Curiously Conscious

What I’m Currently Reading…

Happy World Book Day! I didn’t in fact realise that it was World Book Day until lunchtime today, so this is a little hurried post, but I couldn’t not mention the few books that I’ve been dipping in and out of as background knowledge for mindful eating and conscious living.
Before I give them a brief overview though, I’d like to say a quick thank you to Birmingham Library for having some seriously great literature! A number of the books mentioned here are on loan to me from there, and it’s a wonder why libraries are falling out of favour – this is one place that really does give you something for nothing! That place is like a kingdom of reading, there’s so many levels and sections for every type of book imaginable. If you’re in the Birmingham area, it’s definitely worth a visit.
So, here’s my current pile of books that I’m thoroughly enjoying perusing (from L-R):
When I first picked up Raw, I assumed it was just a regular cookbook, but it’s come to be a gateway into the raw lifestyle, explaining its principles and reasons why it’s a good option to consider when eating well. For one thing, we as humans have been eating raw food for thousands of years! Our bodies are so well-adapted to eating fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts, legumes and seeds that we can gain nutrients more efficiently in its raw state. If you’d like to know more, I’d highly recommend getting your hands on this!
This is a relatively old book, and while I don’t agree with all its contents, I’ve found some very interesting facts about maintaining health and wellbeing naturally. It’s a great foundation for venturing into a nature-based lifestyle!

Vegetables & Salads by Le Cordon Bleu
In case you didn’t know, Le Cordon Bleu is a famous French culinary school that quite literally wrote the rule book on cooking. I first heard of the school through reading the history of Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking, which I picked up while living in Paris, and then I spotted this in Birmingham Library and couldn’t resist. It’s come in handy when writing my knives for the vegetarian kitchen blog, and is always a good point of reference when handling new and exotic produce.

The Superfood Kitchen
This little gem was my cheapest purchase – for only a few pounds in The Works, it’s a great starting place to look for new recipes (when I’m not looking through all the other vegetarian and healthy food blogs I follow!). As it’s simply a collection of recipes though, I would recommend finding a few other outlets to keep committed to eating well – it’s very easy to forget to have a look and then be stuck in the supermarket second-guessing recipe ingredients!

Mindful Eating by Rachel Bartholomew and Mandy Pearson
I’ve mentioned this previously on my blog, as it was the first step into applying mindfulness to cooking – from purchasing fresh, local produce to enjoying preparation and reaping the nutritional benefits too. There’s some great lessons to be learnt, and while I’m not a fan of “diet” books, this is one I fully support – changing your mindset to benefit your body.

Bringing the Food Economy Home by Helena-Norberg Hodge et al
I originally purchased this book for my dissertation, as I’ve been researching local food production and locavorism for my final French research project. However, I’d say that this book also has inspired me in part to keep up this blog and look for more conscious means of living, with food making up a big part of that. Not knowing where my food came from, and obliviously supporting food industries that encapsulate bad practices, was the crux for my adoption of vegetarianism and a healthier lifestyle! So if you’re looking for more information on that, as well as how it works on a national, economic scale, this is the book for you.

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