Happy Friday! I’ve decided to try to use Fridays as a day to talk about some of the best new books. There are so many I want to share so we will see if this can be a little forum for some of the better offerings and have recommendations from you readers too.
I’ve had this book on my nightstand for a while and been meaning to write about how fantastic it is. I don’t know about you, but eating better is always one of my goals in a new year and reading this book motivated me to make better choices for the family and in what I personally put in my body as well.
Think you’re eating well because your diet is filled with vegetables? Well think again! Did you know that the preparation and varietal makes a huge difference in the nutrition? I had no idea that some vegetables are lacking almost all their benefits by time they get to the supermarket shelf!
Eating on the Wild Side is an eye-opener and author Jo Robinson has done a great job with her in-depth research and history. You will learn so much about getting the maximum antioxidants and cancer-fighting advantages out of your veg and fruits.
Some of the tips I loved..Letting your garlic rest after chopping for just 10 minutes before cooking retains all it’s cancer-fighting benefits, but if you don’t wait you lose all of them in cooking. Carrots should be bought fresh and with their tops on. The very popular baby carrots can be months old and carrots are one of those vegetables that do not retain nutrients when frozen, and you can get eight times more beta-carotene by cooking a carrot than eating it fresh.
Like our grandmothers said, the skin is often the most nutritious part of vegetables and fruit and why one needs to buy organic. Those pesticides do not rinse off. Buying local is not just good for the earth, but by buying from farmer’s markets your fruits and vegetables will likely be picked the day before as opposed to stores who often sell things kept in refrigeration for weeks. The problem is many vegetables like broccoli lose almost all it’s nutrition waiting on the store shelf.
After reading this you’ll know the best way to retain nutrients, antioxidants and keep your produce fresh. There’s a shopping guide at the end of each chapter that tells you what varietals to grow and buy that have the most health benefits. The history of some of these plants is fascinating too..How they became cultivated and chosen over others makes it an interesting read.
When buying you want to looks for fruits and vegetables that have more exposure to the sun and hence more antioxidants. So choosing a baby lettuce over a romaine whose leaves are enclosed is much more desirable. Darker tends to be better for you, but in some cases like peaches and nectarines, the white ones, less propagated have much more nutrition. Chose less cultivated and more wild varietals when possible, from local sources or your own garden for your health. To top it off, there are also some yummy recipes dotted throughout this book I really liked.
Has anyone else read this? I think it’s the best food book since The Omnivore’s Dilemma which was eye-opening as well. Any other similar books you love? I find they really motivate me to commit to better eating.
This is an amazing post, Kim. Definitely worth a read. Thanks for sharing.
Love this post. I am a firm believer that so many of our health problems stem from what we eat. Can't wait to check this book out. Keep the book ideas coming 🙂
Good information and I had no idea about cooked carrots being more nutritious than raw…who knew?! Love your strainer full of tomatoes! I eat a ton of those including tomato juice!
Thank you Leigh! Have a good weekend!
Aimee thank you. It's a super book! I am excited to write more about books here. xo
Thanks April. It's true and a ton of other info! So much we don't know and can help us all get the most phytonutrients! Happy Friday!
Sounds like a wonderful book! I had heard about cooked carrots being more nutritious before, but I still eat them usually raw… I do however try to buy them with the tops on.
Have a wonderful weekend!
It looks like a fabulous book. The farmers market is on my list this weekend. Since I stopped eating meat years ago, I eat many more vegetables. I need this book! Have a great weekend!
XX Jennifer
I'd not heard of this Kim and will look for it! You are so lucky to live in Cali, where there is such a long growing season! My garden is lying under 4 feet of snow! I do shop at our "local" store – where nothing comes from farther away than 150 miles, so am eating a lot of squash, carrot and turnip – things in season. Boy it is hard!
This looks a great book and the message does need to be spread. People always say there is no difference between supermarket and organic and it tastes the sand but apart from sons harmful pesticides ( not all) there are higher levels of nutrients but then I choose local over organic. But to be fair I do t eat well in London BC people just don't value food as much as alcohol. I got all my veg info from Korea and their obsession with vegetables!
Great post Kim! I try to buy organic when I can, but have to admit sometimes it's cost prohibitive. I know that some fruits with thick skins it's not as crucial. (bananas, etc.) I didn't know about the carrots and I eat them every day, mostly raw but sometimes roasted. It's so ridiculous because we have almost an acre of land but no time to plant or maintain a vegetable garden. We can hardly keep up with our fruit trees. Maybe some day when we have more time…I just requested a copy of the book from my library so I can't wait to read it.
I love Michael Pollan, he just had a special on KPBS about a month ago, In Defense of Food. (I have the book) In my opinion you can never have too much information on this topic! 🙂
Linda
xo
I eat the WHITE PeACHES ALL SUMMER SO I am doing GOOD?
Thanks Andrea! I just found baby carrots with the tops on, at the farmer's market. Loved them!
Thanks Jennifer. I think you'd appreciate it being a vegetarian! Kim
I know we take it for granted here. I do love the root veg though and I think they give you nutrients you need in winter. I am trying to master roasting beets. I keep undercooking them!
Naomi, I agree the difference in organic is not just the pesticides, but also the amount of phytonutrients is usually much higher, plus they just taste better in my opinion. I isn't know that about Korea. Wonderful. I do think Asian cultures have a much healthier diet than we do.
Linda, Yes when the organic is super high I sometimes forgo getting that particular vegetable or fruit. Sometimes though the organic has been the same price or lower, so that is nice.
I know what you mean about planting a vegetable garden. the only way I am able is I have a dad who comes and helps me. He is a lifelong organic gardener and each spring turns over my beds and feeds the soil. Then he usually plants organic tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers for me that he has started from seed. I am so grateful for this as I probably couldn't do it if he didn't help. The great thing is a after a couple of weeks of careful watering , they just kind of take off and we get food until almost November and it's wonderful. Nothing like your own tomatoes! Right now I am growing sweet peas and they get rain water nothing else and it's amazing how good they are.
I missed that Michael Pollan special. I am going to look for it! I agree I am always looking for good reads on food. Hope you like this book!
xo Kim
Yes Ms Elizabeth! They are the best they say! x
That's so great Kim! How nice that your dad helps out with your garden. We tried tomatoes a couple times but didn't get much of a crop. One summer it was just too overcast…not enough sun. Disappointing because the tomatoes from the store these days are awful! (even the organic ones)
Great post! Even though the author is local to me here in Seattle, I hadn't heard about this book. I've been working with my parents to incorporate more food based healing into their lives (cancer and heart disease are concerns for both). When you work in the raw juice industry, as I have, immersed in vegetables, elixirs and organics everyday, you feel like you know everything. Looking forward to the refreshing information this book is sure to provide!
nice