You know how they say, “Don’t judge a book by its cover”? Well, we’d like to add, “Don’t judge a book by its size,” too. Because this little-bitty book—The Little Book of Diet Help by Kimberly Willis—is seriously a girl’s best healthy eating/losing-weight friend. Especially if said girl is hippity-dippity in the slightest.

About 175 pages of little nuggets of information that are helpful for losing weight and finding the motivation to eat right and work out, The Little Book of Diet Help is truly a book of facts, tips and tricks. While there’s no actual diet or workout plan, this book is written by a life coach and hypnotherapist who gets that, most of the time, we have trouble living a healthy lifestyle because of what’s going on between our ears. With chapters on overcoming emotional eating, looking after your liver (take good care of it—it detoxifies your body!), using the power of your mind, the wonders of exercise and achieving your goal, Willis covers everything from fighting cravings to improving your mood.

While you’ve probably heard many of the facts in the book, I can almost guarantee that the tips and tricks Willis shares will be new to you. A decent amount of the book centers around “tapping,” which is a form of accupressure that you can do to yourself by literally tapping different points on your body. In addition, the book suggests doing different affirmations to boost confidence and willpower, and there’s even some self-massage techniques that are recommended. Overall, it’s not the diet book you’re used to, and it can work with any type of workout and healthy eating plan that you’re following. Although it won’t exactly tell you how to lose weight, it does give you some additional tools that can certainly help. There may not be a lot of text in this book, but what’s there is encouraging, motivating and totally handy!

Want to read this book for yourself? Leave a comment telling us why you’d like to win it, and we’ll select one lucky U.S. reader to win a copy of the book in about a week! —Jenn

When I first heard about The Beauty Blueprint: 8 Steps to Building the Life and Look of Your Dreams, I honestly thought it would be a stretch to write about for FBG. Sure, we’re all about building your life so that you feel your best, but beauty? Well, we’re not much into that in the traditional mascara, eyeliner, blush sense. In fact, the closest we really come to “beauty” is a post-gym beauty routine where you do your best to not look like a hot, sweaty mess.

But yet, I went ahead and got a review copy because something about the cover image resonated with me. Just look at that chick. Sure, she’s pretty and has impeccable eye make-up, but she just looks glowy. And oh-so peaceful. I want twinkly stars like that around me, too! So off I went, readyto get my beauty blueprint—and soft glow.

Written by Michelle Phillips, a celebrity make-up artist and life coach, this is a beauty book, but it’s like no other beauty book that you’ve ever read. In fact, there’s not one diagram or drawing on how to pencil your eyebrows. Instead, it’s filled with inspiration, examples and exercises to help you get in touch with the beauty you have within. With chapters that build on each other, it’s a full self-help personal discovery plan that involves everything from positive affirmations to dream boards to setting intentions and to discovering what you really value and want out of life. And then, once you’ve figured all that out (and that takes the majority of the book), you can get your shop and make-up on because you know what style you’re going for because you’ve figured out, in a sense, who you are and who you want to continue being. The “beauty” part of what to wear and how to wear it is almost like the cherry on top of a dessert that was already freakin’ delicious to begin with.

I know you’ve heard the cliches that beauty is really on the inside and that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but, dude, Michelle lays out a comprehensive plan that shows that how we feel about ourselves really is the key to developing and appreciating our outer beauty. She then shows you how to honor that, hone it and make it even more beautiful and awesome. It’s very much like how we at FBG value exercise and eating right as a way to take care of yourself and love yourself, which leads to a happier, more fulfilled and authentic life. The Beauty Blueprint? Well, I’d call it a Life Blueprint.

Do you want to read The Beauty Blueprint? (You should!) Leave a comment below telling us what beauty you see in yourself when you look in the mirror, and we’ll select one random U.S. reader to win a copy. Mirror, mirror, on the wall… —Jenn

I like to cook and all, but some nights I just want to make something that’s healthy, uncomplicated and quick. While many cookbooks claim to do this, a lot of times they require you to bust out about 20+ ingredients or rely on processed foods to make dinner easier to whip up. Heck, half of the annoyance of cooking is getting ingredients out and prepped, and these days I rarely buy anything that comes in a box unless it’s a whole grain. Well, Robin Miller of Food Network celeb chef fame heard my plea and created a new cookbook: Robin Takes 5.

