Saturday, June 26, 2010
The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What You Should Eat and Why
Why get your nutrients from expensive supplements when you can enjoy delicious, nourishing foods instead? From almonds to yucca, readers will find out what nutrients each of the 150 featured foods contains, what form contains the most nutrients, if it's been recommended to combat any diseases, where to find it, how to prepare it, and how much to eat - plus wonderful recipes using these sometimes obscure foods! Indexes by nutrient, by disease, and by food make finding what you need a snap, and the at-a-glance format makes the information as easy to digest as the foods themselves.
* "Ask the Expert" top 10 food lists from various authorities who are either health writers or practitioners
* starred entries within the list of 150 foods, designating the cream of the crop
* a glossary that helpfully defines various nutrients, hormones, diseases, etc
* mini-lessons on such hot topics as the glycemic index, differentiation of fats, and eating organically
* interpretation of foods from homeopathic, Ayurvedic, and yoga nutritional therapy perspectives
The 150 selected foods are organised into chapters by food genres: Vegetables; Grains; Beans & Legumes; Fruits; Nuts, Seeds, and Nut Butters; Soy Foods; Dairy; Meat, Poultry, and Eggs; Fish and Seafood; Specialty Foods; Beverages; Herb, Spices, and Condiments; Oils; and Sweeteners. Each food listing carries an explanation of which nutrients makes it a winner, why these nutrients are so good for us, who in particular would benefit, and who's at risk and so should avoid that particular food. Jonny even frequently provides tips on selection and preparation.
So much of the information is fascinating, and often surprising. Discover that cashews are a member of the poison ivy family, while eggplant is actually a berry and falls into the nightshade grouping. Learn that raspberries are calorie for calorie one of the most high-fibre foods on the planet, and that spinach and tomatoes are great for your eyes thanks to the lutein in them. Determine how to convert unsalted butter to ghee, which is one of the finest cooking oils available and provides an important rejuvenating tonic for the mind, brain, and nervous system. And realize that country of origin of cheese affects its cancer-fighting, fat-reducing properties.
Although very entertaining, this book is still solidly backed by the science. The research presented is impressive, but Jonny is adept at making complex things simple. As a result, the book is an easy and engaging read - so much so that it feels a little like enjoying a conversation with Jonny over a cup of coffee (or, after reading this book, a glass of noni juice!).
If you want to understand what you're eating, its properties and how it affects your body, this well-considered book is a must-have. As a health and fitness trainer, I'm enthusiastically recommending this book to all my clients so they can achieve fat loss, health, and performance goals through informed dietary choices.
Labels: healthy food recipes
Labels: healthy food recipes
In Food to Live By, a dazzling full-color cookbook, Myra Goodman offers an utterly appealing, new casual style of cooking based on using the best ingredients, organic or otherwise. The dishes are irresistible: Sweet Corn Chowder. Spinach, Feta and Mushroom Quiche. Foggy Day Chili. Merlot-Braised Short Ribs with Cipollini Onions. Spicy Chicken Lettuce Wraps. Ginger Lime Salmon. Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Spiced Orange Sauce. Blue Cheese Smashed Potatoes. Coconut Lemongrass Sorbet. Cherry Panna Cotta. Farm Stand Carrot Cake. Plus, throughout are Farm-Fresh Ingredient boxes—on sorrel, corn, asparagus, artichokes— cooking and shopping tips, and health notes.
Before Myra and her husband, Drew, founded Earthbound Farm, they tended a small organic raspberry patch in Carmel, California—and Myra baked (and sold) amazing Raspberry Corn Muffins, plus jams, and more. Then Earthbound grew to offer organic lettuce mixes to local restaurants, and eventually the rest of the country. When The Organic Kitchen at Earthbound Farm opened, it was yet another venue for Myra, and the café’s chefs, to share delicious recipes and ideas. Now Food to Live By brings this organic revolution to everyone who cares about what they eat.
Book Description
In Food to Live By, a dazzling full-color cookbook, Myra Goodman offers an utterly appealing, new casual style of cooking based on using the best ingredients, organic or otherwise. The dishes are irresistible: Sweet Corn Chowder. Spinach, Feta and Mushroom Quiche. Foggy Day Chili. Merlot-Braised Short Ribs with Cipollini Onions. Spicy Chicken Lettuce Wraps. Ginger Lime Salmon. Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Spiced Orange Sauce. Blue Cheese Smashed Potatoes. Coconut Lemongrass Sorbet. Cherry Panna Cotta. Farm Stand Carrot Cake. Plus, throughout are Farm-Fresh Ingredient boxes—on sorrel, corn, asparagus, artichokes— cooking and shopping tips, and health notes.
