The 5 Best Nutrition Books for a Healthy and Balanced Anti-Diet Lifestyle

TL;DR: Sick of conflicting diet advice and feeling lost in the health-food minefield? This post shares five refreshingly straightforward books that ditch restrictive fads and focus on balanced, anti-diet habits. Each one digs into a different angle—blood sugar hacks, mindful eating, the gut-brain-vagina connection—so you can finally make sense of what you’re putting on your plate.

An aesthetic stock image showing an open recipe book on a lap of a woman who sits on a bed. The image is purely for decorative use only to support the blog post on the best nutrition books

The information on food and nutrition available to us is a minefield.

It can be extremely difficult to know where to start or be able to make sense of it all.

And now, because of social media, more and more of the nutritional information we read is likely to be misleading.

But reading nutrition books can be one of the best ways to cut through the noise and find a way of eating that works for you.

Here are the best nutrition books to cultivate a healthy and balanced anti-diet lifestyle.

What are the best nutrition books?

The best thing about books on nutrition is there are plenty of different topics to get stuck into so you’ll always find something to suit your needs.

If you’re only after ideas and inspiration on what to cook each day, then reading The Glucose Goddess Method, which is full of 100+ healthy recipes, is your best option.

Or, if you need help making sense of all the misleading diet information on social media, then check out Deep Nutrition.

And if you’re looking for something a little different, then dive into Love Yourself Well which explores the powerful connection between food, the brain, the gut and the vagina.

Of course, there are plenty of other nutrition books out there, but I have chosen to focus on just these five.

Because I think that they personally make learning about nutrition simple and digestible.

In a society bombarded with numerous health claims and marketing tactics, we sometimes need to go back to basics and strip it right the way back with realistic and non-restrictive advice that can be easily implemented into normal daily life.

These nutrition books have been written with a modern audience in mind, so are not trying to get you to commit to an unsustainable fad diet. In fact, they all emphasise an individualised approach to nutrition, whereby you are in control of what you put in your body.

Their aim has been to educate you as much as possible about what they know about nutrition so you can start to make your own options.

The nutrition books listed below are also anti-diet in the sense that they still allow you to eat your favourite foods. All they require you to do is be more mindful of the food you eat and how you eat it.

So, without further adieu, let’s dive deeper into each one of these nutrition books:

1 | Glucose Revolution by Jessie Inchauspé

The Glucose Revolution is the best nutrition book I have read that targets the concept of blood sugar balancing.

Biochemist Jessie Inchauspé (aka the Glucose Goddess) takes us on a journey to stop sugar cravings so we can reclaim our energy and start to feel amazing.

Split up into three parts, this nutrition book covers:

  • What glucose is and what glucose spikes mean
  • Why are glucose spikes harmful
  • What we can do to avoid spikes while still eating the food we love

The Glucose Revolution is full of completely new ideas and mic-dropping truth bombs. But it’s also super easy to read.

Think of it as a beginner’s guide to nutrition and the digestive system, where everything is broken down in a tangible and accessible way.

Highlights

  • Contains easy-to-implement sugar-balancing hacks
  • A beginner’s guide to nutrition, which uses helpful analogies to break everything down
  • I’ve written a book review, so you know it’s worth a read
  • Includes simple recipes and quick ideas for things to eat
  • Features diagrams, FAQ recaps and real-life case study stories
  • Written by best-selling author Jessie Inchauspé, aka the Glucose Goddess

→ Price: £11.55 (paperback) with free delivery on Amazon

My thoughts

Glucose Revolution is a must-read for anyone looking to take back control of their sugar cravings.

Since reading it myself a few weeks ago, I have already adopted 4 of the 10 hacks outlined in the book and have firmly established them as new habits.

The most life-changing one is how to eat food in the right order.

Each hack within Glucose Revolution has been made to be easy to implement. And that’s what I loved most about this book because many other books about nutrition fail to simplify and instead focus on the complicated science and lose the reader in the process.

