Finding a good book that I can actually learn from and enjoy is like GOLD to me! I love getting great recommendations and finding that they actually are worth the read SO I wanted to pull together my top 4 books and pass them along to you!

The China Study – T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell

I think this is a book that every one should be required to read in high school. Multiple people suggested that I read this so I bought it and haven’t been able to put it down. I am currently on chapter 7 and have already learned SO much.

Each study in it’s own way proves over and over again the horrible side effects of a diet that is primarily based off of animal protein (meat eaters).

These studies are then followed by a different study that proves that a plant-based diet is the key to our health. It turns off cancer, reduces bad cholesterol levels, un-clogs arteries that are quickly on their way to producing heart attacks, and in turn, reduces weight. 

It explains that Americans primarily die from heart attacks that are without doubt caused from a poor diet. All the information is right in front of us but we refuse to believe that we are our own culprits. I think we like to put blame on our genes but The China Study explains that only 2-3% of all cancers could be attributed to genes.

Did you know…

- Breast cancer is associated with animal fat intake but not with plant fat.

- The healthiest diet you can consume is a high-carbohydrate diet. It has been shown to reverse heart disease, reverse diabetes, prevent a plethora of chronic diseases, and yes, it has been shown many times to cause significant weight loss.

- Caesin, and very likely all animal proteins, may be the most relevant cancer-causing substances that we consume.

- Studies document the fact that vegetarians consume the same amount or even more calories than their meat-eating counterparts, and yet are still slimmer.

- Exercising a mere 15-45 minutes a day will maintain a body weight that is 11-18 pounds lighter than it otherwise would be.

- Plant based foods are linked to lower blood cholesterol. Animal based foods are linked to higher breast cancer rates; plant based foods are linked to lower rates. Fiber and antioxidants from plants are linked to a lower risk of cancers in the digestive tract. Plant based diets and active lifestyles result in a healthy weight, yet permit people to become big and strong.

- Benefits produced by eating a plant based diet are far more diverse and impressive than any drug or surgery used in medical practice.

This is just a very small selection of notes I chose to pull from the book. I wish I could just deliver this to everyone and make them read it!

If you are very involved in a meat eating diet, have high cholesterol, are overweight, or feel that you need to gain control of your health, PICK UP THIS BOOK! Just understanding how to prevent disease and really developing an understanding of how BENEFICIAL a plant based diet is will be a huge help in getting started. It will give you a REASON to take care of yourself and change your habits. It will also make it much easier because now instead of just paying attention to what you eat to fit into clothes a certain way, you will be doing it because you CARE about yourself, which is the most important part. 

The Body Book – Cameron Diaz

First of all – who doesn’t love Cameron Diaz? Beautiful, successful, funny, AND a health coach? Role model right there. As soon as I found out she released not only a book but a book described as “The law of hunger, the science of strength, and other ways to love your amazing body”, I couldn’t wait to go pick up my copy.

This is a book I have read all the way through twice and have opened up to random chapters to seek motivation and guidance.

She teamed up with health professionals in order to provide us with all the best and truest information.

The book is sectioned into three main parts: Nutrition, Fitness, and Mind. She teaches us to LOVE our hunger and to EMBRACE it rather than try to avoid it. She then goes on to thoroughly explain the reasons we need our fats, carbs, and proteins and the horrific side effects of a diet loaded with sugar.

She motivates by telling us her daily routine and by explaining over and over again that a body in movement stays in movement. Walk when you can rather than drive, use the stairs rather than the elevator. MOVE YOUR BODY! Fuel your body, move, then refuel.

She talks about the body of a woman in particular, teaching us about the things that might be awkward to talk about, the importance of sleep and reminds us that our body craves health and a strong structure.

She ties it all together at the end with something that I’m very passionate about which is a healthy MIND.  Teaching us that we CAN break bad habits, love our bodies, and live confidently.

Definitely an amazing read!

The Raw Food Detox Diet – Natalia Rose

You know how when you watch the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and feel like purchasing new workout clothes, a juice cleanse, and a stair master at each commercial?  That’s how this book makes me feel. I love reading itbut I also want to put it down after each chapter to go practice everything I just learned!

It’s so blunt about the fact that by having a poor diet we are single handedly poisoning our own cells.

She goes on to teach us that everything we put into our bodies should be disposed of before we eat again IFwe have optimum health, which most of us don’t. Most people will eat a meal, then stack another meal on top, again and again then maybe eliminate the first one a few days later. YIKES! This cycle is hard on our digestive system causing us to expend a lot of useful energy and causes us to bloat.

She teaches us about the process of a detox, the benefits, and how it can easily be a lifestyle for those who wish to have optimal health. She breaks it up into levels so that whether you’ve been eating meat your entire life or if you have been health cautious for years, there’s a new place for you to start.

I love the way she explains everything AND she gives easy, useful recipes that follow her teachings. This is another one of those books that I like to skim through often for quick reminders to stay on track !

Creative Confidence – Tom Kelley & David Kelley

This isn’t a book about health or wellness but for anyone trying to expand or build a business this book is amazing! They offer a new way of thinking that easily gets you to open up your mind. Throughout the entire book I caught myself opening up to new business ideas and writing them down between the lines. They teach you that an idea that is made from wanting to help people, backed by genuine empathy is key to having new ideas that can actually become something magical.

They also point out that a huge reason that most people don’t follow through with their ideas is because they’re afraid. Afraid of failure, afraid of leaving everything they have worked for so far, or afraid of the idea plummeting.

No one likes to be called out so reading that is already motivation to get moving with the ideas we’ve had. Even more motivating are the stories they tell about real people! They explain their background story about being in a job that they hate, having an idea, finding the courage to pursue it, and the success that followed.

“You can change the way you live and work. Don’t be afraid to try and fail.”

“What matters most about your career is not the value that others put on it. It’s how you view your job. It’s about your dream, your passion, Your calling.”

“You should be able to feel passion, purpose, and meaning in whatever you do. And that shift in perspective can open up a world of possibilities.”

“You probably know people who went for the money and now feel miserable or trapped.”

Can you feel the positivity and motivation yet?