FAVORITE READS
These are some of my favorite books that have given me knowledge of aging well. They are all easy reads, and encourage curiosity to discover more in-depth information if you so choose.
“Real Food: What To Eat and Why” Nina Plank
This is a go to book for me. I’ve read it a number of times. Nina Plank is so clear and relies on information from the World Health Organization, and her own childhood and adulthood experiences. Her point of view on food is so similar to mine. I recommend it to anyone that asks.
“The Truth About Food: Why Pandas Eat Bamboo and People Get Bamboozled” David L. Katz MD, MPH
A new great read for me. LOVED this book. Similar to the philosophy Nina Plank has, Dr. Katz is like a great old family friend who happens to be a celebrated Dr. and has an easy approach to managing nutrition. Nothing fad about it. Denotes current fads and gives you all the reason you need to avoid them. He summarizes in one sentence, the importance of a balanced diet, lean proteins, avoid sugar, and don’t cut out entire food groups.
“Why We Sleep” Matthew Walker PhD
One of my favorite co-workers recommended this book. She implemented its recommendations and it really helped her. I read it and fell in love with it. So clear and easy to understand why we really need sleep. How important it is, and how it declines as we age (mostly due to hormone production depletion). Watching my mom go through sleepless nights as she ages, I cannot recommend this book enough. Avoid Rx’s for sleep. Follow what it tells you. It’s really eye opening to fully understand how important sleep is for restorative purposes for all processes in the human body. The reasons sleep aids don’t really allow you to go into REM sleep, and steps you can take to manage your sleep naturally and holistically.
“Healthy Aging” Andrew Weil, MD
As a pioneer in Anti-Aging and wellness, Dr. Weil offers great information about learning to eat right, stress management techniques, as well as the science behind the aging process. This is simply one of the many books he has authored on the topic of optimum health, living well, and natural health and medicine.
“WHOLE” T. Colin Campbell, PhD
Dr. Campbell explains the science behind the evidence (from The China Study), that whole food, plant-based diet is the healthiest way to eat. The book is a bit technical, but defends his study, The China Study. Interesting read.
“Breakthrough Eight steps to Wellness” Suzanne Somers
“Ageless” Suzanne Somers
“I’m too young for this” Suzanne Somers
I cannot recommend these books enough. Very pedestrian explanations that simply make sense. Suzanne Somers interviews industry pioneers, leaders and her own Dr.’s that are truly experts in the field of Functional medicine. Most trained as Medical Doctors that have transitioned their practices to focus on wellness and aging (well). If anything, you will read and want to take the steps outlined for living a life of ‘wellness’. Including bioidentical hormones, the role nutrition plays in how the body functions, sleep, exercise, and living well. Most importantly, as we age (women and men), and our bodies stop producing hormones, we need to put them back into our bodies. The detail explained is information I’ve not seen in one place, with a recommended solution (bioidentical hormone replacement therapy NOT synthetic hormone replacement which has been shown to cause cancer). For as much as I study and read, this was the first time it all was put together in a way that completely changed how I thought about perimenopause and menopause.
“A Short Guide To A Long Life” David B. Agus, MD
I heard Dr. Agus speak at a conference a few years ago. Was immediately impressed. He was one of Steve Jobs Oncologists in the last year of his life. He’s written a few books. Loved how simple the steps are to living a long life. For example, one of the steps is to simply get a dog and walk it! I other words get out and move.
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