From “The Mind-Gut Connection” to “Being Mortal,” these seven books will cover the basics you need to learn about your health.
August 2022. This article is independently written by Shelby Golding. All opinions given are hers. Shelby has been certified as a personal trainer and nutritional specialist since 2007. In 2008, she found her passion for writing about these topics and hasn't looked back.
Not only is reading good for your brain but reading about health can better inform your path to wellness. Health is a multi-faceted world, encompassing everything from diet and sleep to emotional well-being. These seven books offer valuable insights into crucial aspects of health, including anatomy, the gut, sleep, breath, and death.
Top 7 Books to Learn About Your Health
Whatever your interests, you were born in a human body, and you need to learn about your health to take care of it. These seven books are accessible to everyone, even those without previous medical knowledge.
1. The Mind-Gut Connection: How the Hidden Conversation Within Our Bodies Impacts Our Mood, Our Choices, and Our Overall Health by Emeran Mayer
One of the critical aspects of health is eating well. However, most people don't understand how diet affects your overall wellness, from its influence on your mood to its role in preventing disease. If you've been told that your diet is affecting your health, you may wonder precisely what the connection is between what you eat and wellness.
The Mind-Gut Connection by Emeran Mayer combines cutting-edge neuroscience with studies on the human microbiome to explore the mind-body connection. Dr. Emeran Mayer used his studies on the neurobiology of stress to explore the relatively new study on the relationship between the gut and the mind. In addition, he focuses on the importance of a plant-based diet, how to balance the microbiome, weight loss via detox, diet, immunity, and more.
The Mind-Gut Connection by Emeran Mayer combines cutting-edge neuroscience with studies on the human microbiome to explore the mind-body connection. Dr. Emeran Mayer used his studies on the neurobiology of stress to explore the relatively new study on the relationship between the gut and the mind. In addition, he focuses on the importance of a plant-based diet, how to balance the microbiome, weight loss via detox, diet, immunity, and more.
2. The Unseen Body: A Doctor’s Journey Through the Hidden Wonders of Human Anatomy by Jonathan Reisman, M.D.
One of the things that everyone in the world has in common is that everyone has a physical body. The Unseen Body by Dr. Reisman uses his adventures in healthcare and travel to explore how different cultures see the body. Reisman investigates the body from the perspective of a medical professional, offering valuable insights into the body accessible to those with no previous knowledge of bodily functions.
Reisman relates the body’s systems to his experiences in far-off lands to help readers better understand how the body works, from bodily waste to the nutritional value of fat.
Reisman relates the body’s systems to his experiences in far-off lands to help readers better understand how the body works, from bodily waste to the nutritional value of fat.
3. If Our Bodies Could Talk: Operating and Maintaining a Human Body by James Hamblin
Based on the video series by James Hamblin, If Our Bodies Could Talk explores common health questions that everyone comes up against at one point or another. Topics include what it means to boost the immune system, the health benefits of caffeine, how much sleep you need, if multivitamins work, facts about vaccines and antibiotics, and more.
The book uses a combination of Hamblin’s medical knowledge and information from hundreds of interviews with scientists and medical practitioners to help readers learn what they need to know about anatomy and physiology.
The book uses a combination of Hamblin’s medical knowledge and information from hundreds of interviews with scientists and medical practitioners to help readers learn what they need to know about anatomy and physiology.
4. The Way Out: A Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven Approach to Healing Chronic Pain by Alan Gordon
If your journey began with chronic pain, The Way Out by Alan Gordon is a fascinating look into the role the mind plays in making pain constant. Alan Gordon is a psychotherapist and founder of the Pain Psychology Center in LA who suffered from chronic pain to the point where his life was in shambles. Conventional pain management techniques did nothing to help, so he developed a process called Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT).
Chronic pain is defined by its longevity, a persistent pain that does not go away despite treatment. The PRT technique focuses on engaging the mind to rewire the pain circuits and break the cycle of chronic pain. The mind-body connection is a powerful tool to heal most health issues, including chronic pain.
Chronic pain is defined by its longevity, a persistent pain that does not go away despite treatment. The PRT technique focuses on engaging the mind to rewire the pain circuits and break the cycle of chronic pain. The mind-body connection is a powerful tool to heal most health issues, including chronic pain.
5. Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor
James Nestor is a journalist who traveled the world to explore why people lost the ability to breathe correctly. He looks at the ancient practices of Pranayama, Sudarshan Kriya, and Tummo to analyze why breathing has changed and how to breathe better.
Nestor also demonstrates how modern research into the breath can improve athletic performance, stop disease, and even straighten scoliotic spines.
6. Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker
Why We Sleep explores another essential human function everyone must master to live a healthy life. Matthew Walker delves into the importance of sleep and why we suffer so dramatically when we don't get enough.
As it turns out, sleep supports various brain functions, from learning to memorization. In addition, it influences your ability to burn fat, fight off disease, regulate your emotions, and engage socially. Walker examines what the medical world knows about sleep and how people can use sleep to improve their quality of life.
As it turns out, sleep supports various brain functions, from learning to memorization. In addition, it influences your ability to burn fat, fight off disease, regulate your emotions, and engage socially. Walker examines what the medical world knows about sleep and how people can use sleep to improve their quality of life.
7. Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
In Being Mortal, Atul Gawande looks at how modern medicine sets out to extend lives at the expense of quality of life. Modern medicine makes living with disease attainable, extending human lives beyond anything that has been seen before.
In his book, Gawande explores whether doctors should extend lives when the quality-of-life declines with disease. He looks at end-of-life care and shows the flaws in the system. While Being Mortal does not necessarily teach you about your body, it raises important questions about why health is so important and what you can do when your health declines in your later years.
In his book, Gawande explores whether doctors should extend lives when the quality-of-life declines with disease. He looks at end-of-life care and shows the flaws in the system. While Being Mortal does not necessarily teach you about your body, it raises important questions about why health is so important and what you can do when your health declines in your later years.
The Future of Health and Wellness
While researchers and medical professionals have learned much about the human body and mind over the years, studies on the world of health and wellness are still ongoing. New facts and treatments are still being discovered, even in areas that have been extensively studied, such as nutrition and chronic pain.
As you start your journey to learn about health, keep in mind that the field of health is constantly changing. If the solution to your problem doesn't exist, that doesn't mean it never will.
Take the Kailo Pain Patch for example. Kailo is a convenient patch that you can wear anytime, anywhere. It’s designed to relieve pain in seconds without the use of oral medication and scientists theorize that it works by interfering with your body’s electrical system. A recent clinical study showed that 99% of patients felt pain relief with Kailo within 10 minutes of using the patch.
Disclaimer: Kailo should not be used if you have a pacemaker or if you are pregnant. Always consult your doctor or health care professional before using Kailo
As you start your journey to learn about health, keep in mind that the field of health is constantly changing. If the solution to your problem doesn't exist, that doesn't mean it never will.
Take the Kailo Pain Patch for example. Kailo is a convenient patch that you can wear anytime, anywhere. It’s designed to relieve pain in seconds without the use of oral medication and scientists theorize that it works by interfering with your body’s electrical system. A recent clinical study showed that 99% of patients felt pain relief with Kailo within 10 minutes of using the patch.
Disclaimer: Kailo should not be used if you have a pacemaker or if you are pregnant. Always consult your doctor or health care professional before using Kailo
