Date of the last update: 28.06.2023
There are so many books that claim to be the #1 game-changer to take control of our health. Yet, with so many to choose from, where do we start?
Our team of experts in holistic health have chosen their top five books to get you started on your self-led well-being process. Here goes!
Table of contents:
- The Wahls Protocol’ by Terry Wahls (M.D) (2014)
- ‘Grain Brain’ by Dr. David Perlmutter (M.D), and Kristin Loberg (2013)
- ‘The Autoimmune Solution’ by Amy Myers (M.D.) (2015)
- ‘Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom: Creating Physical and Emotional Health and Healing’ by Christiane Northrup (1994, revised in 2010)
- ‘Hormone Intelligence: The Complete Guide to Calming Hormone Chaos and Restoring Your Body’s Natural Blueprint for Well-Being’ by Dr. Aviva Romm (2021)
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The Wahls Protocol’ by Terry Wahls (M.D) (2014)
Terry Wahls is a doctor, researcher, sufferer of multiple sclerosis (MS), with a TEDx talk that has inspired people across the world.
At the start of her medical career, Dr. Terry Wahls followed the protocol she had been taught to apply, treating her patients’ symptoms with drugs or surgery; this changed when in 2000, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). The illness was progressive, and by 2003 her muscles had deteriorated to the point that she needed a wheelchair. Conventional MS treatments were doing her no good, and she began studying the research behind autoimmune diseases and brain biology, and decided to take a diet-focused approach to dealing with her illness. Wahls adopted a paleo diet – based on the diet of our ancestors in the Paleolithic Era – ensuring that she got the crucial fatty acids from the food she ate, rather than the pills she had been taking.
To the surprise of many, her condition began to improve. First she was able to take small steps independently, and by 2011, she cycled 18 miles in a single day. In November 2011, Dr. Wahls shared her remarkable recovery in a TEDx talk that immediately went viral. In this book, she outlines the protocol that allowed her to reverse many of her symptoms, get her life back, and make it her mission to share her discoveries with the many people battling with MS and other autoimmune diseases.
‘Grain Brain’ by Dr. David Perlmutter (M.D), and Kristin Loberg (2013)
Subtitled ‘The Surprising Truth about Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar: Your Brain’s Silent Killers’, this book – written by neurologist David Perlmutter and Kristin Loberg – explores the impact of these foods on your body, and offers a 4-week plan to achieve optimum health.
The authors explore extensive medical literature to show how even ‘healthy carbs’ can contribute to a variety of common illnesses including dementia, ADHD, anxiety, chronic headaches, depression, decreased libido, and plenty more.
‘Grain Brain’ proves that we are not at the mercy of our genes: that we can take control of our own health, through the food we choose, and that the growth of new brain cells is possible at any age.
Combining scientific research, real-life success stories and applicable advice, ‘Grain Brain’ guides the reader in developing a healthy and long life, starting with his 4-week protocol to increase brain health and mitigate common neurological diseases, without the use of drugs.
‘The Autoimmune Solution’ by Amy Myers (M.D.) (2015)
According to Myers’ research, more than 90% of the global population suffers from some sort of inflammation, or an autoimmune disorder, which conventional medicine has so far believed to be incurable. Patients diagnosed with debilitating diseases like Crohn’s and rheumatoid arthritis typically take a large quantity of numerous pharmaceuticals that ignore the root cause of the illness. Myers discovered another path to healing.
With the publication of this book, Dr. Myers went from a conventionally trained doctor, to a leading figure in functional medicine. ‘The Autoimmune Solution’ lays out her medically proven approach to prevent a variety of inflammatory-related symptoms and diseases such as allergies, obesity, asthma, cardiovascular disease, fibromyalgia, lupus, IBS, chronic headaches, and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.
For anyone with an interest in reducing internal inflammation – and anyone interested in healing through food and functional medicine in general – this book is a must read.
‘Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom: Creating Physical and Emotional Health and Healing’ by Christiane Northrup (1994, revised in 2010)
Many see this book as a bible for women’s health, and for good reason. In this book, world-renowned expert in women’s health – Dr. Christiane Northrup – shares insights for women to live a fully embodied and fulfilled life.
The book covers areas of life ranging from sexuality, healing from chronic illnesses, menstrual health, nutrients essential for female health, thyroid function, pregnancy and birth, and her deemed “fountain of youth molecule”.
Dr. Northrup argues that living in a healthy female body can be an ecstatic experience, and that it is the birthright of women (and men!) to understand the principles of female health, to apply to their own lives, and to openly pass on to future generations.
‘Hormone Intelligence: The Complete Guide to Calming Hormone Chaos and Restoring Your Body’s Natural Blueprint for Well-Being’ by Dr. Aviva Romm (2021)
In this book, Dr. Romm takes the stance that to live a long and fulfilling life, women must begin with a solid understanding of their hormonal function and health.
Although hormones – and their effects on our bodies and minds – naturally fluctuate throughout the course of our lives, we are not condemned to suffer the difficult symptoms that so many women face, including period symptoms, PCOS, endometriosis, fertility challenges, low sex drive, sleep deprivation, acne, bloating, hot flashes, and more. These difficulties – common to many women – are all related to hormonal imbalances, and are therefore within our control, even though doctors rarely offer the support that women need.
‘Hormonal Intelligence’ helps women identify the origin of their symptoms, and lays out a 6-week plan to achieve lifelong hormonal and gynecologic health. The plan uses a holistic approach, focusing on dietary and lifestyle choices.
‘Hormone Intelligence’ encourages readers to establish a new and proactive relationship to their bodies and hormonal systems, embracing their power to build the health that they desire and deserve.
We hope that these books provide as much food for thought as they did for us, and for the thousands of people who have transformed their lives by following the wisdom shared in each of them.
