The Power of Organic Fitness by Colman J Power
Colman is a big fan of The Urban Co-op and the feeling is mutual! The Power of Organic Fitness is a testament to his approach to health. Putting a book together to get his message out is just one of his energetic ways of communicating with his audience! Get on the good stuff! His regular social media presence is full of positivity and energy giving a glimpse of what is possible when we make the simple changes he recommends. Colman is a national treasure and an inspiration to us all! Anne Maher
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The Great Plant-Based Con by Jayne Buxton
Delia Smith calls this the most incredible book. Sunday Times suggests it is persuasive, entertaining and well researched. This is on my to read list for July but for a change am listening to it on audible as a taster. I recently attended a conference where a very measured panel discussion on this topic was held and this is where I first heard about this book. My interest was peaked. It had to be dived into! Here is what Amazon have said. Plant-based is best for health, go vegan to help save the planet, eat less meat... Almost every day we are bombarded with the seemingly incontrovertible message that we must reduce our consumption of meat and dairy - or eliminate them from our diets altogether. But what if the pervasive message that the plant-based diet will improve our health and save the planet is misleading - or even false? What if removing animal foods from our diet is a serious threat to human health, and a red herring in the fight against climate change. In THE GREAT PLANT-BASED CON, Jayne Buxton demonstrates that each of these 'what-ifs' is, in fact, a reality. Drawing on the work of numerous health experts and researchers, she uncovers how the separate efforts of a constellation of individuals, companies and organisations are leading us down a dietary road that will have severe repercussions for our health and wellbeing, and for the future of the planet. THE GREAT PLANT-BASED CON is neither anti-plant nor anti-vegan - it is a call for us to take an honest look at the facts about human diets and their effect on the environment. Shocking and eye-opening, this book outlines everything you need to know to make more informed decisions about the food you choose to eat. Dietary trends have come and gone over the past few decades (often with disastrous consequences) and we need to be able to talk about the seemingly blanket solutions that are provided as the answer to all environmental problems. It is time to pull back the reins on the eager policy makers who fail to question the narratives amid the censorship and agendas… Anne Maher Ultra-Processed People by Chris van Tulleken
Whether we like it or not the world of UPF or Ultra Processed Food is all around us. Irelands diet is made up of 46% UPF on average which really is rather a lot considering we produce a lot of food too. This is not the first book on UPF that I have read but thought this one would be interesting, and it does not disappoint. Chris urges us at the beginning to not stop eating UPF which was a surprise. Instead, he brings us on a journey of discovery of science, economics, history and production of ultra-processed food. The choice to eat healthily is more than just a personal decision and sterling will power. Our food environments are taken over with these UPF products and it makes it almost impossible to make healthy choices. This book will make you understand why. At the end of the day our health has suffered extensively because of these foodstuffs and for many the realization of their toxicity is a catalyst to change. Needless to say, he does the self-experiment of eating just this way after a “clean” diet and he reports on his progress and health outcomes…. By the end of the book, you can make up your own mind on what to eat. The Ultra Processed Food industry is complex and self-perpetuating. To increase their share of the market means real food has to be removed. Surrounding ourselves and protecting real food is part of the recovery process. We are working on it! Anne Maher Nourishment by Fred Provenza
What animals can teach us about rediscovering our nutritional wisdom. Fred Provenza is someone I would love to meet. He has written this book in recent years, and it is possibly safe to say it will be a classic in time. How do animals in the wild understand what food is good for them? How do they know which healing plants are edible when they are sick? The knowledge of orangutans on their use of medicinal plants for example gives us a glimpse into the profound depth of wisdom we can only dream of. So, what can we learn from this? The nutrition field is an enormous one and all the education in the world from the renowned “experts” is no substitute for the innate wisdom that we apparently have, if we only tune into it. There is so much we already know without realising it. The term trusts our gut rings true here in more ways than one. I thoroughly and deeply enjoyed this book but then I understand it ticks many boxes for me and draws together a lot of information of which I was familiar. This may not be to everyone’s taste. However, the themes he covers affect us all and I urge everyone to dip their toe in the water of his knowledge. The work of Clara M Davis on children self-selecting their weaning diet is particularly fascinating to learn about in today’s era of picky eating for instance. Audio books makes this gem very accessible too and as a taster why not listen to a podcast where he talks about the book himself. You won’t regret it. Anne Maher This is the latest recommendation that I am currently attempting to give my attention to! It is no wonder it is a best seller because we can all relate to the subject matter. Why we are loosing our ability to pay attention! By the time you read this I may have finished the book and found some answers to how to improve our focus but for now I am certainly enjoying learning more about how our poor brains have been bombarded with encouraging us to “engage” more with meaningless content online. Extracting ourselves out of this intricate web in order to maintain some semblance of sanity and realism and improve our health is a key dilemma we no doubt all have.
