Review: GREAT recipes, Conflicting "terms" and Bad nutritional advice
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 05 19, 2014
Would have given this book 5 Stars if it had stuck to recipes, and not nutrition advice. This book is full of contradictions and conflicting advice and some bad information which I’ll cover first.1.Conflict 1: States that “the concept is that food must not come from a box, package, mix or bag and that “food comes from nature and not from a business.”  HUH? So, grow your own canned tuna and balsamic vinegar in Minnesota?Conflict 2:  States, “central principle is to cut out all the processed foods and use whole and unadulterated foods.” Yet lists processed foods as recipe ingredients.Conflict 3:  States, “virtually every processed food contains high levels of preservatives and additives.”  Then, goes on to list vinegar, which IS a preservative.2. Hey folks, vinegar is a preservative.  it’s also a “processed food.”  Do you see the contradictions here?3. The book then  turns around and lists ingredients like liquid stevia, canned tuna, fried Chinese noodles, chicken breasts, Chinese duck sauce, soy sauce, light maple syrup, fish sauce, toasted Asian sesame oil, hearts of palm, gluten free pasta, smoked tofu, even mixed baby greens.So, when’s the last time you found mixed baby greens in anything but a bag or plastic box (rare farmers market may have them from the grower.)  I surely don't make my own fish sauce, boil down my maple tree sap or harvest sesame seeds then squeeze the oil out of them then toast and bottle it.  When did you not buy these from “a business”?Since when is balsamic vinegar, canned tuna, liquid stevia , rice vinegar, and even chicken breasts “not processed”?I’ve yet to see a chicken breast walk through my yard, and I’ve surely “processed” many whole chickens in my life, but if this author recommends “whole foods” then what happens to the rest of the chicken? Leave for the cat to eat?So, just get the terms straight. Either you eat processed food, or you raise and grow all your own.But, isn’t washing, blanching and freezing my veggies also “processing” them? They are no longer raw once they’ve been blanched, so every frozen veggie you purchase is “processed” to some degree.4. Non-nutritionists shouldn't offer nutrition advice regarding water/nutrition. When they do, they often get it wrong.  This book states bad advice such as: “so it does not matter how much you drink.” Huh? No medical qualifications for that statement?  Water intoxication and overhydration can cause death. Go to Google scholar and search overhydration or hyponatremia.5. Finally, if you can get past the inaccurate general recommendations, I’m not a purist and have nothing against minimally processed foods such as liquid stevia, canned tuna or toasted sesame oil.  But, let's call it what it is and not confuse terms.6. I truly would give this book 5 stars if it was just a recipe book and didn’t offer dangerous medical/nutritional advice and pretend to be something it’s not regarding “processed food.”  Let’s agree to “minimally processed diet” and this book would be 5 STARS. Recipes looked great – I’ve not tried them, but can generally tell by reading ingredients and would recommend for ideas for new salad combinations.Authors without nutrition degrees should hire an editor that has/is one, to correct such errors before publishing possibly dangerous advice.