Thrive Energy Cookbook

Mindful eating! What does this mean? How does one eat this way? Do I want to eat this way? What is mindless eating? People love to eat and their days and lives can be centered solely around food. Some people live to eat! Eating has morphed into a favorite hobby, pass time, or activity if you will, that delivers an addictive euphoric feeling that people want more and more and more of. An abundance of food is readily available, portion sizes are massive, and fast food is cheap. The result is copious people eating huge volumes of unhealthy food, even when they’re not hungry. Packaging, appearance, and the smell of food is just too much to resist. Ambience has a lot to do with it too, hanging out with friends and family, puts you in that cozy mood for food. And so, we talk, we visit, we reminisce, while overfilling with high sugar, high fat, and low nutrient foods, just because it’s there.

Mindful eating is being aware and conscious of what you are putting in your mouth. It’s also about intention, you’re eating with the aim of improving your health, your energy, your cognition, your fitness, or whatever your body needs help with. I recently perused through a conscious cookbook that will encourage us to reflect on what we eat.

Thrive Energy Cookbook was written by Brendan Brazier, an endurance triathlete, author, and a vegan diet advocate. Brendan focused on his workouts with intention, with purpose, and a specific goal, and he became very successful. He pondered and consider if all areas of his program were equally as focused. Realizing his diet was not, he began analyzing his food with a purpose and intent mindset as well. The result was a healthy streamlined vegan diet that gave him ultimate energy which enhanced his performance.

I know what you’re thinking, if its vegan and healthy foods, it’s going to be tasteless and boring! You only have to try a few of these recipes to realize it’s not so. Branden wants us to be mindfully aware of the kinds of foods we are filling and fortifying our bodies with, but he’s also aware it has to taste good too. There are 150 consciously made and energy inspired recipes that will restore your health and fuel your body with the clean, vibrant, and nutrient-rich foods. The book starts you off with the basics and what you should have in your pantry. There are lots of vibrant pictures that will compel you to test drive the recipe, a lot of times it’s the image that inspires me.

Branden shares that greens and vegetables are natural energy boosters and won’t clog your system down with long digestion times. Leafy greens are the real energy powerhouses and immune-boosting rock stars on the planet. They are the most nutrient-dense foods and are abundant in vitamins, minerals, chlorophyll, phytochemicals, and micronutrients. They offer a variety of colors, textures, and tastes to suit all. Vegetables are also critical for supporting optimal health so having them incorporated into our diet is imperative.

If you’re like me, there are days you just can’t spend a lot of time fixing a healthy meal so having quick recipes is a plus. I found the recipes in this book so easy and quick to make. I also noticed that it did not have a lot of scarce or unusual ingredients. I personally had about 80% of them in my home. That being said, if you don’t have a lot of the ingredients, they are available in most supermarkets or health food stores.

I personally love all the smoothies and drinks in this book. They’re light, refreshing and literally take minutes to make. If you want heartier and cozier foods, then you’ll be impressed with the flavorful sandwiches and vegan burger recipes. If you’ve never tasted sprouted bread or wraps before, your taste buds will quiver. It’s d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s and very healthy. The Burrito Wrap has to be one of my family’s favorites. It’s infused with fresh and colorful ingredients, is gluten-free and protein-rich. It’s very satisfying and pleasantly filling. There are days when you need something warm to settle you, and the Roasted Red Pepper & Sweet Potato Soup is absolutely the perfect recipe. It’s so yummy you will not want to share it with anyone. There are also several dessert recipes so you’ll never feel deprived.

Thrive Energy is mindfully thought out, laid out, and is a great quick reference guide to healthy and intentional eating. It’s a must-have for all health-conscious folk who are looking for recipes their bodies will thrive on! I’m delighted to have this book as part of my culinary collection.

Disclaimer: I received product to facilitate a review. All opinions are my own, yours may differ.