Got Sweet Potato Power In Your Paleo/Primal Life?
Posted by Jules on Jul 30, 2012 in Book review | 49 commentsThis review is way late (the Paleo Comfort Foods’ house is behind on life), but that just means we’re spreading out our love of great books! Like Coach Rut (except maybe I was under the influence of fewer Casadores since I was busy dipping bacon in chocolate for the birthday boy), I had the privilege of meeting the lovely Ashley Tudor at “a mutual friend’s” birthday party earlier this year. For those of you who don’t know Ashley, she’s tall, gregarious, Ivy League-educated, and if she wasn’t so doggone down to earth you’d be intimidated by her. Many folks in the paleo-sphere got to meet Ashley at PaleoFx in Austin, and I’m hoping she is going to be a regular player in the ancestral health movement!
It’s her smarts coupled with her down-to-earth persona that makes her book, Sweet Potato Power: Smart Carbs; Paleo and Personalized, so approachable, so easy to digest (figuratively of course), and something that I have no problem recommending to clients at our gym.
Sweet Potato Linguine from Sweet Potato Power
You’re probably scratching your head saying, “Are sweet potatoes really all that great?”
Here’s the thing: Sweet Potato Power is about much more than sweet potatoes (though yes, the recipes in fact do all include sweet potatoes, and they are yummy!). It’s a beautifully, simply designed book that address a ton of relevant to your health and well-being and how sweet potatoes might help in that regard. Ashley does a thorough job explaining not just the history of the sweet potato, but other things that impact our health like “Calories are not created equal” (Chapter 3), “Hormones: Managing the body’s traffic signals” (Chapter 4), “Activity: More is not always better” (Chapter 6) and of course the recipes chapter (Chapter 9).
The chapter that I think takes this book from great to exceptional is Chapter 7: “A step-by-step guide to optimizing your health.” It is in this chapter that Ashley provides you with an arsenal of “tests, tools and tricks” designed to help you achieve your goals, whether that’s more energy, leaning out, decreasing inflammation, testing the effectiveness of your dietary plan, and more. She provides you with case studies, easy-to-understand background on the assessments provided, as well as useful charts—one in particular talks about symptoms of too many, too few, or just the right amount of carbs and is super easy to understand and apply to your own case. The real beauty of this chapter is her focus on experiments – each one of us being our own petri dish, essentially. Included in this chapter are beginner, intermediate and advanced tests that you can run on yourself to see how you are doing, inclusive of step-by-step guides on what to do to perform the test, followed by how to interpret your personal results. These tests range from food logs to purchasing a glucometer to blood tests at your doctor’s office, and Ashley is with you every step of the way to help you understand what these things might mean.
Of course, we’re fans of the recipes included, too. I was intrigued by the Sweet Potato Linguine with Sage and Brown Butter Sauce (page 201), so I tried my hand at that first. Simple (especially if you own a mandoline to make slicing the potatoes evenly quite easy), savory, sweet and delicious. Note: this recipe does call for regular unsalted butter (of course grass-fed is preferred); when browning butter you want the milk solids of the butter as those are what brown. I suppose you could brown the butter then strain off the milk solids and there would be that residual nutty taste…which is worth its weight in gold!
Sweet Potato Bars from Sweet Potato Power
Per Ashley’s suggestion, we also baked up some Sweet Potato Bars (page 255). I eliminated the honey and instead added some raisins for our own spin, and these things disappeared really quickly in our house!
If you’re serious about seeing changes in your health, you feel like you need to do some more self-experimentation to get the results you want, if you want some delicious sweet potato recipes, then you need to pick up Sweet Potato Power now!
Want to win a copy of Sweet Potato Power? Now is your chance! We will draw at random one lucky winner to receive a copy of this awesome book. Here’s how to enter:
1.) Like Sweet Potato Power on Facebook
OR
2.) Post a review of Sweet Potato Power on Amazon (if you’ve already purchased a copy)
OR
3.) Post a review of Paleo Comfort Foods on Amazon (if you’ve already purchased a copy and haven’t yet reviewed!)
