book reviews.

hey all! tgif!

mom update: to all those that prayed and kept her in your thoughts, thank you! she is doing AMAZING. this morning she was up dancing, picking peppers in her garden, and generally trying to keep all of us in line :)

giveaway review.

as you heard yesterday, i won a foodie blogroll giveaway! wahoo!

i ended up with a $25 credit to iHerb, an awesome website where you can order hard-to-find products, like vegan vitamins and gluten-free products. score!

since my little sister is a celiac, i usually bake all her bread/muffins/granola bars myself. it's so much cheaper this way, and the giftcard was perfect to restock all our gluten-free flours!

thank you, Abby from iHerb!

book reviews.

being the nosy girl i am, i was pretty interested in some of the new books i have seen out on the internet.... you guys ever do that? 

so, to the library!

my swag:

1. the end of overeating: taking control of the insatiable american appetite by david kessler

basically, this book gives you an inside look at how food manufacturers think. the author interviews many employees of food companies and popular restaurants, and asks them how they make the food as palatable and appealing as possible, and why we eat so much of it.

very enlightening about why we find fast food and restaurant food so enticing. it was really disturbing, honestly, to read about all the processing that goes into our meal that we have no idea they do! we think a piece of chicken is chicken, but it's not... at all.

if you eat out a lot or live off packaged foods, you must read this book. your food is not what it seems!

2. savor: mindful eating, mindful life by thich nhat hanh and lilian cheung

i'll be honest, i skimmed this book. it's a wonderful premise, but i just couldn't get through how repetitive it was! i'm easily bored, what can i say?

if you are new to the mind-body connection concept between food and emotions, this might be a good book for you. it's written by a doctor and a buddhist, so it's a very interesting combination of spiritual and factual. if that's up your alley, give it a try!

3. thrive: the vegan nutrition guide to optimal performance in sports and life by brendan brazier

i was totally blown away by this book. i want to marry brendan brazier! how is he single!?!?

on a more serious note, though, i picked up this book because wanted to see what the hype was about. one of my favorite bloggers, matt of no meat athlete, pretty much says this booked changed his life. naturally, my interest was piqued.

i loved this book because it broke down the science behind what happens when we eat. nothing bugs me more than when you read "eat this! it's good for you! it's healthy!" yeah yeah, that's nice, but WHY?

it's not good enough to tell me it's an antioxidant/superfood/omega-3. i need to know what the particular food does for me once i eat it. what does it do in my bloodstream? how will it effect my hair? my eyesight? my immune system? my skin? why should i spend money on it? why do i care?

thrive does this. it explains everything clearly, is very well-organized, and halelujah, i finally understand! it also has a guide for athletes/active people about, once and for all, what the most effective way to fuel before and after your workout is. you can sign up for a free 30-day newsletter to be emailed to you, if you're interested in learning the basics.

this is not a meat-slamming, veggie-promoting, PETA-thumping book. i loved it so much, i'm buying it! seriously - read this!

4. eating animals by jonathan safran foer

when it comes to your food, are you one of those people (like i totally was!) who says "oh, don't tell me! i don't wanna know!"

i hate to say this, but just because you don't ask about what's in your food doesn't change the fact - it's still there!

i would NEVER judge anyone for how they eat (vegan, juicing, carnivore, whatever!). that's totally personal, and totally up to you. but i will beg you, if you eat meat, PLEASE read this. please. you will be so glad you did!

5. last but not least: food rules by michael pollan

this book is as simple as it gets: 64 simple tips on how to eat as healthfully as possible.

i am a huge michael pollan fan, and this book is basically all his incrediblely sane thoughts, wrapped into an easy-to-read package.

if you've dieted all your life, are tired of the fast food lifestyle, or just need help simplifying how to eat naturally, this is a great place to start!

there it is... my thoughts on a few popular reads. i have a couple more coming (omnivore's dilemma, anyone?), so stay tuned!

have you read any good books recently?

have you read any of these?

anything i MUST read?

- rebekah