Tens of thousands of people have put down their knives in favor of a vegan or vegetarian diet, for lower weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol. Many people got exactly what they were looking for, along with a few surprises, such as loss of bone density and dental issues. For all those who “overcorrected,” chef Mielle Chénier-Cowan Rose, who studied at Bauman College and has been a vegan chef and advocate for natural living for over 15 years, is the cook with the book. She has experienced much the same in her journey as a vegan chef raising her vegan child. This utterly unique cookbook offers over 100 easyto-make vegan recipes and many basic cooking techniques, as well as advanced options including pages of sage advice about food and nutrition, from her 20-year vegetarian diet to eating some animal-based foods. Veganish is necessary reading for anybody considering this lifestyle and a must for veggie families with children.

—MELISSA BAER

Having been aware of Rudolf Steiner’s ideas about the spiritual significance of our blood, I was intrigued to see a new book come across my desk called The Spiritual Mysteries of Blood by Christopher Vasey, ND. For being such a slender volume, it’s packed with fascinating information. Vasey basically takes up the esoteric idea that our blood acts as the bridge between body and spirit. He explains how our blood’s natural radiation connects our bodies to our spirits and serves as a means of communication between the two. As a naturopath, Vasey also offers practical nutrition, diet, and health tips to help the reader maintain blood health for spiritual purposes.

Most interesting perhaps is Vasey’s writing on the spiritual purpose of eating. Vasey reveals how highly processed diets, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, heavy metal poisoning, medications, drugs, and alcohol negatively affect blood radiation and lead to physical, emotional, and spiritual imbalances. The book gives advice on the ideal diet for each individual, whether omnivore, vegetarian, or allergyprone, to optimize blood radiation. The author suggests a diet that focuses on organically produced and additive-free food to avoid introducing any toxins or artificial ingredients into the bloodstream.

Blood does far more than transport oxygen and nutrients. It removes metabolic wastes and conveys hormonal messages from one cell to another. Every change in the composition of our blood induces changes in our state of being and influences our psychic state. Many mental conditions such as loss of drive, unexplained sadness, and irritability can be treated by restoring balance to the blood.

The Spiritual Mysteries of Blood is a small book at 160 pages, but it’s filled with fascinating writing on the blood’s connection to the spiritual states and how to maintain the overall health of our blood for spiritual reasons.

—MELISSA BAER

The reason you turn to food when you’re stressed or distressed is that you don’t have better ways of managing life’s ups and downs. According to Karen R. Koenig, an expert on the psychology of eating, you can transform your eating habits—and your life—by developing effective life skills. When you have enhanced skills, you won’t need to turn to mindless eating to make it through the day and will get the best out of life rather than letting life get the best of you. With Koenig’s guidance, you’ll learn how to establish and maintain functional relationships, take care of yourself physically and emotionally, think rationally, and create a passionate, joyful, and meaningful life. When these behaviors take root and become automatic, food becomes what it is meant to be: nourishment and one of life’s many pleasures.

—MELISSA BAER