View source for Eat With Pleasure by Akon Margaret Kalu

{{infobox1
|title=Eat With Pleasure
|author=Akon Margaret Kalu
|reviewer=Sue Magee
|genre=Lifestyle
|summary=Musings on food and nutrition from a certified nutrition coach.  There's a delightful flavour of West Africa, and Nigeria in particular to the writing.
|rating=3
|buy=Maybe
|borrow=Yes
|pages=80
|publisher=AuthorHouse UK
|date=January 2017
|isbn=978-1524676940
|website=http://www.therea;akon.co.uk
|cover=Kalu_Eat
|aznuk=1524676942
|aznus=1524676942
}}

When you think about a certified nutrition coach you probably imagine someone who is going to be very strict with you about what you should or shouldn't be eating.  You visualise someone who will insist that you eat worthy (and probably tasteless) food and completely avoid those foods which you really love.  Gone will be the bar of chocolate and possibly even the mug of coffee which gets you going in the morning.  It was particularly refreshing and something of a relief to encounter Akon Margaret Kalu - certified nutrition coach and food blogger at [http://www.therealakon.co.uk www.therealakon.co.uk].  She's outspoken.  She believes that the occasional treat does you no harm so long as you don't make it a regular habit.  In fact you're better having a small, occasional, indulgent snack than resisting and finally giving into cravings and ''binging''.   In other words, she lives in the real world with the rest of us imperfect beings.

She's full of good advice about the foods which you should be concentrating on and her explanations of the benefits are quirky and occasionally humorous.  Akon's heritage is West Africa and Nigeria in particular and the book is full of anecdotes about how food is made, eaten (usually with the fingers!) and sold: you almost don't need all the colourful pictures of food in the book - the writing will bring vivid pictures to mind and you can almost smell the food she describes.  I regretted the lack of recipes more than once!

It's not all about West Africa though.  Akon's eloquent on the problems of going to the supermarket, from finding a parking space when you get there, through the obstacles in the aisles, products constantly being moved, to the long queues and the need to chat to the checkout operator who's obviously not interested in you at all.  I laughed and sympathised too.  But there's an underlying message which runs through the book - food is there to be enjoyed, to be a pleasure, and deprivations and restrictions should be avoided wherever possible.  She's right, you know: there's little point in turning to a diet or undertaking exercise which you don't enjoy: you won't stick to it.  It's far better to do what you enjoy, but not let it get out of hand.

The book's an easy read with chapters which are perfect for a coffee break and no subject is laboured for too long.  Akon's use of English is occasionally quirky, particularly towards the end of the book, but it's not an insurmountable problem.  I felt cheered - and inspired - when I finished reading.  I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

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