Now Available for pre-order
Learn how to live a healthy life and leave a legacy of wellness by looking both to the past and to the future.
You Are What Your Grandparents Ate takes conventional wisdom about the origins of chronic disease and turns it upside down. Rooted in the work of the late epidemiologist Dr. David Barker, it highlights the exciting research showing that heredity involves much more than the genes your parents passed on to you. Thanks to the relatively new science of epigenetics, we now know that the experiences of previous generations may show up in your health and well-being.
Many of the risks for chronic diseases — including obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and dementia — can be traced back to your first 1,000 days of existence, from the moment you were conceived. The roots of these vulnerabilities may extend back even further, to experiences your parents and grandparents had — and perhaps even beyond.
Similarly, what happens to you will affect your children and grandchildren. That’s why it’s so important to make good dietary choices, get a suitable amount of exercise and be cautious about exposure to toxins. Positive lifestyle changes have been shown to spark epigenetic adjustments that can lead to better health, not only for yourself, your offspring and their children, but also for generations to come.
This book makes hard science accessible. It is a call to action for social as well as personal change, delivering the message that by changing our own health, we can also influence the future of the world.
Judith Finlayson is a bestselling author who has written books on a variety of subjects, from personal well-being and women’s history to food and nutrition. A former national newspaper columnist for The Globe and Mail, magazine journalist and board member of various organizations focusing on legal, medical and women’s issues, she is
also the author of over a dozen cookbooks. Judith lives in Toronto, Canada.
Foreword by Dr. Kent Thornburg, Professor of Medicine and Director of the Center for Developmental Health at the Knight Cardiovascular Institute, and Director of the Bob and Charlee Moore Institute for Nutrition & Wellness at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Oregon.
YOU ARE WHAT YOUR GRANDPARENTS ATE
Now Available
Chile peppers bring both sweet and fiery zest to dishes — discover a fascinating and seemingly endless variety within the pages of this delightful book.Contrary to popular belief, a pepper does not need to make your eyes water or start a fire in your mouth to qualify as a chile. “Chile” is simply the common name for the fruit of the capsicum plant and chiles come in a wide variety of colors, shapes and flavors.
There are five major species of chile peppers and thousands of varieties, in a wide range of sizes, shapes and colors. Even experts disagree about how many there actually are. So it is probably not surprising that the spelling for the word itself is somewhat problematic. Is it chili, chilli or chile? You are likely to come across all of those spellings if you are reading up on the topic.
This comprehensive book (which serves as both a reference and a cookbook) from bestselling author and expert researcher Judith Finlayson takes you through dozens of chiles and provides absorbing information on everything from the historical and geographic origins of chiles to information on the Scoville scale (which measures the hotness of a chile and was invented by Wilbur Scoville) to the health benefits of chiles and finally, 250 delicious and inventive recipes.
Full color throughout, this book takes inspiration from chiles and embraces them with an enthusiasm that maximizes their true flavor potential. From fiery Tex-Mex inspired meals to savory and sweet Thai dishes, this incredible collection of recipes is sure to make you a lover of all things chile.
Wheat Berry Minestrone with Leafy Greens
Here’s a hearty meal-in-a-bowl that makes a delicious lunch or light supper any time of the year. Wheat berries combined with legumes and leafy greens, such as kale or Swiss chard, make a soup that is equally delicious and nutritious, containing a very high amount of dietary fiber, among other nutrients. I like to serve this soup for supper, accompanied by whole-grain bread and a simple green salad. Leftovers make an excellent second meal, a great snack or a superb welcome home for hungry travelers.
Cranberry-Orange Pecan Muffins
These muffins are so delicious it’s hard to believe they are also nutritious and convenient to boot. You can make the batter ahead of time and refrigerate overnight. Put them in the oven before you shower, and by the time you’re finished, your muffins will be ready to eat.
- • 12-cup muffin tin, lightly greased
- 1 cup whole wheat flour 250 mL
- 1⁄2 cup whole barley flour 125 mL
- 1⁄2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 125 mL
- 3⁄4 cup granulated sugar 175 mL
- 3⁄4 cup chopped pecans 175 mL
- 2 tsp baking powder 10 mL
- 1⁄2 tsp salt 2 mL
- 1⁄4 tsp baking soda 1 mL
- 1 egg
- 1⁄2 cup sour cream 125 mL
- 2 tsp finely grated orange zest 10 mL
- 1⁄2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 125 mL
- 1⁄4 cup vegetable oil 50 mL
- 11⁄2 cups cranberries, coarsely chopped 375 mL
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C)
- 1. In a large bowl, combine whole wheat, barley and all-purpose flours, sugar, pecans, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Mix well and make a well in the center.
- 2. In a separate bowl, beat egg. Add sour cream, orange zest, orange juice and oil and beat well. Pour into the well and mix with dry ingredients just until blended. Fold in cranberries. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups.
- 3. Bake in preheated oven until the top springs back when lightly touched, about 25 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes before removing from pan.
- Tips
- If you’re making the batter ahead of time, don’t add the cranberries until you’re ready to bake. You can chop them, cover and refrigerate overnight. The batter will keep for two nights, so if you’re baking half, chop half the cranberries and do the remainder the following night.
- Use fresh or frozen cranberries, as you prefer.
- If using frozen, partially thaw them and blot in paper towel before adding to the
- batter.
Coconut Rice Pudding with Flambeed Bananas
It is hard to believe that something this easy to make can taste so delicious.Whenever I make this, temptation strikes — I fantasize about not sharing it andeating the whole thing myself.
Goji Spiked Quince
Quinces are a fabulous winter fruit that are made for the slow cooker because they demand cooking. Raw, the quince is a tough, fibrous ball. Softened by slow cooking, it turns a beautiful shade of pink and melts in your mouth, releasing a panoply of complex flavors. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Homemade chile oil
Homemade chile oil. I’ve lined my funnel with cheesecloth to strain out the bits of dried chile (easier than pouring through a fine mesh sieve). It will keep in the fridge for up to a month. A light drizzle is a great finish for many dishes.
Basmati Rice Pudding
The cardamom in this pudding provides an irresistible Indian flavor. I like to serveit at room temperature, but it also works warm or cold and I love having leftovers in the refrigerator for an afternoon snack. This makes a generous serving, so ifyou have enjoyed a substantial meal, you will likely want to reduce the quantity.
Creamy Polenta with Corn and Chiles
In my opinion, polenta is a quintessential comfort food. I love it as side dish, where it is particularly apt at complementing robust stews, or as a main course topped with a traditional pasta sauce. This version, which contains the luscious combination of corn and chiles, also works as a main course on its own. I like to serve it with a tossed salad, sliced tomatoes with vinaigrette or some marinated roasted peppers, all of which would add a panoply of valuable nutrients to the meal.
Sausage-Spiked Chickpeas with Yogurt
It’s hard to believe that a dish so simple to make can taste so delicious. This is the perfect combination of ingredients — they seem to work synergistically, each enhancing the flavor of the others. The slightly sour tang of the yogurt makes a particularly nice finish.
