Book Review: The Lazy Genius Kitchen

The Lazy Genius Kitchen: Have What You Need, Use What You Have, and Enjoy It Like Never Before by Kendra Adachi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you want to make your kitchen a more pleasant place for you and your family to spend time in, this book will help you become more strategic and intentional with what you do and don’t need and how to use it. After going through the process, the author shares resources on techniques, taste, tools, tasks, and general tips.

The author provides a brief summary of the Lazy Genius Principles from her first book and then refers to them throughout this book.

The book is packed with practical information that will help you to be more comfortable and confident in the kitchen. The author has a fun, down-to-earth tone. She provides ideas, prompts, and personal examples to get you started. I appreciated the repetition of going through the five-step framework in detail (part 1) and then applying them to each area in part 2.

Just reading the book will not solve all of your kitchen challenges; you must put in the time and effort to go through the steps and apply them to increase efficiency and ease. Some more skilled cooks or those with successful systems already in place may find this book oversimplified with little new information. I skimmed through some sections that I felt weren’t applicable or didn’t want to dissect and make changes around, e.g., area 6, the table.

I highly recommend this to everyone looking to become more efficient, effective, and joyful in their kitchen.

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Book Review: Unlocking the Keto Code

Unlocking the Keto Code: The Revolutionary New Science of Keto That Offers More Benefits Without Deprivation by Steven R. Gundry
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Steven Gundry, MD, presents a ketogenic diet program that focuses on creating ketones, rejuvenating the gut microbiome, and uncoupling mitochondria. He explains how readers can boost the process, from feasting on plant polyphenols and ketone-generating foods to implementing a timed eating schedule. The book has 11 chapters with detailed rules, food lists, and recipes.

Keys that Unlock the Keto Code (pp. 55-74):
1. Intermittent fasting or time-controlled eating
2. Polyphenols
3. Dietary fiber
4. Fermented foods
5. Polyamines
6. Cold temperatures
7. Hot temperatures
8. Red light therapy

Three Rules of the Plan (pp. 81-83):
1. Consume some of your fats in the form of MCTs
2. Follow a time-restricted eating plan
3. Feast on fermented foods and fiber

Dos and Don’ts of the Keto Program (pp.116-135)
• Do: Eat prebiotic fiber-rich plant foods
• Don’t: Eat lectin-rich plant foods
• Do: Eat whole foods
• Don’t: Eat frankenfoods loaded with frankenfats
• Do: Get your sweetness naturally
• Don’t: Eat sugar
• Do: Enjoy healthy fats
• Don’t: Overdo it on the protein
• Do: Eat postbiotic-producing foods
• Don’t: Eat foods that harm your gut buddies

If you like to follow a plan with rules, food lists, and recipes—this may be for you. Alternatively, the number of instructions, rules, dos/don’ts, and recommended servings for various foods may be overwhelming for some or even difficult to remember or keep straight. Dr. Gundry recommends canola oil for heart health, which I don’t agree with since it is a highly processed seed oil.

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Full review on LinkedIn.

Book Review: The Marshmallow Test

The Marshmallow Test: Mastering Self Control, by Walter Mischel, is not a self-help book and will not help you increase your willpower. It is a detailed account of the initial experiment the author conducted in the 1960s, the findings, evolution, and influence on society. There are some practical suggestions and tips recommended; however, this is not the focus of the book. If you enjoy reading about scientific studies, you will be highly entertained. I would recommend this to the science nerd, not the type-A what-should-I-do-and-eat seeker.

Read all about my takeaways from The Marshmallow Test on LinkedIn. 

Mischel, W. (2014). The marshmallow test: Mastering self-control. New York: Little, Brown and Company.