Prioritizing wellness and cultivating a routine that pays homage to health isn't just a ticket to happiness; research suggests it can also add chapters to your life story. While the elements of a longer, more vibrant life aren’t exactly a mystery — eat well, keep moving, catch those Zs, and dial down the stress — getting there is easier said than done. It’s why our trusted Lifeforce Health Coaches play such an essential role in our members’ success stories.
But since your health coach can’t be with you 24/7, we’ve rounded up their favorite books that are packed with practical and actionable advice for living your best life across the board and well into your golden years. Whether you’re looking for resources to balance your hormones, eat better, form new habits, increase mobility, or rewire your brain, these page-turners have you covered.
Best Books for Hormone Support
Women, Food, and Hormones: A 4-Week Plan to Achieve Hormonal Balance, Lose Weight, and Feel Like Yourself Again
By Sara Gottfried, MD
The keto diet is known for being effective for weight loss and improving mental clarity and focus. However, the diet can have adverse side effects in women, such as increased inflammation and mood swings. Dr. Sara Gottfried, MD, believes the different responses may be linked to hormones. She has spent her career helping women balance their hormones, and her protocol makes appropriate changes to the keto diet to help women achieve weight-loss benefits without the side effects.
“What makes it stand out for me as a hormone specialist is the down-to-earth advice it offers. It's not just theory; it’s a practical guide that speaks to the everyday experiences of women and is also genuinely helpful. It’s filled with actionable strategies for managing hormones through everyday choices.” —Kelly Lynch, Lifeforce Senior Health Coach & Hormone Specialist
Maximize Your Male Hormones: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments of Men’s Most Common Health Disorders
By Pamela Wartian Smith, MD, MPH
Men may be familiar with testosterone, but many other hormones are just as important to men’s health. Dr. Pamela Wartian Smith, MD, MPH, created this guide to help men understand, identify, and treat many common ailments, including depression, headaches, anger, mood swings, sleep apnea, and sexual dysfunction. By identifying the hormone most associated with the disorder, you will learn there is a great deal that you can do to fix the problem. Dr. Smith details the medical treatments available, but she also includes natural supplements that have proven to be helpful, as well as lifestyle changes that can help bring a hormone back in balance.
“It's not just another book on hormones; it's a resource for men navigating the often overlooked world of hormonal health. It’s packed with relatable advice that speaks to men, supporting them on their journey to better health." —Kelly Lynch, Lifeforce Senior Health Coach & Hormone Specialist
Best Books for Nutrition
This Is Your Brain on Food: An Indispensable Guide to the Surprising Foods That Fight Depression, Anxiety, PTSD, OCD, ADHD, and More
By Uma Naidoo, MD
This is the definitive book on eating for mental health. Dr. Uma Naidoo, MD, is a Harvard graduate and go-to expert in nutritional psychiatry. Her book is an essential resource for using nutrition to fight depression, anxiety, trauma, OCD, ADHD, and other common mental health disorders by teaching the science behind the gut-brain connection.
“Dr. Naidoo provides a detailed look into how the brain influences intestinal activities and the gut's ability to influence mood and cognition. For instance, we learn that 90% of serotonin is produced in the gut and how to find balance with natural and holistic recipes and routines.” —Sara Ramirez, Lifeforce Health Coach
Deep Nutrition: Why Your Genes Need Traditional Food
By Catherine Shanahan, MD
Catherine Shanahan, MD, is a leading authority on human nutrition and metabolism. Her book covers in-depth historical and scientific context regarding nutrition and how the foods people eat can positively or negatively affect their genes. Deep Nutrition outlines various biological reactions to diet, such as epigenetics, and dives into ancient culinary traditions that are key to getting the nutrients that best support cell function, such as feasting on animal organs, bone-in meats, fresh plants, and fermented and sprouted foods.
“Dr. Shanahan beautifully details the causes of metabolic conditions and inflammatory diseases. She writes about the culinary choices that provide health and longevity, but also empowers us to gain independence from pharmaceuticals and the medical industry.” —Sara Ramirez, Lifeforce Health Coach
Best Book for Habit Building
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
By James Clear
James Clear is the founder of The Habits Academy, a science-backed course on behavior change that offers practical techniques for self-improvement, including a four-step pattern for forming good habits and breaking bad ones. Clear’s habit-building concept goes beyond accomplishing specific goals and is also a mechanism for improving your self-image. He writes that actions toward changing your identity are like voting. As votes accumulate, you prove to yourself that you are the very person that you chose to be.
“It’s so important to educate people on habit change, and ultimately this identity shift. I send this book to every one of my private coaching clients.” —Serena Holtsinger, Lifeforce Health Coach
Best Book for Movement
Built to Move: The 10 Essential Habits to Help you Move Freely and Live Fully
By Kelly Starrett and Juliet Starrett
After decades spent working with professional athletes, Kelly and Juliet Starrett, who are Olympians, Navy seals, and mobility pioneers, created this guide to help the rest of us counteract the effects of technology dependence and sedentary living. Their easy-to-use formula for mobility maintenance includes 10 vital sign tests to predict your lifespan and 10 simple physical practices designed to increase your range of motion and avoid injury. You’ll also find hacks to integrate more movement into your daily life, longevity-promoting nutrition and sleep tips, and breathing exercises for stress and pain management.
“Built to Move gives you a detailed, accessible road map to help you move through life feeling better, stronger, and more confident than you ever imagined, no matter where you’re starting from.” —Karen Katzenbach, Lifeforce Health Coach
Best Book for Mindset
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear
By Elizabeth Gilbert
Elizabeth Gilbert is a journalist and best-selling author known for her memoir, Eat, Pray, Love. In Big Magic, she offers her personal experiences — as well as others’ experiences — to show how creativity can present itself in daily life as long as you embrace fear.
"Gilbert writes, 'You can measure your worth by your dedication to your path, not by your successes or failures.' I find this passage to be so relevant to all venues of life. It’s about the consistency in the work you do that really matters. The book is filled with a great deal of wisdom and inspiring lessons that remind us that pursuing creativity and trying new things is a human instinct that should be fostered throughout life." —Patrick Doyle, Senior Lifeforce Health Coach
Best Books for Mind-Body Connection
Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art
By James Nestor
Breathing is an automatic thing we do to stay alive, but the act has implications that extend far beyond a passive process. Journalist and author James Nestor details the science behind how a consistent and frequent breathing practice can increase longevity, enhance athletic performance, control mind-chatter, and heal the body, among many other seemingly miraculous outcomes. The book teaches you how to breathe with intention and explains various techniques you can apply to your day-to-day routine. In its simplest form, Breath is a journey into the role breathing plays in our lives and how it can either detract from health or contribute to it.
—Selected by Senior Lifeforce Health Coach Kristen Alexander
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
By Bessel Van Der Kolk, MD
Bessel Van Der Kolk, MD, has done extensive research on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including the many ways it may negatively affect the biological functioning of the body. Some effects can last a lifetime if PTSD is left untreated. In The Body Keeps Score, Dr. Van Der Kolk discusses how a yoga practice helps his patients explore the relationship between the mind and body, plus other methods, such as neurofeedback, that help control emotions and strengthen relationships.
—Selected by Senior Lifeforce Health Coach Kristen Alexander
Looking for more support to create sustainable healthy habits? With the Lifeforce Membership, you’ll have access to a dedicated wellness support team, including a clinician and certified health coach. You’ll receive personalized advice, accountability, and support to reach your goals. Join the Membership here.