Also a nutritionist, Miller’s new healthy cookbook features 500 delicious and simple recipes that require five ingredients or less (not including olive oil, salt and pepper, of course). Each recipe is also low in sodium and has 500 calories or less. While I wish the cookbook had just a few more color photos (I’m a sucker for pretty photos, I’ll admit), you can’t beat the recipes. Divided into chapters on soups, pizzas, pastas, poultry, beef and pork, seafood, side dishes and desserts, it has so many good ol’ standbys (hello, healthy fried chicken recipe we’re about to share with you) and more foodie flavors like Ham Wraps with Manchego and Figs or Prosciutto Panini with Baby Spinach and Fontina. Not to mention that each recipe clearly lists out its nutritionals, so you know just what goodies you’re putting in your belly!

Read on for Robin’s healthy fried chicken recipe from Robin Takes 5! ‘Cause everyone needs a little fried chicken every now and again…

Don’t be fooled. Despite the fact that the word “diet” is in the title of The Dieter’s Paradox: Why Dieting Makes Us Fat, this book might be the most un-diety of any diet book we’ve reviewed. A true research-lover’s deep-dive into the waters of why we overeat, mindlessly eat and can’t seem to stop dieting (by “we” I mean America—FBGs don’t do diets, yo!), this book is dang fascinating.

Kind of like Mindless Eating with more research, if you’re a bit of a science nerd and are interested in learning more about why we make the food decisions we do (and why they’re actually hurting, not helping, our waistlines and health), you have to read this book. While there’s no real nutrition advice—and there’s certainly no diet to follow—it’s a captivating and surprising read that will have you rethinking your ideas about food. For proof, check out the following excerpt from the book on stereotyping bias and food. And prepare to have your food-decision-making world rocked…

The team at SparkPeople has done it again! Following their first book The Spark, which we loved, the free weight-loss site now has a cookbook to add to its list of accomplishments. And a tasty one at that! The SparkPeople Cookbook: Love Your Food, Lose the Weight, is full of tips, tricks, success stories and—of course—recipes!

Written by Chef Meg Galvin, who is one of only 20 female World Master Chefs in the world, a marathoner, mother of teen boys, and the healthy chef at SparkPeople, the book is an education in healthy eating and cooking. With the help of our gal-pal Stepfanie Romine, editor at SparkRecipes, it’s also an inspirational read that’ll teach you that, yes, you can have all good things in moderation. From comfort foods like Creamy Broccoli and Cheese Soup to more foodie finds like Grapefruit-Pear Salad with Fennel, there’s a little something for everyone.

To give you a taste of what’s in the book (and because, honestly, we have an obsession with healthy pizza), read on for a Pizza Margherita recipe straight from The SparkPeople Cookbook!

Today’s post is part of FBG’s Back to Basics Week that features the best beginner fitness and beginner nutrition posts that help you to be a little healthier and—in theme with the week—a little smarter. We’ve decided to include this book review because it hones in on the more mental side of health and wellness, and shows that real fitness comes from the inside out!

Over the years, as my own personal fitness and wellness journey has evolved, I’ve learned that fitness isn’t just physical. To both get in shape and stay in shape, you can’t just mindlessly hit the gym, hoping to get results. Nor can you even begin to imagine what your physical body can actually do when you put your—wait for it—mind and soul into it. Part of the reason we started FBG back in 2008 was to let people in on this secret: Taking the time to take care of yourself and love yourself with regular workouts and eating right can actually totally open your life up to be about 1,000 times better than you expected. Yes, we want fit bottoms, but it’s never been just about that. It’s been about more, much more.

But sometimes you have to put the cart before the horse. Sometimes, instead of using fitness as a means to get to self-love and confidence, you need a little something else to get you to feel good about you—so that you then want to work out and take care of yourself. And when you need that little aha moment to get you going on the right (aka healthier and happier path), we recommend a cheery little blonde by the name of Gabby Bernstein. We reviewed her first book back in spring of last year, and really, really liked it. And Gabby’s second book, Spirit Junkie? Well, it’s more of the same awesome—plus more.

Recently a friend (thanks, Andrea!) gave me the cookbook Power Foods: 150 Delicious Recipes with the 38 Healthiest Ingredients. I enjoy cooking, and in the last few months, I’ve really fallen in love with preparing fresh, nutritious clean meals (I credit Trader Joe’s for much of it). Nothing overly complicated. Nothing stressful. Just good ingredients put together in a way that is healthy, delicious and—for lack of sounding totally corny—beautiful. Goodbye processed foods, and hello fresh tomatoes from the garden. See you later, boring iceberg salads. Hola, hearty shredded kale. And this book pretty much took my current love affair with fresh food and launched it to the next level.

