Books

 Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating (Paperback) Review Summary: You would have a hard time finding someone in a better position to write this book. Dr. Willett is chairman of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, a professor at Harvard Medical School, and he heads some of the most important long-term studies of how nutrition affects health. In this up-to-date book, you will learn what the latest research shows about how eating, alcohol use, exercise and not smoking can help you avoid some diseases and birth defects. The book also explains how to read the latest health headlines and interpret the studies they are based on in the future. The lessons are summarized into a Healthy Eating Pyramid that you will find easy to understand, apply, and remember. The book contains a lot of helpful information about how to shop for more nutritious and healthful foods, and easy-to-follow recipes. I was particularly impressed with the summaries of the data on how weight and eating relate to various diseases. The book's only obvious flaw is that it does not attempt to refine the overall research into subsegment groups like those with different blood types, different genetic tendencies, age levels, and so forth. The World's Healthiest Foods, Essential Guide for the Healthiest Way of Eating (Paperback) This is a truly incredible book. It is filled with TONS of nutrition information about the healthiest foods and the healthiest methods for cooking each of them. It also includes a quick-and-easy recipe for each specific food (e.g., tomatoes, cabbage, bananas), as well as a number of variations on that recipe. The recipes I have tried have all been incredibly tasty, figure-friendly, and easy to prepare. This book is large and packed with more information than you will ever be able to absorb. If you could only purchase one cookbook, this is the one I would recommend (and I own hundreds!). 5 stars.

 The Monster Health Book: A Guide to Eating Healthy, Being Active & Feeling Great for Monsters & Kids! (Paperback) For months I'd been trying to educate my 8-year old daughter about the foods she eats and to explain why some foods are healthier than others. She was more annoyed by my restrictions than interested in my rationale. I decided to go online to search for a book that might make the subject more fun and relevant. After an exhaustive search for something age-appropriate, I came upon this book and bought it. Well, she absolutely loves it. The layout and progression of the content is perfect for her age group and the colors and graphics hold her interest. She told me she "loves" the book and is eager to read more of it each night. And she's retaining the information. I found her reading the nutrition label of a cereal box this morning and tonight, without a word from me, she decided to have only one cookie instead of two. I recommend this book for all parents who are hoping to communicate the value of good eating to their children. Although the reading level is listed as age 4-8, I think this book is most appropriate for 2nd through 5th graders.

 Eat Healthy, Feel Great (Hardcover) This resource provides parents with a strong resource for arming children with appealing reasons to begin to make good food choices in such a carb/sugar overloaded environment and help them understand why their fresh veg, nut, yogurt, fruit lunches and snacks help them grow healthy and feel good far more than the donuts their best friend brings to school. I highly recommend this book for a family library shelf and also as a gift book. Note: Although this book is marked for Pre-Schoolers, in my view it would be appropriate through age 7 or 8 yrs because it has such a rare combination of simple yet superior reasons without any babytalk. The sad thing is that most of us grown ups need a copy too. Other books which are good on this general topic are Lizzy Rockwells. Her books have more detail and more explanations with illustrations featuring digestive systems etc. Her "Busy Bodies" is as good for fitness discussions as "Eat Healthy Feel Great" is for food choice discussions. By the way; for older kids say 9 plus will love "Food Rules! The Stuff You Munch, Its Crunch, Its Punch, and Why You Sometimes Lose Your Lunch" by Bill Haduch. Pre-Teens and teens will actually read it because the language, approach, illustrations and especially the 'footnotes' are hilarious, engrossing and clear. Healthy Eating Every Day (Paperback) This is a great resource for helping any individual improve their dietary intake. It is evidence based, so there is a greater chance that it change past behavior, unlike fad diets. It is applicable for all adults, easy and enjoyable to read, and provides a foundation of knowledge and assessments needed to understand the next steps needed to take to become healthier.