On this fair Valentine’s day, I thought I’d share some paperback love and give you some fantastic resources for your natural beautifying journey. There are loads of books, magazines and blogs that offer value-for-time, but shifting through the “noise” can sometimes be a bit overwhelming. I’ve read my share of beauty books, natural healing guides and of course specific diets that promise to work wonders on your skin, weight, hair and overall glow. While there is no secret (and anyone who tells you their way is the best way for everyone, run for the hills) there are a myriad of great resources that you can integrate into your own lifestyle. My recommendation is pick what works for you, integrate what you can and make your lifestyle yours. Balance is the key.

On that note, what are your favourite Wellness Reads? Leave me some of your favourites in the comments below – I’d love to know what I’ve been missing!

As far as my readings go, I have favourites in different areas of natural beauty and wellness, so ill talk about them by category.

Eating for Beauty & Recipe Books

If you enjoy the “eating for beauty” part of my blog then you will love these reads:

Nutrition Expert David Wolfe brings us Eating for Beauty – a fantastic go-to book for learning how to cleanse, detox and and nourish yourself to health and beauty. What I love about Wolfe is that he goes beyond just the food and recognizses that other components in life contribute to vitality and glowing skin (yoga, beauty sleep, and the psychology of beauty to name a few). He leaves us with a small selection of recipes and a better understanding of “why”, “what’ and most importantly,”how”.

Mimi Kirk is my hero. At AGE 70 she was voted the sexiest vegan over 50 by PETA. On the cover of her book she was SEVENTY TWO and today looking lovely as ever at 74. What a beauty! No one is better living proof than Mimi about the benefits of a plant based diet. In her recipe book Live Raw: Raw Food Recipes for Good Health & Timeless Beauty she shares her secret for staying youthful, beautiful and most importantly healthy. She is amazing, and you will feel that way after eating some of her dishes for a few days. If you could buy only one book on this page, this should be it.

I was originally introduced to Kimberly Snyder, clinical nutritionist to the stars by one of my best friends – I am glad she did. Snyder specializes in the science behind why and how eating clean benefits your beauty (and health). Her older book The Beauty Detox Solution, is a great start, but I was left wanting more recipes. Thankfully she’s coming out with a new book in March 2013, The Beauty Detox Foods, with a big emphasis on recipes to help detoxing for beauty be both a delicious and easy journey.

New York Times Best Selling Author Kris Carr has an impressive story, and some equally as impressive reads on the book shelf. My favourite is Crazy, S exy Diet. The beauty of it? It isn’t a diet at all. As with most of the books above, keys to unlocking your natural beauty lays in a plant based diet, with variations of raw food, juice and green smoothies, as well as and keeping things alkaline in the body.

Speaking of keeping it Raw, Ani Phyo – Queen of Raw – has some amazing recipes to keep things clean and healthy. Check out her series, but I recommend starting with her essentials if you’re new to the raw foodie journey.

Natural Healing:

Natural beauty is unarguably intertwined with natural healing – everything from acne to psiriasis and hair loss to halitosis – beauty goes far beyond mascara and lipgloss. It is for this reason I first and foremost include these must reads:

The amazingly comprehensive Prescriptions for Nutritional Healing by Phyllis and James Balch is a must have for those interested in wellness and natural beauty. Not only will it help you with combatting dry skin, but also for health issues ranging from the flu to cancer. As a note, I don’t – by any means – recommend a book to help you treat yourself for serious diseases, but I do believe knowledge is power.

This one should be top on your list if you’re curious about the scientific side of wellness. I blogged briefly about this read in my previous post on Thoughts on Dairy, and I highly recommend it. Dr. T. Colin Campbell’s The China Study, focuses on nutrition and health, and seems to uncover the link between diet and diseases such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease.

Also on the note of natural healing is my essential oil bible. As you know I am a fan of my diffuser. I use it almost daily and love making different healing blends, especially when it is cold season. If you’re at all interested in oils, I highly recommend this essential oil necessity – Modern Essentials, A Contemporary Guide to the Therapeutic Use of Essential Oils.

When it comes to natural health and wellness, this guy is the Guru. If you haven’t heard of Andrew Weil, I’ll assume you’re new to your own journey to wellness. So, it is better late than never to get yourself acquainted with Dr. Weil and what better way to start than with his book Spontaneous Healing: How to Discover and Embrace your Body’s Natural Ability to Maintain and Heal Itself.

Natural Makeup Books

If you’re keen to learn more about the eco-beauty industry, this is your read. Eco-Beautiful: The Ultimate Guide to Natural Beauty and Wellness it’s filled with information on ingredients to look for and those to avoid, as well as routines, products and recipes. It also includes makeup tips and tricks that every woman can appreciate. It was written by eco-beauty guru Lina Hanson, who actually has her own natural skincare line – which happens to be on my “to try” list.

If you’re a lover of DIY, you will love this book. It is jam packed with recipes for hair, face and body products. Ingredients used are easy to get, so you’re not left with a book of great ideas and no way to execute them. It’s a step by step book (with photos) to make your beauty journey easy and green.

Another DIY book that focuses on easy recipes for natural beauty treatments. They specialize in cleansers, toners, moisturisers, exfoliants, masks and lip balms but also add in some extras including nail treatments, shampoos, sunscreens and deodorants. It is safe to say they cover all of the basics in this natural beauty read.

Natural Magazines

My favourite natural read monthly is Natural Health, a UK based natural health magazine that is filled with natural beauty tips, experts and ideas for DIY. I recommend getting yourself a subscription (yes, they ship internationally).