#19 Eat to Live

I don't know about you, but I am always interested in learning more about healthy eating and how food affects our bodies. It may because my mother would occasionally go through stages of no sugar in the house and I can remember occasionally accompanying her on visits to the herbalist. One thing I am grateful for is that we were too poor to grow up eating anything that came out of a box. I used to lament my homemade bread sandwiches with crumbles or our steady diet of beans and vegetables. We know now that so many of our tastes were formed during our childhood years. I never realized how blessed I was to develop my taste buds in a home with real food and a mother who was willing to cook for our family each day. I'm sure that seemed like tedious, never ending work for her, but it such a tremendous impact on my health today. I am so so grateful.

OK. Back to Eat to Live. I started reading this book because I have something called insulin resistance (everyone is talking about it these days) and I felt like I had to eat a high protein, low carb diet to deal with the symptoms of this disorder. I have been frustrated by that because it goes against the code of health I believe in called the Word of Wisdom. I have read and searched and prayed and thought about what to do. Then a friend with the same health condition recommended this book. The authors basic premise is that we need to eat more not less, but we need to eat more things with a high nutrient density. That means food that are filled with good stuff and have less calories. Which foods are the stars of this plan? You guessed it green vegetables. Which foods are the supporting cast? Fruit, beans, and other vegetables. Which foods should be occasional guests of the show? Meat and Sweets.
Here's a question for you. Which has more protein 100 calories of steak or 100 calories of broccoli? I know you aren't going to believe it, but it's the broccoli. And in addition to protein, the broccoli has all sorts of vitamins, minerals and cancer fighting, body healing amazing things.

So, if you are interested in learning more, I think you will like this book. It is called Eat to Live by Joel Furhman.

#18 Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford is a good read. I am not going to say it was a page turner, but instead it sort of moved quietly along, keeping me engaged in it's tale of young love and a human need to sort people by race and color. I feel like I am going to love the story more in days and weeks to come than I do now, like it needs to ripen a bit. Or maybe it will be somewhat forgetable. I am not sure yet. The thing I appreciated about the story is that it made me aware of internment of the Japanese during World War II. It is hard to believe that 50 years ago we were shipping people off on buses to live in work camps with barbed wire fences and armed guards. It is so difficult to relate to an era of time that has passed, even when it has passed so recently, when it seems so foreign to the time and place I live in now. I wonder what things my children will find hard to believe when I tell them about my experience with America as a child.
I would definitely recommend this book. It is a well-written, sweet story that you will enjoy, just don't feel surprised when you find it's ok to put it down and come back to it in the morning. It's just that kind of book.