Download This: Our Favorite Podcasts + Books Right Now
Summer is here, which means (ideally) more time to unwind, relax, and most importantly, recharge. Whatever that looks like to you, whether it means laying out poolside, relaxing on the beach, road tripping, hopping on a plane to your favorite getaway destination, or just lounging around at home, we recommend doing it with a good book (or podcast for all of you audible lovers)!
By Sarah Carter for CharlottesBook.com
Not only will a good book or podcast help pass the time if you’re traveling, it’s a great way to stay up-to-date on everything from improving digestive health and getting morerestorative sleep to weeding out beauty product flops. The following CB picks are sure to appeal to fitness lovers, soul seekers, and beauty enthusiasts alike. Let’s start with the podcasts:
MUST-READS
1. Happy Gut⎼Dr. Vincent Pedre
The lure of junk food is especially strong in the summertime with all of the BBQs, pool parties, and festivals going on, but before you down that corn dog or order another frozen daiquiri, you might want to check out Dr. Vincent Pedre’s Happy Gut in which he illustrates how an unhealthy diet can manifest itself as inflammation in the body. But don’t worry—Dr. Pedre also includes a step-by-step guide with recipes and meal plans to help you kick bad eating habits and improve digestive health not just for the summer, but for good.
2. The Foam-Roller Physique: 21 Days to a Taller, Slimmer, More Youthful You-Lauren Roxburgh
You worked your butt off for that hot summer bod: why stop now? Keep it rollin’ with fitness and alignment expert Lauren Roxburgh, who teaches you in The Foam-Roller Physique how to properly foam roll to reshape and elongate the muscles, release tension, break up scar tissue, and detoxify the body. The result? A leaner, stronger body that you can sustain way beyond the summer.
3. The Longevity Book: The Science of Aging, the Biology of Strength, and the Privilege of Time⎼Cameron Diaz and Sandra Bark
A follow-up to her #1 New York Times Bestseller The Body Book, Cameron Diaz now presents a holistic look into the aging female body. Gathering the latest scientific research and insights from top medical experts, Diaz helps us understand how the female body ages and educates us on how to age better. And, I mean, have you seen Cameron Diaz? Who wouldn’t want in on that secret?
4. Pretty Happy: Healthy Ways to Love Your Body⎼Kate Hudson
While eating healthy and exercise are important, they’re only secondary to how we view our bodies and the ways in which we develop self-confidence and self-love. In her new book, Kate Hudson reveals how she leads a healthy, happy, fulfilling life through the Four Pillars of Health: (1) Cultivating an Intuitive Relationship with Your Body, (2) Eating Well, (3) Awakening Your Body Through Movement, and (4) The Miracle of Mindfulness.
5. The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time⎼Arianna Huffington
While it’s tempting to stay up late on those warm summer nights, co-founder and editor in chief of The Huffington Post Arianna Huffington makes a compelling argument for catching up on your Zs this summer in The Sleep Revolution. Huffington dives deep into the subject of sleep, from the history behind it to new scientific research that reveals theextremely powerful role sleep plays in our waking moments. Having trouble getting quality shut-eye? Huffington also shares tips from leading scientists on how to get more restorative sleep.
PODCASTS
1. Fat Mascara⎼Jennifer Goldstein and Jessica Matlin
This year Cosmopolitan’s Deputy Beauty Editor Jessica Matlin co-founded a new podcast—Fat Mascara—with friend and bestie Marie-Claire Beauty Director Jennifer Goldstein. It’s quickly becoming the go-to podcast for those in the know and with a healthy sense of humor. With guests like Deborah Lippmann, Kat Von D and supermodel Veronica Webb, the hosts take a fun, light approach to beauty in episodes like Unicorn Balls or That Bitch Face. These two are your new besties who dish about the latest in the beauty world, including their personal beauty adventures, product hits and misses, celebrity interviews, and tips from top makeup artists, plastic surgeons, and other industry professionals.
2. The Beauty Brains⎼Perry Romanowski and Randy Schueller
Overwhelmed by all the new products launching this summer? How do you differentiate between a miracle product and a complete dud? A good place to start would be The Beauty Brains, a podcast founded by two cosmetic scientists dedicated to bringing you scientific know-how and unbiased advice about beauty products.
3. Weird Adults with Little Esther ⎼ Esther Povitsky
Need a good laugh? Tune into this podcast hosted by stand-up comedian and actress Esther Povitsky. Unfiltered, quirky, and undoubtedly charming, Esther improvises with on-demand topics and candidly shares her experiences as a young female comedian trying to make it in L.A.
4. Stuff Mom Never Told You⎼Cristen Conger and Caroline Ervin
Gender experts Cristen and Caroline created Stuff Mom Never Told You to be a digital media outlet created by and for women. They unravel the biology, psychology, and sociology of the sexes and explore gender from almost every possible angle from sexuality and health to politics and pop culture.
READ THIS NEXT
Sunning and reading means you’ll be needing sun protection: check out our super-cute (and very protective!) selection of summer sunhats, sunglasses, and scarves.
FIND BEAUTY AND WELLNESS EXPERTS
Read client reviews, book appointments, and get expert advice. Only the best cosmetic doctors, skincare gurus, nutritionists, fitness and wellness professionals make it into our book.
