Okay…I have to be honest. I have not read too many books that have been focused on health. The majority of stuff I learn for health is from YouTube videos and then me experimenting. The few books I read on health…I wouldn’t recommend. They were kinda boring and were too detailed for me. I want to get to the nitty gritty and don’t aspire to know all the statistics behind every little thought of how to do something.
Though I cannot recommend a health-focused books, I can recommend three books that I have gleaned some great information from regarding health. When searching through the books I have read, these three books stood out because I have pulled some keystone habits from them to help me make better choices for my health. So, let me share these books with you…
Minimalism by The Minimalists
This book will help you strip away the unnecessary things in life so you can focus on what is important. It’s all about finding what is essential to you. They cover five values allowing for a meaningful life:
1. Health
2. Relationships
3. Passions
4. Growth
5. Contribution
Health is seen a a core component to a meaningful life because, without your health, it is difficult to enjoy even the simplest things in life. This book broke health down to two simple things: what you put into your body (Eating); and what you do with your body (Exercise). It provided some simple guidelines that anyone can follow to improve their health.
I really enjoyed this book. I like how it broke things down to what is essential and then provided simple, understandable things to be successful. The section on health in this book provided guidelines around what to eat, what to incorporate more of in your diet, and foods to avoid. It also recommended some simple exercise principles and and 18-minute minimalist exercise routine. This book helped me to understand that you don’t have to take the complex route when it comes to health and fitness. Do it the minimalist way!!!
52 Small Changes For The Mind by Brett Blumenthal
This book had a pretty simple approach to self-improvement. Simply stated, major changes require a bunch of small changes and taking an all-or-nothing approach or an extreme approach won’t work. This book identified 52 small changes that you can work on, one a week, to improve your life. After a year of one change a week, you should see a vast improvement in your overall life.
When it comes to health, this book hit on a number of items, not just for your physical health, but for your mental health as well. It talked about the value in smiling and giving thanks. It also talked about the type of good fats you should eat and what fruits and vegetables are great for boosting brainpower. There are a few other changes like this in the book that can help you make positive changes in your overall health.
I really enjoyed this book because it broke each task down by telling you the benefit of the task and then the pathway to change with great examples of foods to eat and tasks to complete. Though it was not a book focused solely on health, there are a number of health benefits, both mental and physical, that we all can benefit from. Give it a read and you may find that you can pick up some really good habits that can change your life.
Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss
This book looked at the most successful people in the specific fields, interviewed them, and then provided the habits and secrets that got these people to where they are. It gives you the tried and true methods to help you become successful in specific areas of your life. Though this book was not just focused on health, author Tim Ferris did dedicate an entire section of the book to Health & Fitness. This section of the book provided a large number of suggestions and guidelines to improve your health including what to eat, vitamins to take, exercises to perform (including some illustrations), and rituals to implement.
I enjoyed this book because of all the insights it provided. I did find it, at times, to be a bit too lengthy, so it is not one of your shorter books. Despite this, I still recommend you read the health section of this book for some ideas about how to be successful when it comes to your health. Besides, these are suggestions from the very best, so definitely worth the read!!!
Conclusion
Though I could not provide you with three books focused solely on health, I did provide you with three books that covered some health topics that are worth the read. These books provided some clarity around things I learned from YouTube and gave me a few more insights on things to try. I am a big fan of Tim Ferriss because I know he is always experimenting, so I would typically recommend any book he writes.
Give these books a shot and pull out the morsels of information that can either simplify your routine or take it to the next level. You can find both of these in the books listed above. Best of luck to you!!!