It might seem strange that a nutritional adviser is reviewing a book about eating what you want, however I love the philosophy behind this book, and my recent post about how we get improved nutritional benefit from eating food we enjoy shows how much I believe in eating food we enjoy; food should not be the enemy.
The days when we were hunter gatherers and food was for nutritional value only are long gone. Our food choices are so vast and freely available we no longer need to eat what is put before us for fear of going hungry, we are bombarded at every corner with a multitude of options, some good and some not so good for us. Like fashion, clothing has become a statement of style and status. However, we should view food like a good winter coat; yes, we want it to look good, but it’s useless unless it keeps us warm.
Ruby talks about food and the power it has over us and our emotions. The good, the bad and the ugly. She clearly loves food, it is a big part of her life and she writes emotively about taste and feelings. However, this isn’t just a rhetoric about the food she enjoys, there is a lot of research behind this book her knowledge and research is the spine that keeps it together.
This isn’t a recipe book, although there are one or two in there, my favourite is the recipe she received from her Ghanaian Aunt Esther for Groundnut Soup, it epitomises the way she wants us all to eat, by cooking food we enjoy and re-establishing our relationship with food, rather than mindlessly following the latest food fad or formulaic diet plan. Ruby isn’t suggesting that we all go out gorge on donuts, but she does want to encourage us to fall back in love with our food. To enjoy the taste and the theatre that surrounds food, to take time to savour every mouthful and be kinder to ourselves as a result.
This book was actually a gift from a good friend, and I think that Ruby would approve. At the time of writing Dani has spent the last 842 days inspiring kindness by performing an act of kindness (mostly anonymously) every day, the book was my gift and day 788. I encourage you to follow Dani and her kindness journey, and to read this book if you love food, or you want to fall back in love with food again. I will leave you with one of Ruby’s quotes: “Food shouldn’t be a bad boyfriend dragging you down. It should nourish your body as much as it fuels you mind”
