Food is Powerful
It’s hard not to be slightly jealous of the big shot foodie bloggers, like Ree the Pioneer Woman, or Clothilde from Chocolate and Zucchini. These ladies often get 100s of comments on a single post. Imagine my surprise, then, when the publisher for the nutritionist of the Today Show, Joy Bauer, asked me to review her latest book, Food Cures! They would send me a copy of the NYT Bestselling author’s latest, and I would provide some feedback via the Choicelunch blog.
Initially I worried that any critique could be biased given the fact I got the book for free; gifts can influence opinions. I also didn’t know how relevant the appraisal would be for you Choicelunchers. It turns out, Joy Bauer’s latest tome is worthy of review.
As an R.D. and guide to Manhattan’s elite, Joy approaches food as medicine. She argues that a range of ailments, from banal issues like dull hair to the extremes of celiac disease or cancer can be relieved with food. I agree with her! (I was diagnosed pre-diabetic and obese almost 15 years ago. By totally changing the foods I choose, my health has been inline for over a decade, now.)
While Joy’s advice probably won’t surprise you, her format and real-life examples are easy to understand and manageable. She approaches each condition, whether weight loss or insomnia, uniquely with a 4 step plan. The focus is always on which certain foods are best for specific health issues. The book is not geared towards kids, but her advice is on eating real food which happens to be one of our core principles here at Choicelunch.
Kids learn by watching their parents, whether learning to drive or learning to eat. If my son watches me savor my salad, chances are good that he’ll be curious enough to ask for some (or point and grunt, as the case may be). Joy’s recipes are almost too simple, but I have confirmed at least two are winners: the whipped sweet potatoes and the mango smoothie. Sometimes her advice can be repetitive (yes, we know spinach is good for us) but her opinion is that food is powerful. Teach your kids how to use that power wisely and we’ll all be better off.
