Are you already dreaming of cozy fall mornings? Slipping on warm socks, sipping a warm drink, and bundling up on the couch with a good book.
Fall is just a few weeks away, and I’m already collecting a booklist, anticipating the cozy season.
During summer months, we can put the petal to the metal with our health goals. We sweat through workouts, prepare healthy lunches, control calories, and weigh in regularly.
But Fall is the perfect season to pause and reset.
And good books are the best place to start.
A good book can change the way you think about food, habits, sleep, exercise, and your own body. It can set you in the right direction, reveal the why behind what you’re doing, and address root issues keeping you from reaching your goals.
So cozy up with these five books to deepen your LEAN journey. Together, they’ll cover five important pieces of your health puzzle: habits, longevity, your relationship with food, sleep, and nutrition.
📚 Atomic Habits by James Clear
“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.”
We know what we’re supposed to do: eat more protein, move our bodies, drink more water, get enough sleep, and make time for ourselves. But we just can’t seem to do it consistently.
In his book, Atomic Habits, James Clear argues that instead of focusing on what you want to achieve (outcomes) you should focus on who you want to become (identity).
He explains why tiny changes can add up to remarkable results and how to build systems that make healthy behaviors easier to repeat. When your behavior matches your identity, you no longer need willpower to force a habit. You are just acting like yourself.
Pick up this book if: You’re tired of starting over (over and over again) and want to learn how to make healthy habits part of your everyday life.
📚 Outlive by Peter Attia
“If you want to find someone’s true age, listen to them. If they talk about the past and all the things that happened that they did, they’ve gotten old. If they think about their dreams, their aspirations, and what they’re still looking forward to—they’re young.”
Imagine being 80 and still having the strength and energy to travel, play with grandchildren, hike, get off the floor, carry your own groceries, and live independently.
Peter Attia explores this big-picture view of health in his book Outlive. The book takes a long-term look at health and longevity, exploring several pillars of health, including exercise, nutrition, metabolic health, sleep, and emotional well-being.
Pick up this book if: You want to start living in a way that cares for your future self and understand how today’s choices can influence the quality of your future.
📚 Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch
“Having a healthy relationship with food means you are not morally superior or inferior based on your eating choices.”
For many of us, the hardest part of changing the way we eat is the complicated relationship we’ve developed with food.
After years of dieting, restricting, overeating, and feeling guilty about certain foods, we carry baggage into our wellness journey.
So, authors Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resche introduce a new framework designed to help readers develop a healthier relationship with food.
This book tackles the psychological baggage surrounding food: restriction, guilt, labeling foods “good” and “bad,” emotional eating, hunger and fullness cues, and the diet mentality. Its 10 principles are explicitly designed to help people develop a healthier relationship with food rather than live by rigid food rules.
The goal isn’t to abandon nutrition awareness or throw your goals out the window. Instead, this book encourages you to remember that food is nourishment and it doesn’t hold any moral weight to it. It teaches how to enjoy food, listen to your body, and leave guilt behind.
Pick up this book if: You’ve spent years dieting and want to develop a healthier, more peaceful relationship with food.
📚 Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
“Sleep is the greatest legal performance-enhancing drug that most people are probably neglecting.”
We sacrifice sleep all the time. We stay up late to finish work, watch one more episode, or squeeze in one more task after the kids go to bed. We skip an hour of sleep and tell ourselves we’ll catch up over the weekend. We set alarms earlier to get ahead on our to-do list.
But neuroscientist Matthew Walker thinks this is down right dumb (and maybe even evidence that our sleep-deprived brains can’t make good decisions!).
In Why We Sleep, Walker explores the science of sleep and why it’s so important for the brain and body.
This book dives into the role sleep plays in learning, memory, emotional regulation, immune function, and physical health.
It’s a fascinating read that will teach and inspire you to indulge in this rejuvenating foundation of our health.
Pick up this book if: You’re focused on nutrition and exercise but want to understand the overlooked role of recovery.
📚 Meals That Heal by Carolyn Williams
“The real key to eating healthy for all ages is reducing inflammatory foods and increasing certain nutrients. My challenge became how to make anti-inflammatory meals easy, quick, and most importantly taste good.”
This is the last book on the list for good reason. Once you’ve laid the foundation of the other books and understand habits, longevity, your relationship with food, sleep, we’ll finish up with this wonderful cookbook.
Here’s where you’ll find healing recipes, developed by registered dietitian Carolyn Williams, that provide nutrient-dense ingredients your body will thrive on!
Her cookbook focuses on the connection between food and health, providing practical, nourishing, and delicious recipes.
Pick up this book if: You want inspiration for turning healthy nutrition principles into satisfying, nourishing meals.
Books to Build a Healthy Life
Love this booklist?
If you’re hungry for more health and wellness books, I’ve got you covered.
Check out my full list of favorite books here!
Ready to rebuild your health and feel your absolute best? You found it. Join LEAN. We’ll guide you along your health and weight loss journey, helping you establish great habits that will last a lifetime.
*Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you make a purchase through them—at no extra cost to you. I don’t recommend products because I get a commission, I choose them because I believe in and use them.
