My Recommended Summer Reading List!

Summertime is a great time to kick back in a comfy chair (ideally outside!) and get more reading time in, or if you’re traveling, have a great book or two for the road. 

I love to read, and I always have a few books I’m into at any one time, which are all quite varied. Right now I have Emma by Jane Austen sitting here on my desk, because something about being in London makes you feel like paying attention to the classics again! 

But I wanted to give you some personal recommendations of all different types- fiction or non-fiction- which may be of interest to you.

Here are some of my picks:

 

 

1. Whole, by T. Colin Campbell

Dr. Campbell also authored The China Study. Whole gives a great complete picture about a broad nutrition perspective in general versus what he calls “reductionist thinking”. And one of my favorite quotes about nutrition is in the book: (paraphrased) When you eat a wide variety of plant foods, your body does the math for you. Couldn’t have said it better myself! Focus on whole foods rather than counting carbs, calories, grams of protein, etc. Great book. 

 

2. The Starch Solution, by John A. MacDougall, M.D. 

Flying the face of all the caveman-esque, no grain, no carb philosophies being pushed right now and the last few decadesd, Dr. MacDougall shows how the healthiest people in the world adopt a starch-based, lower in fat diet. Another great read!

 

3. Tending the Heart Fire, by Shiva Rea

A hard cover, full color book about reconnecting to the rhythms of the natural world and living in flow, and connecting back to your heart. This beautiful book has photos from India and around the world of rituals, as well as diagrams and illustrations. 

 

4. Oracle Bones, by Peter Hessler

If you love a non-fiction book with personal stories, this is a great book for you. On my around the world trip, I spent about 3 months in China- not Hong Kong and Beijing (though I breezed through those places), but the gritty, “real” China of the vast world beyond those big cities. Making my way through trains, village, cities I had never heard of, but somehow were bigger (and more polluted) than New York City, dealing with Chinese characters to try to get around….China was the most challenging part of my journey by far. I found this book very information and interesting, and with the changing scope of the world and particularly China, this is a good one for our list. 

 

5. Natural Birth Control Made Simple, by RN Barbara Kass-Annese R.N. C.N.P., and Hal C. Danzer, M.D.

The first edition of this book came out in the ’80’s. But you know what? A woman’s body is timeless! If you have never tracked your natural cycle before, which involves taking your basal temperature and monitoring secretions and other of your body’s signs, you’ll be able to naturally tell when you are ovulating, as well as the whole graceful arc of your bodily cycle.  It’s a wonderful way to gain a deeper understanding of the rhythms of your body, including emotional and dietary patterns throughout your cycle, and be in tune with yourself. 

Just like the sacred cycles of the moon, there are sacred cycles of a woman’s body, that should be acknowledged and respected. I think with the advent of modern pharmacology many have lost touch with their natural cycle- but this book can help provide some educationto help reclaim this self-awareness. 

 

 

6. Unaccustomed Earth, by Jhumpa Lahiri

I’ve read all of Jhumpa’s books, and although this is not her most recent one, it’s one of my favorites. She writes in simple language, but has a way of writing that pierces into the truth of human nature, highlighting feelings we can all relate to. Great for the beach or a plane ride.  

 

7. Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, by Greg McKeown 

This book is from a selection from our beloved Tony, the co-host of our podcast! He likes it because it’s all about focusing on the precious few things that make the biggest difference in your work, relationships, health and life. In this world, it’s so easy to get caught in the mindset of “more, more, more” when actually doing less — focusing on the right few things — is actually the best path. 

For instance, if you are new to the Beauty Detox Lifestyle, instead of trying to follow every single aspect of it and spreading yourself thin — just focus on 2-3 things, such as lemon water in the morning, GGS each day, and giving up dairy. Those few essential actions alone will do wonders for your health, and will set the stage for you to make more improvements as you progress!

 8. The 7 Spiritual Laws of Success, by Deepak Chopra 

Deepak has written literally a few dozen books I believe over the decades. I like this one because it reinforces what I truly believe- everything in your life is completely interconnected. The spiritual aspects of your life is part of your whole life, and how you do one thing is how you do everything. 

9. Autobiography of a Yogi, by Paramhansa Yogananda

If I had to say that one book changed the course of my life it would be this one. As many of you know, Paramahansa Yogananda is my Guru, and I practice the Kriya Yoga meditation techniques disseminated through his teachings. In my opinion, this is the foremost spiritual classic that has infinite life lessons woven throughout it, an essential for all that are interested in true yoga, meditation, inner joy. 

On our trip to India last year, we used this book as our guidebook, as we made a pilgrimage to all the sacred sites listed throughout- the ashrams, schools, mandirs, caves, etc. While you have to get into it a little bit past the beginning, after a short while you will not be able to put it down. 

10. The Beauty Detox Solution 

Well I guess it makes sense to recommend my own books too, right?! I wrote them with the sincere intention of helping others to feel and look their best, and be free of constant struggle and worry about their weight and bodies, by sharing the knowledge that helped free me of these struggles.

This is the foundational book that lists the philosophy of our Beauty Detox Community. If you’ve only read The Beauty Detox Foods, I encourage you to go back and read this one as well, which discusses different topics and in more depth. 

11. The Beauty Detox Foods 

This is our second beloved Beauty Detox book/baby. In full color, it highlights the best foods and root causes of common beauty issues, teaching you how to eat for clear, glowing skin, healthy hair, high energy and more. 

Full color, delicious recipes! There are over 85 here, but I’ll point out that The Beauty Detox Solution has over 50,including some of our community’s classics as well. (And I’m currently in the fire of editing our third Beauty Detox book/baby, which is coming out early next year!!)

 

Whatever you choose to read, I wish you happy reading and a fantastic summer. It’s a great time to just let your energy open up completely, down to the cellular level by eating bigger salads and more raw food in general, as well as releasing any stagnation or stuck energies in your heart or mind. Give it all back to the universe to recycle. Spend as much time as you can outside- taking meals out there, basking in some moderate sunshine, swimming in lakes and oceans, and walking barefoot on the earth as much as possible.

With great love,

Kimberly 

PS: I also wanted to mention that if you happen to live in Los Angeles and are looking for a private yoga instructor, my friend Noelle is an excellent and loving private teacher. If you are interested please leave a comment and we can help connect you.