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Is there a better time than National Book Day to get a new book about your favorite topic? If you’ve found yourself here, I’m sure that healthy eating and your overall physical well-being are some of your main concerns, just like mine. These are some books that I found to be interesting reads. You’ll get hours of enjoyment from reading them and you’re bound to find what you’re looking for. There’s something for everyone: changes in diet, harmful foods, sports habits, Paleo diet, a vegan diet … If you have read any of these, or plan to read them, let me know your thoughts later on! 

1. ‘Change What You Eat and You Will Change The World’, Niklas Gustafson

Naturally, I couldn’t write this list without including the book I wrote, as it’s the foundation of what is now Natural Athlete, a space committed to natural eating and health. Throughout the book, you will find evidence for the need to change many of the traditional food concepts that we’ve learned from a young age. I believe that it’s quite educational, and I share with you my personal story of what I went through and how I became a follower of the Paleo Diet. 

In the book, I explain some of my “musts”, the importance of a low-carb diet, how essential fats are good for our bodies, and the dangers of hidden sugars in many of our foods. It also gives you many ideas on how to grow towards eating a healthier diet by breaking down information about the food we should be eating and recipes on what can be made from them. Here’s a secret: the most incredible smoothie recipes can be found here

2. ‘Grain Brain’, David Perlmutter

Very much in line with Natural Athlete’s beliefs on the importance of A Low Carb Diet, this book by American physician David Perlmutter focuses on the neurological consequences of the excessive consumption of bread, fructose, and rice. It has generated some controversy since it debunks many of the myths about food and goes against the current food industry standard, which uses sugar on a massive scale. The best thing about this book is that it allows the reader to do a self-diagnosis by answering twenty questions some of which are:

Do you drink juice?

Do you feel winded when you walk?

Do you eat pasta?

Do you work out regularly?

And so on… If you have a surplus of positive answers, Doctor Perlmutter goes on to state that the risk of developing nervous system diseases is much higher. The book, which was a bestseller at the time it was released, links eating gluten to neurological damage. It shows studies on the relationship between a gluten-based diet and anxiety, attention deficit disorder, chronic headaches, depression, and dementia.

3. ‘What I Talk About When I Talk About Running’, Haruki Murakami

“For me, running is both exercise and a metaphor. Running day after day, piling up the races, bit by bit I raise the bar, and by clearing each level I elevate myself. At least that’s why I’ve put in the effort day after day: to raise my own level.”

, Murakami

If you’re a “runner”, you’ll enjoy reading this book by the very successful Japanese writer Haruki as much as running in your favorite spot. And if you’re not one, you’ll be sure to catch the “runners bug” after reading it. Murakami, true to his reflective style, often bordering the philosophical, focuses on the mental and daily benefits of living life as a runner.  The relationship between running and learning to control certain mental aspects like, keeping strong, self-control, and stabilizing your moods is very interesting. 

Murakami, along with his favorite Rock or Jazz songs, shares with us his process of running from a physical and mental standpoint. Someone who runs alone faces their workouts as a learning environment of self-discovery. It emphasizes how important it is to spend some time alone with yourself. One of the best parts is where he talks about that moment when the ‘runner’ is about to stop, but he decides to push on with his strides.

4. ‘My Fast’, Jesús Domínguez and Damien Carbonnier

This book talks about the super intriguing world of intermittent fasting, which is when you don’t eat solid foods for between 12-24 hours to cleanse the body. The authors of this book stress that the usual foods people eat keep them from feeling full and not knowing when to stop eating especially when they have a high intake of sugar and caffeine. As a consequence, the body starts to convert these excesses into liver fat and causes other problems such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension.

With planned fasts and, if necessary, arranged by a doctor, the body undergoes a natural detoxification process. Once you get used to it, you have energy and an overall feeling of well-being. During the fast, you can drink liquids like water, a vegetable broth or tea. ‘My Fast’ brings us closer to the real experience of more than a thousand people who have begun to introduce fasting in their lives.

5. ‘The Japanese Secret To A Long and Happy Life’, Francesc Miralles

This will help you to lay the foundation for a fuller and happier life, Review from the BBC

The ‘Ikigai Method’ can be defined as a vital passion that you master so you feel motivated to influence every aspect of your life positively, paving the way for not only yourself but for others. It’s your reason for being, that gets you up in the morning. The authors have already made this book on Japanese Philosophy a bestseller. Using “The Ikigai Method” they’ve established practical guidelines making it possible for anyone to achieve their goals. 

The book takes you on a journey as if you were on a train traveling through Japan where we travel through our past, to project our future enabling us to establish foundations in the present. The method is inspired by the keys to motivation and longevity in Japanese culture, and its ultimate goal is to explain that happiness comes from within and not from external factors. In other words, we find in ourselves what makes us happy and learn how to keep that feeling over time. 

6. ‘I Can Do Everything’, Patry Jordan

With more than a million followers on Instagram and more than 8 million subscribers to her Virtual Gym Youtube Channel, Patry Jordan is the queen of virtual fitness. She has different workout routines for every style and body: from simple exercises to more advanced ones, she speaks clearly and always has a smile which encourages you not to give up.

The title of the book gives you a good sense of what it’s all about. She explains step by step how you can change your habits in just a few weeks and gives you tricks so you don’t fall off the horse. One of the key phrases that Patty Jordan says in her book is  “remember why you started“.

What did you think about our recommendations? Did we miss a book that you think must be on this list? Leave us your suggestions in the comments below. Happy National Book Day, Readers! 

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