Author! Author!

I met my friend, Cindy, about seven years ago.  You know the feeling... when you meet someone and you instantly "click."  I have two girls - she has two boys, not the same age but in the same time zone.  She is an incredible tennis player... I have trouble making contact with the damn ball.  And even though we find ourselves in different circles... in tennis and teenage playgroups, I enjoy Cindy very much.  She is smart, funny, well-read, and always looks like she walked out of a magazine when I see her.  Just like me.  Not quite.  

So little did I know until recently that my idol friend wrote a book.  That's how she is... no bragging.  When she's not knocking her opponents off the courts, Cindy is a nutrition consultant who works with the Cooper Aerobics Center specializing in weight management, cardiovascular health, corporate wellness and instructs nutritional culinary events. Who knew such a fun person was so darn smart?

So we met last week at a darling new restaurant (blog to come).  We had a delightful lunch talking about our lives and then I asked her if I could write a post about her new book.  After a little arm twisting, she complied.

Cindy brought me an autographed copy of her book, Hypertension Cookbook for Dummies.  I asked Cindy a lot of questions about her book and of course in Cindy-style she answered them in her sweet way referring me here which entails a cheat sheet of the DASH diet, here detailing the DASH diet, and here which gives a full description of the book.    

So when I got home, I sat down and perused my new book.  I am a HUGE fan of the series For Dummies.  Hmmm... I wonder why.  

Anyway, this book is so great explaining the complexities of hypertension  and pre-hypertension.  It gives you meal planning tips, even if you are short on time.  It also unleashes the secrets of where salt is hiding in your diet.  There are great tips included on losing weight - not that I need it (yeah, right).  

My favorite part, though, is the chapter about deciphering nutrition labeling.  When I am in the grocery store, I see many people reading food product labels like they are reading People Magazine.  I think my #2 would rather read a nutrition label on a cereal box  than go to a movie.  Hypertension Cookbook for Dummies explains the nutritional information clearly and explains the importance of each of the ingredients.  

And last but not least, it includes wonderful easy, delicious recipes  - even I could make them!  The Mister says that is debatable. 

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has hypertension, pre-hypertension or to anyone who would benefit from nutritional information or enjoys preparing healthy recipes for weight loss. 

Amazon.com  

I told you I had smart friends!

Hope you're having a heart-healthy weekend!