With summer finally coming to Portland, and all of the amazing Farmer's markets springing up everywhere (my neighborhood just got another one!), it's time to stop eating so much of the warm and cozy "comfort food", and starting digging in to the fresh and wonderful produce the northwest has to offer.

I wanted to share a few great books that I've recently discovered (although the secrets of eating within these books have been used and loved by generations before us!).

Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford is a classic, and has so much information about eating for your health, using healthier cooking methods when preparing foods, and some fun and amazing recipes.

Chinese Natural Cures by Henry C. Lu is a book my husband found for me, and although it's a pretty massive book, it's full of a lot (and I mean a LOT) of information about foods that you didn't even know existed! It's fun to sit down and read about a few of your favorites, then put it down before you get to overwhelmed by all of the information!

Another book I recently discovered on my aunt's bookshelf is The Natural Gourmet by Annemarie Colbin. The reason I dig this one is that there is a section in the front that gives you the elements (of the 5 elements- find site) of several foods. The author feels that if you able to combine the elements of each food into your day, possibly at each meal, it maintains balance. It can also help you avoid certain foods that may not be so good for your constitution. Read more about this interesting food therapy theory here.

These are just a few that I like- please feel free to comment and add other books you like to this post!

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