2022’s best health and wellbeing books!

2022 was an excellent year for books to inspire, educate and guide. After a tumultuous few years, it’s inspiring to see such a depth of choice on mindful reading material. A great way to do so is to read or listen to an audiobook. Check out Wellbeing Collective’s favourite health and wellness books that were released this year, and inspire yourself for 2023.

The Plant Portal – 50 Cards to Help You Heal with Tea – Erin Lovell Verinder

It is well-known in the wellness space that plants can heal all kinds of ailments. Australian herbalist, nutritionist and energetic healer, Lovell Verinder has created a deck of forty recipe cards featuring different types of teas that can help with almost any sickness. Each recipe highlights an accessible plant, like oregano, lavender, rosemary and aloe, and is segmented into seven different categories. The deck also contains ten herbal wisdom cards that will encourage and guide you.

Move the Body Heal the Mind – Jennifer Heisz

Heisz, a noted neuroscientist, unveils ground-breaking research on how exercise and fitness can battle mental health conditions such as dementia, ADHD, depression and anxiety and presents a plan to improve sleep, focus and creativity. Physical inactivity is the greatest risk factor contributing to     anxiety and dementia, as much of a factor as genetics is. Help get your physical and mental health into gear with this eye-opening book.

I’m Glad My Mom Died – Jenette McCurdy

Despite the attention-grabbing title, this book made massive waves when it was released in September this year. A memoir by actress Jenette McCurdy, it covers her journey through child stardom, its effects on her mental health and the difficult relationship she had with her abusive mother, who died in 2013. This five-star rated, poignant and insightful book reminds people that they are not alone in their mental health journey, and that, even in the dark times, love always wins.

How To Be Well – Karen Coates, Sharon Kolkka

Australian women face a dilemma, undertaking a precarious balancing act of existing in a busy, non-stop life. Balancing work, friendships, health, mental wellbeing love and families, it can be overwhelming and frustrating, and especially towards the end of the year, can lead to burnout. This complete guidebook will get you back on track towards optimal physical, mental and emotional health. How To Be Well will uncover practical solutions to fit in with your individual lifestyle and motivate you to make long and short-term changes to improve all areas of your life.

Your Blueprint for Strong Immunity – Dr Jenna Macciochi

Breaking down the science behind our health and immunity, this book shares the secrets on how to be well and healthy. An expert in immunology, Dr Macciochi has over 20 years of experience researching the impact of lifestyle on the immune system in health and disease. The book is divided into three sections, the first is a guide through your own health to identify key areas in which you may not be serving your health best. The second section focuses on what to do when you do become sick and how to recover effectively from infection. The final part of the book explains how to support your immunity when you have a chronic illness or are immunocompromised.              

Gunyah Goondie + Wurley – Paul Memmott

This comprehensive guide to Australian Indigenous architecture showcases the flourishing design that shapes Australia’s architectural landscape. This award-winning book is the only country-wide survey of Australia’s First People’s unique architecture and delves into the range and intricacy of these spaces and structures. ‘Anyone still thinking that terra nullius describes pre-colonial Australia should read this book. There are words and images here that should stop Australians in their tracks.’ – Bruce Pascoe

Condition Your Calm – 90 Cards to Ease Stress – Dr Libby Weaver

Using a three-tiered approach, Australian biochemist Dr Weaver has created an inspiring pack of 90 cards to get you to rediscover your clarity and calm in a practical way. These cards are designed to transform your daily life and offers nutritional, biochemical and emotional ways to decrease stress. Best used as a way to pause and reflect throughout the day whenever stress or anxiety increase, these cards are sure to help those who need a reminder of how strong they are.

These books and cards are sure to inspire you to be your best self in 2023. What books are you looking forward to reading?

By Sarah Panther