Synopsis

Founder of the popular lifestyle brand Bonberi, Nicole Berrie presents a guide to food-combining for a healthier, more balanced life

In Body Harmony, Nicole Berrie reveals how she personally transitioned from the partying years of her teens and twenties to the fast-paced world of fashion and media, eventually settling into a thriving and balanced life and career in wellness. Sharing recipes, advice, and thoughtful guidance, this book is an inspirational lifestyle manual and cookbook dedicated to those seeking the ever-elusive answer to how to nourish themselves with clean, plant-based foods while still indulging in the joys and delicacies of life.

In the introductory chapters, Berrie outlines the founding tenets of the Body Harmony lifestyle and discusses topics ranging from plant-based cooking and intuitive eating to the importance of nontoxic beauty rituals and self-care. In addition, the book includes more than 50 original vegan recipes for juices, smoothies, salads, soups, and grounding grain-based dishes, all meant to cleanse and nourish the body and soul while keeping the reader both pretty and full.

Amazon * B&N * Abrams Books

Thoughts

I have not had time to fully dive into this book yet but what I have read so far is fascinating. This is so much more than a cookbook. We all have tried various diets and sometimes succeeded and other times not and that can ding your psyche especially when it isn’t as successful. Nicole shares with us that we know our bodies better than any diet and we know what fuels our bodies and how we feel when we eat certain things. Our intuition is better than any diet because what works for one person may not work for another. She shares with us her journey from childhood to adult life and her struggles along the way. She failed at times and succeeded at others. The steps she lays out in this book are general and put the effort back on us to get honest with ourselves, have patience, learn how to say no, listen to the cravings, and find our happy place. It isn’t an easy journey but one that will make us healthier people in the end.

Before the recipes start there are several helpful guides including a food combining chart, tools to have in your kitchen, groceries to purchase, and a few other tips to help you on this journey.

The recipes in this book are plant-based but you could easily add meat to a dish or use some of these as side dishes to your main course. There are smoothies, salads, vegetable dishes, soups, sweets, and a chapter with all sorts of dressings, dips, and spreads. I’ve earmarked a few to try out this summer.

Here is one dish I want to try soon – Creamy Cilantro Rice. While I am avoiding carbs right now (bread, rice, etc), I bet this would be tasty on riced cauliflower.

Creamy Cilantro Rice

Ingredients

2 cups rice (basmati, jasmine, brown)
4 cups filtered water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 red onion, minced

Cilantro sauce:

1 bunch cilantro, rinsed and patted dry
2 cloves garlic
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 jalapeno (keep the seeds if you want it spicy)
1/4 cup olive or avocado oil
salt & pepper to taste

Rinse the rice in a colander under cold water until the water runs clear. Drain.

In a large pot, add the rinsed rice, water, and salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, until the rice is cooked, mixing occasionally, about 20 minutes (35-40 if using brown rice). Remove from the heat and fluff immediately; set aside.

While the rice is cooking, combine the cilantro, garlic, lime juice, jalapeno, and oil in a food processor or blender. Blend, slowly adding in water until you achieve a creamy, liquid consistency. Season with salt and pepper as needed.

Pour the sauce into the pot with the cooked rice and mix well until the rice is fully coated and you achieve a creamy risotto-like consistency.

Serve warm.