A few weeks ago, the team at Vega contacted me about reviewing the new book “Must Have Been Something I Ate” by Peggy Kotsopoulos and to try a few of their mixes.

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The tagline of the book is “The Simple Connection Between What You Eat and How You Look and Feel”.

In Peggy Kotsopoulos’s debut holisitic nutrition guide…this Greek gourmet spins salads into PMS cures, turns oatmeal into a sleep aid and transforms kelp into a weight loss wonder.

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Peggy has a casual and conversational writing voice which makes this book easy to dive into. It’s also the only book I’ve seen that really addresses the different aspects of your life that food can affect.

Her book is divided into 5 sections:

  • The Food-Mood Connection
  • The Food-Weight Connection
  • The Food-Beauty Connection
  • The Food Health Connection
  • Recipes

Each section goes into more detail about the relationship between what you eat and how you feel and ways to make that connection work better and to create a better balance in your own body.

I love that she addresses so many different emotions and issues and how certain foods can help to alleviate those things in your life.

I also tried a recipe from the book!

A few of the recipes call for Vega bars and other ingredients that I don’t have at home (camu camu powder?), but this chai tea latte sounded so delicious, I just had to make it.

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Chai Tea Latte

  • 1 Rooibos chai tea bag
  • 1 Tbsp almond butter
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla
  • pinch cardamom & cinnamon (optional)

Steep tea in boiling water for about 5 minutes and remove bag. Add tea to a blender with almond butter, cinnamon, and vanilla. Blend into a creamy latte. Garnish with cinnamon and cardamom.

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I would have never thought to add almond butter to a latte, but it was delicious! The spices from the chai tea went so well with the roasted almond flavor – I’ll be making this again, for sure.

The only things I didn’t like about the book were the names of some of the sections about weight and a few of the recipe titles. Even when you’re talking about the connection between food and weight, I just don’t think it’s necessary to use “thuttocks & man boobs” or name recipes “Thunder Thigh Thinning Veggie Soup” or “Apple Oatmeal Anti-Muffin Tops”. Those terms are used enough in other places. Plus, they’re words that don’t have any good feelings attached to them – and even more than that, I don’t think people (especially women!) should be using these terms when talking to other people about weight.

Other than that, I really enjoyed the book and learned some new things about food and their effects on our mood and health.

Thankfully, the Vega team sent me a second copy of the book for one of you!

To enter to win your own copy of the book:

Leave a comment sharing a way that you’ve noticed a connection between food and how you feel.

For additional entries:

Tweet about the giveaway and leave a comment saying you did.

 

I’ll choose the winner this Friday, July 1st. Good luck!

46 comments

  1. What I eat and how I feel has a huge connection. Eliminating gluten and dairy has been huge for me physically and mentally! Amazing what things our body doesn’t want can do to us!

  2. Oh Lord, I’ve been seriously dealing w/ this stuff, how eating a bit more raw makes me feel better and cutting back on sugars makes me feel better but my dang emotions usually get in the way!

  3. I have heard SO many good things about this book. And the latte looks yummy! Prior to pregnancy, I was having some issues with my tummy. By adjusting the types of foods I ate, I found a lot of relief. Now that I’m pregnant, what I’m eating literally dictates how I feel (hello heartburn!). I feel 100% better when I’m getting the right amounts of protein, fruits & vegetables and water. Hope you have a good day

  4. Oh man, food TOTALLY influences how I feel. How much energy I have, how focused I feel. Not to mention that I just completely love it :)

  5. I have interstitial cystitis and what I eat directly affects my bladder. I can’t eat anything with acid, histamine (chocolate), caffeine, citrus, soy, or alcohol. Any of those foods can cause anything from pain to many trips to the restroom, not fun at all! So I have learned to focus on what I can eat instead of what I can’t

  6. This would be such a great book to have! I definitely notice times after I eat that I feel more sluggish or have more energy. But I really don’t know the best foods to eat to make me feel energetic and in a better mood.

