?
I’ve read a couple of these but love to have new recommendations to add to my reading list. 😌
Not exactly a health book, but Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth really opened up my eyes to the medical industry. I read her book on a friend’s recommendation while pregnant and thought Ina sounded nuts, but after giving birth I knew that what she said is all true. Establishment doctors and hospitals often first create many of the problems they then “fix” with surgery and drugs. It really made me question the expertise of the medical establishment.
It would help if all these books were accessible to buy.
Links are provided via both the book image and in the text on where to get them…
“Health as Habit” by Alvin Fred is a very good book, I learned a lot from it. There were so many things I didn’t know about, I tried and got really good results. I recommend.