Recommended Reading List
I’ve always loved learning through books. I’m listing those I think will be helpful on the subject of functional medicine and the latest research on women and their health and well-being.
I have assembled this list as a starting point for discovery. Though I do not necessarily agree with every point in the resources below, those listed are from professionals who have worked through the medical literature and formulated accurate readings on their thoughts and research.
My hope is that this list of books will be a launching point for your personal and intellectual journey.
Invincible – Dr. Florence Comite
Comite is an endocrinologist and longevity specialist whose clinical research challenges the assumption that biological ageing is fixed. If you have the right data and act on it early, the trajectory changes. Rigorous, practical, and grounded in decades of patient work.
Unbreakable – Dr. Vonda Wright
Muscle is the organ of longevity – and most of us aren’t treating it that way. Wright, an orthopaedic surgeon, makes a compelling case for why strength training, bone density, and anti-inflammatory nutrition aren’t optional extras. Practical and evidence-based.
Ultra-Processed People – Chris van Tulleken
If you’ve ever wondered why it’s so hard to eat well despite knowing what’s good for you, this book answers it. Van Tulleken investigates what ultra-processed food actually does to the body – and why the system is designed the way it is. Sobering and important.
The Autoimmune Cure – Dr. Sara Gottfried
Gottfried connects the dots between trauma, hormones, and immune dysfunction in a way that conventional medicine rarely does. If you’ve been told your symptoms don’t add up, this book may reframe a lot.
Good Energy – Casey Means
One of the most accessible books on metabolic health available right now. Means, a Stanford-trained surgeon, argues that poor mitochondrial function is at the root of most modern chronic disease – and that the data to understand your own health is more available than you think.
Rushing Woman’s Syndrome – Dr. Libby Weaver
Weaver addresses the hormonal and adrenal impact of living in a state of constant urgency – something a lot of clients recognise immediately. A good starting point for understanding the stress-hormone connection.
The Menopause Brain – Dr. Lisa Mosconi
Mosconi is a neuroscientist, and this book brings a perspective that’s largely missing from the menopause conversation: what’s actually happening in the brain. Dense with research but written for a general reader.
Fast Like a Girl – Dr. Mindy Pelz
Pelz overs how to adapt fasting and nutrition protocols to the hormonal cycle. Useful for anyone who’s tried intermittent fasting and found it didn’t work the way it did for the men in their lives.
Roar – Dr. Stacy Sims
The science of how female physiology differs from male in exercise and performance – and what to do about it. Essential reading if you train and want your training to actually work with your body.
The Definitive Guide to Perimenopause and Menopause – Dr. Louise Newson
Comprehensive, UK-based, and grounded in current evidence. Newson is one of the leading voices on menopause medicine in Britain, and this is a solid reference for understanding your options.
Young Forever – Dr. Mark Hyman Hyman
Hyman looks at longevity through the lens of functional medicine – examining the biological drivers of ageing and how diet, lifestyle, and targeted interventions can influence them. More optimistic than cautious, but well-researched.
Breath – James Nestor
The science of how we breathe – and why most of us do it wrong. Nestor’s research spans ancient practices and modern physiology. Relevant to sleep, stress, performance, and energy. One of those books that changes a small daily habit permanently.