Book Review: the Top 100 Immunity Boosters by Charlotte Haigh

the Top 100 Immunity Boosters:
100 Recipes to Keep Your Immune System Fighting Fit

The good:
This book was a random Half Price Books find, as well as a Harvard written nutrition book and an actual nutrition textbook.. and my usual addiction; three plus vegan cookbooks.  I liked that it was small and quick, more of a quick digest than a full on nutrition book; but definitely great for anyone who cares less about the technical side of diet and nutrition and is solely looking for easy, breezy information on adding healthier foods into their diet.  This book is even better for people who are looking for specific nutrients, as each are listed with each item, or those looking to eat for a certain condition, as the index in the back shows.  I didn't think I'd learn a lot from this book, but the fun little pop up tips and facts were varied and mostly new information to me.

The bad:
In contrast, if you're looking for an in depth book about nutrition and the chemical reactions and things of that nature, this isn't the book for you.  If you're looking to change to better eating habits and don't have a nutrition background, this book could be a little overwhelming the first or second time you flip through.  To anyone with very basic knowledge on healthy eating and smart food choices, this book will be a fantastic addition to your collection and a quick tool to pull out for recipes and shopping ideas.

Here's an example of the page layout for most of the foods.

The layout:The layout in this book is simple and easy to follow.  It talks about each item, what makes it a immunity boosting food, gives a short list of ingredients, and provides a recipe in a colored box.  Most items are summarized on one page, but certain superfoods are given two pages.  It's cohesive and easy to follow, and the uniform pattern keeps it very fluid.  The items are given a number, as well as the page numbers, would could be confusing to some, but shows that you are literally counting through 100 items.  The recipes range from simple to fun and complex.  Several foods note when they are still beneficial cooked.  I would assume most nutrient dense foods are best raw or mostly raw, except where noted otherwise.

Worth it?
Yes.  I got it for just pennies under $5, and know you can find it used for a similar prices on Amazon.  Even at full price at $9.95, it's a steal for the amount of information and recipes you're getting in a sleek, full color book.  The the recipes seem entirely simple on first glance, some of them are more detailed than you think.  The glossary and ailment directory are also valuable add-ons in the book.