This isn’t something I often do mostly because I tend to read a lot of “fluff” and YA books that I don’t feel are really appropriate to share here, but this month I’ve found myself reading a lot of health and wellness books and thought I’d share those with you. 
I am a book nerd for sure, so I love checking out cookbooks, fitness and lifestyle books so that’s what you’ll be seeing in this round up post!
First up is 200 Best Smoothie Bowl Recipes by Alison Lewis.
I’ve seen lots of smoothie bowls on the web 😉 but had never really had one myself prior to getting this book. I didn’t understand why you’d want to eat a smoothie out of a bowl instead of drinking it…but now I get it. Smoothie bowls are make to be a thicker consistency so that it’s easier to eat it like a soup rather than drink it. Plus when you make a smoothie bowl you get to add all these fun toppings and make it look pretty!
(my topping game still needs a little work)
As a very frequent smoothie drinker, now understanding the hows and whys behind smoothie bowls has opened up a whole new side of smoothie making! I even find myself looking for toppings when I’m grocery shopping to decorate them. Alison’s book is a great how-to guide on not only smoothie bowls, but smoothies in general. With delicious recipes like Bananas Foster, Upside-Down Apple Pie, Chilled Tiramisu, Peach Paradise and so many more my summer smoothies are going to be amazing!
The second book I read this month was Juice Guru by Steve and Julie Prussack. I’ve been juicing off and on for years, but it’s always fun to check out a book like this to help reinforce why juicing can be so great. Juice Guru is packed full of recipes/juice combos and really walks you through why juicing can do for you, how to choose a juicer and all of the specifics. Generally speaking I find myself going for smoothies more often than juice, and that is a lot to due with how annoying the juicer is to clean. But when I’m having an IBS flair or a general upset stomach, I find juices a much easier way to ensure I’m getting some nutrition without upsetting my system. It just so happened that this book arrived when I was in the middle of an IBS flair up so it definitely came in handy and helped to keep me feeling nourished while on a pretty bland diet of toast. :/ If juicing is something that you are interested in, but have no idea where to start Juice Guru would be that place. It seems crazy that you can start to transform your life by adding one juice a day, but not only is that true, and this book gives you a 21-day plan that kick start you on your way to healthier you!
Changing gears a bit here, the next book was Cure Back Pain 80 Personalized East Exercises by Jean-Francois Harvey, BSc, DO. I know, it doesn’t sound like a very light read does it? But as someone with scoliosis, and who teaches fitness for a living, making sure I know a lot about the spine, how it should and shouldn’t move, what is safe and what isn’t is very important to me. And knowing what is safe for one person, doesn’t mean you know what is safe for another. Understanding different spinal problems and knowing when it is okay for me to give someone a few stretches or exercises to resolve an issue, versus knowing when to refer them to someone else is even more important. Cure Back Pain offers a complete range of tools to help make our backs feel good, regardless of what shape we are in. Jean-Francois draws from pilates, yoga and physical therapy and based on the principles of osteopathy, biomechanics and kinesiology to bring a holistic approach to good posture and a healthy back.
Of the books I read this is my favourite. It hits so close to home and what I do on a daily basis it’s hard for me not to love a reference book like this. I don’t know anyone who couldn’t benefit from the information in this book. Even if your back/spine/posture is perfect, the more you know and understand about this critical body part, the better off you’ll be in the long run. From basic exercises, flexibility, mobility, breathing, posture, strengthening, balance, and full routines this book has it all.
The last book is one I finished just last night. On The Verge: Wake Up, Show Up, and Shine by Cara Bradley is a book about learning to be “on the verge” in those moments when you are not quite in the past, and not quite in the future. It’s about learning to be more – not do more. Cara is a mental strength coach and author who has over 35 years experience teaching fitness and yoga. She wrote On The Verge to teach readers how to have more energy, enthusiasm, clarity, and confidence on a daily basis by learning to shift beyond their busy minds.
I related to this book so much. I definitely suffer from a busy mind, and easily find my fingers taking me places on my phone and on the computer I don’t need to be. I have a hard time turning my mind off at night so that I can sleep, and it’s easy for me to get caught up in “busy” <– whether it’s true or not. I am trying to get better at all of the above, but it’s a work in progress.
After taking us through the principles of living On The Verge, Cara goes one step further and sets readers up with verge practices to help us calm our busy minds and tune into our natural state. I found this title to be an easy – but empowering read, and really enjoyed going through all of the principles and practices. Some of them were things I was already familiar with and do from other trainings, but there were some new ones in there as well that I’ve already started to play around with incorporating in my day to day life.
There is really so much I could say about this book, I found myself nodding my head and agreeing with so much she said throughout the book. I could go on and on, but I want you to go pick up a copy for yourself. Just in the few days since I first picked it up, I already see so many small ways I am learning to live On The Verge. And I like it!
As I mentioned above I just finished On The Verge last night, and it inspired me to get back to my meditation practise. Something I’ve let slip terribly over the past few months. If you are like me and suffer from a very busy mind, you should check out this book (you can also find Cara on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for daily doses of inspiration!
You can find all of the titles above by clicking the links below:
- 200 Best Smoothie Bowl Recipes: Amazon.ca and Amazon.com
- Juice Guru: Amazon.ca and Amazon.com
- Cure Back Pain: Amazon.ca and Amazon.com
- One The Verge: Amazon.ca and Amazon.com
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, thank you for helping to support this site. The titles above were given to me free of charge, however these are honest reviews – I do not review books I don’t enjoy.
Thank you so much?. This is really helpful info and rather amusing to read!