Brendan Brazier, a North Vancouver athlete and the best-selling author of the Thrive Diet, wasn’t actually on my radar until recently when Penguin sent me this book to review. Initially I was intrigued by the fact that he is a Canadian, and then I spotted the amazing endorsements on this book from world-renowned athletes and celebrities like Hugh Jackman. You don’t have to be a trend-watcher or buzz agent to know that the Whole Foods movement is hot right now. So the book had buzz, endorsements and a Canadian cool quotient that hooked me. But let’s face it these things are really more like icing on a cake or eye candy. So how about the book itself, or the cake if you want a food metaphor to follow? Is it every bit as yummy as the intial suggestions? The answer, in short, is yes. Whole Foods to Thrive is an amazing resource that I will keep in my kitchen for years to come. It is a self help book, crossed with a cookbook and lifestyle/diet guide. It is chock full of common sense science that supports the idea that people’s bodies get sick, physically and psychologically, because of the way we eat. Remove the processed foods, ditch the sugar and other stimulants and pay attention to how your body responds. Now I can’t actually say that I have hopped on this bandwagon yet. I aspire to get there eventually. Brazier’s recipes will help. The latter half of the book has the most remarkable whole food recipes like Zucchini Hummus, a recipe that is provided by Gorilla Food in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Pumpkin Gnocci from the Millennium Restaurant in San Francisco. There are over 200 recipes here and I can’t wait to get started making several. All of the recipes included are plant-based, allergen free and contain no wheat, yeast, gluten, soy, dairy or corn. Even if you had no interest in the rest of this book – which is highly unlikely if you pick it up and spend a couple of hours with it – the recipes alone are well worth the price. I love the natural approach and the science at the start of this book that explains how things like caffeine work on our bodies. This is a great educational tool for those remotely interested in nutrition and self change.

I learned from this book that despite my initial misgivings coconut oil is one of the healthiest and most easily digestible ways to fry food. It is the best and only way to fry according to Brazier, who notes that because it is so easily digestible it converts quickly to energy. This is smart eating and cooking and I can easily use much of this and pass the information down through my family.

“The consumption of chlorophyll-rich leafy green vegetables combined with moderate exercise is the best way to create a biologically younger body.”

“Squash – combined with the correct workout – will contribute to the process of muscle building.”

“Less energy spent on digestion equates to more available energy.”

      Two Free Recipes (Excerpts From the Book!!)

                                or two fresh or soaked dried dates. Since ginger is a natural anti-inflammatory,

this is an ideal choice for a post-workout snack. (2 minutes, makes 3 cups)

                                                                                                ½ pear, cored

                                                                                                    1 cup water

                                                                        1 cup Sunflower Hemp Seed Milk (see p. 126)

                                                                                         1 tbsp ground flaxseed

                                                                                        1 tbsp hemp protein powder

                                                                                        1 tbsp peeled, grated ginger

                                                       • In a blender, combine all ingredients and blend until smooth.

                                                sustainable, non-stimulating energy. (5 minutes) Makes 2 lg servings.

                                                                     2 fresh or presoaked dried dates

                                                                                       1 cup water

                                                        1 cup Sacha Inchi Milk (or chocolate variation) (see p. 126)

                                                                 ¼ cup almonds (or 2 tbsp raw almond butter)

                                                                                 1 tbsp ground flaxseed

                                                                             1 tbsp hemp protein powder

                                                                             1 tbsp roasted carob powder

This one gets a $$$$$ out of $$$$$ because it is the whole package, no pun intended. The recipes and the healthy cooking and eating tips all combine for a great resource and healthy eating guide.

Luckily I have a prize to giveaway too thanks to Penguin, Vega and the author. Open to Canada only. This is ideal for runners.