BOOK 1: The Plant Paradox
A popular diet book that argues against some commonly perceived as healthy plant foods. The central idea of the book is to avoid consuming lectins, which are antinutrients found mostly in plants. The book’s authors claim that lectins may harm the body and make it difficult to lose weight. The book also introduces the Plant Paradox Program (PPP), an eating and lifestyle program that encourages eating the right kind of plants while avoiding others. The aim of the program is to achieve and maintain a healthy weight and live free of chronic and autoimmune diseases.The book offers insights into lectins, anti-nutrients found in some plant foods, and their impact on the body. By avoiding lectins, clients can improve their overall health and potentially overcome challenges with weight loss. The book also introduces the Plant Paradox Program, which provides a structured approach to eating the right plants while avoiding others.
BOOK 2: Atomic Habits
The book “Atomic Habits” by James Clear argues that habits play a crucial role in shaping an individual’s life and that by understanding how habits work and how to change them, people can drastically improve their lives. The book focuses on the power of small, incremental changes that can be made to habits and how they can lead to significant results in the long run. The author highlights that habits shape a person’s identity and that in turn, their identity influences their habits. He also provides a four-step process for building better habits: cue, craving, response, and reward. By following this process, people can create systems that will help them achieve their goals. The book’s aim is to help people understand how habits are formed and how to build long-lasting chains of cues, cravings, responses, and rewards to create systems that will help them achieve their goals. The author contends that by making small changes to existing habits and sticking to them, people can make a big difference in their lives.
Key Takeaways:The following are some key takeaways from the book:
- Habit formation: A habit is a behavior that has been repeated enough times to become automatic. According to the book, the process of building a habit consists of four steps: cue, craving, response, and reward. These four steps are the backbone of every habit formation.
- Importance of making habits obvious: The first law of behavior change, according to the book, is to make it obvious. Clear refutes the idea that we are organized due to our will power, and instead suggests that the environment in which we live has a significant impact on our habits.
- Small habits lead to big results: The book emphasizes that small habits can lead to big results over time. Clear teaches that it’s not the individual habits that matter the most, but the accumulation of habits over time that leads to significant improvement.
BOOK 3: Stillness Is The Key
“Stillness is the Key” by Ryan Holiday is a book that focuses on the power of slowing down the body and mind to achieve a happier and more peaceful life. The book aims to show how stillness can help solve humanity’s problems and improve self-control, leading to a more meaningful and fulfilled life.The concept of stillness has been talked about in various cultures and traditions, with the Buddhist word being “upekkha,” the Muslims speaking of “aslama,” and the Hebrews referring to it as “hishtavut.” The book teaches that stillness is not just a physical state but a mental one, requiring a calm and collected mind. Reading “Stillness is the Key” will cause one to re-evaluate their life and question who they are and why they are doing what they are doing. The book takes readers out their daily routines and prompts introspection, leading to meaningful changes.
Key Takeaways:
Letting go – Work done without the expectation of a reward is of a higher quality than work done with a reward in mind. This is a central concept in the book, as the author draws on the teachings of ancient philosophy and spirituality to emphasize the importance of letting go.
Slowing down – The book teaches how to harness the power of slowing down the body and mind for less distractions, better self-control, and a happier and more peaceful life.
Path to meaning, contentment, and excellence – Stillness is the path to meaning, contentment, and excellence in a world that needs more of it than ever. The author argues that stillness offers a simple but inspiring antidote to the stress of 24/7 news and social media.
BOOK 4: Why We Sleep
The book “Why We Sleep” by neuroscientist and sleep expert Dr. Matthew Walker provides an in-depth exploration of the science of sleep health. The author presents groundbreaking discoveries about the effects of sleep on all aspects of physical, mental, and emotional health, including creativity and longevity. According to Walker, sleep loss is an epidemic and one of the most serious public health issues of the 21st century. The book offers insights into how sleep affects cognitive and physical performance in both the short and long term and provides tips on how to improve sleep. The author argues that sleep is the ultimate therapy and enhancer, offering a range of benefits that medicine and other interventions cannot. The book is recommended for everyone, as sleep affects all of us, and many people are more chronically sleep-deprived than they realize, with serious consequences such as reduced productivity and happiness and an increased risk of disease.
Key Takeaways:
- A good night’s sleep can make us cleverer, healthier, happier, and more attractive and can ward off diseases.
- Learning or practicing without a full night sleep is useless as sleep is when the brain reconciles and stores all information learned.
- Sleep affects all aspects of physical, mental and emotional health, including creativity and longevity.
BOOK 5: Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art
“Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art” by James Nestor is a comprehensive treatise on breathing. The book combines a journalistic approach with studies in anthropology, biochemistry, human physiology, psychology, and pulmonology to unpack the different techniques of inhaling and exhaling throughout human history and in different societies. It explores the idea that humans have lost the ability to breathe correctly and the consequences that come with it. The author travels the world to figure out what went wrong with the way humans breathe and how to correct it. The book argues that breathing is essential to health and well-being and that the proper way of breathing is key to achieving optimal health, regardless of diet, exercise, or other lifestyle factors.
