Honestly Healthy for Life - Natasha Corrett and Vicki Edgson

The ‘greedy’ half of this blog has somewhat fallen off since it started (a year ago!) – now the title just brings up an image of me physically devouring book after book which is strange and slightly harrowing for most. I’m keen to get the food section back on track as I am a massive food lover, and what better way to re-introduce it than with a combination of my two favourite things? Food AND books!

Now, I’ll be honest, I’m not a big cook. My boyfriend is one of those annoying people who just ‘knows’ what flavours go together and any random concoction of his is some sort of masterpiece. I, on the other hand, need meticulous planning and preparation time (we’re talking over a week) for one meal, and even then there is no guarantee of success – the uncooked-potatoes-burnt-onions-runny-egg Spanish ‘tortilla’ explosion is one of my personal highlights. However, this year I decided to really attempt this whole cooking thing and master culinary greatness (I’m nearly there I promise…). Soup seems to have become my speciality, minimal presentation required and just chucking everything in a blender suits me. However, the Honestly Healthy for Life book is a rare gem that has really got me interested in cooking – and it has soup!

‘Honestly Healthy’ is the creation of Natasha Corrett and Vicki Edgson – the first book was published in 2012, closely followed by a fridge fill service, and this second book. The books promote living an Alkaline lifestyle. In short, eating alkaline foods restores the natural ph of your blood therefore reducing common ailments such as bloating, indigestion, inability to lose weight etc. This is all explained very eloquently and clearly in the first section of the book, and one of the things I love is that this isn’t just a cook book, it’s a book book! It’s well written and informative and I really enjoyed learning more about my own body and the food I put into it. Natasha is a self-taught chef, and the alkaline journey began for her as it will for everybody: through realisation and research. This personal experience really comes through in both the explanations and the recipes of the book – there is literally a healthy alternative to any food in here – it’s magical!

As I said earlier, even when trying to follow a recipe, I seem to take a wrong turning and end up with a lentil-crusted pan and a traumatised oven. What I find great about this book is the chart of acid to alkaline foods at the front. It is extremely extensive, and means that if you can’t get hold of or don’t like an ingredient, you can easily find a swap for it – rigid doomed recipes are a thing of the past! It also makes it so easy to follow the alkaline lifestyle day-to-day, just knowing which foods are at which end of the chart has made me so much more aware of what goes into my body and how it makes me feel. To be honest, I personally didn’t find it that hard to mostly eat alkaline foods. Most acidic foods are meat and dairy and, already being a vegetarian, I didn’t feel I was missing out on too much. The alkaline part is very logical, it basically consists of vegetables, herbs and spices, all things I already loved cooking with and eating. Some things were harder to substitute: I am a cheese fiend, and I love my carbs. However, the book suggests such great alternatives, some of my favourite staples now include goat’s cheese, agave syrup and buckwheat (or other gluten free products).

I’ll admit I don’t follow this lifestyle 100% of the time, I still like a massive pizza, some chocolate, and a glass (bottle) of wine once in a while – but it’s nice to know this book is there to refresh me and my body the next day. Here are some of my favourite recipes from the new book to whet your appetite:

‘My Favourite Granola’

I’ve always loved granola, but ever since someone said to me ‘it’s just eating broken up biscuits with milk’ it’s been slightly tainted. This version is all natural, and nowadays I find it 10 times more delicious than the overly sugary ones you buy in supermarkets. This is guaranteed to make me in a good mood even on the earliest of mornings.

‘Green Love Smoothie’

I have ALWAYS been sceptical of the whole green smoothie craze. Green and lumpy? Ew. However, I spotted this one’s main ingredient was mango – the love of my life that is mango. I’m not a parsley fan so swap it for some extra spinach (see what I said about the swapping?). Its slightly unappetising appearance is totally made up for in refreshing taste.

‘Raw Green Curry with Courgette Noodles’

Ok Ok, I actually left this one to the boyfriend – I was just trying to avert any disasters! This is probably my favourite recipe out of the whole book. Not only is it super easy, the sauce is so fresh and crunchy – perfect for a summer evening. Moreover, since trying these courgette noodles I haven’t looked back. Even Angus, who is NOT a fan of health fads, loves these and admits they fill him up just as much as pasta. Amazing!

‘Moses’s Nutella’

I am a recovering Nutella addict (see picture). Having realised I was getting through large tubs (the REALLY large ones you can only find in selected supermarkets) about once a week with only my teaspoon as a companion, I forced myself to give it up. Until now. I’ve tweaked this recipe a little, and am still perfecting my own favourite version, but waking up to guilt-free Nutella on toast again is something I will not be getting over quickly.

‘Fennel and Leek Soup’

Yay for soup! I’m aware that a lot of people don’t love fennel, but it’s one of my absolute favourites so I was gleeful to read that it is one of the best veg for reducing bloating and water retention, something I (and most people in the world) suffer from. This soup is so thick and creamy it’s hard to believe it’s purely vegetables – I’m itching to go and make another batch just writing this.

So that concludes my (somewhat extensive) review of Honestly Healthy For Life, but I really feel this book deserves the recognition, and I wanted to share it with as many people as possible so they too can uncover this foodie-lover’s revelation.

Read it now! Buy it here.

Visit their website for extra info and recipes here

Tash is also very helpful and responsive on Twitter, which I love! @HonestlyHealthy