You can’t exactly give the gift of health this holiday season, but you can come close by wrapping up a stack of health and wellness books for your loved ones. Knowledge is power, and reading about all the ways you can improve your physical, mental, spiritual, and even sexual well-being is the first step towards a healthier life. We’ve scanned the literary landscape for the latest and greatest health and wellness books on the market. Here are the must-reads for the health nuts, gym bunnies, and new age fanatics in your life. (Some of these titles are so good, you just might want to buy one for yourself, too!)

Your Healthiest Healthy: 8 Easy Ways to Take Control, Help Prevent and Fight Cancer, and Live a Longer, Cleaner, Happier Life by Samantha Harris (Sterling Publishing)

 

Samantha Harris has been through the wringer, health-wise. The Dancing with the Stars and Entertainment Tonight star was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 40. After a double mastectomy, she began researching how to improve her health so she could avoid future crises. Her new book lays out an eight-step path for improving your well-being: 1) Know Your Nutrition, 2) Wise Up Your Workout, 3) Tame Your Toxins, 4) Master Your Medical Mojo, 5) Handle Your Health, 6) Get Real with Relationships, 7) Practice Positivity, and 8) Rev Your Resiliency. Backed by scientific and medical research, Harris’ advice will guide you through everything from reducing toxins to maximizing your workouts to cooking up delicious meals like Power Pasta Primavera. After reading this book, your recipient will feel empowered to be proactive about her health.

Also Read: The 6 Best Health & Wellness Podcasts

 

 

Body Positive Power: Because Life Is Already Happening and You Don't Need Flat Abs to Live It by Megan Jayne Crabbe (Seal Press)

If you’re an Instagram fan, you’ve likely heard of Megan Jayne Crabbe, a.k.a. @bodyposipanda. The unicorn-haired feminist influencer is an advocate for body positivity. Her feed features photographs of her curvy body in all its beautiful, plus-size glory. Now, Crabbe’s hard-earned wisdom as an anorexia survivor has made it onto the page. “Life really is too short to spend hungry and hating your body,” she writes. If you know someone who is sick of dieting, tired of body shaming, and wants to be free from self-deprecation, Crabbe’s book might just be the inspirational kickstart they need to make peace with their bodies and embrace their shape, whatever that may be.

 

Yoga Wisdom: Warrior Tales Inspiring You On and Off Your Mat by Stephanie Spence (Skyhorse Publishing)

Let’s face it: sometimes we don’t want to do yoga. If you know someone whose enthusiasm for asana has faded lately, this book will help inspire them to get back on the mat. Author Stephanie Spence, known to her students as The Traveling Yogini, reminds readers how yoga heals mentally, physically, and spiritually. She brings her experiences as a yoga teacher, writer, mother, and PTSD survivor to the page and calls on over 100 yogis to share their secrets to getting the most out of their yoga practices. The stories, advice, tips in this book will motivate your recipient to take their yoga practice to a deeper level and seek balance in every area of their life.

 

The Ayurvedic Woman: The Essential Guide for Wellness in All Phases of Womanhood by Dipika Delmenico (Satsang Press)

We’ve all been there: burnt-out, exhausted, and energetically stuck. These lackluster times require gentle, natural forms of healing, and the ancient practices of Ayurveda can help us get back in alignment with our optimal state of being. Anthroposophic Naturopath and Ayurvedic Medicine Practitioner Dipika Delmenico will show readers how to tweak their lifestyles to improve digestion, balance hormones, reduce menstrual discomfort, and age more gracefully. Through greater self-care and better understanding of female anatomy, Delmenico guides readers through all the stages and cycles of modern womanhood with the ancient wisdom of Ayurvedic medicine. This book is perfect for those who want to tap into their divine femininity and harness their radiant nature.

 

Living an Orgasmic Life: Heal Yourself and Awaken Your Pleasure by Xanet Pailet (Mango)

Sexual health is just as important to your well-being as your mental and physical states. For those who find sexual expression scary, uncomfortable, or awkward, Xanet Pailet reassures them that sex doesn’t have to be that way. Whether the recipient is someone who’s never had an orgasm, a new mom who’s lost her libido, a survivor of sexual assault, or a woman who just wants to experience more pleasure, Pailet offers insightful advice and practical suggestions on overcoming sexual disconnection and developing a healthy sex life. In approachable language, Paliet addresses how women lose their desire in the first place, examines how attachment affects intimacy, discusses healing techniques for those who’ve experienced trauma, and helps readers understand their sexual blueprint. That dry spell doesn’t stand a chance!