Summer Reading

I don't know where that term comes from, for me, "Summer" and "reading" go together as well as "motherhood" and "sleeping!"

I suppose if I spent my Summers lying on a beach somewhere, then Summer might bring time for reading...but then again...if I were lying on a beach somewhere it would likely mean that my children were off eating sand somewhere. Heck...never mind "Summer reading" - reading in general probably means that my kids are off eating sand somewhere!

With that said, this is what I'm "reading" this summer:
Integrative Nutrition by Joshua Rosenthal. I know, I know! Ooo what a page turner! But you've got to understand, I've decided that I have a little OCD when it comes to reading. I get these feelings of guilt if I just pick up a random novel. In general a book has to come to me highly recommended, or I don't trust it to be worth my time. During the day the kids need tending, at night the house needs tending, and on top of that I have a backlog of Ensigns and Readers Digests that need reading (and here is where the OCD comes in...I must read a magazine from cover to cover...or why pay for it!). But this summer I determined that I need to do more for "me." By that I mean I need to better myself, so I did a little self survey to find out what really interests me, and what of those things could be beneficial to both myself and my family. This is one of the interests I came up with. I really do enjoy learning about, and practicing, healthful habits. I didn't select this book based on any recommendations (risky, I know), I simply chose it off the library shelf because it was the most currently published book on nutrition - and it's proven to be a good find so far. Ok, so I've only read the first chapter, but already my perception of what is healthy has been changed! And, my conspiracy theorist brother will appreciate this, I've learned that we are foolish to trust the federal government to inform us of what is healthy and not healthy. Did you know the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine won a lawsuit against the government for the over promotion of meat and dairy products in the original Food Guide Pyramid. It seems the USDA is also effected by lobbyists and big money corporations - just like any other part of government! This is the reason they recently changed the food guide pyramid...but for the last 15 years this country has been becoming obese based on the recommendations of the federal government! Ohhhh the tangled web we weave....look at the health care problems this has created! And it seems this is just he tip of the iceburg with this book. I'm excited to read & share more, so watch for future posts...if my "Summer reading" works out.

So...what are you reading this Summer?