There are few things more wholesome and enjoyable than picking up a good book and flipping through its pages. Add a cozy armchair and steaming mug of herbal tea, and you have yourself a completely lovely and enlightening afternoon. More than just a resource, a well-crafted book can offer sweet relief from the rumbling growl of fast-paced, manipulative media messages that we are exposed to daily. This year, we were inspired by many traditional food and natural living writers who captured the essence of what it truly means to live simply, healthfully and joyfully. And so, whether you find the time to make an event of it or just read a few pages on the go, here are the influential books we've read in 2012 that you don't want to miss.

Real Food All Year

Until the last 100 years or so people ate intuitively with the seasons for strength and vitality. Return to these harmonious patterns with this comprehensive season-by-season guide to nutritional principles and healing techniques that balance the body as nature intended. Brimming with over 35 scrumptious gluten-free recipes, shopping lists, meal suggestions, detoxifying cleanse guides, and tips for putting it all together, the information presented in this book is highly applicable and easy to integrate. The basic concepts of Chinese medicine and wisdom from other ancient traditions are interwoven as a framework for understanding how to maximize nutrients in the diet and energize the body. Curious to know more? Check out our blog post: Eating with the Seasons. 

 

 

The Naked Foods Cookbook

One of our most well-loved new cookbooks of the year, our copy of this book already has an assortment of bookmarks peaking out from the covers and stains dotting the pages. Learn how to create over 150 gluten-free, full-fat, “naked” recipes that emphasize the dynamic natural flavors and nutrients in fresh, whole foods. Easy-to-follow, this book has something for everyone from traditional cooking basics to impressive healthy cuisine. It is based on the idea that by giving your body what it craves, you build a more brilliant you with each bite of amazing-tasting food you eat. Discover a delicious assortment of naked comfort foods including homemade ghee, nourishing beef broth, noodle-less pesto vegetable linguini, coconut milk ice cream and many more.

 

Real Food Fermentation

Including fermented foods in the diet is a powerful way to strengthen the immune system, heal the digestive tract, easily assimilate a wide spectrum of nutrients and experience many other incredible health benefits. Yet, for many people, the idea of fermenting foods at home can seem altogether intimidating and out-of-reach...until now! Learn the practical food-preparation skill of fermentation with this brilliant new book. Author Alex Lewin leaves nothing to the imagination, covering everything: the process, the tools, how to get started, a guide to choosing the right ingredients and recipes for fermenting vegetables, grains, dairy, meat and more- all illustrated in beautiful, full-color photography. This is a book you are sure to return to again and again. 

 

 

Stop Autism Now

In his dynamic book Dr. Bruce Fife, author of the The Coconut Oil Miracle, Cooking with Coconut Flour and Stop Alzheimer’s Now, explores the under-acknowledged roles of diet, environment and vaccines in the autism epidemic. Without the convoluted perspective of vested-interest pharmaceutical organizations, Fife reveals the clear link of diet as a major player in the autism mystery and presents a viable, study-proven ketone based diet as a part of a cure. Full of recipes and suggestions, Fife gives readers the tools to make the change, to STOP the autism epidemic- and perhaps even more importantly he suggests that we can.

Super Nutrition For Babies

In a world where babies often munch on nutrient-bereft, processed cereals and fruit purees as their first foods, this colorful new book offers a refreshing perspective on the nutrient-dense foods young children truly need to thrive. Written by an experienced MD and a nutritionist, this is a resource dense with scientifically and clinically verified notes on the science, history and art of feeding young children; yet it is presented in a warm, personal and totally comprehensive way. Discover exactly why a high-fat diet is crucial for development and learn tips for incorporating superfoods like liver and organ meats into your baby's diet to build the brain, bolster the gut's integrity and heal tooth decay. Don’t just take our word for it...read the complete review by Sally Fallon Morell in the Summer 2012 issue of Wise Traditions!

"A wonderful guide for getting babies off to the right start, and helping them enjoy the gift of health for life." —Sally Fallon Morell, President, Weston A. Price Foundation 

 

 

Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox

In our opinion, this book falls into the “do not miss” category- we each took a turn reading it, and couldn’t stop discussing it when we were done. In this perspective-changing resource Kate Rheaume-Bleue BSc., ND reveals the groundbreaking new research suggesting that largely-ignored supernutrient vitamin K2 could be the missing link in preventing some of the most pervasive chronic illnesses of our time including osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s and heart disease. By linking the observations of Weston A. Price to cutting edge modern medical research, this innovative book demonstrates exactly how a traditional diet rich with grass-fed animal products and superfoods can truly revolutionize your health. Read more about this phenomenon in Mystery of the X-Factor Butter Oil and Vitamin K2: Solved and the article Bare Bones: The Truth about Calcium.