‘Delicious Longevity’ by Sara Redondo

My Review (4 stars out of 5)

This book starts off by asking lots of questions, such as Should I eliminate gluten from my diet? And Can vegetarians and vegans get all the nutrient they need? The author proposes to answer these questions and many more, focusing on creating good habits that will transform the quality of our lives.

In the opening section, the author talks about meal planning, setting goals and planning menus that include all the necessary food groups to give a balanced diet. As she points out, it’s always a good idea to approach a book of this kind with an open mind, as there are an awful lot of social media posts these days touting all sorts of theories around health, food and fitness. (As a vegan myself, I’m bombarded daily with posts telling me what I should and shouldn’t eat, and it’s not always easy to know which ones I should listen to.) Most people don’t like change and even when those changes are for the good, it can be difficult to take new ideas on board.

The book is split into short sections packed with statistics, facts and figures, and charts listing things like Phytonutrients, Egg numbering, and Foods and their Glycaemic Index, as well as more well-known topics like Vitamins (B6, B12, C, D, E etc) and minerals (Calcium, Magnesium etc). There are sections on cancer and dementia, as well as a lot of information about cooking methods, including the background to using pans coated with Teflon and PDGA, and newer cooking methods such as air-frying.

The book is mainly geared towards Americans, which is a little irritating and might put off readers from outside the US.  While I found the book fascinating in some areas, in general, the sheer volume of information felt a little overwhelming. Also, a lighter touch in terms of the author’s voice might make the book more accessible.

An interesting book that combines a scientific approach with achievable goals.

Back to the Blog