Contributor: Michelle Smeby

From the moment I picked up this book, author Jessica Porter felt like a new friend – the kind of friend that as soon as they come into your life, feel like they have always belonged there. Her humor and fantastically positive attitude toward food, and toward using food as an instrument to make our bodies and minds healthy, happy, and sludge-free, help me on a daily basis to make better, healthier choices in how I treat my body. The Hip Chick’s Guide to Macrobiotics also happens to be my new favorite cookbook!

A few months ago when I embarked on my macrobiotic journey (a journey that continues to “enlarge, enliven, and enlighten” my life, to quote Peter Shaffer from "Lettice and Lovage"), I was not sure how to begin. I knew that I wanted to cleanse my body beyond the steps I had already taken toward making positive, healthy choices in what I feed myself. I looked at multiple books on macrobiotics, but most of them read like college textbooks: they were full of facts, but felt dry and uninviting. Then I found this book.

Jessica Porter makes the world of macrobiotics accessible by explaining the philosophy behind macrobiotics and why this is a good choice. Since Jessica, like the rest of us, has not always been a macrobiotic eater, she includes recipes to help us not feel like we are giving anything up by going macrobiotic (try Your New Chocolate Milkshake). The book also includes a helpful glossary of the new terms for foods that will start to full your cupboards. The excellent recipes in this book make the transition to this new way of life a joy! The entire book reads like a favorite novel: it has humor, insight, and reminds me to be gentle with myself.

On page 167 there is a prayer that begins “Dear Infinite Universe: I am a magician…” Yes, Jessica, you truly are a magician! Thank you for revealing to us how to transform ourselves mentally and physically into the beautiful, powerful creatures we are meant to be!

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