Power Foods is part nutrition book, part cookbook. From the editors of Whole Living magazine, it lists 150 “power foods,” along with why they’re healthy, how to store them and how to prepare them. Most of these power foods you already know about—asparagus, Swiss chard, almonds, quinoa, broccoli—but it’s a good reminder, and the tips are beyond the gee-whiz-I’ve-read-that-a-million-times variety. Not to mention that each page has a beautiful color photo. Yeah, you shouldn’t judge a cookbook by its art, but it certainly doesn’t hurt when you have those nomtastic tomatoes staring at you on the cover.

Then you get into the best part…the recipes. I’ve had the Power Foods cookbook for about a month now, and have tried three recipes that have all been awesome. The photo on the cover of the tomatoes? Yep, made that.

Tomatoes are so a power food.

Simply sliced tomatoes, fresh herbs, and a spread made from blending tofu, oil and spices, on top of good whole-wheat bread, the Open Faced Tomato Sandwiches with Herbs and Creamy Tofu Spread on page 122 is perhaps the most perfect (yes, most perfect) summer snack EVER, especially if you have a garden.

I also tried the Chicken Breasts with Fennel, Carrots and Couscous—also delicious and simple to make. And, seriously, who knew that dried apricots could be so tasty? What really took the Power Foods cake for me though was the Kale Slaw with Peanut Dressing on page 310. It’s straight-up veggie heaven. If the fact that I’ve already made it three times in a month isn’t enough to convince you of its awesomeness, consider that it’s a fabulous way to eat kale raw without even realizing you’re eating kale (the peanut dressing is simply amazing). See?

Oh, how I love thee, delicious kale salad.

If you’re looking for a way to jazz up your meals to be a little healthier and a lot more beautiful, I highly recommend Power Foods. While I can’t vouch for every recipe in the book, the three I’ve tried have been stellar enough to put it on my cookbook shelf for keeps, yo.

What’s your favorite healthy eating cookbook? Favorite healthy power foods? Do tell! —Jenn

Sometimes I just want to bow down to Jillian Michaels’ greatness. Reading her most recent book, Unlimited: How to Build an Exceptional Life, was one of those times where I wanted to pull an “I’m not worthy!” that would make Wayne and Garth proud. (And not just because the week before I read the book, Jillian named FBG as one of her top three favorite blogs. WE DIE!) This book is really good, guys. Like life-changing good. Which is its point.

Two-hundred-and-forty-four pages of Jillian Michaels giving you the loving smackdown, this book lays out a plan for you to do whatever it is you want to do: lose weight, get a new job, find the love of your life…in a nutshell, be your best and happiest self. While the hippity-dippity lover in me rejoiced at the advice in this book (including plenty of mental tips and tricks for busting through emotional blocks, dealing with your past and replacing negative self-talk with positive thoughts), if you’re someone who isn’t into the foo-foo feel-good stuff, then this is your book. It’s totally in Jillian’s tone and with her personality. So, there’s no BS, no beating around the bush, no flowery language. She even drops an F-bomb or two (which I totally loved). You also get insider stories about Jillian’s emotional struggles with weight gain and self-defeating behavior (truly fascinating, and she’s so darn honest and open), along with a few behind-the-scene bits from Jillian’s time on The Biggest Loser and Losing It.

The best part of this book though isn’t the tone or the voice or even the inside scoop on what makes Jillian tick. It’s the page after page of ah-ha moments I guarantee you’ll have. From better understanding yourself to redefining past and current relationships and issues in your life to taking the steps necessary to stop holding yourself back (you are in charge of yourself and your destiny after all, Jillian says), Unlimited pretty much helps you take any goal you have, grab it by the proverbial horns and do the dang thing. While fitness and health isn’t overtly discussed and there are no workout plans or nutrition advice given, this book is a must-read for anyone with a fitness or weight-loss goal.

If you’ve ever wondered how Jillian gets the results she does on The Biggest Loser, this is how. While the tough workouts and improved nutrition add up to weight loss, it’s the mental work that really makes a difference in changing a person. And Unlimited shows you how to do just that. —Jenn

I may have run a marathon, but the idea of doing a triathalon still intimidates me. I know a lot of people who do them regularly (including our very own FBG Kristen—woot, woot!) and love them. No matter the distance, the thing that really gets me is the gear and, to be honest, the lingo. A brick? A transition area? A sprint vs. an Olympic? There’s much to be learned. But if you’re a newbie like me, your life just got a whole lot easier with The 12-Week Triathlete by Tim Holland (you may recognize Holland from his time training Good Morning America host JuJu Chang to compete in her first triathlon).

This book isa guide to triathlon training for triathletes of all levels. As someone who doesn’t know much about the sport besides that it involves a swim, a bike and some running, it was a great read for decoding the aforementioned lingo and getting a really good sense of what it takes to train for and complete a triathlon. With chapters on each part of the race, nutrition, strength training, flexibility, and what to do before, during and after the race, Holland pretty much covers it all. He tells you what gear is essential and what you can save on—an incredibly beneficial part of the book for any tri newbie.

