Book Review: Eat & Flourish

Nonfiction guide by Mary Beth Albright, published 2022

216 pages

Well Researched & Engaging, Eat & Flourish Changes How You View Food

As someone who really tries to pay attention to their diet - and I don't mean the cultural "dieting," but rather my actual food consumption - this book immediately caught my interest.

My family and I tend to focus on trying to eat more whole foods, to cook our dinners at home for the most part, and this year, I'm attempting to start growing vegetables and herbs as well (wish me luck!).

That said, I always think of food simply based on nutritional value and taste, for example plain Greek yogurt with local honey mixed in, topped with berries. That's a breakfast which is loaded with probiotics and protein, plus fiber and anti-inflammation properties...and it also tastes delicious! Eat & Flourish opened my eyes to how your food intake supports mental and emotional well-being, just as much as it supports your physical well-being.

Albright, a professional journalist, keeps the reader engaged throughout the whole book with her writing style and way of mixing in the tons of research that she cites. I was blown away at how she redefined the traditional views on "diet culture" and "emotional eating." She explained a variety of studies in a way that was understandable and accessible to the layman, and I learned SO MUCH about the gut microbiome, the brain-blood barrier, and how specific nutrients can affect mental health on the day to day.

Probiotic-rich foods [...] improves your ability to handle stressful social situations.

I love that Albright also made it a point to never body shame, and in fact, discussed the science behind certain types of unhealthy eating behaviors and suggestions to break the cycle.

The book is concluded with a way to ease into this new way of thinking about your diet - creating themed weeks over a month long period. Week 1: Microbiome; Week 2: Inflammation; Week 3: Nutrients; and Week 4: Pleasure. She provides examples of how to really take each theme to heart, as well as recipes to try. These recipes honestly looked delicious and doable, because while I cook pretty frequently these days, I prefer simpler recipes.

5 out of 5 Stars

Each chapter was absolutely enlightening and has changed the lens through which I view eating. I took pictures of every recipe she included, since I don't own the book, and plan to begin incorporating them into my family's dinner rotation. I love that I learned so much valuable information in easy to consume chunks, and I truly hope that more people read this book to understand how to have the best relationship that they can with food!

Overall, highly recommend- we all have to eat, why not make it a pleasurable experience that's good for your body and your mind?