It seems that Dr. Walter C. Willett wants nothing more than to change your entire understanding of what good nutrition is all about. He starts with the USDA Food Guide Pyramid – in the introduction, no less – calling it “wishy-washy, scientifically unfounded advice on an absolutely vital topic – what to eat”. He says that he wrote the book to show you how and why the widely-cited USDA Pyramid is wrong, and to provide a new guide to healthy eating that is “based on the best scientific evidence” to help you make better nutrition choices. It’s not about dieting for weight loss, but about eating for health – no weighing food or counting grams of this or that, just eating right.

He discusses commonly accepted dietary myths, including those surrounding fats, carbohydrates, dairy products and potatoes (yes, potatoes). He also gives some insight into how the USDA Pyramid was developed, including the outside influences that have nothing to do with actual nutrition science but with the fact that the UDSA Pyramid comes from the Department of Agriculture (whose function is to promote agriculture in America) not from “agencies established to monitor and protect our health”.

After taking you through an easily understood discussion of major nutrition topics like the ones mentioned above as well as healthy weight, protein and your choice of beverages, he puts it all together with a sample menu, lots of recipes and ideas for making small changes in your diet that add up to big nutritional advantages.

If you feel that you just don’t know what to eat anymore, or how to interpret the many nutritional debates going on out there, grab a copy of Dr. Willett’s book. He turns the latest studies into easy to understand advice and puts many commonly accepted food myths to rest. And yes, he also wants you to put on your shoes and get outside! I think I’ll go for a walk…

I’m not quite finished with I just finished this book, but I’m really enjoying it and it was terrific, inspiring and a little bit scary. The author examines the ways that the food and advertising industries have encouraged reward driven eating through the easy availability and emotional appeal of foods high in fat, salt and sugar. Kessler’s examination of the topic makes the reader aware of the way our appetites have been intentionally manipulated to make us eat much more industrially-produced food layered in fat, salt and sugar much more frequently than we need. Once you’ve read this, you’ll be thinking twice and three times about what you eat and why.
Fortunately he doesn’t stop at telling you what’s wrong. He also gives insight into what you need to do to get control of the situation. Whether your goal is to conquer overeating or just to focus on eating food that’s better for your body, this book is a great starting place. Understanding the reasons why we do things is the first step toward change, and I think that the message of this book fits nicely into a more thoughtful, mindful lifestyle.

If you enjoy this book, you might also like:

In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan

Restaurant Confidential: The Shocking Truth about What You’re Really Eating When You’re Eating Out by Michael F. Jacobson and Jayne Hurley