Dr. Katz has done a great service to the general public by writing this rich, accessible, and comprehensive guide to healthy eating. The book is the perfect resource for anyone interested in how to eat healthy, whether the reader is looking for a deep dive into what the studies say, or a more general reference that explains individual topics in just the right amount of detail. I bought the book not out of ideology (I’m not a vegan and don’t want to be), but because I want to take better care of my health as I enter those middle-aged years.
The book excels in two ways. First, unlike other diet book authors, Dr. Katz has taken the time to teach the basics of how to understand data from studies and news articles. This knowledge is a valuable inoculation against fad diet claims, oversimplified headlines, and food industry advertising. However, it’s by no means necessary to read this part of the book, as Dr. Katz sums up his simple message throughout the book and especially in the final, short chapter.
Second, about three-quarters of the book is devoted to individual topics that we all have questions about. These topics, listed in an extremely helpful index, include titles like “animal protein,” “calories,” “cholesterol,” “cooking oils,” “dieting,” “fasting,” “gluten,” “glycemic measures,” “microbiome,” “nutrient supplements,” “plant protein,” “sugar,” “veganism,” and others. (Another reviewer said the index was not helpful, but my copy of the e-book links to the relevant page, and my copy of the paperback lists the page numbers. It works perfectly for me!) He starts out each topic with a summary of what’s known about the subject then goes on to explain further. You can learn a wealth of information by simply jumping from the index to the topics you’re interested in and reading the summaries. If you want to dig further, the information is readily at hand. I was surprised to learn, for example, that the body releases more insulin in response to protein and carbohydrates together than to carbs alone.
Throughout the book, Dr. Katz repeats his simple message: there is no large, consistent body of evidence suggesting it is unhealthy to eat a balanced, mostly plant-based diet, comprised of minimally-processed foods; but there is plenty of reliable evidence showing that too much animal-based and highly-processed foods in the diet are harmful. He is not an ideologue; he does not insist that strict veganism is necessary, for example, or take an imbalanced view on subjects such as gluten intolerance or the microbiome.
Dr. Katz has obviously been thinking about nutrition and health for a long time and is passionate. His book is emphatic and clear. More than a diet book, it offers fantastic insights. For example, here’s how he characterizes our current tangled mess of news headlines, fad diets, and food advertising: “As we ponder a seemingly endless parade of ‘best diet’ contestants, we act as if we are answering questions. Instead, we are endlessly questioning the reliable answers that have stood the tests of both time and rigorous scrutiny.”
Balance, objectivity, and a passion for helping people eat healthy are the clear motivators behind The Truth about Food. I very much appreciate what the author has given us with this book.
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I bought this as NEW… cover has dirt smudges AND the front cover is torn! So disappointed, because I paid for new and not used
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mc1
Well worth reading on nutrition and what we should be eating.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 2, 2020
