Books for Mom: Healthy Living Books for Mother’s Day

Mom deserves to live healthfully and happily. Here’s my list of favorite books for Mom. One – or more – will make a wonderful Mother’s Day gift.

I am acquainted with most of these authors. In fact, one of the authors is me! Some of these books were given to me by the author or publisher. Others I purchased. How I came to own the book has not influenced my decision to recommend it. Rest assured, my opinions are my own.

Disease Proof by David L. Katz

I teach my patients to rely on skill, strategies and planning to get them to their health goals and to forget about willpower, which surely fails everyone eventually. Dr. Katz talks about skillpower in much the same way. His book is packed with information and tips to employ in your everyday life. You want Mom to be around for a long time enjoying each day, right? This book can help her find the way to a long, energetic, healthful life. See what Dr. Katz says about prioritizing food over nutrients.

The Overworked Person’s Guide to Better Nutrition by Jill Weisenberger

I get it. I know what it’s like to be super busy and terribly overwhelmed. But good nutrition and good health are not optional. Here you or Mom will find tools and strategies to help you gain control of your health. Learn how to get organized, implement daily diet tweaks and use smart strategies for healthful living.

Eating Expectantly by Bridget Swinney

This is for the mom-to-be. Swinney gives easy-to-understand advice for women from the time they start thinking about getting pregnant to the first weeks after delivery. Chapters include eating for fertility, keeping food safe for the baby, food for each trimester, and more. Check out a previous blog post to see what Bridget Swinney says about eating with all of your senses.

The Now Effect by Elisha Goldstein

This might be my favorite book of the year. Other books about mindfulness have been either too academic for me or too abstract, but Goldstein takes the mystery out of mindfulness. The chapters are very short and each one has simple exercises to help you learn to be more present in your life and to become aware of your habits and emotions. Take it from a mom: The Now Effect has the potential to help mom be her best and make mindful choices leading to real change. Check out what Elisha Goldstein says about mindful eating.

Diabetes Weight Loss – Week by Week by Jill Weisenberger

This, my first book, came out in 2012. Diabetes Weight Loss is written for the person with diabetes, but is appropriate for anyone who wants to lose weight. I do not give readers a long list of rules to follow, nor do I categorize food as good or bad. Instead, I help the reader build skills and rely on strategies. It’s more of a healthy lifestyle book, not a diet book. If Mom wants to lose weight, feel more energetic and stay away from “dieting,” she can learn how here.

Weeknight Wonders by Ellie Krieger

You can prepare each recipe fairly quickly – perfect for busy weeknights. Like Krieger’s other books, Weeknight Wonders combines delicious with wholesome. I am crazy for several recipes in the book, but there are two that have found their way onto my regular rotation. They are Chicken Paprikash, a slightly spicy recipe reminiscent to one my Hungarian grandmother made and Savory Red Lentil, Quinoa and Vegetable Stew.

Plant Powered for Life by Sharon Palmer

Here are 52 tips and 125 recipes to help you or Mom enjoy a plant-focused diet. Learn to stock your pantry, use spices, lose your fear of fats and more. My favorite recipe in the book: Ethiopian Yam and Lentil Stew. Want to get started right away? Here is Sharon Palmer’s recipe for French Lentil Salad with Cherry Tomatoes, and here’s her recipe for Farro and White Bean Veggie Burger.

The Diabetes Comfort Food Cookbook by Robyn Webb

This book is packed with comfort and healthful deliciousness for everyone – diabetes or not. Hamburger sliders? Robyn Webb has you covered. Crab cakes (yum!), mac and cheese, even baked potato soup. It’s all in here. For the carb aware, the nutrition analysis includes several nutrients as well as diabetes exchanges/choices.

The Six O’Clock Scramble Meal Planner by Aviva Goldfarb

Now here’s a BIG recipe collection, complete with nutrient analysis and diabetic exchanges/choices. This giant of a book contains 160 recipes and 32 weekly dinner meal plans. Here’s a sample of what’s inside: Grilled Salmon with Fresh Herb Pesto, Chicken Parmesan with Garden Herbs, Caramelized Tofu and Broccoli Stir Fry, and Indian Spiced Lentils with Rice. How’s that for variety.

I’d love to hear from you if you have any of these books or if you have others to recommend.

And click here for my favorite simple-to-make Mother’s Day recipe.