Description
Book Synopsis It is time to tease sense out of the nonsense when it comes to eating smartly. This book offers advice on how to eat nutritiously every day without all the guilt, money, and discomfort wasted on the latest, greatest fad. Using the best scientific nutrition research available, this book will show how to navigate the complicated world of food with ease. Peppered with historical background and fascinating facts, this is an introduction to basic nutritional practices. The book covers what foods you need, how your body uses the nutrients found in those foods, disease, sustainability, weight control, and food as medicine. It exposes the lies about supplements, fad foods, fad diets, and quick fixes. Armed with the knowledge that you are making the best decisions for yourself, there will be no need to chase after the latest magic potion or remedy.
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments vi
Preface 1
1. Animal, Vegetable or Mineral: Food and Health 5
Diet and Nutrition Confusion 5
Nutrition Science, Nutritional Experts and Reputable Sources 9
Nutrients 12
U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 15
Food Labels 18
Food Justice 20
Best Ways to Prepare Food 23
Cooking Oils 25
Superfoods 26
Yogurt 27
Blueberries 27
Cranberries 28
Tomatoes 28
Dark Chocolate 29
Coffee, Caffeine, Tea and Theophylline 30
Red Wine 31
Cinnamon 32
Turmeric and Curcumin 33
Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Integrative Health and the Placebo Response 33
2. The GI Tract Is Not in the Army: Digestive System and Health 36
Anatomy and Physiology 36
Digestive Organs and Some Key Functions 39
Hormones 45
Nutrition and Upper Gastrointestinal Disorders 48
Nutrition and Lower Gastrointestinal Disorders 50
Inflammation 51
Food Allergy 53
Colon Cleansing 55
Microbiome, Prebiotics and Probiotics 55
3. It's a Whale of a Time: Weight Control and Calories 58
Weight Control 58
Fat and Obesity 60
Weight Control and Calories 63
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), Body Mass Index (BMI) and Healthy Weight 64
Strategies for Weight Loss 67
Bariatric Surgery 68
Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and Binge-Eating Disorder 68
Cachexia 70
4. How Sweet It Is: Carbohydrates—Sugar, Glycogen and Fiber 73
Dietary Carbohydrates 73
How the Body Uses Carbohydrates 74
Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome 83
Carbohydrate-Related Diets 86
Ketogenic Diet 88
Paleo and Ancestral Diets 90
Sweeteners and Added Sugar 92
Sugar Substitutes 94
5. Those Are Love Handles: Lipids—Fats and Cholesterol 97
Dietary Fats 97
Diets Related to Fat and Cholesterol 104
Butter or Margarine? 106
Chickens and Eggs 108
Nuts, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Diet and the Mediterranean Diet 110
Almonds and LDL 112
Garlic and Blood Pressure 114
Fish Oil Supplements 114
6. Packing a Punch: Proteins 116
Dietary Proteins 116
Meatless Monday and Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) 122
Cooking and Cancer 126
More Muscle, More Mass: Anabolic Steroids 127
Quinoa and Soy 129
Mediterranean Diet 130
Atkins Diet 132
Vegetarian and Vegan Diets 132
Blood Type Diet 134
Amino Acid Supplements 136
7. Alphabet Soup and Dietary Mining: Vitamins and Minerals 137
Micronutrients 137
Water-Soluble Vitamins 138
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 141
Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) 143
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) 145
Fat-Soluble Vitamins 147
Vitamin D, Calcium and Osteoporosis 148
Vitamin K 154
Major Body Minerals 154
Trace Body Minerals 156
Salt 157
Iron 159
Magnesium 160
8. The Sustenance of Life: Water, Fluid Balance and the Environment 162
Water 162
Planetary Water 166
Milk 169
Cow's Milk Alternatives 172
Breast Milk 173
Agricultural Biotechnology and Genetically Modified (GMO, GM) Food 174
Poisons in Our Food 177
Sustainable Farming Practices 179
9. The Skinny: Other Popular Diets, Fads, Wonderments and Myths 182
Popular Diets 182
Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig and Nutrisystem 183
South Beach Diet 183
Raw Food Diet 183
Mediterranean Diet 184
Gluten-Free Diet 184
Fasting 186
Blood Pressure Lowering Diets—High Dairy Diet and DASH Diet 188
Grapefruit Diet 188
Cabbage Soup Diet 189
Zone Diet 189
The Freshman Fifteen and Quarantine 15 190
Noom and Health Apps 191
Supplements and Herbal Remedies 192
10. Weight a Minute: Eating Well for Life 199
Aging and Diet 199
Beverage Alcohol 200
Milk Thistle 205
Aspirin 206
Exercise 207
Mustard for Cramps 210
Pomegranates 211
Eggplant 212
CBD 212
Sleep and Sleep Aids 213
Balanced Diet 219
Bibliography 221
Index 245
