Non-fiction books on health and fitness
Take a look at our recommended non-fiction titles, including fitness guides and recipe books to help you start the new year in the best way possible.
Happy healthy strong: the secret to staying fit for life, by Krissy Cela
Fitness guru Krissy Cela wants to transform your life with her 360-degree approach to exercise, eating well and mindset, with results that really work. 'Happy Healthy Strong' is a simple and achievable plan that you can do at home, focusing on three key elements for life-long success: train your brain; fuel your life; move move move. Looking after your body and mind is the most important thing you can do for happiness and wellbeing; it means so much more than a number on the scales.
Through Krissy's tried-and-tested advice, you will feel great and get results you've never thought possible, with a programme you can stick to for life.
Mindful walking: the secret langauge of nature, by Alice Peck
In this guide, Alice Peck explains how, rather than simply providing a way of getting from one place to another, the simple practice of walking can have huge benefits for us, both physically and mentally, from ageing more slowly to sparking creativity. When we walk mindfully, we can reconnect with our body and the earth beneath our feet and discover a sense of calm. Walking outside also offers us a chance to be in nature, which improves our health and wellbeing, evokes awe and nurtures our soul.
52 ways to walk: the new science and timeless joy of how, when, where and why, by Annabel Streets
Walking strengthens our bodies, calms our minds and uplifts our spirits. We know this intuitively, and recent years have seen an explosion of scientific and evidence-based research to substantiate that. 52 Ways to Walk is a book that celebrates the simple act of walking. The book outlines 52 ways to walk, one for each week from January through to December, and all of which can be done by anyone, anywhere.
Running for our lives: stories of everyday runners overcoming extraordinary adversity, by Rachel Ann Cullen
Each day, millions of people around the world put on their trainers and try to deal with their personal demons and life challenges by going for a run. Rachel Ann Cullen shares moving stories of hope and resilience, demonstrating the power of running to help us all overcome adversity.
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The world's fittest cookbook, by Ross Edgley
From the 'Sunday Times' bestselling author and award-winning adventurer Ross Edgley, comes the definitive fitness cookbook, which will leave you feeling stronger, healthier and at your best. In a world where over 90% of diets fail, Ross decided to study the performance of extreme athletes, fitness specialists and the military to get to the bottom of which foods (and how much of them) are needed to optimise performance and reach your true potential - no pain, all gains.
Ross shares over 100 tried-and-tested dishes in 'The World's Fittest Cookbook,' a flavour-filled toolkit that will revolutionise your food prep and your weight loss.
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Mind food: plant-based recipes for positive mental health, by Lauren Lovatt
'Mind Food' is a delicious and revolutionary invitation to eating whole foods, with a mind-nourishing twist - inspired by years of research around how food can make us happy and boost our moods. Founder of Feed Your Mind Candy, Lauren Lovatt mindfully reconnects readers to the adage of 'we are what we eat' in this appetising new-wave cookbook. Focusing on hero ingredients of plants, whole grains, healthy fats, legumes, and tonic herbs, vibrant vegan recipes offer emotional balance with a splash of creativity, and a sprinkle of magic!
'Mind Food' is about connecting with yourself and the world around you, and offers a holistic toolbox of insights into how to live in sync with the world. It shares lifestyle practices that inspire new activities, and delicious sweet and savoury recipes focused on seasonal ingredients and tonics to support your brain through each life-affirming season.
Lose weight without losing your mind: free yourself from diet myths and food guilt, by Graeme Tomlinson
Graeme Tomlinson, AKA The Fitness Chef, has helped over a million people with his evidence based, straight-talking infographics and two bestselling weight-loss books. This mind-and-body reset will help you find a happier relationship with food, while achieving your weight-loss goals.
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Green one pound meals: over 80 recipes that are good for you and good for the planet, by Miguel Barclay
The One Pound Chef is back and wants to help make our lives a little bit 'greener'. Whether you eat meat or follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, we all now recognise the importance of doing our bit to help the planet. In 'Green One Pound Meals', Miguel brings his no-nonsense approach and shows you how to eat more consciously, with delicious, planet-friendly, healthy food on a budget. The book is packed with plenty of veggie and vegan recipes, along with some meat and fish dishes for those days when you might want something different.
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Pathways: your journey to emotional wellbeing, by Katie Columbus
Created in collaboration with psychologists and Samaritans volunteers, Pathways: Your journey to emotional wellbeing provides practical and creative ways to promote positivity and help you find your own route through your problems.
With pages for self-reflection as well as goal and routine setting, this book offers ways to achieve a sense of calm from anxiety, relief from low mood and decompression from stress, allowing you to reconnect with yourself and explore the difficult feelings we all experience from time to time.
Eat more, live well: enjoy your favourite food and boost your gut health with the diversity diet, by Megan Rossi
It has never been so delicious to eat healthily. Forget cutting things out, the diversity diet is all about adding more plant-based foods into your meals, feeding your gut more fibre, adding more flavour to your plate and nourishing your body in the process. The answer is inclusion, not exclusion. Dr Megan Rossi shares everything you need to know about plant-based eating (spoiler: it doesn't have to mean only plants!), with over 80 deliciously diverse recipes, savvy cooking tips and 3 menu plans that make it easier and tastier than ever to increase your plant intake and enjoy your favourite meals.
From a hearty lasagne to raspberry and white chocolate muffins, these recipes prove you don't have to sacrifice flavour or enjoyment to hit the recommended 30 plant points a week - which includes fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, legumes, nuts and seeds, herbs and spices.
Doctor's kitchen 3-2-1: 3 portions of fruit and veg, serving 2 people in 1 pan, by Rupy Aujla
A brand new way of cooking delicious food, that is completely life changing. Every recipe is formulated to contain three portions of fruit and vegetables per person, serving two people and all made in one pan. That's it! Curries, Stews, Traybakes, Casseroles, Salads and more. Take the effort out of cooking and put health and enjoyment back in.