For now both myself and daughter of 15 are reading it in the vain hope that she can understand something about the world she lives in and how to navigate it. Not sure if it will provide many answers but I do note she accepts the down time away from her phone more readily and she suggested a walk in the woods yesterday with me. Maybe there is hope! Anne Maher Gut & Psychology Syndrome by Dr Natasha Campbell McBride
There are books and there are books that shape your life. This is one of those gems! Many of our customers will be very familiar with this book. Some will even understand the role this book has played in the development of The Urban Co-op. To be honest I am kind of surprised when someone says no, I have never heard of it. You are welcome! How do you explain a book that takes a ton of complicated science and makes it readable for the majority? Plain English that is now translated into many languages making the message all the more accessible worldwide. When I read this book back in 2007 it was that lightbulb moment that helped me to see the power of real food, the importance of gut flora and let’s face it am still here talking about it! Gosh how trendy it all is now to hear about gut health. One chapter to mention covers the topic of fussy eating. She has helped so many parents overcome this torment. Dr Natasha was a very brave lady to drive forward this message at the time and she did meet with challenges and resistance. She has inspired many people to write cookbooks and we bring in samples at times. You may notice there are food stuffs like the GAPS sausages for sale here inspired by this book. Wide ripples folks, very wide ripples…. Anne Maher Nourishing Traditions Cookbook for Children. Suzanne Gross & Sally Fallon Morell
Over the years I have collected cookbooks like many folks that have grown up cooking. There are trends that ebb and flow as cookbooks accompanied the relevant TV programme chefs musings. Darina and Nigella have taken up space in my life for quite a time it has to be said. The battle between the need to keep traditional techniques and values with the modern fandangled trends continues in this genre and this is where we sit with this month’s recommendation. Tradition and real food are the priority now. Children’s cookbooks though are a pet peeve of mine. Queue the rant!! Teaching children to cook is a no brainer. It’s a necessary skill we can mostly agree on. But OMG the templates to support this venture are poisoned with sugar!! The very time our children are growing and developing we are drowning them in the toxicity of ultra-processed sweet “treats” and immersing them in a syrup of addiction that our society pays the eternal price for… diabetes, mental health problems etc etc. It was such a welcome breadth of fresh air when I first came across the Nourishing Traditions Cookbook for Children. Visually pleasing and easy to understand with pictorial prompts in the ingredients there is a wealth of nourishing recipes that embrace the philosophy of Weston A Price. Foods such as kefir, raw milk, fermented foods, soaked grains make an appearance and introduce children to the world of nourishing foods. What a game changer! I have no doubt it will be a long while before we see a celebrity chef cooking along with this cookbook on TV, but this makes it all the more special. Perhaps we can start our own trend for parents and support them to educate children and normalise real food again. Any budding celebrity chefs out there willing to break ground on this new venture? Give us a call at The Urban Co-op. You never know where this could lead..! Anne Maher THE POWER OF STRANGERS This book really caught my attention in the book shop recently and I have been enjoying it since. Themes of connection are strong in The Urban Co-op, and we acknowledge every day that it is a great place for people to connect while they shop for nourishing food. In a world that continues to teach us about all the hazards and fears we face; this book provides a level of refreshing reality that is timely and welcome. With lots of research, anthropology, and stories this book serves to reinforce the value of what we see every day here as people connect with each other and enhance the feeling of belonging. We recommend this New Years resolution! Anne Maher |
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March 2024
AuthorsRecipes from Katie Verling & Jacques |