On a hot summer's day, after I have worked my lawn mower all over my yard, emptied the grass catcher into the compost bin (over and over again) and cleaned and put away my mower, nothing is a satisfying as relaxing with my favorite ice-cold beer and admiring my yard handiwork. Add a Philadelphia-style soft pretzel to the scene and you will reach nirvana! But thanks to the so-called beer belly, beer has gotten a reputation as a "bad-for-you" beverage. I am sure each of you has heard, as I so often did, that beer is basically evil and from a health standpoint should always be avoided. "It's not good for you." Well the more research I did into food and drink and how they relate to our health and nutrition the more I discovered the truth, and that is that the thought that any food or drink is fundamentally 'bad' for us is just plain hogwash! It is time to call BS on that old myth! Sometimes, nothing but a cold glass of beer will do, especially when you're at the game or visiting your neighbourhood pub with friends. But can sipping a pint be part of a healthy lifestyle? "There's a strong association between beer and the beer belly, so people automatically assume that beer is fattening or unhealthy," says beer sommelier Mirella Amato, who specializes in the selection and service of ales. "But that's just not true.'" Shocking, isn't it? But consider this: Beer is fat-free, cholesterol-free and low in carbohydrates. A 341-mL (about 12 ounce) bottle of beer with 5 percent alcohol has 5g of carbohydrates, while a pear with the skin on has 26g. Now I am not saying you should trade your fruits and veggies in for a steady diet of suds, but enjoying beer in moderation can actually be a healthier beverage choice than soda! In this book, author Joe Urbach discusses both the history and health benefits that drinking the occasional beer has to offer.
About the Author: Joe Urbach is the creator/publisher of GardeningAustin.com and the wildly popular Phytonutrient Blog. He has lived and worked in the Central Texas area for over 30 years. He and his wife Holly are the parents of five children and grandparents of two beautiful boys. For the last twelve years he has concentrated his efforts on installing many raised bed and container gardens in Texas homes all over Austin and San Antonio. As a gardener, as a father and as a grandfather Joe is very concerned about the quality of the food that ends up on all of our dining tables and really loves being able to help people get their own Raised Bed Phytonutrient Gardens started. Joe is a certified Texas Master Gardener and is currently serving as the Director of Training for the Hays County Chapter of the Texas Master Gardener Association. He teaches and lectures on gardening regularly and can often be found speaking at local nurseries, libraries, garden Clubs, Extension offices, or on radio and podcasts. While still very much the advocate for a "kitchen garden in every home" Joe now finds that his focus is set on changing the way we all think about our food - be it from our kitchen gardens, farmers' markets or the local supermarkets. Joe developed the concept of being a Phytonutrient Gardener which simply means, "if you are growing a vegetable in your garden why not grow the variety that packs the biggest nutritional value!?" Joe has recently launched an online business offering 100% Organic, NON-GMO, hand-harvested and hand packed seeds for many of the phytonutrient-rich varieties he recommends in his books and lectures. Check it out at www.PhytonutrientFarms.com. Joe has become a phytonutrient gardener and wants us all to come along for the journey to a better, healthier, longer and much more active and productive life!