Topics to study that will make you healthier, smarter, & hotter (FULL MEDIA LIST)

A few weeks ago, I published part 1 of this guide and you all absolutely loved it! One request kept coming up over and over again: “Can you share the exact books, podcasts, documentaries, and other resources for each topic?”

So, that’s exactly what this post is!

Inside you’ll find a FULL media list for every topic from the original post. Each section follows the same order as Part 1 and is organized into books, podcasts & videos, and additional resources, making it easy to explore whichever topic interests you most!

1. Habit Formation & Behavior Change

BOOKS:

• Atomic Habits by James Clear: The book that made tiny habits a global movement. You’ll never look at your daily routines the same way again.

• Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg: Written by a Stanford behavior scientist, this one proves you don’t need more motivation but a smarter system.

• Good Habits, Bad Habits by Wendy Wood: If you’re curious about the science behind why habits stick (or don’t), this is the book to pick up.

• The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg: A fascinating introduction to the hidden patterns behind your everyday behaviors, with plenty of stories that make the science memorable.

PODCASTS/VIDEOS:

RESOURCES:

• Masterclass: Small Habits that Make a Big Impact on Your Life by James Clear

• Train Your Brain to Develop Better Habits (LinkedIn Online Course)

• Harvard Continuing Education: Habits and Habit Change (online synchronous course)

2. Blood Sugar Regulation

BOOKS:

• Glucose Revolution by Jessie Inchauspé: Probably the best beginner book. Easy to read, science-based, and packed with practical strategies to reduce glucose spikes without making nutrition feel restrictive.

• Why We Get Sick by Benjamin Bikman (PhD): Focuses on insulin resistance and metabolic health. More science-heavy than Glucose Revolution, but excellent if someone wants to understand what’s happening inside the body.

• The Diabetes Code by Dr. Jason Fung: Despite the title, it’s largely about insulin, blood sugar, and metabolic health. A strong choice for readers who enjoy physiology and nutrition.

• Mastering Diabetes by Cyrus Khambatta (PhD) & Robby Barbaro (MPH): A different perspective on improving insulin sensitivity through nutrition. Useful for seeing another evidence-informed approach.

PODCASTS/VIDEOS:

RESOURCES:

• IDF School of Diabetes: The basics of blood glucose control (free online course)

• Harvard University: Healthy Eating for Type 2 Diabetes

3. Sleep Science

BOOKS:

• Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker: If you only read one book about sleep, make it this one. It’ll completely change the way you think about late nights, all-nighters, and getting “just a few hours.”

• The Sleep Solution by W. Chris Winter: A super practical guide that answers all the sleep questions you’ve probably Googled at 2 a.m. and gives you realistic ways to sleep better.

• Hello Sleep by Jade Wu: If falling asleep, staying asleep, or having an inconsistent sleep schedule has been a struggle, this book is packed with science-backed advice that actually feels doable.

• The Nocturnal Brain by Guy Leschziner: Such a fascinating deep dive into what your brain is doing while you sleep, from dreaming to sleepwalking and everything in between.

PODCASTS/VIDEOS:

RESOURCES:

• Harvard Health: Improving Your Sleep

• World Sleep Society Online Courses

4. Attention & Focus

BOOKS:

• Deep Work by Cal Newport: A must-read if you want to spend less time distracted and more time doing work that actually matters. You’ll probably rethink how you use your phone after this one.

• Stolen Focus by Johann Hari: A really interesting look at why it’s become so hard to concentrate today, and why losing your attention isn’t just a personal problem ( just keep in mind that some of Hari’s interpretations have been debated by researchers)

• Hyperfocus by Chris Bailey: A more practical guide full of simple ways to improve your focus, get more done, and stop feeling mentally scattered.

• Indistractable by Nir Eyal: Perfect if you constantly find yourself saying, “I’ll just check my phone for a second.” It’s packed with practical strategies for taking back control of your attention!

