Review: Mmmmm...Smoooooooothieeeee
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 10, 2012
A soon as I saw the title of Stephen Williams's "Smoothies: Fabulous Nutrition," I couldn't help but laugh out loud. Just the title of his book made me think of the iconic Homer Simpson, holding his omnipresent can of Duff beer and intoning, "Mmmmmm---beeeeeeeeer."Hence the title for this review.Seriously, who would take the time and effort to compose a book about the numerous ways in which to concoct and consume a fruit drink? I honestly figured that the author must have really been desperate for a topic. I immediately thought of that classic best-seller, "Know Your Chameleon." (I did have that book many years ago, and yes, I did have a chameleon when I was a teenager. His name was Robert. Not that it matters, but still...)Despite my initial snickering, I soon discovered that Williams really knew what he was writing about. While I would not immediately think of him as a culinary connoisseur, it is evident that he brings passion and excitement to his readers, based upon my numerous reviews of his previous books.Williams's forte is health and wellness, in addition to his Esquire-esque writings that offer sound dating advice for men. His natural ebullience and concern for peoples' health is evidenced by his assertion in "Smoothie" that "every shake is a new step towards healthy living and wellness!" (introduction)"Smoothies" is a perfect example of how far healthy eating has evolved in our society---witness the saturated cookbook market. Take a casual stroll through the nearest Barnes and Noble bookstore and you will be able to pick up the latest foodie tome ghost-written for a celebrity who is doing nothing more than cashing in on what has become a very lucrative market. Normally, I avoid taking seriously any product that certain media-hungry people promote, simply because I dislike the excess materialism that they epitomize, and I really don't feel like contributing my hard-earned dollars (after taxes, of course) to enriching their coffers.I admit, I would probably peruse one of these if, say, Kobe Bryant was on the cover---simply because it would strike me as being completely ridiculous. Same thing goes for Newt Gingrich. Or Ted Nugent.Williams provides the reader numerous smoothie recipes for improving one's health. He takes into consideration the fact that there are certain individuals who simply eschew exercise like the plague, and he exhorts them to take small steps so that larger, long-term goals may be set and attained. His concern is evident throughout "Smoothies," despite the rah-rah, Veg-o-Matic tone he periodically displays: "(Smoothies) are the gift of youth and beauty! If you're like everybody else, you've probably made a long list of excuses not to eat right. You don't have time, you don't have money. . .(Smoothies) are ready in a matter of minutes and even a (three-year-old) could make them, they don't cost much. . .and are simply delicious" (introduction).Williams stresses that "fruits and veggies are your allies." In many respects this is a true statement: scientists and biologists have been discovering benefits of living as healthy a lifestyle as possible for many years, and have provided countless sources of data that corroborate the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables: leafy and dark greens such as spinach, artichoke and okra help fight cancer; chili peppers contain capsacin, a chemical that helps fight body inflammation; carrots have Vitamin A to combat night blindness; apples and pears provide much-needed fiber. Being able to combine these highly nutritious edibles into a delicious smoothie, as promoted by Williams, not only are visually attractive (especially with a lemon or lime wedge as a garnish), but delicious as well."Smoothies" is yet another work of Williams that is not only entertaining, but mouth-watering too.