Longevity, nutrition, fitness, mindset, mental health: our books editor has got all wellbeing bases covered. Getting stuck into an energising new read is one of life’s joys – so here’s the best of the 2026 bunch
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So many books, so little time – but I’m here to ensure your next buy is worth your time and money… and it might just boost your health and happiness too.
I’m Get The Gloss’s resident bookworm but I’ve managed to whittle down the giant tower of titles on my desk to these 15 – so settle in for my best health and wellbeing books of 2026. Some are already on the shelves, some you can pre-order.
The hot topics
Everyone’s fascinated by GLP-1 jabs right now (you might just have noticed) and we’ll see a slew of books on this theme this year, as the drugs’ capabilities beyond weight loss – managing menopause symptoms and inflammatory illnesses, for example – become clearer. For those on the medication, nutritionist Rob Hobson’s The Low Appetite Cookbook, with its tasty small portion/ high nutrient recipes, is a winner.
Elsewhere, fibre is the new protein (I called it last year!) so you’ll be hearing the f-word a lot. Nutritionists Rhiannon Lambert and Emma Bardwell have both written books focusing on the macro most of us lack. Meanwhile chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s latest, High Fibre Heroes, is a gift for people like me who’ve run out of ideas for healthy dinners: all his recipes are based around 12 everyday vegetables.
A shout-out too for highly credentialled nutritionist Dominique Ludwig’s No-Nonsense Nutrition, which is exactly that and Calum Harris’s new one about plant-based batch cooking. Think a gen Z, vegan Jamie Oliver – and his Instagram always makes me smile.
Longevity and living your best midlife continue to be big news, with beauty/wellbeing entrepreneur Liz Earle and PT/menopause coach Kate Rowe-Ham both offering practical, accessible new manuals for midlifers. As does US doctor and influencer Amy Shah with her fittingly titled menopause guide Hormone Havoc.
Runners – both newbies and regulars – should read ultra-runner and coach Sabrina Pace-Humphries’ encouraging new tome while, on a similar sporty tip, Olympic cycling superstar Victoria Pendleton has written about re-framing fear.
And you’ll be hearing a lot about Fearne Cotton’s latest on how she stopped being a people pleaser. Speaking of which, it’s been out for a couple of months already but How To Be Selfish: 7 Steps To Taking Back Your Power by psychologist Suzie Reading is a tonic for those who rarely get time to put themselves first. I find Suzie’s corner of Instagram a deeply calming place and love her way of looking at the world.
Then there’s Nadia Narain and Katia Narain Phillips’ delightful book on noticing ‘glimmers’ in your life each day – I do this daily now and am noticeably less grumpy. Try it! And finally, rest and recovery is a big trend for 2026: check out How To Retreat: Step Away From Your Everyday To Rest, Reset & Renew for how to make it work for you.
I’ve added Amazon links here for ease but please don’t forget your local indie bookshop – they need our support for their ongoing health wellbeing!