PODCASTS/VIDEOS:

RESOURCES:

• LinkedIn Courses: Building Focus in a Distracting World

• Coursera: Focus Strategies for Enhanced Concentration

5. Emotional Regulation

BOOKS:

• Permission to Feel by Marc Brackett: This book makes emotional intelligence feel way less intimidating. You’ll start noticing your emotions instead of just reacting to them.

• Emotional Agility by Susan David: If you’ve ever felt stuck in your own head, this is a great place to start!

• The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris: A book packed with practical tools for handling anxious thoughts, self-doubt, and difficult emotions without letting them take over your life.

PODCASTS/VIDEOS:

COURSES/RESOURCES:

• Yale: The Science of Well-Being (Coursera)

• Greater Good Science Center UC Berkeley (a collection of evidence-based articles on emotions, resilience, mindfulness, relationships, and mental well-being)

• Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence (free articles and resources on emotional awareness, regulation, and resilience)

6. Strength Training

BOOKS:

• Science of Strength Training by Austin Current: If you’ve ever wanted to understand why certain exercises work (and others don’t), this book breaks down the science without feeling like a textbook.

• Train Smarter, Not Longer by Patroklos “Pak” Androulakis Korakakis: A great reminder that better results don’t always come from doing more. You’ll learn how to get stronger with a smarter, more efficient approach to training.

• Built From Broken by Scott Hogan: Whether you’re dealing with old injuries or just want to keep your body healthy for years to come, this book will completely change the way you think about training and recovery.

PODCASTS/VIDEOS:

COURSES/RESOURCES:

• Coursera: Science of Exercise (University of Colorado)

• PDF: Get Fit for Life: Exercise and Physical Activity for Healthy Aging (NIH)

• Mayo Clinic: Strength training: Get stronger, leaner, healthier

• NIH: Exercise and physical activity Resources

7. Nutrition Labels & Food Marketing

BOOKS:

• Food Politics by Marion Nestle: Once you read this, you’ll never look at a cereal box or “healthy” food claim the same way again. A fascinating look at how the food industry shapes what ends up in our carts.

• Salt Sugar Fat by Michael Moss: An eye-opening investigation into how food companies engineer products to keep us coming back for more. You’ll start spotting these tactics everywhere.

• Ultra-Processed People by Chris van Tulleken: A brilliant deep dive into what ultra-processed foods actually are, why they’re everywhere, and how marketing influences the way we eat.

• Hooked: Food, Free Will, and How the Food Giants Exploit Our Addictions by Michael Moss: If you’ve ever wondered why some foods feel impossible to stop eating, this book explains the science and the business behind it.

• The Dorito Effect by Mark Schatzker: A fascinating look at how modern food production has changed the flavor, nutrition, and appeal of many everyday foods.

PODCASTS / VIDEOS:

RESOURCES:

• FDA Nutrition Education Resources & Materials

• Interactive Nutrition Facts Label (FDA)

• Health Educator’s Nutrition Toolkit (FDA)

• HFP Education Resource Library (FDA)

8. Stress Physiology

BOOKS:

• Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers by Robert Sapolsky: A classic on stress physiology. It explains exactly what stress is doing inside your body and why chronic stress can quietly affect almost every aspect of your health.

• The Upside of Stress by Kelly McGonigal: This one completely flips the script on stress. Instead of seeing it as the enemy, you’ll learn why the way you think about stress can actually change how your body responds.

• Stress-Proof: The Scientific Solution to Protect Your Brain and Body, and Be More Resilient Every Day by Dr. Mithu Storoni: A really fascinating look at what stress does to your brain, energy, sleep, and decision-making, with plenty of practical takeaways you can use in everyday life.

• Burnout by Emily Nagoski & Amelia Nagoski: A must read if you’ve ever felt constantly exhausted even after getting enough sleep! This book explains why stress gets “stuck” in the body and what actually helps complete the stress cycle.