  7. I’ve actually been noticing how much food really does affect me since i’ve been on summer after my first year of teaching. My diet has been kind of all oer the place with a lack of routine, spending more time with family/friends etc, and lately i’ve been having stomachaches, so i’m trying to figure out what i need more and less of (more probiotics, yogurt etc less cookies maybe? Lol)

  8. When I went to London, most of what I ate was chips, and it made me feel awful. I couldn’t believe how much I missed fresh produce.

  9. I always notice a difference when I eat a doughnut or something processed for breakfast. I usually have greek yogurt, fruit, and cereal, and when I have a pastry my energy levels are just no where near the same.

  10. Over the weekend I had full metal jacket nachos and made homemade pizza – I felt so full by Sunday night – defintely not a great feeling!

  11. So, I’m extremely happy when I partake in the warm goodness of a fresh KK donut but shortly there after I just need to take a nap. Hmmm, guess Ms. Peggy is on to something!

  12. Oh I saw this book at B&N the other day! I can always tell when I eat too much processed food now. It just sits in my stomach like a block and gives me tummy troubles.

  13. I definitely feel better when I’m conscious of what I eat. It’s when life gets busy and I don’t take the time to think about what I’m eating…I fill my plate with convenience foods that are not so healthy and that makes me feel sluggish. Wouldn’t you think that when I got busy and stressed I would eat foods that made me energized? Good book review. I agree with you on some of those recipe titles.

  14. i definitely feel more energetic when i eat whole foods and not processed

  15. I tried a low-carb diet for about a week and I felt sluggish and unable to work out. My first day back on carbs, I felt like I could run forever!

  16. Fun giveaway – I always notice that great burst of energy after a bit of almond butter- I love it!

  17. I’ve notcied when I eat too many white carbs and/or sugar I feel exhausted. It definitely makes me aware of upping my veggie intake.

  18. simply put, when i eat more fruits, veggies + plant based diet, i feel better. when i don’t, i don’t feel as good. that’s the simple answer :)

  19. Since going vegan and free of refined sugars and flours, I have been great…. and I totally notice when I have been lax when heading out to a resto which may not share the same food philosophy! Sugar can be addicting!

  20. Love!! adding more fruits and vegs defs made a difference in my diet. I feel more energetic and full when I eat them

  21. When I eat crappy food I have a crappy attitude. When I’m loading up on fruits, veggies, and whole grains I feel better and have more energy. You really are what you eat as corny as that sounds.

  22. I have been vegan for over 2 years and have just realized the other day that I haven’t been to the Dr with an illness in over a year and a half (last visit back then was a sinus infection, probably due to allergies).

    While always on a vegan diet I am not always on a whole foods vegan diet, but I feel much better on the days that I am on the whole foods vegan diet.

    I can also exercise longer than ever before too. I have more stamina and sleep better….I can go on and on! I will be tweeting this around too! :)

  23. Usually after a weekend of too many heavy foods and not enough greens, I feel lethargic and dehydrated. But after replenishing my body with nutrient dense foods I feel much better! It’s really amazing what some healthy foods can do for you.

  24. I know I feel better when I dont eat meat or dairy. Dairy makes me feel too full and weighed down. If I ate meat now I think I’d have a tummy ache along with feeling very sorry for the animal. I notice the way food interacts w my children. Lots of healthy food creates happy kids… Too much processed sugar, meat or dairy, they become grumpy, overtired, not focused and fussy!

  25. I have digestion issues and know that certain foods make it worse. I also know that too much of a “good” thing makes me sick and lethargic. I would love to have this book in my food library.

  26. Cutting out gluten, dairy, meat and refined sugars and eating as much of my food unprocessed as possible has made me feel so much better both mentally and physically. The biggest boost is my ability to recover quickly from hard workouts that I do as a marathoner and long course triathlete.

  27. Healthy food makes me feel good. Junk food makes me feel like crap. That’s why I try to eat a diet mainly filled with wholesome, nutritious foods.

