I’ll be the first to admit: the title I chose for this blogpost is a little extreme. But they are great books, okay? And more people need to know about them! I have already talked about every single on of these books in one blogpost or another. But since they have helped me so tremendously along my own health journey, I wanted to put them all together in a nice, short blogpost. So here we go!
Glucose Revolution by Jessie Inchauspé
This book (and the next I’m going to show you) I have already spoken about in this blogpost, where I talked about how I improved my energy in a matter of days. And I still very much stand by that!
This book teaches you how to control your blood sugar levels, and by doing so, not only improving your energy, but also improving your health by having less glucose spikes and crashes.
I still use a lot of the tricks Jessie provides in this book. My favorite one is the vinegar hack (although it may sound a little off-putting at first). You have probably already heard about it, but just in case you haven’t: before eating anything (especially if it contains a lot of carbs), have a tall glass of water with a little bit of vinegar in it. My favorite type is apple cider vinegar, with “the mother” – the stuff that basically ferments the apples. That way, you’re also feeding your gut microbes – another topic I’m very passionate about (read more here).
Anyway – after reading this book, I actually went and got a continuous glucose monitor for two weeks, to try and see if using the provided hacks actually does anything. And it turns out, the one I loved the most also did the most for me! My blood sugar didn’t spike nearly as much when I had a shot of vinegar before a meal, meaning it didn’t come crashing down either – less cravings, more energy. Absolute win!
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
Why We Sleep by Matt Walker is another book that dramatically changed my health and well-being. I have always made an effort to get enough sleep. But after reading this book, I was able to bring my recovery to the next level.
This book teaches you all you need to know about sleep, why it is so important and what you can do to improve it. It helps you understand why you need more or less sleep than the people around you, why you can’t seem to be part of the 5 a.m. club, and also why maybe you should strive to be. Walker also explains the detrimental effects lack of sleep has on your health, be it in the long or short run. And even if you, like me, think you’re doing everything right when it comes to sleep – I’m sure there is a lot you can learn from reading this book!
Ultra-Processed People by Chris van Tulleken
Ultra-Processed People is another amazing book you can’t pass if you care about your health! Just by doing your weekly grocery shop, you probably couldn’t help but notice that there are more and more new products on our shelves – and rarely are they simple, whole foods. Instead, they are the vegan version of an animal food, the fitness version of a chocolate bar, or something else you didn’t know you needed. And let me just tell you: you really do not need it!
This book brilliantly explains why you should avoid highly-/ultra-processed foods at all cost, and how it gets increasingly difficult to do so. Since reading this book, I have paid extra special attention to the ingredients lists of the products I (used to) buy, and can confirm that there seems to be added non-sense in almost everything.
I hope you’re ready to change the way you eat! This book made me give up oat milk cappuccinos (because of the added non-sense), and if you know anything about me, you know how much I love my oat milk cappuccinos.
Spoon Fed by Tim Spector
If you’re only going to read one out of the four books I talked about today, make it this one!
This book basically sums up all the other books mentioned above, in nice, short and easy to understand chunks. And not only that, it discusses a variety of other things to consider. From using supplements (I quit doing that after reading this book), to sustainability and veganism, this book covers it all. Highly recommend!
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