Book Review: Self-Care for the Real World

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Nadia Narain and Katia Narain Phillips have become celebrity gurus of self-care since their first book, Self-Care for the Real World, was published. The two sisters have based their entire careers on the concept of self-care; Nadia is a well-known yoga teacher, and Katia is a chef and masseuse. They've been called the Marie Kondos of self-care. I'm just waiting for their Netflix special.
 
In the meantime, I figured Self-Care for the Real World would be a great winter read. Celebrities like Kate Moss and Reese Witherspoon can't seem to get enough of it. The book itself is beautiful, with photos taken by the sisters themselves and various photographers. 

I found that most of the advice the sisters give throughout the book is just plain common sense. Get enough sleep. Drink more water. Exercise. But sometimes we get so busy and distracted, we need a reminder to do those simple things.
 
Some of Katia's favorite recipes are scattered through the book, most of which sound a little too pretentious for my taste. A few of the simpler recipes seemed doable though, and I'd give the golden turmeric latte (page 94) or the rose chia overnight oats (page 146) a try.

Nadia and Katia have created their own non-self-care and self-care lists to live by, and this is one practice I can get behind. It's also something simple you can implement whether you read the book or not. Here's their explanation:
 
In Matt Haig's book Reasons to Stay Alive, he explains how he created lists to help with his anxiety and depression. He wrote a list of things that made him feel bad, and a list of things that made him feel better. As soon as we read these, we started making our own self-care lists, writing down the things that make us feel terrible, and those that make us feel good and grounded. We've combined our lists because we are both pretty similar - apart from cooking (Katia's thing) and meditating (only Nadia likes it).
 
What's on your list? Write it down.

If your "feel-good" list is a little short, Self-Care for the Real World is chock-full of ideas to bolster your self-care arsenal. Just don't expect any ground-breaking new discoveries in the science of health and wellness. Nadia and Katia are going back to basics.
 
Next up on my reading list: their new book Rituals for Every Day.

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A post shared by Katia Narain Phillips (@katianarainphillips) on Dec 28, 2017 at 12:48am PST

A book about self-care calls for a comforting cup of Dream by the Fire tea. This is a rooibos, so it's naturally caffeine-free and perfect for sipping before bedtime.

Vanilla and cinnamon give this tea the perfect combination of sweet and spicy, and it's one of my favorites for warming up in the cold winter months. While I'm more of a loose-leaf fan, it's nice to have a few bagged teas on hand, and this is one of my essentials.