So, if you’re in need of an introduction to better nutrition habits, then embrace blood sugar balancing principles and read The Glucose Revolution!

2 | Deep Nutrition by Catherine Shanahan M.D.

Deep Nutrition explores the link between diet and health.

It is a fascinating book that delves into the traditional diets of some of the world’s longest-lived and healthiest people. This book identifies four common nutritional habits that are key to good health: fresh food, fermented and sprouted foods, meat cooked on the bone, and organ meats.

These foods form the basis of what Shanahan calls “The Human Diet.”

This diet is based on the premise that we are designed to eat certain foods that have been around for millennia. These foods are not only nutritious but also have a positive effect on our overall health.

Highlights

  • Voted as one of the Best Health and Wellness Books of 2017 by Sports Illustrated
  • Written by physician and biochemist Cate Shanahan, M.D
  • A self-published book
  • A long and in-depth read, but well worth it
  • Deep Nutrition offers a prescriptive plan for anyone to begin eating The Human Diet
  • Use The Human Diet to:
    • Improve mood and eliminate cravings and the need to snack
    • Boost fertility and have healthier children
    • Sharpen cognition and memory
    • Eliminate allergies and disease
    • Build stronger bones and joints
    • Get younger, smoother skin

→ Price: £11.25 (paperback) with free delivery on Amazon

My thoughts

I first came across Dr. Cate Shanahan on a podcast episode where she discussed her work on nutrition and the long-term consequences of modern processed foods and seed oils.

A lot of the information she was discussing was new to me. But when I started my health coaching course, there were so many parallels that I knew I had to do my own research. And so, I bought Deep Nutrition.

Deep Nutrition cuts through today’s culture of conflicting nutritional ideologies, showing how the habits of our ancestors can help us lead longer, healthier, more vital lives.

This book will challenge you to question everything you have ever been taught about nutrition and diet, so only read it if you are curious and open to new thoughts and ideas.

3 | Love Yourself Well by Lo Bosworth

Love Yourself Well by Lo Bosworth, CEO and founder of Love Wellness, is an empowering wellness guide to optimising your health on a holistic level.

The focus is on the connection between the gut, brain and vagina.

Lo and her board of health advisors and experts look to answer questions such as:

  • How does my overall health affect my vaginal health?
  • Is there a way to heal a leaky gut and a leaky brain?
  • Are there supplements and a diet to encourage body harmony?
  • Is my body normal? What is normal when it comes to sexual wellness?

Highlights

  • Includes a 5-week Love Wellness Plan
  • Digestible and a straight-forward read
  • A fun and engaging book with cheat sheets, diagrams and implementable tips
  • Features quick and easy recipes for healthy meals
  • I’ve just written a book review, so you know it’s worth a read
  • Written by the CEO and Founder of Love Wellness, Lo Bosworth

→ Price: £13.99 (paperback) with free delivery on Amazon

My thoughts

I’ve been a huge fan of Lo Bosworth since the Laguna Beach days and have been following her wellness journey since she first opened up about her own experience with chronic illness.

Lo is now here to “destigmatize the discussion about women’s health care” and I applaud her for it. It’s impressive to see a former reality TV star leverage her platform to raise awareness around health and wellness. Especially around vaginal health which is unfortunately not talked about enough.

This book explores vaginal health in a lot of detail and educates you on the connection between your brain, gut and vagina. So if you need to brush up on your vagina knowledge, then Love Yourself Well offers you a practical guide to follow.

Not only does it break down this complex organ, but it also includes helpful recipes and tips on what foods are best to eat to support vaginal health as well as mental and gut health.

4 | Eat To Love by Jenna Hollenstein

In Eat to Love, nutritionist Jenna Hollenstein shows us how to break free from the diet mentality and instead approach food from a place of mindfulness and self-love.

Through a series of exercises and meditation techniques, Hollenstein provides readers with simple tools to help them identify and release the mental and emotional blocks that have been holding them back from enjoying their food.

