REVIEWS

I wanted to share a couple more food-related books and a website that I've been using lately.
 

First, my college buddy, Ben, recommended Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating by Mark Bittman.  Bittman's message is similar to those in books I've mentioned previously, namely The China Study and The Kind Life. As the back of the dust jacket says;

If I told you that the same lifestyle choice could help you lose weight, reduce your risk of many long-term or chronic diseases, save you real money, and help stop global warming, I imagine you'd be intrigued.  If I also told you that this change, while not effortless, would be easier and more pleasant than any diet you've ever tried, would take less time and effort than your exercise routine, and would require no sacrifice, I would think you'd want to read more.  If you do, you'll find an explanation of the links among diet, health, the environment in general, and climate change in particular, and you'll see how you can make a difference.

Bittman explains that when he started to make changes to his diet, he basically followed the whole foods, plant based diet from sun up till sun down, then for dinner, he'd eat whatever he wanted to.  Just by focusing on eating better for two-thirds of his meals, he saw dramatic changes.

I think his subtitle says it all; A Guide to Conscious Eating.  Just being aware of what we're putting in our mouths can make a huge difference.

The next book, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Caldwell B. Esslestyn, was recommend by Gloria.  If you've been following along and checking out some of the food documentaries, you'll recognize Dr. Esslestyn's name from Forks Over Knives and The China Study, while his son wrote Engine 2 Diet and My Beef with Meat.  No, there's no heart disease in my family, but Gloria mentioned the book because it includes more than 150 recipes. As you can imagine, a shift in eating habits requires finding new recipes.

I've spent some time recently at multiple libraries and book stores, trying to find vegetarian cookbooks.  So many of them are a little too gourmet for my taste.  I like things recipes that have easy-to-find ingredients and are tasty.  The handful of recipes I've tried from this book so far fall into that category.

If you'd rather check out websites, my new favorite is Thug Kitchen. I have to warn you that it contains a lot of vulgar language.  Some people may be offended, but I find it so over-the-top that it's funny.  I've probably tried half a dozen recipes from this site and they've all been great.  My favorite so far is Roasted Chickpea and Broccoli Burritos.  One of the things I love about his recipes is that I typically have all of the ingredients in my house already.

If anyone has any other recommendations, let me know and I'd be happy to check them out.