BOOK 6: The Body Keeps Score
“The Body Keeps the Score” is a book written by Bessel van der Kolk, MD, that explores the subject of trauma. According to [1], the book is a combination of anecdotes about patients, stories about the author’s personal life, scholarly citations, and general information that provides an overview of trauma, its sources, and its treatment. [2] states that the book covers how trauma can stem from different sources such as abuse, car accidents, and wartime combat, and can lead to long-lasting effects such as flashbacks, nightmares, isolation, insomnia, hypervigilance, and rage. The book has been highly acclaimed, with readers rating it 4.7 out of 5. It is considered one of the best books on trauma and is seen as invaluable for both clinicians and clients working in trauma-focused fields,
Key Takeaways:
Trauma, especially childhood trauma, can rearrange the brain’s wiring, affecting areas dedicated to pleasure, engagement, control, and trust.
Incident-specific adult traumas and childhood traumas affect the brain and body differently Trauma can lead to self-numbing, causing individuals to be unable to respond to the ordinary needs of their bodies, such as hunger and thirst.
The importance of recognizing and addressing the physical effects of trauma and the ways in which trauma can impact the brain and body.
BOOK 7: Plant Proof
“The Proof is in the Plants” is a book written by Simon Hill that explores the evidence surrounding a plant-based diet and its potential health benefits. The book is divided into three parts and aims to clarify why people are confused about what to eat and how food choices affect health. The book aims to provide a practical and inspiring guide for those interested in adopting a plant-based lifestyle.
The book covers the reasons why people are confused about what to eat, as well as the evidence showing how a plant-based diet might reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and dementia. It is available in various formats including Kindle and audiobook.
It will walk readers through why they are confused about what to eat, how food choices affect their health, and how to make changes to their diet to lead a healthy plant-based lifestyle.
Conclusion
“The Proof is in the Plants” is a book that provides a comprehensive and practical guide for anyone interested in the health benefits of a plant-based diet.
BOOK 8: The Resistance Training Revolution
“The Resistance Training Revolution” by Sal Di Stefano is a guidebook that focuses on the idea that physically burning calories is not the best way to lose weight. The book argues that relying on activity alone as a means to lose fat is ineffective. Instead, the book proposes resistance training as a way to burn body fat and improve overall health and wellness. The author claims that resistance training can achieve both goals in just 60 minutes a week.
According to the book, the traditional approach of focusing on cardio and activity to lose weight is misguided, and the key to a successful weight loss program is resistance training. This approach is said to burn body fat, improve overall health, and age-proof the body. The author claims that by focusing on resistance training, individuals can achieve their weight loss and health goals in just 60 minutes a week.
BOOK 9: The World’s Fittest Book
“The World’s Fittest Book” by Ross Edgley is a comprehensive guide to fitness and nutrition, designed to help readers master the principles of fitness rather than simply follow methods. The book includes stories of the author’s fitness career, as well as workout ideas and meal plans, including an integrated cookbook.
The book emphasizes the importance of building general physical preparedness by focusing on exercises like squats, lunges, jumps, climbs, presses, and throws. [2] To improve, the author suggests aiming for progressive overload, gradually increasing weight, volume, intensity, frequency, or time training.
The book has been described as a “bible” for fitness enthusiasts and is said to be packed with workouts that the author has tried and tested in his pursuit of multiple world records. This makes it a valuable resource for those looking to unlock their superhuman physical potential, build muscle, and lose fat while still eating healthily.
Takeaways
The Importance of General Physical Preparedness: The book emphasizes the importance of building general physical preparedness as the foundation of fitness. It suggests that instead of focusing on specific methods, one should master the principles and focus on building general physical preparedness through exercises such as squats, lunges, jumps, climbs, presses, and throws.
Progressive Overload: To improve, the book suggests that one should aim for progressive overload. This means gradually increasing weight, volume, intensity, frequency, or time training, to continually challenge and improve the body.
Complexity of Human Fitness: The book acknowledges that human fitness is complex, and thus, it is important to approach fitness training with a holistic perspective and to understand the principles behind it, instead of just blindly following specific methods.
BOOK 10: Good Calories, Bad Calories
“Good Calories, Bad Calories” is a book by Gary Taubes that challenges the conventional wisdom on diet, weight control, and disease. It argues that fat is not bad for us, carbohydrates are not necessarily better, and the key to a healthy weight is not just eating less and exercising more. The book is written by an award-winning science and health journalist and co-founder of the Nutrition Science Initiative, Gary Taubes. The book presents a groundbreaking perspective on the role of diet in weight and health, and is considered a must-read for anyone interested in the topic
Takeaways:
The idea that fat is bad for us and carbohydrates are better is incorrect. For decades, people have been taught that the key to a healthy weight is eating less and exercising more, but the book argues that this conventional wisdom is flawed. Taubes presents evidence that suggests that the quality of calories, not the quantity, is what matters when it comes to weight control and disease.
The role of carbohydrates in weight control and disease is understated. Taubes argues that a high-carbohydrate diet can lead to weight gain and an increased risk of disease, while a low-carbohydrate diet can help with weight loss and reduce the risk of disease.
The importance of understanding the science behind nutrition and weight control. Taubes’ book is a comprehensive examination of the science behind nutrition and weight control, and it argues that in order to achieve a healthy weight and reduce the risk of disease, people need to understand the science behind what they eat. The book calls for a better understanding of the role of calories and nutrients in the body, and for people to be more mindful of the types of food they consume.