Love Yourself Well: An Empowering Wellness Guide to Supporting Your Gut, Brain, and Vagina – Frank Medical Insights for Women's Intimate and Mental Health

by Lo Bosworth

A frank and accessible guide to optimizing women's health by Lo Bosworth--the CEO and founder of Love Wellness--tracing the interconnectivity of the gut, brain, and vagina, and providing natural solutions to intimate problems.


Lo Bosworth didn't know what to do, when--out of nowhere--she began experiencing strange physical ailments like fatigue, yeast infections, and debilitating brain fog. The CEO and former reality TV star was no stranger to anxiety or depression, but those were easier to trace, and more easily solved; these new, mysterious ailments were chronic.

Love Yourself Well is inspired by Lo's personal journey to health, and the setbacks she encountered along the way. As she would come to find, the issues she was experiencing were common--but sadly invisible in conversations about public health. In detailing her own personal journey to better health and empowerment, Lo passes along the lessons she learned in the pursuit of body harmony. Alongside a panel of medical experts, Lo demystifies the science behind the gut-brain-vagina axis, showing how--with frankness and humor--she has become the go-to expert for millennials on sexual health and overall wellness. Most importantly, Lo provides a space to engage honestly and openly about the intimate issues women face--and need to speak about.

The book answers questions like:

How does my overall health affect my vaginal health?Is there a way to heal leaky gut and leaky brain?Are there supplements and a diet to encourage body harmony?Is my body normal? What is normal when it comes to sexual wellness?Chock full of recipes, exercises, and implementable strategies to meet your wellness goals, Love Yourself Well offers a comprehensive plan to rejuvenate your health, and help you go from feeling blah to feeling balanced.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Self Help, Audiobook, Science

272 pages, Paperback

Published December 27, 2022

About the author

Lauren "Lo" Ogilvie Bosworth is an American television personality and actress. She is best known for her appearances on the MTV reality series Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and its spin-off, The Hills.

Reviews

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this!! I've never really read health and wellness books because they are packed with so much info, and it can get overwhelming, but this book was different. I took a chance because I'd heard of the Love Wellness products and of Lo Bosworth; So I started my research and really loved her easy to read approach in this book. There is a lot of information still, but it's written honestly,clearly, and she repeats specific important things at the right times. I definitely learned a lot, and what I did already know, she explained in a much better way for me to remember. She offers an easy 5 week plan and recipes at the end, too, and all of the information is credible. But it's not in that annoying "you have to fill out a journal" sort of of plan that is typically a waste of my time.

Wasn't sure how to rate because I enjoyed this book, but it's hard to rate a wellness book that is personal to any individual. What works for me, might not for you and vice versa. Just going with my "gut" instinct ;-) haha

[brilee 📖 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feeling empowered at the start of a new year is always a good thing, so I’ll tee up one of Lo’s best lines: “No one else can or should love you as well as you love yourself.” And now I’ve got the tools to do so!

I’ve grappled with hormone and digestive issues for years; finally, I understand how and why they’re linked (I’m sure that understanding will only grow when I revisit this book in the future). With science as its foundation, this five-week guide is a how-to manual for functional, anti-inflammatory self-care. Big fan.

[Jill VanWormer · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s a lot you can learn about women’s health from this book and reading it from Lo’s perspective and voice kept it engaging. There’s a lot of information here. I like how she breaks it down into a 4 Week Plan, but even so it’s a lot to take in and implement. I think everyone could take something from it though and make it their own.

[Allie Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not my typical read but I devoured this book and learned so much!

[Elizabeth Estling · Rating 1 out of 5]

So while this book did have a good amount if helpful nuggets - it also relied heavily on a naturopathic doctor (not a real thing) and Mark Hyman (known quack) and EWG (known to be flawed and inconsistent. I would give her 2 stars for the good stuff in there but most people probably cannot parse out the truth from the pseudoscience so overall I would have to recommend not to read. I also found the comments to pregnant people and people trying to conceive to be particularly gross - your diet and supplements won't help you have a baby if you are struggling and I am so sorry that people give you false hope. Also - eating "junk" won't ruin your baby and telling women it will is straight up abusive. Skip the reality star book. Too much nonsense to balance out the good points she actually does make.

[Mari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book.

[Erinn Pascal · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read a lot of wellness books. While I like Lo's candid approach, there wasn't much new here. TO BE FAIR I already devour women's wellness podcasts, subscribe to Sakara Life, etc. If you are new to women's wellness, this is a great primer. If you're moderately experienced, you won't find anything ground-breaking here.

[Deanna Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting book on topics we don't ever talk about. I did the audio CD but I'm checking out the book now because I want to review a few things and see her recipes for healthy living.

[Meredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lo Bosworth is many things: a strong person, a stylish person, a testament to the ability of reality television to lead to WHATEVER its participants want…but she is not a good researcher or writer.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent listen, narrated by the author.
This CD set kept me company on several long drives.
The author, a former reality-TV star, had long been not feeling well due to recurrent vaginal and UTI infections, as well as disrupted sleep, headaches, and bloating. After seeing many doctors, she set out on the path to discover what was going on with her body, and the book is very frank, using the terms that apply to the female body. This is not a CD to listen to out loud, or around children. It is, however, an honest dissection of one woman's journey to health and healing via a combination of western and natural medicine, healthy eating and exercise habits, and mental wellness strategies.
I think any woman could benefit from listening to this CD, even if (like me) you're not quite ready to jump into this regimented lifestyle wholeheartedly. This book / CD is very detailed about how the bodies of women react to the various toxins and lifestyle choices prevalent in our society, and how to lessen the impact of our environment via holistic and medicinal choices. It is a guide to understanding how the systems of a female body work together, and how to maximize the chances of being truly healthy, from the inside out.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book to start with! Always known that the gut and brain are interrelated so found it extremely fascinating! Think there are some real amazing points and definitely worth a read. But then I reached the section which started shaming gluten! And I’m sorry as an aspiring dietitian I cannot and will not be comfortable reading about “everything that’s wrong with gluten” when as a matter of fact for people without an intolerance it is part of an utterly balanced diet. Some great recipes in there just not overly keen on the message to completely cut it out of the diet.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not a self-help person, but I found this book useful. It explained in simple terms how systems in your body are inter-related and how poor food choices, stress and being sedentary effect those systems. It also lays out a weekly plan to re-energize and heal yourself. If you are dealing with chronic conditions that your doctor can't explain, you may want to discuss this program with your doctor to see if it may help.

[Markie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, a very good book about how to take care of oneself. It is fascinating to read about the mind and body connection. It’s interesting how they are neurons in her stomach as well as your brain. I’ve never really thought about probiotics before this book but I’m very interested now. However, some of the suggestions are not accessible for us working class people. For example, walking outside in this neighborhood is not the best idea.

[Caley · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this for a specific reading theme (just in case anyone I know sees this update and is concerned)

This book made my spidey senses tingle and my red flags wave
Giving up coffee, using natural deodorant (I've tried many different brands and I just can't), loud singing, and cold shower blasting? No, never
Not for me. Although the anti-inflammatory diet part was interesting and is something that a registered dietician has recommended to me (an expert I would trust)

[Brandi Ford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been on a wellness journey due to various health issues that have come up & reading this book being fairly new to this realm has helped a lot. Knowing how these axis are connected helped explained a lot that was/is currently going on in my own life. Definitely recommend if you’re looking for a starting point on your journey!

[Courtney Swanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much wonderful information that really has you take a look at your health and your lifestyle. Women’s health differs from men’s health in so many ways and we should all educate ourselves and be in touch with our bodies.

[Angela Behnke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for empowering wellness and supporting yourself! Great information on the health of a woman's body things to eat things to do and happy mental health to make your body be its best! Loved it!
Easy to read and understand talks right to you.

[Linda Block · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointing . Didn't learn anything I didn't already know. Based more on holistic medicine rather than scientific medicine combined with some holistic theories.

[Jessica Murphy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not get any new info out of this book.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad. I got her probiotics because of it. Jury’s out if I’ll do the cleanse or wellness plan.

[Jenny Mervyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very much to the point. Wonderful information and should be required reading for every female. There can be something taken from this book, for every female out there.

[Manli Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

General good advice, but some scientific details are not accurate.

[Alysia Massart · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned some things but wish I learned more

I truly can't repeat back to you what I learned while I was reading and learning, but it was definitely informative and interesting. I did not read the whole thing because there were some things that were over my head and read that the 5 week plan included cutting down or out of caffeine and eating differently, I wasn't interested. I did recommend the book to my mom because I feel like we have similar issues and it was interesting to learn about our bodies. I wish there was info and stories about how she decided what brands, ingredients, and people to include in her brand. I saw where there was a part that said what you should do if you have this or that, but I was surprised she didn't endorse her own products. I was actually looking for that. Normally you don't want to read about or see someone bragging about all they've accomplished, but I was interested and I feel like a lot of other people would be interested in learning what Lo actually takes and what she's actually involved in with her company.

[Abbie Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yes - the gut brain axis is a thing; and there are a few good nuggets in this book about the nervous system and how interconnected our bodies are. HOWEVER …the “one size fits all” diet & nutrition advice by a non-health professional, blanket recommending everyone be gluten free , eliminate dairy, and only eat organic…YET in the same breath encourage whole grains (lol - but thought we were supposed to go gluten free..?)..all this just made me eye roll hard.

Even with some good information sprinkled in, there were just too many recommendations based on maybe one small study, (or not having multiple sources to back up claims) that resulted in my low rating. And it should go without saying: just have critical awareness before taking health advice from someone who owns a wellness company and wants to sell you products.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book just didn’t resonate with me. I didn’t find much new information, and while I’m glad the author has been able to use her journey to help other women, it wasn’t quite what I was looking for. I had expected a more in-depth look at the microbiome as a whole, rather than a focus primarily on vaginal health. In the end, I think it was more a mismatch between my expectations and what the book actually set out to do.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know Lo has done a lot of work on a health after her own health issues sidetracked her life. I was worried this would be a walking infomercial but it's far from that. The quotes and plans were so helpful. I highly recommend this book.

[Katelynne Pereira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lo thank you for being the voice to so many women who have had the same struggles as you for years with doctors not always taking you seriously. After reading this book I made the appointments necessary to take control of my health and advocated for the proper testing to be done so thank you!

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good but more research needed