Now that summer is just about here, I’m all about getting outside and enjoying the warm weather. And, for me, this means one of two things: 1) listening to my favorite podcasts and books on my early-morning runs (before it gets too hot outside) and 2) relaxing on the beach with a good book.
As we all know, a book can inspires new ideas and ways of thinking that have the power to transform our lives (i.e. my obsession with 10% Happier), but with our busy lives, it’s sometimes difficult to set aside time to read, which is why I enjoy listening to books on Audible (another new obsession). Since being diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis nearly 5 years ago, I’ve been on a forever quest to make sense of the disease and figure out how to “fix” myself, so I’m always searching for information. I’m currently listening to The Microbiome Solution: A Radical New Way to Heal Your Body from the Inside Out on Audible every chance I get. It actually inspired this blog post.
My constant quest for information and new ideas related to UC and autoimmunity is so important to both my physical and mental well-being, especially with how I navigate this disease on a daily basis. I wanted to share some of the books that are currently in my Audible library for those of you looking for ideas to help you heal yourself too. Hopefully, they’ll help you start your summer off with an inspired state of mind to take control and improve your health.
The Microbiome Solution: A Radical New Way to Heal Your Body from the Inside Out
The microbiome totally fascinates me, so this book immediately caught my attention and hasn’t let me down for a half dozen hours of listening so far. In it, Dr. Robynne Chutkan, the author and a gastroenterologist, explains how the standard Western diet and our super-sanitized lifestyles are starving our microbiomes and depleting the “good bugs” that are crucial for keeping us healthy. Instead, we’re encouraging the overgrowth of the wrong types of bacteria, which can leave us vulnerable to a whole bunch of autoimmune and chronic health conditions. Dr. Chutkan shares her recommendations for simple lifestyle and diet changes (including a guide to chose the right probiotics and supplements) to help those of us dealing with health issues (i.e. IBD, IBS, eczema, chronic fatigue syndrome) recover. The book also came with a free download of “Microbiome Solution Recipes” that includes a bunch of delicious and nutritious recipes, including No-Bake Energy Balls, Chickpea Herbed Crackers, and Guac-Kale-Mole.
The Good Gut: Taking Control of Your Weight, Your Mood, and Your Long Term Health
Another book about our gut bacteria! Yeehaw! Changes in gut microbiota can lead to obesity, autoimmune diseases, and other predominantly Western illnesses, including cancer, diabetes, allergies, asthma, autism, and inflammatory bowel diseases. We can influence our gut bacteria to help improve our health and well-being, which, when it comes to a disease like UC that I often feel no control over, gives me hope for potentially healing myself. The Good Gut offers a plan that focuses on how to nourish your microbiota, including recipes and a menu plan. I am definitely looking forward to diving into this one!
The Autoimmune Solution: Prevent and Reverse the Full Spectrum of Inflammatory Symptoms and Diseases
The author of The Autoummune Solution, Amy Myers, is doctor and leader in functional medicine that a CNC reader told me about awhile back. I immediately checked out her website, signed up for her email list, and I have followed her ever since. She’s one smart lady, and she offers her medically proven approach to prevent a wide range of inflammatory-related symptoms and diseases, including allergies, obesity, asthma, cardiovascular disease, fibromyalgia, lupus, IBD, chronic headaches, and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Dr. Myers is all about addressing the root cause of disease instead of throwing drugs at it.
The Wahls Protocol: How I Beat Progressive MS Using Paleo Principles and Functional Medicine
Another female physician that I’ve followed for awhile now is Dr. Terry Wahls. (I’ve heard her speak on a number of my favorite podcasts overs the years.) Her story is pretty amazing: She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2000 and, within three years, her back and stomach muscles had weakened to the point where she needed a wheelchair. Conventional medical treatments had failed her, and she worried that she would be bedridden for the rest of her life, so she started looking for answers. She studied all of the latest research on autoimmune disease and brain biology, and decided to get her vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and essential fatty acids from the food she ate rather than pills and supplements. She ultimately adopted a nutrient-rich Paleo diet and now she is walking and even biking up to 18 miles in a single day. (FYI: Dr. Wahls shared her story in an incredible TEDx talk.) In her book, she shares the details of the protocol that allowed her to reverse many of her symptoms and return to living a healthy life.
I added this book to my library because it received such high ratings from readers (4.7 out of 5), so I figured it was a good one to read. Dr. Axe, the author, explains that it’s important to get a little “dirty” in our daily lives to support our gut bacteria and prevent leaky gut syndrome. He then offers easy ways to support these much-needed microbes– from consuming local honey and bee pollen to nixing hand sanitizers and even ingesting a little probiotic-rich soil. Sounds interesting, right?
So, there are 5 books that I hope to make my way through this summer. Audible actually has over 180,000 titles available for download with new titles being added all the time, so there’s really something for everyone and you can even try it for 30 days totally free. It’s super easy to sign up, especially if you’re already an Amazon customer, and you can listen to your book via the Audible app on just about any device. I would love to hear what title(s) you choose because I’m always looking for book recommendations, especially in the health and fitness genre!
Question of the Day
What book(s) helped you change your health/life for the better?
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Audible. The opinions and text are all mine.
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