OR
4.) Like Paleo Comfort Foods on Facebook
OR
5.) Follow Paleo Comfort Foods on Twitter
(Fine print: US shipping only. Note: if you do use the links above to make a purchase, we do receive a small commission. This helps us do things like pay shipping costs of stuff, keep this website running, and do what we can to come up with new recipes that will keep you all happy!)
Once you have done any or all of the following, leave a comment below letting us know what you did, and you’ll be entered to win! We’ll end the comments at 11:59pm EST on Sunday, August 5, 2012.
i liked it on facebook. thanks!
I liked Sweet Potato Power on facebook.
I like Sweet Potato Power on Facebook (www.facebook.com/megan.crose) megancrose@gmail.com
I like Paleo Comfort Foods on FB (www.facebook.com/megan.crose) megancrose@gmail.com
I follow Paleo Comfort Foods on Twitter (@megancrose) megancrose@gmail.com
done
I just liked Paleo Comfort foods – because I do, of course, like Paleo Comfort foods. (your brussel sprout, bacon, pecan recipe is out of this world). Anyhow, please enter me. Thanks
Looking forward to getting a copy of this book. Love the Sweet Potatoes!
I like sweet potato power and paleo comfort foods on fb. I cant wait to try some of those recipes!
I like Paleo Comfort foods on Facebook, I follow Paleo Comfort Foods on Twitter, I reviewed Paleo Comfort Foods on Amazon and I liked Sweet Potato Power on Facebook.
Liked both pages on Facebook and followed both on twitter!
I follow Paleo Comfort on Twitter (@LibraryGirlRead)
I liked you, and the book on Facebook!
Like you both on Facebook
Liked and shared on facebook. Good Luck!
Like Paleo Comfort Foods on Facebook!
Done: Like Sweet Potato Power on Facebook
Done: Like Paleo Comfort Foods on Facebook
Done: Follow Paleo Comfort Foods on Twitter
just borrowed the Paleo comfort foods from the library.. it is great so far!!!
Just liked it on Facebook
Liked both on FB and followed PCF on Twitter!
I follow Paleo Comfort Foods on Twitter (@misswashuta).
I Liked it on Facebook!
this book looks awesome. really excited to check it out. just liked on FB!
I like on FB. Looks delicious!
I liked sweet potato power on facebook, paleo comfort food on facebook and twitter..
I live Sweet Potato Power and Paleo Comfort Foods on Facebook!
I liked Paleo Comfort Foods on Facebook!
I liked Sweet Potato Power on FB – Thanks for the opportunity!!!
I own the paleo comfort foods book, liked it on Facebook, and liked sweet potato power
liked sweet potato power on facebook, and already liked paleo comfort foods on facebook and followed on twitter
(and really love sweet potatoes)
I liked Sweet Potato Power on FB. I already like Paleo Comfort Foods
Hi -
I liked Sweet Potato Power and already follow you on twitter & facebook. Thanks for the great giveaway!
Chrissy
I liked Sweet Potato Power on fb!!!
I liked Sweet Potato Power & Paleo Comfort Foods on FB and followed on Twitter.
I liked both on facebook! Looks delicious!
I liked you on Facebook. Thank you.
I followed Paleo Comfort Foods on Twitter. Yum!
I liked you on Facebook and I love sweet potatoes!!
Would love to learn more about them…
Followed on Twitter! (@cassel_man)
I just “liked” Sweet Potato Power. However, I am sure I would love it:) Already have really enjoyed your book. The recipes are amazing and make this paleo TN girl happy:)
Liked on fb. I don’t twitter though.
I follow @PaleoComfort on Twitter AND like Sweet Potato Power on FB. Plus I really love sweet potatoes!
I liked on facebook, this appears to be an amazing book
I liked them both on FB!
Followed on twitter! (muppetK)
I liked Sweet Potato Power on Facebook and I already love Paleo Comfort Foods! Thanks for the giveaway even if I don’t win:-)
Already ‘like’ everyone very much on Facebook
and both books are in transit from Amazon so I will be sure and review asap! Thanks!!
“Liked” Sweet Potato Power on FB (already like you guys!). I just listened to the author’s interview on “The Bulletproof Executive” which has inspired me to get this book. Hope I win this copy.
now a FB fan and Twitter follower. would love some guidelines for using sweet potato flour. not much on the Web right now.
I liked Paleo Comfort Foods on Facebook!