PODCASTS / VIDEOS:

RESOURCES:

• NIH Stress

• American Psychological Association: Stress Effects on the Body

• Cleveland Clinic: Stress

• Robert Sapolsky’s “The Psychology of Stress” (Free Lecture)

• Physiology and Neurobiology of Stress and Adaptation (American Physiological Society)

9. Cognitive Biases

BOOKS:

• Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman: The classic book on how we make decisions. You’ll start catching your own mental shortcuts everywhere, from shopping to relationships to scrolling social media.

• The Scout Mindset by Julia Galef: A brilliant book about learning to be curious instead of defensive. If you’ve ever changed your mind after reading something, this book will make you want to do it more often.

• Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me) by Carol Tavris & Elliot Aronson: A fascinating look at why people double down instead of admitting they’re wrong, even when the evidence is right in front of them.

• The Big Bad Bias Book by Ganna Pogrebna, Karen Renaud & Marina Kovaleva: A beautifully organized field guide covering more than 200 cognitive biases with real-world examples. Perfect if you want to keep coming back to the topic.

PODCASTS / VIDEOS:

RESOURCES:

• Your Bias Is

• OpenStax: Overcoming Cognitive Biases and Engaging in Critical Reflection

• The Decision Lab: Biases A–Z

• Harvard Business Review: Cognitive Bias

10. Decision Fatigue

BOOKS:

• Decisive by Chip Heath & Dan Heath: If you constantly overthink decisions, this book gives you a simple framework for making better choices without getting stuck in analysis paralysis.

• Essentialism by Greg McKeown: A great reminder that life gets a whole lot easier when you stop trying to say yes to everything. Fewer decisions, less mental clutter.

• The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz: Ever spent 20 minutes choosing a toothpaste? This book explains why having more options often leaves us feeling less satisfied with our decisions.

• Willpower by Roy F. Baumeister & John Tierney: A fascinating look at self-control, habits, and mental energy. Some of the original “ego depletion” theory discussed in the book has since been debated and refined, but it’s still an influential read that shaped how many people think about decision fatigue.

PODCASTS / VIDEOS:

RESOURCES:

• Decision Fatigue: A Conceptual Analysis (NIH/PMC)

• Systematic Review of the Effects of Decision Fatigue in Healthcare Professionals on Medical Decision-Making

• Self-Control and Limited Willpower: Current Status of Ego Depletion Theory and Research (Current Opinion in Psychology, 2024)

• The Decision Lab: Decision Fatigue

11. Gut Health

BOOKS:

• Food for Life by Tim Spector: This book completely changes the way you think about food. Instead of focusing on calories, it explores how different foods affect your gut, metabolism, and overall health.

• The Good Gut by Justin & Erica Sonnenburg: Written by two Stanford microbiome researchers, this is one of the most respected books if you want to understand the science behind the gut microbiome.

• Gut by Giulia Enders: A fun, surprisingly entertaining read that explains how your digestive system works and why it’s connected to so much more than digestion.

PODCASTS / VIDEOS:

RESOURCES:

• Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: The Nutrition Source: The Microbiome

• NIH Human Microbiome Project

• NIEHS: Microbiome

• NIDDK: The Complex Interplay of Diet and the Gut Microbiome Influences Human Health

• MIT Center for Microbiome Informatics & Therapeutics – Learn About the Microbiome

12. The Psychology of Money

BOOKS:

• The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel: The book that proves building wealth has a lot less to do with math and a lot more to do with your habits, mindset, and everyday decisions. A must-read for everyone.

• The Wealth Money Can’t Buy by Robin Sharma: A refreshing reminder that a rich life isn’t just about what’s in your bank account. This one expands your definition of success in the best way.

• The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley & William D. Danko: This book will completely change your idea of what wealthy people actually look like. Spoiler: they’re usually much less flashy than you’d expect.

