Wait? Why am I reviewing a yoga book on a wine blog? Before you decide to click over to watch wine videos on YouTube instead, you should know that Nardini is very much a wine-lover and that her 21-Day Yoga Body book includes both wine pairings and cocktail recipes. And that’s just one of the many reasons I loved this book.

One of the things I’ve always struggled with is how to pair my love of wine with my desire to live a healthy lifestyle. It can be tough to strike the right balance (and I can’t say I always win), but I think it’s possible when you make a real effort to fill your body and soul with things that are good for you.

While I didn’t follow Nardini’s plan exactly as set out (I added some of her tips to own daily yoga practice and made a selection of the recipes rather than follow the exact diet), I did read it over 21 days and was impressed with her positive attitude and realistic expectations. I felt good reading this book and impressed by her attitude towards alcohol. She is not going to suggest you go out for a wine-soaked Friday evening, but if you want a glass of wine or a cocktail with your healthy meal? Have at it.

The wine pairing suggestions in the book make good sense, the recipes I made (OK, let’s be real, Shawn made) were delicious and fairly easy and the cocktail recipes were excellent. Shawn made Nardini’s margaritas for an Oscar watching treat and I loved them. As with all her recipes, these are made with real ingredients (usually organic), so you’re not adding refined sugars and unneeded chemicals to your libation.

For me, the daily motivations and tips for living well were inspiring and helpful and reading this book reminded me how important it is to keep on track “wine, body and soul.” So, obviously, this is the perfect book to feature on Upkeep. I hope you’ll consider adding it to your library too.