Ellen Langer’s The Mindful Body: Book Overview & Takeaways

A mind-body connection illustrated through a man being connected to his brain

If you’ve ever felt your stomach turn in a moment of anxiety or felt like jumping up and down with excitement, then you’ve experienced the mind-body connection firsthand. Ellen Langer’s The Mindful Body argues that you can use this connection to take control of your health. We’ll explore Langer’s assertion that the mind and body are inextricable and discuss how this link manifests in health outcomes. We’ll also examine three limiting beliefs that shape health, including the view that health is a finite resource. Finally, we’ll touch on two research-backed strategies for approaching your health mindfully. Continue reading for our

The Joy of Movement by Kelly McGonigal: Overview

A cartoon image of a man and woman jogging in a park

What if the secret to lasting fitness isn’t willpower or discipline, but rediscovering the natural joy your body was designed to feel during movement? In The Joy of Movement, Stanford psychologist Kelly McGonigal challenges everything we think we know about exercise by revealing how our brains are evolutionarily wired to find movement rewarding—not punishing. Whether you’re someone who dreads the gym or you’re seeking a deeper understanding of why some activities feel naturally energizing while others feel like punishment, this guide will help you discover how to harness movement’s built-in rewards to create sustainable, joyful fitness habits.

Andrew Huberman: Cortisol Is Vital for Energy Management

A woman with long brown hair and a thoughtful expression looking at a whiteboard that has "CORTISOL" written on it

Do you sometimes feel energized in the morning but struggle to wind down at night? What if you could get better sleep and sustained energy by leveraging your body’s natural hormone cycles? According to neuroscientist Andrew Huberman, cortisol gets a bad rap. In an episode of Huberman Lab titled “How to Control Your Cortisol & Overcome Burnout,” he explains how cortisol actually serves as your body’s sophisticated energy management system.

Daniel Lieberman’s Exercised: Book Overview & Takeaways

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Does going for a run feel like you’re fighting against your deepest instincts? What if the natural resistance to exercise isn’t a character flaw but an evolutionary feature? Daniel Lieberman’s Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do Is Healthy and Rewarding tackles these puzzles. The Harvard evolutionary biologist reveals how our ancestors conserved energy for survival while explaining why modern humans must actively pursue fitness to stay healthy. Keep reading to discover how understanding humans’ evolutionary past can transform your approach to staying active and well.

John Green’s Everything is Tuberculosis: Book Overview

Author John Green speaking on stage

How has tuberculosis shaped human history? Why is tuberculosis—a completely curable disease—still killing over 1.6 million people annually? Best-selling novelist and YouTube educator John Green’s Everything Is Tuberculosis confronts this troubling paradox, revealing how social inequality, stigma, and systemic failures allow a preventable tragedy to continue. After meeting a teenage TB patient in Sierra Leone, Green embarked on a mission to understand and combat humanity’s deadliest infectious disease. Read more in our overview of Everything Is Tuberculosis.

The Song of the Cell by Siddhartha Mukherjee: Book Overview

A middle-aged woman with short brown hair and a cream-colored sweater reading a book while sitting in a chair by a window

What’s The Song of the Cell by Siddhartha Mukherjee about? How can cell biology change the way we think about the human body? Siddhartha Mukherjee’s The Song of the Cell: An Exploration of Medicine and the New Human dives into cell biology—examining its history, its use in modern medicine, and its radical possibilities for the future. Mukherjee considers the all-encompassing role cells play in our understanding of illness and the body. Read more in our overview of The Song of the Cell: An Exploration of Medicine and the New Human.

The 3 Ds of Health Insurance, Explained by Jay Feinman

A man in a suit crossing his arms in the shape of an X to signify he is denying something

What are the three Ds of insurance? What do insurance companies gain by slowing down the payment process? How are these tactics exploitative? In his book Delay, Deny, Defend, legal scholar and insurance expert Jay Feinman argues that major US insurance companies are profit-seeking entities that systematically avoid paying legitimate claims. He explains the tactics they use, and how and why they often work. Continue reading to learn about the three Ds insurance strategy.

The Functional Medicine Approach to Autoimmune Disease

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What’s the difference between functional medicine and traditional medicine? What can functional medicine do for autoimmune disease? In her book The Autoimmune Solution, functional medicine physician Amy Myers asserts that a functional medicine approach is required to treat autoimmune disease. She insists that modern lifestyles are more to blame than genetics. Keep reading to learn what’s causing the autoimmune epidemic.

Understanding Autoimmune Diseases: Physician Explains

A table full of doctors' supplies that one might need if they had an autoimmune disease

Do you want to understand autoimmune diseases better? How does the human immune system work? Before anyone can learn how to prevent or reverse autoimmune diseases, it’s important to first understand what they are and how they originate. Amy Myers, a functional medicine physician and former emergency room doctor, explains this in her book The Autoimmune Solution. Continue reading for an explanation of how your immune system can turn autoimmune.

Improve Your Digestive System With These 2 Changes

A person holding their hands over their stomach, representing improving your digestive system

What does your digestive system have to do with your immune system? What changes can you make to improve your digestive system? In The Autoimmune Solution, Myers argues that because your digestive and immune systems overlap, healthy digestion helps balance your body’s immune responses. In addition, a healthy digestive system helps your body absorb the nutrients from the food you’re eating, which supports your overall health. Here are the two changes you should make to improve your gut health.