Move over, Martha Stewart: there's a new chef in the kitchen and she's on a mission to improve everyone's life from the inside out. It's Marilu Henner, bestselling author of Total Health Makeover and The 30-Day Total Health Makeover, but perhaps better remembered for playing Elaine on the popular 1970's TV show Taxi. So much more than a cookbook, Henner's hefty page-turner is like a detox program for the kitchen. She begins--in her typical, perky style--with a hard yet humorous look at the reader's kitchen and how it functions. Next she preaches the dangers of sugar (Henner calls it "kiddy cocaine"), red meat ("animal products are the number one cause of our number one killer, heart disease"), dairy products ("bovine slime"), about 200 food additives, and certain cleaning products. Nicely designed charts make the technical information easy to read; thankfully, Henner's engaging, chatty prose nicely complements the wealth of serious data presented here.

Once the kitchen is free and clear, Henner walks readers through the health food store, describing key staples, tasty items, favorite brands, and foods with kid appeal. Then she's on to the bulk of the book: the many savory recipes for entrées, appetizers, sides, salads, sauces, and desserts. Dishes like Linguine with Red Clam Sauce, Coconut Shrimp with Curried Hummus on Wonton Squares, and Killer Brownies certainly don't sound low-cal or low-anything, yet each recipe--borrowed from Henner's pool of friends, relatives, and favorite chefs--follows her Healthy Life food-combining rules (don't mix proteins with carbohydrates, eat fruit separately, etc.) and are free of dairy, red meat, and refined sugar. Especially helpful are the tasters' and contributors' comments that accompany nearly every recipe. And since Marilu has an opinion about everything (it's her book, after all), she too offers comments, suggestions, and anecdotes galore. --Liane Thomas

Book Description
Most of us go through a constant tug-of-war between the foods we love and the foods we feel we should be eating. But what if we didn't have to give up our favorite foods? Healthy Life Kitchen shows you a new way, a better way, to create a "health factory" in your home. Out go the red meat, dairy, and refined sugar products, and in come the freshest fruits, vegetables, grains, soy, seafood, poultry, and seasonings imaginable -- and, in a few easy steps, you've created a Healthy Life you!Healthy Life Kitchen features:175 delicious recipes such as Blueberry Crunch Muffins, Savory Squash Soup, Thai Shrimp and Asparagus Salad, Upside-Down Garlic Chicken, Sierra Stew, Miso-Glazed Sea Bass, Coconut Sorbet, and Killer BrowniesSecrets for steaming, boiling, poaching, grilling, roasting, baking, and simmering your favorite foods to perfection and helpful suggestions on what to cook for kidsEasy-to-use conversion tables for modifying your favorite foods and recipes to achieve maximum health benefitsA virtual tour of a health food store to help you select the healthiest brands and products

About the Author
Marilu Henner is an actress who is best known for her roles on the hit TV series Taxi and Evening Shade.She is also the bestselling author of Marilu Henner's Total Health Makeover and The 30-Day Total Health Makeover.She lives in Los Angeles, California, with her husband, Robert Lieberman, and their two sons.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

If you're like most people, 70 percent of what's in your kitchen right now is unhealthy and has to go. Now the good news...there are healthy and tasty alternatives to everything in your refrigerator and pantry, and the transition is easier than you think.

When it comes to food, most of us go through a constant tug-of-war between the foods we love and the foods we feel we should be eating. But what if we didn't have to give up our favorite foods? What if we could take recipes from our childhood or our favorite cookbooks and find healthier ways to enjoy them?

Marilu Henner's Healthy Life Kitchen shows you a new way, a better way, to create a "health factory" in your home. Out go the red meat, dairy, and refined sugar products, and in come the freshest fruits, vegetables, grains, soy, seafood, poultry, and seasonings imaginable-and, in a few easy steps, you've created a Healthy Life you!

After inspiring legions of readers with Marilu Henner's Total Health Makeover and The 30-Day Total Health Makeover, Marilu presents the first cookbook in her bestselling series, introducing tantalizing dishes that fit perfectly into her life-changing health plan. Marilu has collected her best-loved recipes of the last twenty years and mixed in her distinctive warmth and humor. With pioneering health advice, helpful kitchen tips, and plenty of gusto, she serves up a magical array of hearty meals for your nourishment and pleasure.