7 Books On Women’s Health Everyone Must Read

Women's health is more than just yoga, diet, and fertility. It is a complex labyrinth of physical, mental, and social aspects that can sometimes be confusing to navigate. In a world where women's health is depicted as a quick fix with chia pudding or kale salad, Indian women find it difficult to relate to or fully understand. What should we eat? What shouldn't we drink? Is rice healthy or not? Can I eat carbohydrates in my current crash diet? Will chocolate actually help uplift my mood during periods? All these questions are often left unanswered. 

However, being self-aware of our bodies should not be such a difficult journey. Thus, let's turn the page to a new chapter: understanding what works and what does not work for us Indian women, getting some itching questions answered, and working towards a healthier future. Here are seven book recommendations that could help you navigate this journey to well-being.

Dr Cuterus Everything Nobody Tells You About Your Body 

Dr. Tanaya Narendra, an embryologist and social media sexual health educator, wrote Everything Nobody Tells You, detailing all the unnecessarily shrouded topics that girls and women need to know about. Narendra shatters the hush-hush around reproductive health, breast health, and more, discussing everything that Indian women are constantly left curious about due to societal taboos.

Yuktahaar: The Belly And Brain Diet

Munmun Ganeriwal wrote this book about everything diet-related. With a foreword by actor Taapsee Pannu, celebrity nutritionist Ganeriwal spilt the beans on creating a personalised diet program for each body type that can not only offer a great physique but also a healthy mind.

Heal Your Gut, Mind and Emotions

Dimple Jangda's Heal Your Gut, Mind, and Emotions is a guidebook on balancing a diet that has an effect on gut health as well as mental health. Adding to the world's consensus on food nourishing the body, Jangda discusses how eating certain foods can improve the 'gut-brain' axis.

Free Fall: My Experiments With Living

This Mallika Sarabhai book is not exactly a self-help read, but it details an important topic that most women struggle with: body image. This book is about Sarabhai's journey with her "obsession with being thin," where she talks about her journey to fitness and mental health. This not-so-preachy memoir is all about "coming to terms with yourself and your body and finding the lifestyle that works for you," as she wrote in the prelude.

Cancer, You Picked The Wrong Girl

Shormistha Mukherjee writes about her journey battling breast cancer in this humorous memoir. She details the before and after of her diagnosis, recounting experiences of ignoring breast health to becoming extra cautious. It is more than just a first-person narration, serving as a gentle reminder to stay ahead of your health. It is also noted as a comfort read for people who have been touched by cancer, either personally or through a loved one.

The PCOD (Thyroid Book)

Celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar wrote this book about the two culprit disorders that affect most Indian women. PCOD (polycystic ovarian disease) and thyroid are known to be notorious for weight fluctuations, which is why Diwekar answers all questions about the relationship between hormones, diet, and weight in this book, moderated for women of today's generation in the Indian climate.

I've Never Been (Un)Happier

This book by Shaheen Bhatt deals with a looming mental health concern that a lot of women are affected by but do not know how to deal with. Bhatt takes readers through their journey and struggles with depression and emotional turmoil, destigmatizing conversations around mental health.