Best Books To Read About Your Diet and Health (From A Nutritionist)

If there is one thing I never recommend when you’re experiencing some health issues is to Google your symptoms. Getting advice from a trusted healthcare provider isn’t always easy, but it is one way to cut through all the noise and misinformation you can find on the internet. That said, there are a few good books out there that I, as al dietitian and nutritionist can at least say have science to back up their claims. 

As a medical professional, I can certain learn a lot from books like these but I also think they can be helpful for patients navigating conditions like diabetes, PCOS, and more. And some of these titles aren’t just about physical health! Some are more focused on mental health, which, as we all know, can affect your body as well as your mind.

*Here are a few good books I recommend:

Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World 

This is my quintessential nutrition therapy book recommendation. It’s about trying things and not being a jerk to yourself, but rather having a collaborative mindset with yourself to see what works/feels authentic to you. This is written by neuroscientist and entrepreneur Anne-Laure Le Cunff and it urges readers to take on more of an “experimental mindset” and rethink our sometimes linear world. Find it on Amazon (or wherever you get your books).

8 Steps to Reverse Your PCOS by Dr. Fiona McCulloch (Link)

Sure, there are a lot of TikToks out there that talk about reversing your PCOS but they are more likely about selling some influencer’s product. This book, however, is about the science behind managing PCOS and what you can do to even reverse it using the latest research.

Hormone Repair Manual: Every Woman's Guide to Healthy Hormones After 40 by Lara Briden ND (Link)

Women’s health issues like PCOS and menopause are two important issues I focus on in my nutrition therapy practice. Your hormones can very much affect how your body processes food and what you eat can make a big difference in how you feel. This is another great title that I recommend to patients dealing with these issues.

These next two books are the ones I’m currently reading:

Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson (Link)

On its surface, this might not seem like a nutrition therapy book, but we’ve established before that our world also shapes us. How we respond to these 21st century problems can affect us on the micro and macro levels. This book explains those problems and how society can progress beyond them –– and it can also be enlightening for us in our own personal lives as well.

It Didn't Start with You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle by Mark Wolynn (Link)

Trauma and nutrition are very much linked. How you grew up and your experiences in life can affect your physical health, how you eat,  and your body’s processes. This book delves into how inherited trauma (not just traumatic experiences we all face) can also contribute to your mental (and therefore physical) health. 

And on my to-read list:

Birth Control: The Insidious Power of Men Over Motherhood by Allison Yarrow (Link)

Now, I have not read this yet so I cannot actually recommend it –– though I am interested in it. But here is the book description, from Amazon: “Drawing on extensive reporting, expert interviews, an original survey of 1,300 mothers, and her own personal experiences, Yarrow documents how modern maternal health care is insidiously, purposefully designed to take power from women to the detriment of their physical and mental health—not just during labor, but for years after. She then shows a better way, exploring solutions both cutting-edge and ancient to—finally—return power and control to birthing people.”

If you have read this, I’d love to hear what you thought of it! If you’d like to work with me for nutritional therapy (in New York/New Jersey), book an appointment with me.

*I have not been paid for these recommendations and I do not earn any commission on sales. You are free to use the links above, rent it from your library, or look at your local bookstore.