Oprah's got a book club, Gwyneth Paltrow's got a book club... and so does the Moscow Food Co-op! The Good Food Book Club to be exact. Coordinated by fabulous Participating Owner, Rachel Caudill, this book club is sure to offer something for the health, eco and community minded reader. All book club selections can be purchased at BookPeople of Moscow, 521 South Main Street and are discounted for book club members.
The November Good Food Book Club selection is VB6: Eat Vegan Before 6:00 by Mark Bittman. You can read Rachel's review of Bittman's book after the jump.
Join us in reading the November Co-op Good Food Book Club selection VB6: Eat Vegan Before 6:00 to Lose Weight and Restore Your Health…for Good by Mark Bittman. The Book Club will meet Sunday, November 24, from 7:00-8:30 at a member’s private residence to discuss VB6 and share a tasty vegan treat provided by the Co-op. Email bookclub@moscowfood.coop for more information and directions.
I love this book. And I’m not alone…in the short time since its publication it’s made headlines, enjoyed excellent reviews, and is changing lives for the better. Like far too many Americans, long-time food writer Mark Bittman underwent a serious health wake-up call a handful of years ago. He was 40 pounds overweight, his cholesterol had ratcheted skywards, his blood numbers indicated pre-diabetes, and he was suffering from sleep apnea. He faced a choice. Start a permanent but questionable drug regime, or, said his doctor, “You should probably become a vegan.”
Well. Mark Bittman, though he has many vegan friends, says, “The world of omnivores is where I live…full-time.” How to resolve this dilemma? His doctor said, “You’re a smart guy, figure something out.”
What Mark Bittman figured out fits this month’s theme—veggie vs. meat—perfectly. Because what he shows is that it’s not either or, veggie vs. meat, but that we humans thrive when we eat the foods we evolved to eat: many, many plants (fruits and veggies), grains, nuts, and beans…with the occasional meat thrown in when we manage to bring down an actual animal. He shows us how the Standard American Diet (SAD) has turned our eating upside down—most of us eat meat, dairy, and processed products far out of proportion to the foods we actually need. That has impacted not only our health, but the well-being of millions of industrially farmed animals, and the planet itself; including climate change.
Within weeks of making his change to eating vegan before six, Bittman lost 15 pounds, was sleeping soundly, his cholesterol dropped a whopping 60 points, and he felt better than he’d felt in years…energized, alert, alive, awake. He was thriving. VB6 is a transformative, exciting, and positive agent for the kinds of sweeping change we need. Read it and see if you don’t want to buy ten copies to give to your friends and family.
Please join us to discuss Vegan Before Six Sunday, November 24 from 7:00-8:30 pm. Remember to email bookclub@moscowfood.coop for the meeting location and directions and/or to receive email reminders about the Good Food Book Club.Vegan Before Six (Clarkson Potter 2013) by Mark Bittman is available through your local library. If you are interested in buying the book, check out the area’s local used book stores or visit Book People of Moscow where Book Club members receive a discount. For more information about the Good Food Book Club, check out the Outreach section of the MFC website at www.moscowfood.coop.
