Unleash the Power of NatureFoods

50 Revitalizing Foods that Heal Your Body, Promote Radiant Health & Rejuvenate Your Life

by Susan Smith Jones, Ph.D. 

Book reviewed by Mary Liro 

The perfect food book is like the perfect meal: satisfying, delicious, and not too much. NatureFoods is exactly that. Its simplicity and compelling information will appeal to anyone who is searching for high-level wellness and quality of life.  Smith Jones identifies 50 of the most powerful foods — there are actually more than 100 recommendations, if you include the shorter entries — and provides general information, nutritional values, health benefits, buying tips, culinary uses, lore and legend, and, when appropriate, descriptions of the more popular varieties of produce. 

In the face of staggering confusion and conflicting claims about the nutritional value of different foods, this timeless gem of a book is a concise guide to all of the benefits of familiar natural foods. Its format makes the information easy to locate and quick to review.  For convenience, foods are listed alphabetically and are accompanied by preparation suggestions for immediate use. Susan’s scrumptious, inventive recipes are easy to prepare and promise boundless pleasures, whether for your everyday table or for elaborate entertaining. 

This book will prove to be a valuable gift for any friend or family member who is skeptical about the ability to obtain essential vitamins and nutrients from a strictly plant-based diet.  Throughout the book, Susan cites scientific evidence that will help convince even the most devoted meat lover that incorporating more plant foods into his or her diet could help improve a myriad of health problems. 

Susan’s approach is grounded in the lifestyle she has chosen for herself.  It is based on the premise that nature provides us with just about everything we need to be radiantly healthy and vibrantly youthful well into our 80s and 90s.  She emphasizes the use of colorful, phytonutrient-rich foods and offers preparation techniques that enhance nutritional value and eliminate ingestion of chemicals and processed concoctions.  With this invaluable information, the reader is able to take control of his or her health and open the door to a more energetic, disease-free lifestyle. 

Neal Barnard, M.D., President of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and author of Breaking the Food Seduction, says about this book:  “A must-read for vegetarians, and anyone interested in vibrant health and great food, from an outstanding culinary instructor who writes from the heart.”  And Susan’s heart and passion for health shine through every page.  In the past few decades, she has helped thousands of people become more aware of how food choices affect their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.  Now you, too, have all this splendid information at your fingertips — distilled to fit into today’s busy, stress-filled life. 

NatureFoods goes one step farther by recommending specific appliances and kitchen tools essential for healthy food preparation.  Because Susan has  “walked the walk” and has worked as a nutrition counselor, culinary instructor, and whole-foods chef for over thirty years, she knows which items are the most useful and durable in the kitchen.  The reader can be confident that whatever she suggests will be of the best quality and help create delectable meals.  She also provides ample contact information to find and purchase those appliances which interest readers most. 

Whether you are nine or ninety-nine, a beginner or a long-time health enthusiast, and no matter where you live, there is a wealth of nourishing information in NatureFoods.  You’ll transform your life from ordinary to extraordinary as you are entertained, educated, motivated, and inspired.