Hooray to Healthy Books!!

I’ve never really been one to cook myself - I mean why would I when my parents are such good cooks themselves and actually make a lot of healthy food! I’d love to say that I just wanted to cook for them out of the kindness of my heart but in all honesty my mum forced my to! She told me I needed to learn some life skills before I went off to university and that learning to cook would be a great place to start. I flicked through the cookbooks we had in the house but they didn’t inspire me with their twenty step instructions and fifty plus ingredients. That’s when I decided to buy the books I’s been lusting after for a few months but never bought because I never cooked so what would be the point! So I order THREE books from amazon : 

• Lean in 15 - Joe Wicks The Body Coach
• The Body Bible - Clean Eating Alice 
• Eat Well, Move Better and Feel Awesome - The Lean Machines 

These books are more than just cookbooks as they include workouts and advice on staying healthy in your daily life and I’m really really glad I bought them but with so many similar books on the market I thought I’d do a quick review to show you why these are great!

Lean in 15 - Joe Wicks The Body Coach 

Cauliflower Couscous Salad

Ok I know I’m really behind with this book and that there already a second book out and a third out this November! This book is great for beginner chefs like me as nearly all the recipes can be made in fifteen minutes using ingredients that are easy to get hold of. At the beginning of the book there is some information about nutrition and some useful day to day tips about food prep and store cupboard essentials. The recipes are then separated into three sections : Reduced carbohydrate recipes, post-workout carbohydrate refuel recipes and Snacks and treats - this makes it easier to decide on the right meals to support your training. At the back of the book there are two circuit workouts, one without equipment and one with weights. Both routines are simple and are more suited for beginners but I liked the weights workout because it can be hard to find weight circuits like this one for beginners.

Favourite Recipes : Thai Green Curry, Teriyaki Salmon and Cauliflower Couscous Chicken Salad

The Body Bible - Clean Eating Alice 

Sea bass with roasted Veg

Another book packed with delicious, easy recipes. It took me so long to decide what to cook first! I love that at the beginning of the book Alice writes about her personal experiences with eating and exercise and even includes photos making her story instantly relatable. The book is also filled with motivational quotes to help you along with your journey! The best part of the book is the chapter on exercise which includes five different HIIT routines targeting different parts of the body and with optional equipment meaning they can be completed at home or in the gym. 

Favourite Recipes : Banana and Fig Sweet Omelette, Prawn Masala and Sea Bass with Roasted Vegetables  

Eat Well, Move Better and Feel Awesome - The Lean Machines 

Monkfish and Coconut Curry

The first chapter in this book is all about being happy with your life and talks about issues from anxiety to sleep. It’s followed by a thorough introduction to nutrition and even explains how to calculate your macros - something I’ve wondered about for a while. My favourite thing about this book is that every recipe has some information about nutrition such as calories and grams of protein like you get on supermarket meals. I’m not one to meticulously count calories or track my macros but I feel like I can make better judgements about what choose to eat when numbers are involved! The workouts in the back of the book are separated into beginner, intermediate and advanced sections all including home plans and gym plans and although the plans look quite complicated at first, I’ve learnt about terminology and different ways to write exercise plans since reading this book. The best thing about the workouts is that every movement has a whole page explaining proper form giving you confidence that your doing each exercise correctly!

Favourite Recipes : Cod Parcels with White Beans, Monkfish and Coconut Curry and Moroccan Turkey Kebabs with Chickpea Salad

The next books in my sights (when I have money again! #poorstudent) are Shape and Sustain by The Body Coach, Eat Clean by Niomi Smart, Strong by Zanna Van Dijk and finally The Food Medic by Dr Hazel Wallace. I hope you enjoyed this review! What are your favourite health books?

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