With Eat to Love by your side, you’ll learn how to reset your relationship with food and finally find joy in eating again.

Highlights

  • Eat to Love is a joyful, non-diet approach to mindfulness, intuitive eating, and falling in love with the body you live in
  • Written by certified nutritionist Jenna Hollenstein
  • An easy-to-understand-and-follow guide on Intuitive eating
  • Full of practical tools and mindful quotes
  • Includes revelatory exercises and meditation techniques
  • Simple instructions for time-proven mindfulness

→ Price: £12 (paperback) with free delivery on Amazon

My thoughts

If you’re ready to truly love your body and have a healthy, enjoyable relationship with food, then this book is definitely for you.

Eat to Love is not a diet book, not a “clean eating” manual, and not a guide to being your best self.

Rather, it is a liberating path to sanity and to loving the body you have right now, which is exactly what we need right now.

5 | The Glucose Goddess Method by Jessie Inchauspé

For lovers of the bestselling book Glucose Revolution, Jessie Inchauspé dives even deeper into balancing glucose spikes and how you can eat to support your blood sugar in your everyday life

With over 100 super easy recipes, The Glucose Goddess Method is the four-week guide you need to curb your cravings without counting calories and get your energy back.

And the best part? Just like in the Glucose Revolution, you can still eat everything you love.

Highlights

  • The follow-up to the bestselling book, Glucose Revolution
  • A four-week step-by-step plan to integrate simple, science-proven blood sugar balancing strategies
  • Recipe-based book
  • Features 100+ simple meals you can make daily
  • Includes an interactive workbook with lots of tips and advice from the Glucose Goddess community
  • Written by best-selling author Jessie Inchauspé, aka the Glucose Goddess

→ Price: £12 (paperback) with free delivery on Amazon

My thoughts

As someone who has personally benefited from the principles of blood sugar balancing, I can swear by the life-changing power of The Glucose Goddess Method.

Plus, like with everything Jessie does, each recipe within this book is simple and easy to prepare so there is no excuse to not be able to implement these glucose-friendly meals into your daily routine.

In a rush? Save this list on Pinterest for later!

The 5 best nutrition books infographic including (from left to right) Glucose Revolution  by Jessie Inchauspé, Deep Nutrition by Catherine Shanahan, Eat to Love by Jenna Hollstein, Love Yourself Well by Lo Bosworth, The Glucose Method by Jessie Inchauspé and Spoon Fed by Tim Spector on beige solid circles and black italic text

Why it’s important to read books on nutrition

There are plenty of good reasons to read books on nutrition.

In a society bombarded with conflicting and confusing dietary advice, these books can provide you with a clearer understanding of how to make informed choices about your nutrition.

They can also help you debunk any myths surrounding nutrition by replacing misleading information with evidence-backed results.

Overall, reading books on nutrition helps to promote a healthier lifestyle and prevent diet-related health issues.

Final thoughts

I hope you feel inspired by this post and have the motivation to kickstart your nutritional journey. Or continue the one you’re already on.

If you’re looking to cultivate healthy and balanced anti-diet habits, then I honestly can’t recommend these nutrition books enough.

They will provide you with the guidance and awareness you need to cut through the confusing information online and create your own way of eating.

So, just to recap, the books I mentioned in this post are:

I can’t wait to hear what nutrition book(s) you end up reading and how it best supports you and your health.

Until next week,

Thalia xx

Just a heads up — This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using the links above, then I will be rewarded at no extra cost to you. Thank you, as always, for your support.

Hey! It's Thalia

I'm a Certified Health Coach and the creator of Notes by Thalia — a self-development blog that helps over one million girlies beat burnout and unf*ck their life without starting over. Having navigated a toxic job in my twenties and come out stronger, I'm now sharing everything (and I mean, everything!!) I've learnt along the way.

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Professional headshot taken of the author of Notes by Thalia, Thalia posing to the camera with a smile and her hand resting on her chin

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