One year, my goal was to read several books on skin care, natural beauty, health and wellness, and summarize in the monthly newsletter the main points of the books as well as my thoughts and experience regarding the book’s subject. I’ve compiled all those summaries here, and enjoyed the year-long project so much I’m still adding new books!
Books on Food and Nutrition
Feeding the Kids
To keep in line with the whole healthy eating run, I thought I would read Feeding The Kids by Pamela Gould, and Eleanor P. Taylor RN CDE.
I don’t have kids but I am around enough of them, and most of the time I see the parents fighting with the kids, trying to get them to eat their veggies. (Though there was one time I was in the grocery store and a Dad with his 2 little boys in one of those obnoxious car carts was in the veggie section. I hear the Dad ask the boys what they want and one says “Look Dad – green beans!” I started cracking up – I told him my Mom would have loved to have heard those words. He laughed and so did my Mom when I told her the story.)
This book is all on how to avoid these situations at your dinner table, how to choose Smart Foods and how to avoid Empty Foods and those foods that are In-Between. I like that it was a 6 week introduction so you didn’t have to make a huge change all at once, which we all know would be anarchy. I also like that the book gets the kids more involved and acknowledges that you’re going to eat Empty Foods. I don’t need to tell you what those are – we all know them and some of us love them more than others!
So if you want to learn to navigate the grocery store better, raise healthier kids and get rid of the stress of getting them to try new things this is a good book for you.
The Clear Skin Diet
Although the main focus of The Clear Skin Diet by Alan C. Logan and Valori Treloar is problematic skin, the action plan is brilliant for any skin type or condition. The authors cover plans for sleep, relaxation, and exercise, in addition to diet. They cover foods that contribute to acne as well as those that heal your skin from the inside out.
The tips and plans in this book are great, but remember you do not have to jump right into any new program. Take it slow, pick 1 or 2 things that you want to really commit to and focus on those for 3 months to make them a habit.
The Dorm Room Diet
I got inspired the other morning listening to Daphne Oz (Dr. Oz’s daughter) talk about kids going off to college and how to stay healthy and eat smart while you are away. I really found her book, The Dorm Room Diet, to be good for anyone so this was the direction I decided to take for August. This would make a great gift for someone who is heading out on their own for the first time.
Although her book says this is a diet, it’s really a lifestyle change. She is teaching you how to make better decisions and I like that it’s not about deprivation, it’s about making the best choice.
The Game On Diet
I saw an invite a few weeks ago that a friend of mine was attending Kick Your Friend’s Butt. So I was curious as to what she was doing. They are playing a game called The Game On Diet. It sounded interesting and heaven knows I need to stop eating the crap I have been eating recently and don’t seem to have the motivation to stop. So I decided to see what the book was all about. I think it sounds like a lot of fun!
This game is all about getting healthy – so whether it’s losing weight, getting rid of bad habits, or trying to stay on track you can play this game.
World’s Healthiest Foods
The World’s Healthiest Foods is a must-have book – I think the recipes in here are awesome – most of them take no more than 7 minutes to cook and have 5 ingredients or less, so you really need to have all items prepped before you start cooking. It is also a great source to tell you how to buy, prepare and store foods and their nutritional value. The recipes are made to serve 2 so you don’t have to worry about a lot of leftovers. There is really so much info in here it is crazy.
I have cooked several recipes from here and everything I have made has tasted really good and was super easy. The book is laid out in a very easy to follow format and the recipes are indexed several different ways so you can find what you are looking for very easily. As I have been making the recipes I make notes in my book so I remember what I liked and what I have changed. There are also great eating plans to help you get started.
I hope you enjoy the tiny portion of the info and recipes I fit in my June 2010 newsletter. You can also see more recipes on the WHF website. Invest in your health and purchase this book and USE IT. You will be glad you did.
Books About The Environment
The Big Green Purse
April is one of my favorite months to write a newsletter because Earth Day is in April. So in April I read The Big Green Purse. I read this last year and then pulled it out again this year to start making my own cleaners and just reminding myself of things to look for when I shop.
There is so much information in this book that it’s hard to pull out the best bits, but check out some of the great info we included in our April 2010 newsletter. And visit The Big Green Purse website for the latest green shopping tips and environmental resources.
The Elephant Whisperer: My Life with the Herd in the African Wild
I love this book! The Elephant Whisperer is about the rescue of elephants and the beginning of a wild life refuge in South Africa.
Several of my clients have read this book now as well and they loved it.
It will make you happy, sad, and probably make you cry but it is worth the time.
Self-Help Books
The Wisdom of Your Face: Change Your Life with Chinese Face Reading!
I read a very interesting book over the summer called The Wisdom of Your Face: Change Your Life with Chinese Face Reading! by Jean Haner. It was so fascinating! Basically the book talked about what different parts of your face mean, and how you can learn to read people better.
For instance, thick, bushy brows mean that you have strong Wood qi. You are ambitious, confident, have drive as well as a tendency to be impatient, frustrated or a tendency to get angry. This does not mean that you are an angry person, just that you most likely get easily frustrated, and tend to be reactive and impulsive when stressed out (…hmmmm wonder who that might sound like! Hahaha). Read lots more about your brows in our April 2013 newsletter.
Business Books
Crush It! Why Now is the Time to Cash in on Your Passion
In Crush It!, Gary Vaynerchuk shows how anyone can build a career around what they’re passionate about. Everything has changed. The social media revolution has irreversibly changed the way we live our lives and conduct our business. There are billions of dollars in advertising moving online, waiting to be claimed by whoever can build the best content and communities. Despite this change, most people keep working at jobs that don’t make them happy and businesses continue to ignore the major marketing and public relations benefits that can be found online.
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