MFW RESOURCES FOR DEPRESSION, DISORDERED EATING & BEYOND
I read like it’s my second job. Sometimes like it’s my only job. I used to be a big fan of fiction and fiction only, but once I got fed up enough with dealing with mental and physical health issues, I started to devour anything that could help me understand what I was going through, anything that might bring me one step closer to happy and healthy.
Unfortunately, as women in this country, we’re not typically given the tools, resources and information we need to care for our brains and bodies until after we’re faced with illness or suffering. No one hands us a user’s manual with proactive tips and tricks for staying sane and healthy, for avoiding the avoidable. For this reason, I believe it’s incredibly important to empower ourselves with knowledge, and share that knowledge with each other.
The books and podcasts below have been profoundly helpful to me on my mental and physical health journey. Many of them are full of “how the heck did no one tell us this?!” tidbits and little pieces of information that have changed my life and could change yours. I’ve also included a few books that made me see how much I was standing in my own way of recovery and happiness, challenged my perspective on career and helped me get the courage to start my own business. I highly recommend them all!
DEPRESSION
A Mind of Your Own by Kelly Brogan, MD - Recommended by a trusted caregiver, this book is full of mind-blowing statistics and information on what contributes to depression for most women, the science behind pharmaceutical treatment and alternative therapies.
The Mood Cure by Julia Ross, MA - This book opened my eyes to risk factors and treatment options I hadn’t explored before. I currently follow a modified version of one of the protocols with incredible results.
The Hormone Cure by Dr. Sarah Gottfried and Woman Code by Alisa Vitti - When I went off birth control and my hormones went crazy, so did I for a while. That period marked the beginning of an exploration of the links between my PCOS, hypothyroidism and depression. These 2 books were pivotal during that time and I recommend them to ALL women, struggling with depression or not!
DISORDERED EATING
Brain Over Binge (podcast) - This podcast helped me with ED recovery perhaps more than any one resource has. I still go back through the episodes and listen when I need reminders to continue to choose health and recovery.
Anything by Geneen Roth, especially Women Food and God, When Food is Love, and Breaking Free from Emotional Eating. Her perspective is entirely different from the one found in the above resource, but it’s an excellent counterpoint and these books helped me just as much.
Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole, MS, RD and Elyse Resch, MS, RD, FADA, CEDRD - More than anything, this book held a mirror up to my mindset and behaviors when I was vacillating between orthorexia and binging on “forbidden foods.” It forced me to see things more clearly. Although I don’t agree with all of the concepts in this book, it can be a very valuable resource and open the door to challenging disordered constructs around food.
Christy Harrison’s Food Psych Podcast - This is another great podcast that encourages you to entertain different perspectives around food and “diet culture”. I’m still a little bit skeptical about intuitive eating, but find many of the principles super helpful in my life and my coaching practice.
A NEW PERSPECTIVE/SWIFT KICK IN THE BUTT
The Gifts of Imperfection and Daring Greatly by Brene Brown, PHD, LMSW - Perfect for type A people and recovering perfectionists, both of these books helped me let go of some thought patterns and fears when starting my business.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck - I really like how this challenges some paradigms around success. He lost me in the end a bit, but I appreciate anything that gets me to look at working, success and values in a new way.
You Are a Badass and You Are a Badass at Making Money - If you’ve ever struggled with limiting beliefs around money or success (lord knows I have), or if you tend to get in your own way by getting caught up in old fears and narratives (me again), these books will challenge you to see things in a new light and might even inspire you to create new behaviors. Funny, easy reads to power through on your way to work or while walking the dog :)