As a child, I remember elders in my community talking about their health challenges and how doctors assured them that food had little or no effect on disease. With advances in every field of health and nutritional science, it’s now widely known that a wholesome diet and a vibrant lifestyle are key for a long and robust life.
In spite of this information, the vast majority of people today struggle to eat well for a variety of reasons, including not having the skill and time to prepare healthy food. By providing simple, tasty, and nourishing recipes, The Integrative Nutrition Cookbook solves that problem. In this much-needed food preparation guide, Joshua Rosenthal does what he does best: With efficiency and simplicity, he opens you to the full spectrum of culinary experience, from vegan to omnivore, while encouraging quality choices that mirror your current lifestyle and state of emotional and physical health.
Like Joshua, I enjoy nothing more than stepping into my kitchen to cook, so I’m thrilled that he’s put together these recipes for you. As one of the most innovative teachers in nutrition today, Joshua is pioneering new thinking that excludes no one. People with an interest in improving their lives can find exceptional value in the dietary teachings he provides in his programs. And these teachings, including the recipes in this book, represent the most effective nutrition and food therapies available.
In the modern world, emotions are a guiding force for nearly everyone. More than anyone I’ve observed, Joshua understands the nature and value of emotional clarity and how to guide his students with simple, coherent steps that result in optimal nutrition.
Now I want to emphasize a few topics that complement this essential cookbook.
The first step to good health is an open mind and heart. When you engage in calming practices like simple, silent contemplation, meditation, prayer, or mantra, you set the stage for optimal health. When your mind is calm and clear, you discover that most challenges in life actually have an inner function that sparks your curiosity to explore what’s going on for you.
As you begin to incorporate these focusing practices, you tend to naturally make better nutritional choices. There are few better teachers than Joshua Rosenthal to guide you through basic cooking to nourish your body on all levels. With a little practice, preparing simple, flavorful food can become not only enjoyable, but a virtually effortless process.
Simpler cooking is better, as complicated recipes can be harder to digest and often contain more irritants and even toxic ingredients. So let’s stick with the basics as I introduce you to Joshua’s collection of nutrient-dense, delicious recipes.
There are dozens of factors that play a role in vibrant health and mental clarity, simple and clean food being one of them. Other fundamental factors that set the stage for health are clean air, sunlight, and pure water. Inhaling fresh air and getting adequate sunlight, even when there’s cloud coverage, supports vitality in all bodily systems, including the bones, tissues and fluids. Sunlight also has been used traditionally, as well as in modern medicine, to brighten the mind and boost the spirit.
Air is often overlooked as a nutrient, but it’s actually crucial to good health. Are you breathing enough clean air? When you go from the city to the country, for example, you notice the change in air quality immediately, and you feel energized. When you’re breathing toxic air, your immune system is compromised and you’re more likely to get sick, have congested skin, and suffer digestive issues. When you breathe vibrant air and get exposure to sunlight, you become activated and feel light and focused.
Then we have water—you’ve probably heard many times how key it is for health. Male adults are 60% water, and females about 55%. Given that statistic, you can imagine how crucial it is to keep your body hydrated. When your system is lubricated with fresh water, your digestion, circulation, and all other functions run smoothly. Water also helps regulate appetite. Often when you’re hungry, you just need a glass of water, a cup of herbal tea, vegetable juice, a piece of melon, coconut water, or other high-quality beverage. When you’re hydrated, your hunger calibrates so you only crave food when your body truly needs it.
The benefits of water are numerous, but all you really need to know is that you should quench your thirst with pure water by itself and as an ingredient in foods such as soups and healthy drinks, every day.
So it’s clear: Even before learning about food preparation, the key nutrients to consume are clean sources of water and air, along with daily exposure to sunlight. Of course, avoid over-exposure and sunburn.
After you’ve given your body these foundational nutrients, consider that your food fuels the building blocks for every part of your body. When making nutritional choices, choose the highest quality food available, because food is much more than just fuel, it also contributes to cell renewal and longevity. When you fill your body with toxic, processed food, you compromise your health and make yourself far more susceptible to chronic illness. When you consume organic fruits and vegetables, healthy sources of protein and fats, and unrefined complex carbohydrates, you can reach optimal health.
By experimenting with Joshua’s recipes, you’ll be able to replace processed ingredients in your diet with nutritious ones. You’ll find great ideas for appetizers, entrees, and side dishes, as well as healthy beverages; even desserts are an available option. These recipes are the perfect place to start when creating a balanced relationship with food and cooking. Cooking and eating well is one of the surest ways to create a strong, vital body and mind.
Paul Pitchford
author of Healing with Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition