With so many health-transforming books being released, WholeFoods wanted to know what the experts are reading. Here,functional medicine coachKate Motz, author of Revolutionary Weight Loss, shares her thoughts on three books she couldn’t put down, all of which help deliver a precious gift: More joy and less stress!  

 

If I Could Just Cook In My Car: A Busy Mom's Guide to Healthy Family Meals With Less Time, Stress and Money by Lisa Sanderson 

I know I’m not the only mom who has felt that she spends more time in the car than in the kitchen. As a mother of three kids and a full-time business owner, I need all the time-saving strategies I can get. This book is full of many useful tidbits of wisdom for the parent constantly on the go.I’m in the business of teaching others about how to eat well, but sometimes I find myself making last minute meals and feeling frustrated by the chaos. There just aren’t enough hours in the day!  

The strategies that Lisa teaches in this book are simple and easy to follow. The book truly delivered on the promise to help me with simple meal planning and ideas that save me time, stress and money. 

My favorite part is how she teaches about getting the entire family more involved in the meal-planning process. This makes it so much more fun. All of the tips and tools in this book have made my week go smoother. And because we are now planning in advance, I am making fewer last-minute trips to the store, a huge time saver for me! 

If you are looking to put healthy meals on the table, while dealing with the craziness of over-scheduling, virtual school, and not enough hours in the day, pick this one up and read it!  

 

Chillpreneur: The New Rules for Creating Success, Freedom, and Abundance on Your Terms by Denise Duffield-Thomas 

Being an entrepreneur for the past 15 years has been a gift. With my three kids being my priority, having the ability to work from home has been a blessing. But it hasn’t come without some challenges. One of my personal struggles has been with perfectionism, whichcan be a huge challenge for a business owner to simply get things done! I subscribed to the “hustle and grind” mentality for so long and it started to take a toll on my health and relationships. During my journey to find ways to do business smarter, not harder, I found Denise and her books. I’ve read all of them, but this one made the biggest impact on my mental health.  

This book taught me how to get over my perfectionism, lean into my gifts and relax into my business. For me, that was a great stress reducer. She taught me that I didn’t have to follow the old way of doing business, which had left me exhausted and burnt out. My cortisol level was out of whack! 

The knowledge and practical strategies I learned from this book are priceless. Although it’s about starting, maintaining and evolving as you grow a business, the tools and ideas can be used in many aspects of life, in general. The information in this book has helped me mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. I’ve learned how to detach from negativity in a negative world, how to run my business smarter, and how to adjust my mindset so I can thrive both professionally and personally.   

 

The Universe Has Your Back: Transform Fear to Faith by Gabrielle Bernstein 

I was raised as a Christian in California. I attended a non-denominational Christian church my entire life and a private Christian school from Kindergarten through 8th grade. At first, I thought this book would possibly teach against what I was raised to believe. But after reading it, I’ve determined that is simply not true. Regardless of religious beliefs, as long as you subscribe to the concept of a “higher power” you will absolutely benefit from reading this book. 

This book not only helped me open my mind and my heart to guidance that I had needed, it was a good reminder of many principles I had learned growing up, some of which I had forgotten. The lessons I learned about releasing blocks and relinquishing the need to control everything around me are so incredibly valuable. I learned how to relax into a feeling of certainty that everything will always work out for me.  

I especially enjoyed the exercises, meditations, journaling prompts and prayers, as a way to calm my mind and thoughts. This continues to help me when I needed to re-focus on what is really important at the present moment. Practical tools are a must when learning a new skill and the tools in this book were very easy to follow and implement.