He also lays out detailed 12-week triathlon training plans for all the of the tri distances (sprint, Olympic, half Ironman and full Ironman), each with a beginner, intermediate and advanced option. While the advanced plans are complicated enough to make your head spin a bit, the beginner options for all of the distances—especially the shorter ones—are extremely realistic and doable. In 12 weeks, his plan can literally take a mildly active person into a sprint triathlete with not even that much of a time commitment. Cool beans.

What’s really nice about this book, too, is that there are pictures! Lots and lots of color pictures. Many of them are of Holland, which seems kind of odd page after page, but they really liven up what could start to feel more like a triathlon-training textbook if it was just straight text. The stretching and strength-training exercise photos are particularly helpful, and I love, love, love that his plan puts such an emphasis on these two areas, as many endurance racers tend to focus on cardio, leaving their strength and flexibility to suffer (I sooo skimped on those two things during marathon training and may have gotten injured because of it.)

While seasoned triathletes probably won’t get a whole lot out of this book besides the training plans (which still are very helpful), I really think tri newbies and intermediates who are looking to take their triathlon training to the next level would benefit from reading the book.

Want to read 12-Week Triathlete and see if you agree with our review? We’ll select one random U.S. reader to win a copy! Just leave a comment with why you’d like to win this triathlon training book, and we’ll select a winner in about a week. The winner will be notified via email and in the comments below. G’luck triathletes (or soon-to-be triathletes)! —Jenn

Yoga is just one way to de-stress. Credit: lululemon athletica

We all know that stress wreaks havoc on our minds and bodies, including packing on the pounds. And while de-stressing sounds easy enough—do a few yoga poses here, take a few deep breaths there—understanding the weight-loss and stress connection goes a little deeper than just getting a massage every month. Committing to a healthy lifestyle isn’t just about what you do outwardly, it’s also about what you think, what you say and how you treat yourself.

I’ve known this to be true for quite awhile now (Oh, how I’ve had my own ah-ha moments as this blog has grown over the years), but I’ve never seen a whole book dedicated to the sole concept of actively managing your mind and body to handle stress over the long term to achieve optimal health and wellness. Stress Less, Weigh Less by Holly Mosier honestly surprised me.

I thought it would be another diet book with super-basic advice (as if we all don’t know that yoga de-stresses), but this stress and weight-loss book went deep into the mind-body connection and provided a road map of how to go from unaware of your thoughts and your body to keenly tuned in through series of exercises, tasks and games (whee!). Sure, the old relaxation standbys of doing yoga and trying meditation are there, but there are definitely new ones. Read on for six tips to truly Stress Less, Weigh Less.

5 Tips to Better Understand and Manage Your Stress and Weight

1. Stress adds up over time. Most of us think of stress as an event—a late night working on a deadline, a fight with a boyfriend or a child who just will not stop crying. But the stress that really affects our health and our waistline is the kind that builds over time, straining our minds and bodies. Mosier says this increases your appetite, suppresses your immune system and makes it harder to sleep. Making the commitment to decrease stress EVERY DAY—not just when we’re feeling stressed—is essential.

2. Discipline your thoughts and the behavior might follow. Although the word “discipline” takes me back to sitting in the corner for talking too much in first grade, in Mosier’s book (quite literally!) “discipline” is just being aware of your thoughts and not beating yourself up time and time again. We’re all for treating yourself like your best friend!

3. Make focused breathing a game. Deep breathing has been shown to reduce your blood pressure and lower stress levels. But to make focused breathing a little more fun, Mosier suggests seeing how many breaths you can take that are truly focused (you’ll know you’ve lost the game once your mind starts worrying about what you’ll wear tomorrow to that work luncheon). The game is to always try to be focused for longer and longer periods of time.

4. Be grateful for what’s going right. Oh, the power of gratitude! Instead of focusing on the size of your thighs or how your husband can never put his clothes away, be grateful for how strong and powerful those legs are and how your husband always mows the grass without you even having to ask! It’s all about perspective.

5. Eat protein at breakfast. Our nutrition can greatly affect our stress levels. Start your day off right by eating some whole-grain carbs, a little healthy fat and some protein. The protein keeps you feeling full and your blood sugar stable, so that you stay energized to tackle your day—and win that focused breathing game!

Stress Less, Weigh Less is chock-full of more good tidbits, advice and information on helping you to reduce stress (and therefore drop unwanted pounds) in ways I promise you haven’t heard before. Truly a must-read, ladies! How do you beat stress every day? —Jenn