D Moms

As part of my “entire life revamp” leading up my 40th birthday at the end of the year, I’ve been downing water like it’s my job, eschewing dessert, juicing, taking supplements, and exercising (well sort of). Friends, I’m telling you, by December I’m going to be the picture of health. (At least that’s what I keep telling myself so I don’t totally fall off the wagon and end up eating my body weight in those Pretzel Logic cookies from Central Market — holy hell those cookies are good.)

One of my strategies for staying the course (other than positive reinforcement a la Stewart Smiley) is to build a “wellness library” to help me along the way. I asked our D Moms wellness expert Dr. Kate Naumes, ND to help me get started by recommending some of her must-reads. Here’s what’s on her bookshelf.

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By Dr. Kate Naumes, ND

These days, the amount of wellness related books out there competing for your eyeballs is staggering. Every book can be a rabbit hole leading towards another set of rabbit holes, and on and on…  So while this list of some of my favorite books is by no means be exhaustive, I do want to highlight a few books that I’ve found to be particularly eye opening, as well as a few that I return to over and over again.

Herewith 7 of my go-to reads grouped by “heart,” “mind,” and “body,” plus a bonus book:

Heart

• The Omnivore’s Dilemma
  This book is an exquisitely organized exploration of my ‘Why?’ In exploring the food chains that sustain us, Michael Pollan asks questions that have profound political, economic, psychological and moral implications.
• The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell
  In his history of New York City (via the renowned oyster beds of the Hudson River), Mark Kurlansky raises interesting points about city planning, human impact on our environment and how we might live more sustainably. I’m hoping he’s working on one about water and Texas.

 Mind

• The Female Brain
  This book sparked so many interesting discussions between my husband and myself. Louann Brizendine, MD (who also wrote the excellent Male Brain) discusses hormones and differences in the architecture of the female and male brain.
• When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times
  Pema Chodron is a notable author and teacher who left America after her second divorce to become a Tibetan Buddhist nun. I find myself turning to her observations when I’ve hit a wall with thinking and planning.

Body 

• Flow: the Cultural Story of Menstruation
  The title says it all… At some point, every woman would do well to read this book by Elissa Stein and Susan Kim. Its particularly a great find for your girls who are becoming women themselves. A very easy read, its laid out graphically like a magazine or middle school textbook.
• Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder
  Did you know that by the 1990s the radius around the home where children were allowed to roam on their own had shrunk to a ninth of what it had been in 1970. Needless to say, this book by Richard Louv is a really important read for Dallas Moms in particular.

Bonus

• The Alphabet Versus The Goddess: The Conflict Between Art and Image
  Leonard Shlain’s book is too vast to go in Heart, Mind or Body, indeed its about all of them and such a wonderful book discussing the relationships and tension between word/image, left brain/right brain, masculine/feminine.

I hope one of the above  has grabbed your attention. If you are fortunate enough to find yourself with a little alone time this spring break, don’t hesitate to curl up with one of these new(ish) books!

Dr. Kate Naumes, ND runs a Holistic Wellness practice just off the Katy trail. She provides pre-conception and fertility counseling, newborn and pediatric wellness education, as well as ongoing well-woman and menopause support. Learn more atnaumesnd.com.