Mind, Body, Spirit

I love books. All kinds. Well, except maybe fantasy. (I don’t know if I’ll ever understand the Harry Potter phenomenon.) But I’ve noticed that when I become interested in a subject, I will also become ravenous for more information about it. While on the road to becoming healthier, I have read A LOT of different books, but right now I am going to plug my favorites. For me, for something to really have value, it has to somehow impact my mind, body, or spirit. Or better yet, all three. Is that weird? Even writing that out makes me feel like some holistic, new age guru that should be using magic crystals and mystical medicines to ward off maladies while using my astrological sign to answer all of life’s questions. But I guarantee I am not that kind of person nor ever will be, and will always hold the highest regard for Western medicine and a low belief for my daily horoscope. But the following books hit the mark for me and each nailed an area of mind, body, and spirit:

MIND

YOU: The Owners Manual

I think one of the main reasons for the obesity rise can be contributed to people not knowing enough about their bodies. Ignorance is bliss. And I can’t imagine anybody voluntarily downing a Big Mac everyday if the really knew the damage it did to their heart, kidneys, joints, and even eyesight. All people know is that something is “bad for you”…. but do they know why? Do they know specifically what is happening inside their body? So I do think it is important for people to become experts on their own bodies, but I don’t think its necessary to go to medical school for four years to do so. This book is thick like a medical textbook, but it is a very easy and even sometimes humorous read (and was written by two doctors, one of which has become famous for being Oprah’s go-to-guy. Oprah, people. You know he’s got to be good). It breaks down different areas of the body (skin, organs, muscles, etc) and in very layman terms tells you what it does, and how it can be positively or negatively affected. I also like that the main message throughout the book promotes a healthy lifestyle. Kudos docs!

BODY

Eat This, Not That

When I talk about eating healthy, I am not necessarily promoting that the only way to do this is by only buying food from natural food stores, eating barley straight from a barrel, and rewarding yourself with a box of raisins. Nobody wants to live like that. And besides, at that point, its only a hop and a skip to vegan-town and then, before you know it, you’re living off the grid and making compost out of your own feces. No thanks. But I do think a good start to eating healthy is being aware of what you are putting in your body. Read the ingredients! Read the nutrition label! Some good rules of thumb: 1) the longer the ingredient list, the worse this product is for your body; 2) try to not put anything in your body that you can’t pronounce; 3) your body needs fat because some fat is good… only be wary of saturated fat and trans fat (aka pure evil that will clog your arteries and give you a heart attack at the age of 38). I know that the thought of going grocery shopping and reading every single nutrition label and ingredient list for the food on your list and comparing it to other brands’ nutrition labels and ingredient lists seems very daunting. This makes a 15 minute shopping trip into a two hour shopping trip. But the geniuses that wrote this book knew this and have already done the research for you. Which cookie is better for you? This tells you. Which ice cream should you buy? This tells you. (Breyer’s is the healthiest name brand, by the way.) This book is chalk full of “normal people” food that acts as a cheat sheet when trying to make healthy food decisions. Vanessa and I also saw at the store versions for eating out and for kids. So smart.

SPIRIT

Eat, Pray, Love

When you want to become a healthier person, it is sometimes necessary to become a little selfish. That may sound bad, but its not. It is important to make that time in your schedule to exercise, even if that means declining offers from friends to go do something else… or you may need to say “no” to your grandma’s double-fudge brownies, even if it hurts her feelings. And that said – I think it is more selfish to not make yourself happy and to keep living in constant sorrow. We as human beings are constantly leaking our dispositions upon each other… and let’s face it, there are just some people out there who I do not want leaking all over me. This book chronicles one woman’s decision to leave an unhappy marriage and to follow her dreams of traveling as she spends a year living between Italy, India, and Indonesia. Not to sound like too much of a book critic (but hey, that is kind of what I am doing here, huh?) I found it very insightful, humorous, and uplifting.

So those are my two cents, not that you asked for them. But I would recommend these to anyone who feels they might need a little push in any of these areas. Or need a book to read on an airplane. I guarantee these are better than any in-flight magazine.