• The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham: A timeless classic that teaches patience, discipline, and thinking long-term. Worth reading even if you never plan to become an active investor.

PODCASTS / VIDEOS:

RESOURCES:

• MIT OpenCourseWare: Psychology and Economics

• Coursera: Behavioral Finance (Duke University)

• The Psychology of Finance (University of Chicago)

• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: Financial Well-Being Resources

13. Longevity Research

BOOKS:

• Outlive by Peter Attia, MD: One of the best modern books on longevity. Instead of chasing a longer life, it focuses on staying healthy, strong, and independent for as long as possible.

• Ageless by Andrew Steele: A fascinating introduction to the science of aging and the breakthroughs researchers are exploring to help us live healthier for longer. It’s science-heavy without feeling overwhelming.

• The Blue Zones by Dan Buettner: A classic look at the lifestyles of some of the world’s longest-living populations. You’ll probably pick up a few habits worth stealing for yourself. (While some recent research has questioned aspects of the original Blue Zones data, the lifestyle principles remain widely studied and influential.)

• Lifespan by David A. Sinclair, PhD: An optimistic look at where longevity research is headed and what scientists are learning about the biology of aging. Great if you’re curious about the future of the field.

PODCASTS / VIDEOS:

RESOURCES:

• National Institute on Aging (NIA)

• American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR)

• Buck Institute for Research on Aging

• Blue Zones: Resources

14. Relationships & Attachment Styles

BOOKS:

• Attached by Amir Levine & Rachel Heller: The book that introduced attachment styles to millions of people. You’ll finally understand why some relationship patterns keep repeating, and how to build more secure ones.

• Hold Me Tight by Dr. Sue Johnson: A beautiful guide to creating stronger, more connected relationships. Perfect if you want to understand what healthy emotional connection actually looks like.

• The Power of Attachment by Diane Poole Heller: A great next step if you want to move beyond identifying your attachment style and start building more secure relationships.

• Secure Love by Julie Menanno: One of the newer favorites in this space. Full of practical advice for navigating anxious, avoidant, and secure relationship patterns in everyday life.

PODCASTS / VIDEOS:

RESOURCES:

• Simply Psychology: Attachment Theory

• The Attachment Project: Attachment Styles Test & Learning Center

• American Psychological Association (APA): Relationship Resources
  https://www.apa.org/topics/relationships

• Greater Good Science Center (UC Berkeley): Relationships

15. Media Literacy

BOOKS:

• The Chaos Machine by Max Fisher: If you’ve ever wondered how social media shapes what we think, believe, and argue about, this book is an eye-opening place to start.

• The Death of Expertise by Tom Nichols: A fascinating look at why expertise is increasingly dismissed, and why it’s become harder to separate informed opinions from confident ones.

• Blur by Bill Kovach & Tom Rosenstiel: A practical guide to navigating today’s information overload and becoming a more thoughtful consumer of news.

• The Influencing Machine by Brooke Gladstone & Josh Neufeld: A graphic novel that somehow manages to explain media literacy, journalism, and propaganda in a way that’s actually fun to read.

PODCASTS / VIDEOS:

RESOURCES:

• Crash Course Media Literacy

• Google Fact Check Explorer

• Our World in Data (one of the best places to find trustworthy, data-driven charts and research)

• Pew Research Center (publishes high-quality reports on media, technology, public opinion, and society)

• Nieman Lab (Harvard University) (helps you understand how journalism and the modern media ecosystem work)

16. Hormones

BOOKS:

• The Hormone Repair Manual by Dr. Lara Briden: A practical guide to understanding hormonal changes during perimenopause and menopause. You’ll come away with a much better understanding of what’s happening inside your body and what actually helps.

• The Menopause Brain by Dr. Lisa Mosconi: An eye-opening look at how hormones influence your brain, memory, mood, and cognition throughout midlife. Backed by the latest neuroscience.

