Paper Palate

Here in the northeast, we are in the dregs of summer. Temperatures are soaring and cooking is just about the farthest thing from many peoples minds. So I am stepping beyond the usually cooking related fare here at Hump Day Horizons to look at books focused on balanced living and longevity.

Long life is a wonderful thing, particularly if you are a functioning and contributing person throughout. John Robbins book looks at cultures where there are many long-living people who do just that. But if it’s shear balance you are looking for, Jason Robert’s book examines how to get and maintain it.

Now for those of us who want to get our inner balance by achieving outer balance, Skinny Chicks is here to let us in on a few secrets.

Enjoy the selections and stay cool!

Elements
by Jason Roberts – Jason Roberts/$34.95

Good Morning America contributor Jason Roberts purports an eating philosophy that is centered around grazing, or eating many small meals instead of a few large ones. Basically it’s all about striking a balance for a healthier life.

The recipes are said to mix classical French cooking with Asian influences and modern Australian cuisine.

This book is due out in September.

The Secrets of Skinny Chicks
by Karen Bridson – McGraw-Hill/$15.95

Models, actresses, sports stars and other thin women – 25 of them in fact – are profiled in this book that answers the question, “How does she get to looking like that?!?” Forget the airbrushing, this book has real tips on planning meals, exercising and upping your metabolism.

And who couldn’t use a few tips?

This book is due out this month.

Healthy at 100: The Scientifically Proven Secrets of the World’s Healthiest and Longest-Lived Peoples
by John Robbins – Random House/$25.95

You might remember hearing about John Robbins. He’s the Baskin-Robbins heir who rejected his inheritance to promote healthier living.

In this book, Robbins looks at cultures known for their longevity - the Abkhazia, the Vilcabamba, the Hunza, and the Okinawans are all fodder for his point that long life is nothing, if it isn’t a quality life.

According to Library Journal:

These elders are a functioning part of their society and make necessary contributions to their families and communities. Robbins considers the ways they accomplish this and offers suggestions our own society would do well to follow.

This book is due out in September.