Before Myra and her husband, Drew, founded Earthbound Farm, they tended a small organic raspberry patch in Carmel, California—and Myra baked (and sold) amazing Raspberry Corn Muffins, plus jams, and more. Then Earthbound grew to offer organic lettuce mixes to local restaurants, and eventually the rest of the country. When The Organic Kitchen at Earthbound Farm opened, it was yet another venue for Myra, and the café’s chefs, to share delicious recipes and ideas. Now Food to Live By brings this organic revolution to everyone who cares about what they eat. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Labels: book, healthy food recipes
"Quality nutrition can only come from quality food. Quality food is defined as less processed, more natural, more basic foods-like fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, etc. Easy stuff to get at the market. There are however, concerns that we are necessarily, having to deal with in this 21st century."
Need a recipe for Pesto or want to learn to make healthier French Fries? How did mom make those mashed potatoes anyway?
Well, Leanne Ely has the answers and had created a cute cookbook filled with over 100 family-approved recipes.
If your kids are hungry for pizza and there isn't a frozen pizza in sight, you might enjoy making the Pizza Muffins. If you keep a bottle of spaghetti sauce around, some mozzarella cheese, various toppings and mixed grain English muffins in the kitchen, you will have an easy-to-prepare snack.
The first thing I noticed in this cookbook was an ingredient called "sucanat." If you are wondering what this is, well, I was too. I found the answer on pg. 51, where the author also lists, kamut flour, carob and whole wheat pastry flour. I was then sent to the glossary for explanations.
The glossary is not where you'd expect it to be, it is on page 59. Ok, so it is that natural cane sugar I've seen in health food stores! All the other ingredients seemed pretty normal to me, still, you might want to find a health food store in your area or most grocery stores seem to have an isle of natural foods. If you want to shop online, there is a resource section at the back of the book.
The basic recipe sections:
Breakfast in Bread and Other Comforts
Soup & Salad Bar
Life in the Fast Food Lane
The Main Thing
Dips, Snacks & Tricks
Just Desserts
Some of the recipes include: Buttermilk Cornbread, Mega Manic Muffin Mix, Lentil Soup, Tabbouleh, Mama's Mashed Potatoes, Quinoa Pilaf, Shepherd's Pie, Roasted Garlic, Pizza, Hummus and Mexican Chicken Salad. Want to try something sweet? Try the Apple Cake or Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.
Some of the highlights of this cookbook include the short essays on food at the start of the book. Leanne Ely explains why writing this book became essential for the health of her family and how you can also change your food and change your life.
Leanne believes we all know what works best for our bodies. She has been a victim of the experts who have given her ideal diets to follow. Finally, she decided to just follow the "guru" within. She explains the basics of protein, carbohydrates and fats.
Then, she delves into the dangers lurking in our regular grocery store shelves. After reading chapter three, organic foods will start looking pretty darn good to you. Do you have a child who has allergies or want to teach "manners to the not so mannerly." I recently read that the top food allergies are nuts, shellfish/seafood, milk, wheat, eggs, a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, cheese, yeast and soya protein. So even "healthy" foods might not be healthy for everyone. It is really tricky. Before she gets into the recipe section, she also explains basic tools and how to stock the pantry.
Before you hand your very young child a peanut butter cookie, consider their age. Peanut butter should not be fed to children younger than 3 years old. It is almost as difficult to avoid peanut butter as it is to avoid cottonseed oil. It seems to be in everything. Even chocolate can have traces of peanuts as can soy protein bars, etc, etc. In fact, by avoiding cottonseed oil, palm kernel oils and peanut butter, you might notice your skin clearing up if you didn't realize you had an allergy to begin with. We all live and learn.
If some of the health information intrigues you, you might also want to read: The Metabolic Plan by Stephen Cherniske. It takes health to new levels! A must-read! It has become more and more obvious to me that to live a long and healthy life, you need to read a lot of books!
Choosing a healthy lifestyle seems to be key and it is really this huge puzzle you have to figure out on your own. You find some pieces in books and some pieces are the result of your own experience with food. Leanne Ely gives quite a few great suggestions on how to not only improve the health of your family, she also gives a basic overview of nutrition so you can feed your family well. There are a few puzzle pieces in this book, pieces I have never seen in any other cookbook.
Leanne's "irreverent" style is cute and you will learn a ton about nutrition and I'm even thinking about using "sucanat" in some of my own recipes.
Labels: book, healthy food recipes
Also included are many healthy food, delicious recipes featuring whole, unprocessed crops - grains, legumes and vegetables - you can produce from seed. This book will help you enjoy the tasty, nutritious benefits of organic food - food that is good for the soil and good to eat.
This book had many topics that aren't often covered, such as quinoa and amaranth. it also discussed in great detail the horrors of conventional agriculture. my only disappointment was in the lack of pictures to better explain the methods of dealing with the supergrains i'm not familiar with.
Labels: book, healthy food recipes, Healthy Recipes Tips