Renowned sleep expert and UC Irvine professor Dr. Sara Mednick introduces the “downstate”—the key to rest and rejuvenation on a cellular level—and how to maximize it for energy, balance, and vitality. If you’re like most people, chances are you’re feeling the daily grind of go-go-go, do-do-do. And maybe that’s starting to wear on you but you’re not quite sure what to do, since those platitudes of “just slow down, learn to meditate” aren’t resonating. The good news is that you have an intrinsic toolkit you can apply to rest and rejuvenate all your key body systems. It’s called the Downstate, and Dr. Sara Mednick is here to tell you how to access it—and how it can truly change your life.

Learn more about The Power of the Downstate here.

Stress is not in your head, it’s in your body — this is the key to peak performance that Leah Lagos, PsyD, BCB, an internationally known expert in biofeedback and sport and performance psychology, wants us to know. In this book, she shares with readers for the first time the same program that she uses with top athletes, CEOs, business leaders — anyone who wants and needs to perform at their best. What makes her scientifically proven 10-week program unlike any other is that she recognizes the link between heart rhythms and stress to create specific, clinically tested exercises and breathing techniques that allow you to control your body’s physical response to stress. She pairs this training with cognitive-behavioral exercises to offer a two-tiered process for strengthening health and performance, enabling readers to respond more flexibly to stressful situations, let go of negative thoughts and emotions, and ultimately be more focused and confident under pressure.

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Derived from the Turkish word “keif” meaning “feeling good,” kefir is a tart, tangy cultured milk, an excellent source of probiotics, protein, calcium, and B vitamins. Originating from a grain that dates back two thousand years to the Caucasus Mountains of Europe, it is also one of the healthiest natural foods available—scientifically shown to help boost immunity, improve gut health, build bone density, fight allergies, and aid the body’s natural detoxification. In this collection of 100+ globally-inspired sweet and savory recipes, Julie Smolyansky, CEO of Lifeway Kefir, takes readers on a culinary adventure, sharing her family’s abiding love of kefir through treasured family stories and innovative recipes. From Ludmila’s Borscht, a staple of life behind the Iron Curtain, to Nutella Smoothies, a homage to the Rome that welcomed them as refugees, and Kefir Jerk Chicken, a celebration of friendship experienced with her young daughters, these dishes showcase the versatility of this ancient healing food.

Learn more about The Kefir Cookbook.

Millions of people successfully completed the groundbreaking Whole30 program, transforming their energy, sleep, cravings, waistlines, and health. In Food Freedom Forever, Whole30 creator and best-selling author Melissa Hartwig offers real solutions for anyone stuck in the exhausting cycle of yo-yo dieting and the resulting stress, weight gain, uncontrollable cravings, and health complaints.

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An empowering guide to cultivating confident, passionate, and powerful young leaders during the most formative stage of life: the middle school years. At a pivotal time in their lives, girls learn to advocate for others, think critically, and, most importantly, gain confidence in their ability to create change. Brave Girls shows how contributing to one cause (in this case, animal rescue) can shape a leader for life while reducing the hazards of middle school—bullying, excessive competition, fear of speaking out—and identifying the patterns that truly make a difference. If we take initiative early enough, we can inspire today's girls to become the next generation of strong, enthusiastic, and fulfilled leaders in all areas of society.

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On December 31, 2008, personal chef, trainer, and former model Paul “PJ” James set out to add nearly 100 pounds to his ripped 176-pound physique. This “anti-New Year’s resolution” was driven by a yearning to empathize with his overweight clients and to demonstrate that with dedication and the right tools, weight loss success is possible. In six months, PJ packed on 50 percent of his body weight; when he attempted to lose it, he realized the true challenges of overweight people everywhere. Working through addiction to sweets and carbs, injuries, and embarrassment, PJ discovered a plan that really works. No b.s., no empty promises, just real tools and strategies from someone who “walked the talk” to figure out how to best help those who need it most.

With a targeted fitness program, “clean eating” recipes, and success stories, Take It Off, Keep It Off is a guide to changing your life—for good.

Learn more about Take It Off, Keep It Off.

If only I could lose ten pounds. I hate my thighs. I wish my stomach were more toned. What woman doesn’t experience moments of self-doubt when it comes to her body? Who of us doesn’t secretly wonder how our life might improve “if only” we could change one physical attribute? Why are we so hard on ourselves?

In her fascinating, tell-all locker room confidential, Leslie Goldman reveals just how driven American women have become in their constant quest for perfection, when really they need only look to themselves for the “perfect” body. Often dressed in no more than a towel, Goldman spent five years talking with women of all shapes and sizes about their bodies, from taut twenty-somethings to heavyset seniors. Using her own stories as a springboard, she asks them what goes into shaping not just their bodies but their body image: What are their exercise routines? Which body part do they like the most? The least? Is the locker room a place for female camaraderie or an arena for harsh self-judging? She hears from women who follow compulsive workout schedules and make daily dates with the scale; she talks to those who undergo bikini waxes, body fat measurements, and plastic surgery and to those who struggle with eating issues every single day. Here, too, are new mommies who bond over losing that post-baby bump. But perhaps the loudest chorus in the steam room is the women who speak candidly of their long road to self-acceptance, of recognizing that every wrinkle, stretch mark, bit of cellulite (yes, it’s part of being a woman!) defines who we are and makes us uniquely lovely.

Blending expert opinion with wonderfully intimate, often hilarious, confidences, Locker Room Diaries will inspire anyone who knows the highs of exercise to leave the lows of self-esteem behind. It is a wake-up call for any woman who has ever wished her body were something other than it is. In other words, this book is for every woman.

See Praise for Locker Room Diaries.