Reading Guide Archives - The Health Sessions

Women’s Wellness: 5 Reasons Why We Need Feminist Medicine

Chances are, you’re thinking: Feminism?! What’s that got to do with my health?

Well, more than you’d think.

Over the past century, women’s rights has gotten a long way in many countries around the world. From being able to vote to access to birth control and receiving equal wages, lots of effort has been made to close the gender gap.

But there’s one important area where there’s still work to be done: medicine.

And I’m not talking about having more female doctors in hospitals, although that of course would be great too. No, I’m referring to the fact that, until recently, the medical world wrongfully assumed that women and men were pretty much the same health wise.

Historically, women have been discouraged from taking part in clinical trials. Except for obvious areas like gynecology and breast cancer, the (white) male body has long been the standard for the human body. That meant that half of the population was overlooked when it came to developing new meds and diagnostic guidelines.

Let’s take a closer look at 5 reasons why we still need feminist medicine today.

3 Inspiring True Stories about Overcoming Illness

One of the hardest things about chronic illness is that there’s no end date. You have no idea when, if ever, you’re going to feel better again.

On days when it feels like there’s no light at the end of the tunnel, transformational stories can be powerful tools to keep hope alive. During my sickest periods, I turned to books and movies about epic quests and kick-ass heroines overcoming hardship against all odds to spark my determination. And what’s more motivational than reading true stories about what others have done to overcome illness?

Don’t get me wrong: regaining your former health may not always be possible. No matter how hard you try, your body may not be able to heal itself. And that may be a harsh fact to accept. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t improve your quality of life and reach your own definition of recovery.

So fuel your motivation and determination with these 3 inspirational memoirs about overcoming illness.

7 Cookbooks to Kickstart a Healthier Lifestyle | The Health Sessions

7 Cookbooks to Kickstart Your Healthy Lifestyle

This blog post contains affiliate links, at no extra cost to you. All opinions are my own.

Eating healthily every day becomes a lot easier when you have a recipe repertoire filled with nourishing meals. But most of us don’t have instant culinary inspiration when dinnertime rolls around.

That’s why treating yourself to a good cookbook is the perfect way to kickstart your healthy lifestyle. With delicious recipes for every food style from vegan to keto, take a look at these 7 healthy cookbooks.

7 Illness Memoirs about Being Seriously Sick

This blog post contains affiliate links to resources you might find useful, at no extra cost to you.

A good book is like pocket-sized therapy. When someone puts your deepest thoughts, emotions and experiences into words, it makes you feel understood and less alone. Especially during your darkest hours, it’s nice to know you’re not the only one who has felt this way.

Getting an intimate insight into how someone navigates similar situations as yours, can also offer you a fresh perspective. You might even learn new information or discover different ways to deal with your problems.

If you’re looking for a relatable read about living with chronic migraine, ME/CFS or a rare auto-immune disease, check out the 7 illness memoirs below.

‘Sick Lit’: 6 Captivating Novels Starring Chronically Ill Characters

Great stories remind us that we are not alone. Despite our differences, we all have similar struggles, fears, dreams and hopes. By identifying with a book’s character, we can see our own situation from another point of view and discover new ways to deal with our problems.

But what if you have a hard time finding fictional figures you can relate with?

‘Sick lit’ is the somewhat questionable name for a new genre of novels, featuring characters who are faced with illness. Following John Green’s blockbuster book The Fault in Our Stars, lots of gripping stories about terminally ill teenagers and their tragic romances have hit the book shops and movie theaters.

However, there haven’t been many novels written that put living with chronic illness in the spotlight. Maybe that shouldn’t be surprising, because let’s face it, being chronically ill is kinda boring. Instead of going on ‘before-I-die’ adventures, life with MS, chronic migraine or Lyme disease feels more like an endless repetition of doctor’s visits, therapy and sick days in bed.

Fortunately, the sick lit below shows a glimpse of what it’s like to be diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, HIV and osteogenesis imperfecta. And although they’re mostly young adult novels, the older ones among us can still relate to the medical dilemmas, everyday problems and existential questions that the protagonists struggle with.

So if you’re looking for a relatable read, check out these 6 captivating novels that star chronically ill characters.