April 2021 Cookbook Reviews

 

Eat Better, Feel Better by Giada De Laurentiis

I think most people who have watched Giada on TV would assume she just has an amazing metabolism because she's an Italian chef who stays slim and in shape. And while I'm sure genetics do play a role, in the first half of this book she shares her decade long struggle with health issues. She had a very busy career so she was often traveling and not always getting enough sleep or exercise. But, she was also struggling to eat the right things as well. Once she decided to make a change she reorganized her priorities around rest and exercise, but also changed her eating habits as well - recognizing (with her doctor's help) which foods her body was struggling to process and eliminating or limiting those foods. While this isn't a vegan or extreme diet book, she does recommend doing a certain type of food cleanse a few times a year. The second half of the book is recipes which highlight her new way of eating more veggies, leafy greens, and lean protein. While I didn't find a ton of recipes I wanted to try, there were a few that I want to try out. I was also very impressed with how open she was about all of her health issues and it just further highlights that what you see on TV (or online) with celebrities is not the whole story.