Fitness

Revamp Your Health:  Gain Strength and Confidence, Health and Happiness

Stephanie Walker

This book has it all! It is an amazing place to start and further your journey toward wellness. Ms. Walker can navigate successfully throughout many areas of wellness and across many levels of experience and knowledge. Topics such as training, nutrition, and recovery are covered extensively in language that is easy to read and highly entertaining. If you have not picked up this book or gone to strongfigure.com, we at @maximalbeing highly recommend it.

Nutrition

The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals

Michael Pollan

An insightful look into the process of industrial farming and agriculture, as well as the process of organic farming. Michael Pollan discusses the role of our US growing corn-based agriculture and the downstream negative effects on our food system. Additionally, a look into our government’s way of cultivating this culture of monocropping. He questions the conventional labeling of organic, seen in many stores deemed “healthy.” Finally, he concludes with a ray of sunshine through the clouds in an amazing natural farm that follows rotational farming and sustains itself, foraging, hunting. This build-up, all leading to an amazing meal composed of ingredients he had grown, picked, hunted, even wild yeast.

The Fate of Food: What We’ll Eat in a Bigger, Hotter, Smarter World

Amanda Little

It is scary to think about our food situation. How will we find our way around the vanishing topsoil? How can we sustain eating with all of the damage we are doing to the world around us? Can we co-exist with technology to improve our farming? All of these questions are addressed in very creative means in this book. Whether it be robots that can seek out potential pathogens for our food or vertical farming in a warehouse in NJ of all places (no disrespect I grew up there), this book is like sci-fi come to life. It gives hope to the seemingly dark world of our food system.

The Human Superorganism:  How the Microbiome Is Revolutionizing the Pursuit of a Healthy Life

Dr. Rodney Dietert

The literature on the microbiome is expanding at nearly as high of a rate as the microbiome itself. But who or what to believe? To understand this exceptionally complex collection of organisms that lives within, this book evaluates what is presently known and also allows you to realize what is not known in this rapidly expanding area of research. It speaks to scientists and non-science people alike. Covering topics such as lactation and pregnancy, psychology, testing, and remodeling. A great overview that will assist you in developing a basis for your microbiome makeover. 

The Big Book of Kombuch:  Brewing, Flavoring, and Enjoying the Health Benefits of Fermented Tea

Hannah Crum and Alex LaGory

Ah yes, full flavor and commensal probiotics, vitamins, and minerals Kombucha has been around for centuries but is now in its Renaissance. It is pricey though unless you make your own! This is a comprehensive guide to Kombucha-ing full of history, steps, and flavoring guides to grant you savings. You get access to the story, with incite from the experts on out-of-the-box Kombucha brewing and uses that you may have never seen before. Need a taste or flavor idea? Is my SCOBY sick? Need to make a SCOBY hotel? Read this book.

The Anti-Anxiety Food Solution

Trudy Scott

Have you ever felt anxious, depressed, or have PTSD. Yes, conventional medical knowledge is at the core of therapy, but do you want to take back the power you have lost and sought a dietary source for your neurochemicals. This book describes the symptoms of anxiety and other factors at play. With such potential remedies as lactose or gluten avoidance? With food additives and adrenal fatigue, you can become empowered again. Heal your mind and your body with good foods that feel great and taste delicious.

The Complete Guide to Fasting: Health Your Body Through Intermittent, Alternate-Day and Extended Fasting

Dr. Jason Fung and Jimmy Moore

Insulin resistance, diabetes, obesity.  All epidemics of our modern Westernized society.  Dr. Fung, a nephrologist takes it all on with this book.  It goes through the science of fasting, reasons to do it, and allows you to safely action fasting as a part of your fight against obesity!  Learn secrets like using bone broth, vitamin replacement, and the beauty of sea salt.  Review the evidence and optimize your body composition.

The Wild Diet:  Go Beyond Paleo to Burn Fat, Beat Cravings, and Drop 20 Pounds in 40 Days

Abel James

Do you want to learn about clean eating?  What about where your food comes from and the impact of additives on your health?  Abel James, known for his podcast The Fat Burning Man and My Diet is Better Than Yours, he is a well-known advocate of clean, ketogenic-based dieting.  He goes through his thought process and gives you meal ideas.  Packed full of information and recipes this is an easy read and inspiring!

Primal Fat Burner: Live Longer, Slow Aging, Super-Power Your Brain, and Save Your Life with a High-Fat, Low-Carb Paleo Diet

Dr. Nora Gedgaudas

The ketogenic diet is a safe and effective means for losing fat on your belly and eating clean.  A focus of popular culture presently, with lots of information available.  Want to pursue keto, well this is the resource for you.  Do not just read a tiny bit on the subject.  Be armed with all of the information and you will build long-lasting lifestyle changes NOT crash dieting.  With biochemistry, action plans, and meal ideas this is an amazing resource. 

Recovery

Becoming a Supple Leopard 2nd Edition: The Ultimate Guide to Resolving Pain, Preventing Injury, and Optimizing Athletic Performance

Dr. Kelly Starrett

As an avid Crossfitter and physical therapist, who is better than Dr. Starett to teach you about mobility. Though somewhat debated in the literature, mobilization will take your longevity and recovery to the next level. Do you want to learn the proper way to benchpress? Do a pushup? Or are you just stiff, sore, or plain old hurting? Well, this book will get you out of your static life and get your elastic again. 

Since, reading this book, I have seen noticeable improvements in my core lifts (hangs, snatch, overhead squats, etc) and have been doing MOB work daily for at least 10 minutes. I wake up less stiff, I can work out correctly, and I now believe I can do so for decades. There are sections on core movements and exercise physiology. There are also sections broken up into plans and body parts should you wish to target a key area of your body in desperate need of work. I recommend a cover to cover, but you can easily hone in on the key areas for you.

Good to Go:  What the Athlete in All of Us Can Learn from the Strange Science of Recovery

Christie Aschwanden

Cryotherapy, sensory deprivation tanks, and even foam rolling. I bet you do one or many of these things as a means to heal from your athletic performance. Though, what is the science behind these methods…or rather IS their science. 

This book delves deep into the scientific method itself for exercise science. Do the studies that are widely studied have validity? Or are they just a small sampling of a few dozen participants, now spoken as gospel? Does it make sense to track your sleep and drink sports drinks? I guarantee that this book will flip your colloquial knowledge on its’ head, and have you question things you have considered to be true for years. All in all, it will allow you to scrutinize the basis for your training and healing…now that is @maximalbeing!

The Art of Happiness, 10th Anniversary Edition: A Handbook for Living

Dalai Lama

Are you feeling the seasonal woes? Are you revved up and just not enjoying your life. Start here. Who better than to guide you through your rut than the master himself, the Dalai Lama. Emotions have many inputs, one of which is your outlook. Learn the philosophy behind happiness and how to reshape your future through mindfulness. Begin your journey to wellness and mental health with meditation and conditional reaction.

Self-Compassion:  The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself

Dr. Kristin Neff

Be nice to yourself!  We say I’m sorry to be polite and give up our own goals for other implied obligations.  Take care of yourself!  Learn about maintaining mindfulness and explore your own mental health.  Learn your limits and when to say NO.