There is so much lurking in our food and The Pantry Principle: How to Read the Label and Understand What’s Really in Your Food does a wonderful job educating us about all the nasty stuff that can make us anxious and sad, affect our digestion, give us ADHD symptoms and so much more.
Mira Dessy is a certified food educator, is known as the Food Ingredient Guru and is a Real Food Advocate. We are colleagues and I was honored to have been asked to do an advance review of her book for inclusion on the book cover. This is what I said:
“Mira Dessy’s book, The Pantry Principle is a real gem! If you eat, this book is a must-read – so you really know what’s in your food. It is a user-friendly, comprehensive, well-researched and eye-opening resource. I look forward to recommending it to all my clients!”
I work with anxious, stressed, overwhelmed women and I do now recommend it to my clients. It’s a perfect companion to my book The Antianxiety Food Solution for taking shopping and eating to the next level.
Initially I wondered how relevant it may be since I recommend real whole food to my clients, rather than packaged foods. I found out very quickly that is it very relevant!
Here is a great example of the relevance even when you are eating real whole foods:
- a possible new coating for bananas which will delay the ripening process by up to two weeks
- the product is made from chitosan, which is in turn made from shrimp and crab shells.
- as Mira says: “this could present serious problems for those with high-level seafood allergies.”
I really do like that it contains the most current information. The banana coating information is from a 2012 report. I also really like that I learned about things I had not heard of before! I’m a nutritionist and I learned new facts!
And Mira keeps us up to date with this ever-changing world via social media and her great blog called Grains and More.
It is also quite provocative. Just wait until you read about castoreum and other surprises you will find in your food! Mira mentions castoreum in this blog post about shellac and candy: shellac is:
“confectioner’s glaze,” “confectioner’s resin,” “candy glaze,” or even simply “natural glaze.”
It’s essentially the insect version of castoreum. Harvested from trees where the female lac bug lays down cocoon-like secretions, it is scraped off the trees (often along with bark and insect parts) and heated until it liquifies. It’s strained and then allowed to cool in thin sheets. This is then reconstituted with denatured alcohol when manufacturers are ready to use it to give foods that shiny coating.
Here is a sampling of what Mira covers in the book:
- How to read a nutrition label
- Understanding Additives
- Artificial colors
- Sugar and where it’s lurking
- Fake fats
- Packaging
- A GMO ingredients list and much more
You can see the complete table of contents via the Amazon preview and buy your copy of The Pantry Principle via my Amazon link.
Mira will be exhibiting with me at the upcoming Integrative Medicine for Mental Health conference next month so if you’re at the event come on by and meet her and get a signed copy of the book.
Mira was also one of the guest experts on the recent Anxiety Summit. Her topic was “How Additives in Your Food Can Make You Anxious” and it was a great interview (you can check out the other speakers here.
Please ask questions below. If you have already read this book do share some of your favorite tips in the comments below.
Sue Painter says
Mira is the bomb! She knows more about food labeling than anyone I know, and I always learn from her, too. Awesomeness!
everywomanover29 says
I love that: “Mira is the bomb!” I think so too and I also continue to learn so much from her
Heidi Alexandra says
Ewww no more shiny coated foods for me!
everywomanover29 says
That the idea Heidi – gross isn’t it!?
Sam says
I know Mira and looked forward to this book for months. More so now that I have a young nephew with soy allergies.
“The Pantry Principle” has given me more ammo to know what is hiding in foods that my nephew can not eat. This book should be on every kichen shelf with the cookbooks.
Remember – if you can not pronounce it, don’t eat it.
everywomanover29 says
Hi Sam
Wonderful that you’re helping your young nephew with Mira’s great book! he’s a lucky little boy!
Trudy
Jessica says
Mira is ALWAYS enlightening me with her articles on her blog. The two of you together are a power team for sure!!
Mary Ellen Miller says
Oh my goodness! I had no idea that bananas are now being coated to have a longer shelf life. Yikes! Your book sounds like a very valuable resource.
Mitch Tublin says
This book looks like it will be chock full of helpful information.
Tiffany deSilva says
Good stuff, as usual. I hope you both enjoy the Integrative Medicine for Mental Health conference!