Eat Naked

May 16, 2011
Floyd, a Certified Healing Foods specialist, brings her experience with improving health and increasing vitality through diet to a wide audience. Beginning with a primer on healthy eating, Floyd recommends that "naked" foods ("fresh, whole, organic, homemade") comprise 80% of a diet, leaving a 20% leeway for special occasions. "When you eat mostly naked foods, your body will find its natural equilibrium...Your cravings will diminish and you won't feel deprived." Floyd, a proponent of the thinking behind Nourishing Traditions, rejects most forms of soy and gluten, and recommends raw dairy and soaked grains. Early chapters review categories of foods and conclude with easy-reference charts for "Best, Next Best, Okay, and Steer Clear" choices. Following tips on reducing stress, shopping for natural ingredients, and simplified cooking, Floyd dedicates a third of her book to recipes created with Chef James Barry, covering basics (Chicken Stock, Balsamic Vinaigrette), innovative uses for vegetables (Raw Cauliflower Couscous), colorful entrees (Tortilla-less Green Enchiladas, Seared Salmon with Garlic Broccoli Rabe and Summer Squash), and sweet treats (Coconut Nut Date Balls). Floyd's message won't be new to anyone on the healthy fringe; for most everyone else, it could be quite a palate cleanser. Photos.

June 1, 2011

A compelling call-to-arms on the sins of the commercial food industry combined with a how-to guide on dieting without deprivation.

Delivered in a brisk, upbeat tone, Floyd's debut comes complete with a tenable plan to assist fast-food addicts in shaking off their sugar- and carb-induced comas for good. The author provides a drum-beating diatribe against the processed-food industry and its devastating effect on health, the environment and the economy. A certified holistic health counselor, Floyd isn't shy about taking the culprits head-on. Eye-popping sections on whether milk is the perfect food or poison and the chemical dosing of once-naked produce leave little room for readers to doubt the author's position. But Floyd pushes further, turning a cautionary tale into a standout title. She argues that any food with a label hardly qualifies as real food. Even the humble soybean, presently passed off as a health food, is singled out for a particularly serious smackdown. What was once a perfectly decent "naked" food when traditionally grown and prepared has given way to an overprocessed, tarted-up incarnation that should cause many a veggie-burger chomping vegan to stop mid-chew and ponder Buddha's observation: "Consider the loathsomeness of food." Enlightenment lies in transitioning to what the author calls a "naked diet," and she offers tasty recipes for food and drink and tips on shopping and cooking. It's all topped off with advice on soaking, sprouting and fermenting naked food at home.

Deserves a space on the brave new bookshelf of conscious eating.

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