Recommended health books

In recent years, I've read dozens of books on different health-related topics. Following are those few books that have completely changed the way I live my life.

To be honest, I don't read much - I mostly listen to books. My favorite topic is us, humans - How we evolved, how our bodies function, what really is a proper diet for us, how to sleep right, how to exercise right, how to focus on the right things and how to live better.

Here are those few books that changed my life:

How Not to Die, by Michael Greger

Probably the best book I've read. I think this is the closest book I have ever found to "a human body manual". If you breathe and belong to the type of animal called "Human being", you have to read this book if you want to survive and live better. What you eat is what you are, but apparently, we need some basic guidance on what we shouldn't eat, and more importantly - what we should eat, how and when. I highly recommend listening to it in audible because it's being narrated by Michael Greger, the author himself.

Sleep Smarter, by Shawn Stevenson

We spend third of our life sleeping, and yet, we have no clue on how we should do it right. Many things you do during the day, and the way you design your sleeping environment have a huge influence over your sleep quality. The fact that you are asleep, doesn't mean that you sleep well. In audible, the book is being narrated by Shawn Stevenson, the author himself, that will give you all the information and "super tips" you'll need in order to improve your sleep - and as a result, improve your day. This one is a must-read!

SuperLife, by Darin Olien

If you want to be convinced rather quickly that you need to change the way you live, and you want to consume this knowledge in the simplest and coolest way possible - this book will do the job for you! It discussed "the 5 forces that will make you healthy, fit, and eternally awesome", which are (according to the book): Quality Nutrition, Hydration, Detoxification, Oxygenation, and Alkalization. This is a rather short book, not very detailed in explanations but it's 100% correct (in my opinion, based on all my learning). I enjoyed every second of it (I listen to it on audible).

Breath, by James Nestor

More and more researches show that making adjustments in the way we breathe can improve athletic performance, help fighting diseases and extend our lifespan. We perform about 25,000 breaths a day but the way most of us breathe is not the right way. It turns out that even this very basic act of breathing needs to be taught, and journalist James Nestor traveled the world to figure out what we have been doing wrong and how to fix it.

Earthing, by Clinton Ober, Stephen T Sinatra, and Martin Zucker

Grounding (or Earthing) refers to the contact of our body with the earth, and it has been proven that it helps in the reduction of inflammations in the body, pain, heart disease, hypertension and can improve your sleep quality. This book helps to understand the science behind the phenomenon and gives testimonies of people that grounding has changed their lives and improved their health.

Spark, by John J. Ratey

We all know that exercise is important, but most of us associate exercise with bodyweight, external look and endurance. Only a few of us understand the connection between exercise and the brain. Apparently, the effect of physical activity on the brain is the most important one! This book will change the way you exercise, when and how much you do. This book is not easy to read or listen to, but this is one of the few books I can categorize as "mind-blowing".

Lifespan, by David Sinclair PhD and Matthew LaPlante

While this book is not "a must-read", it's definitely the best one to give you a good explanation on why and how we age. Apparently, ageing is a disease. This book explains how we can postpone and potentially even prevent it. For me, the most interesting part was about how we can extend our lifespan and reduce age-related diseases. In audible the book is being narrated by David Sinclair, the author himself, which makes it more authentic and interesting to listen to. And as we say in Israel: "May you live until 120!"

Three books by Yuval Noah Harari

1. Sapiens - A Brief History of Humankind

2. Homo Deus - A Brief History of Tomorrow

3. Lessons for the 21st Century

One very basic understanding I adopted after reading those 3 great books, is that our current way of living is very different than what humans used to experienced in the past 200,000 years since our specie started to evolve. Combining with insights from the books I recommended above, they made it easier for me to implement many small changes in my life, like returning to basic nutrition habits. Regardless of any of that, those 3 booked are simply great pieces of reading, although I only listened to them on audible, which I think is even better!

Atomic Habits, by James Clear

I never stopped to think that most of the things I'm doing are actually... habits. Most of the activities in my life are not more than a bunch of habits that I do over and over again. Obviously, some of my habits are good, like brushing my teeth every morning, but many of them were bad - things I wish I would do differently or not at all. This book, as crazy as it sounds, gave me the tools to change my most rotted habits. In audible, the book is being narrated by James Clear, the author himself, and it is even more fun and funnier. If you read the previous books, this one will give you the ability to implement some changes in your life.

The 80/10/10 Diet, by Douglas N. Graham

If you read "How Not to Die" by Michael Greger and you are now convinced that you need to eat smarter, this is the next book you should read. It goes one level deeper in understanding what is happening in our body when we eat different types of food and shatters old beliefs most of us have about carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Even if you are vegan, that does not mean that you are eating right. It is also important to understand what types of food our body should consume and how much of each.

The Way of the Iceman, by Wim Hof and Koen De Jong

​I've heard so much about the legendary Wim Hof's method of breath control and cold training that I just had to listen to this book. It is super short, no bullshit and it will give you a quick background and introduction on how you can dramatically enhance your energy levels, improve circulation, reduce stress, boost the immune system, strengthen the body, and successfully combat many diseases.

Essentialism, by Greg McKeown

I don't know about you, but my schedule is crazy. Trying to divide my time between family, work, sport, sleep and achieving my goals in life is almost impossible. But this has changed after I listened to this book. It's not another book that will teach you how to better manage your tasks, get things done, or build your to-do lists. This book will simply help you to distinguish between what is essential in your life and what is not. I saw results after listening to the first chapter, and I am now more focused on what is really important to me. In audible, the book is being narrated by Greg McKeown, the author himself, which makes it even better to listen to.