Lightfood

Edward Esko argues that food is a form of energy. He describes plant foods, cereal grains in particular, as sunlight held in solid form, and he explains how the body turns that energy into mind and consciousness. He examines the awns, the fine hair-like projections on each grain, which he says draw energy from the cosmos and store the grain's energetic pattern.

Esko turns to sentience, the self-awareness he attributes to animals, and argues that eating animals affects the consciousness of those who depend on them as food. A chapter on the pineal gland, which he calls the third eye, offers lifestyle and dietary guidance for developing the spiritual vision he associates with it.

Later chapters link the modern diet, built on animal products and processed foods, to depression, anxiety, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease, as well as to greater vulnerability to new viruses. The book ends with a hopeful picture of a peaceful world and a healthy, sustainable future.

Esko is a holistic teacher and the founder of the International Macrobiotic Institute. He has written more than a dozen books on natural diet, health and lifestyle.