  28. When I eat too much added sugar it makes me lazy and feel like crap!! Then all I want is MORE sugar. When I stick to fruit and other natural sugars and lots of veggies I feel amazing!!

  29. Definite connection between food and how I feel and look! On days when I eat clean, GF, stay away from sugar, and drink tons of water I feel like I can conquer the world, my clothes are looser, I feel better about myself, I have more energy, and my mood is much perkier, I am more pleasant, patient, and calm, and I get much more accomplished. When I go the other route I feel sluggish, bad about myself, and have a negative body image. Blech!

  30. I feel the best when I eat a substantial breakfast – a bowl of sugary cereal doesn’t cut it! I have a banana, pb and whole wheat wrap every morning, and it’s enough to keep me full and focused on my work until lunch. Plus, natural peanut butter always puts me in a good mood, because I love it. :)

  31. Oh that chai tea latte looks delicious- love that almond butter is an ingredient! It is amazing how much different I feel when I’m eating healthy foods than I did when I ate unhealthy ones. I had more migraines, felt lethargic and had esophageal issues that I won’t go into! Now that I eat clean, I find that I feel more like myself and way more energetic!

  32. I have arthritis and watching what I eat has made a huge difference in the way I feel. I have been able to cut my medications is half just by changing my diet.

  33. I definitely notice a direct correlation between my diet and how I feel. It’s not always instantaneous, but if I overdo the carbs, sugar, or fried foods one day, I am completely sluggish the next. I find that sticking to fresh fruits & veggies, legumes, and lean protein keeps me feeling best. I try to make any grains more whole grains (LOVE quinoa!)

  34. Wow, food as EVERYTHING to do with how I feel. Since being diagnosed with Chron’s Disease, I’ve had to make life changing adjustments to my diet in order to live with this disease. It’s not only made me a stronger and healthier person, it has made me who I am today. :)

  35. I went to a vegan diet two years ago and really enjoyed the way I feel, more energized and improved mental clarity. I was pleasantly surprised to find less pain and recovery after tough runs! I am still tweaking my diet to figure out what works, and I love to get new recipes. This book looks awesome!

  36. oh i can’t even begin to tell you how connected the two are ….
    what is don’t “get” is people who don’t notice. i would love to win a copy of the book so i can explore those connections further.

    without even seeing the book, i totally agree w/ you about your comments concerning some of the sections and recipe titles. isn’t it time we move beyond that and have more supportive/helpful wording all around??

  37. I feel better eating fresh fruits and vegetables than anything else! But I also feel fabulous sitting down to a bowl of ice cream…

  38. I always feel better when I eat healthier. My kids do too!

  39. After having an eating disorder, I DEFINITELY realize the connection food has to not only our bodies, but our minds and our souls. A malnourished body means a malnourished brain. Without proper fuel, we cannot physically or mentally perform at our best! I would love to win this cookbook–I’ll be crossing my fingers!

  40. I’ve been training for a show coming up in less than 3 weeks now so I’ve been eating super clean with little to no cheating. I feel great eating the foods I am eating, all whole foods, fresh vegetables, no added artificial or processed junk. However, when I do “slip,” I feel great at the time because I have succumbed to my craving! But then it hits…either later that day or the next day, I feel like crap because of the one (or 2) things I had earlier. Food has EVERYTHING to do with how you feel mentally, physically, and even emotionally. It’s quite something actually!

  41. I want this book! I would love to know how to make myself feel healthier through food, but I can’t afford a nutritionist. This looks like a great substitute!

  42. I can honestly say that when I eat fresh fruits and vegetables whether raw or sauteed I feel lighter and happy with myself knowing that I made healthy food choices. I still get the craving for ‘junk food’ however now i make the conscious decision to think about how that stuff makes me feel, physically and psychologically. I would LOVE to read this book!!!

  43. I’ve noticed that when I eat a fantastic breakfast, full of fruits I’m bound to have a healthy connection to food all day long. But if I start off poor, the poor habits tend to continue!

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