There are new books coming out each day to inspire healthy habits. Many provide us with steps for growing in our fitness endeavors, becoming healthier consumers, understanding the nutrients needed for aging bodies and even teaching us how to combat disease.

As busy career professionals you’re already stretched to find time for fitness let alone reading for pleasure.

And when you find the time to read, it may be a quick review on your phone, an audio or podcast version, a short chapter on your flight or just a few minutes before bed. Those seemingly small bursts do add up, especially when the content is valuable, inspiring, and educational. And who doesn’t want to learn new ways to stay healthy?

To help you get rolling with new ideas and inspiration, here are six picks you should read to stay healthy:

Eight Weeks to Optimum Health by Andrew Weil, M.D. I have always been a huge Dr. Weil fan, and I have had the opportunity to sit and chat with him at an author’s dinner and meet him again at several promotional events. When the first edition of Eight Weeks hit the market in the 90s it was a cutting-edge introduction to holistic healing. But homeopathic medicine coming from a Harvard physician made people sit up, take notice of what they are putting in their bodies, and trust that this healing guru would know what to do to optimize their health.

I would highly recommend every single one of his books from Spontaneous Healing, Fast Food and Good Food to Healthy Again. What’s especially wonderful about Eight Weeks to Optimum Health is that for both the novice and the expert, Dr. Weil guides you step by step into a healthier life with an understanding as to medically why we need to do so. And coupled with a healthy dose of motivation and inspiration, I return to his book—and his website www.drweil.com—over and over again for guidance on all my health and nutritional needs. Trust me, after the “first week” you will be on the path to living and sustaining a healthy lifestyle from the inside out.

The New Health Rules: Simple Changes to Achieve Whole-Body Wellness by Frank Lipman, M.D. and Danielle Claro. Leading expert in the field of functional medicine, Dr. Lipman and his coauthor Danielle Claro make health accessible with The New Health Rules. With a goal of increasing longevity and creating a healthy life worth living, their book cuts through the confusion and provides a proven and easy-to-follow path to wellness.

Young Forever: The Secrets to Living Your Longest, Healthiest Life by Dr. Mark Hyman, M.D. Those who are health-minded know Dr. Mark Hyman as the expert for helping you combat disease, purge sugar, and live a longer and healthier life. While you know aging is part of life, you don’t have to look at it the same way. His goal is to help you take control of what science has proven are strategies for preventing and reversing the maladies of aging.

The Friendly Vegan Cookbook: 100 Essential Recipes to Share with Vegans and Omnivores Alike by Michelle Cehn and Toni Okamoto. The founder of World of Vegan and the author of Plant-Based on a Budget put their minds together and out came the must-have kitchen resource for longtime vegans and the veggie-curious alike. Michelle Cehn and Toni Okamoto are longtime friends and two of the most trusted figures in the online vegan community. Through their popular food blogs, videos, podcast, and cookbooks, the two have helped millions of people make living vegan easy, fun, and delicious.

The Feel Good Effect: Reclaim Your Wellness by Finding Small Shifts that Create Big Chang by Robyn Conley Downs. This book is designed to help you redefine wellness, on your terms. Infusing science and proven strategies, podcast host Downs shares what she’s discovered really works in today’s world. “A refreshingly sane approach” that tackles what works for you and gets results. “Less striving. More ease. It’s time to feel good.” 

The Natural Health Handbook: The Science of Being Healthy & Happy Naturally by Steven S. Sadleir, M.A. and David Sandercott. Tackling the truth head on, Sandercott focuses on how readers should take responsibility for their health in a world that is pushing temptations. But he makes it simple and easy as he boldly shares how you can avoid the most common sources of illness, disease, cancer, stress, and pain. A life without these is a goal, but progress can only be made when you understand the sources and causes and how to avoid them. Built on science and shared with passion, this is a book designed to help you live better now and in the future.

Image Courtesy of BenBella Books