• The Female Brain by Dr. Louann Brizendine: A fascinating introduction to how hormones influence the female brain across different stages of life, from puberty to menopause.

• Estrogeneration by Dr. Anthony G. Jay: A thought-provoking look at endocrine disruptors and how everyday environmental exposures may influence hormonal health.

PODCASTS / VIDEOS:

RESOURCES:

• The Endocrine Society: Resources

• Office on Women’s Health: Hormonal Health Topics

• National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences: Endocrine Disruptors

17. The Science of Happiness

BOOKS:

• The How of Happiness by Sonja Lyubomirsky: One of the best books on the science of happiness. You’ll learn which habits actually make a difference and which ones are mostly myths.

• The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor: A fun, engaging read that flips the usual success formula on its head. It argues that happiness fuels success, not the other way around.

• Flourish by Martin Seligman: Written by the founder of positive psychology, this book explores what it really means to build a fulfilling life beyond simply “being happy.”

• Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert: A fascinating look at why we’re surprisingly bad at predicting what will make us happy in the future.

PODCASTS / VIDEOS:

RESOURCES:

• Yale University: The Science of Well-Being (Coursera)
  https://www.coursera.org/learn/the-science-of-well-being

• Penn Positive Psychology Center

• Action for Happiness (simple, research-backed habits you can actually put into practice)

18. Environmental Psychology

BOOKS:

• The Extended Mind by Annie Murphy Paul: A fascinating look at how your surroundings shape the way you think, focus, learn, and make decisions. You’ll never see your environment the same way again.

• The Nature Fix by Florence Williams: This book makes a compelling case for spending more time outside. You’ll learn how nature influences your mood, attention, stress levels, and overall well-being.

• Happy by Design by Victoria Harrison: Ever wondered why some spaces instantly make you feel calm, energized, or creative? This book explains how lighting, color, layout, and design quietly influence your everyday life.

PODCASTS / VIDEOS:

RESOURCES:

• Research Trends in Environmental Psychology (2004–2024)

• Environmental Psychology as the Science of Context (2026)

19. Placebo & Expectation Effects

BOOKS:

• Expectation Effect by David Robson: A fascinating look at how your expectations can influence everything from stress and performance to health and aging. One of the most accessible books on this topic.

• Placebos by Kathryn Hall: A modern, science-backed introduction to placebo research that explains how beliefs, expectations, and the brain shape real physical outcomes.

• The Placebo Effect by Fabrizio Benedetti: Written by one of the world’s leading placebo researchers, this is the perfect next step if you want to dive even deeper into the neuroscience behind expectation and healing.

• Suggestible You by Erik Vance: A fascinating exploration of how suggestion influences our thoughts, decisions, health, and everyday experiences. You’ll start noticing these effects everywhere.

PODCASTS / VIDEOS:

RESOURCES:

• Response Expectancy and the Placebo Effect (PubMed)

• Mind-set matters: exercise and the placebo effect (PudMed)

20. Aging

BOOKS:

• Why We Die by Venki Ramakrishnan: One of the best books for understanding what aging actually is. It explains the biology behind aging in a balanced, evidence-based way without promising miracle cures.

• How We Age by Coleen T. Murphy: A really interesting look at what happens inside our cells and organs as we get older, written by one of the leading researchers in the field. It makes complex biology surprisingly approachable.

• Why We Age by Steven Austad: A great introduction to the biology of aging that explores why our bodies change over time and what scientists have learned about the aging process.

• The Biology of Aging: Observations and Principles by Robert Arking: Perfect if you really want to understand aging from a scientific perspective. It covers the cellular, genetic, and physiological changes that occur throughout the lifespan

PODCASTS / VIDEOS:

RESOURCES:

• Harvard Health: Aging Overview

• WHO: Aging and Health

• CDC: Healthy aging at an age

Some links in this post are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you choose to purchase through them, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting RCLM!